M-185 (Michigan highway)

state highway in Michigan, United States

M-185 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Michigan. It circles Mackinac Island. Mackinac Island is a popular tourist place on the Lake Huron side of the Straits of Mackinac. The highway is along the island's coast. The highway is a thin paved road that is 8.004 miles (12.881 km) long. There are scenic views of the straits that divide the Upper and the Lower peninsulas of Michigan. It also has views of Lakes Huron and Michigan. It doesn't connect to any other Michigan state highways. This is because it is on an island. People can only get to it by passenger ferry.

M-185 marker

M-185

M-185 is a highway that runs around Mackinac Island in the Straits of Mackinac between Michigan's Upper and Lower peninsulas
Map of the Straits of Mackinac with M-185 highlighted in red
Route information
Length8.004 mi[1] (12.881 km)
ExistedJuly 12, 1933 (1933-07-12)[2]–present
RestrictionsPedestrians, bicycles or horses only
Major junctions
Loop around Mackinac Island
Major intersectionsFort Street
British Landing Road
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountiesMackinac
Highway system
M-184M-186

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) says that the M-185 is "the only state highway in the nation where motor vehicles are banned".[3] Traffic on it is by foot, on horse, by horse-drawn vehicle, or by bicycle. Cars have been banned on the island since the 1890s. Only a few vehicles have been allowed on the island other than the city's emergency vehicles. The highway was built during the first decade of the 20th century by the state. It was designated as a state highway in 1933. The highway was paved in the 1950s. Parts were rebuilt to deal with coastal erosion in the 1980s. Until an accident in 2005, it was the only state highway without any car accidents.

Major intersections change

 
Newer milemarker sign erected along the highway in 2011

The highway is on Mackinac Island. That island is in Mackinac County. Milemarkers are posted in a counterclockwise way.[4]

mi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
0.0000.000Fort StreetEndpoint used for milemarkers
4.5527.326British Landing RoadLeads to interior of the island; British Landing
7.60712.242Market StreetLeads to many signposted historic sites in the downtown area
8.00412.881Fort StreetEndpoint used for milemarkers
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References change

  1. 1.0 1.1 Michigan Department of Transportation & Michigan Center for Shared Solutions and Technology Partnerships (2009). MDOT Physical Reference Finder Application (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
  2. Michigan Department of Transportation & V3 Consultants (February 13, 2001). "Mackinac County" (Map). Right-of-Way File Application. Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Sheet 76.{{cite map}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. Michigan Department of Transportation (November 3, 2005). "Road & Highway Facts". History and Culture. Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  4. Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau (2009). Tourism Bureau Map of Mackinac Island (PDF) (Map). 1:8,600 and 1:4,100. Cartography by Christopher J. Bessert. Mackinac Island, MI: Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau. OCLC 648133817. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2008. Retrieved June 1, 2009.