:M-217 (Michigan highway)
{{short description|State highway in Cass County, Michigan, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox road
|state=MI
|type=M
|route=217
|map={{maplink-road|from=M-217 (Michigan highway).map}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=M-217 highlighted in red
|length_mi=1.653
|alternate_name=Michiana Parkway
|length_ref={{cite MDOT PRFA |link= yes |access-date=September 24, 2010}}
|established={{start date|2002|09|25}}
|direction_a=South
|terminus_a={{jct|state=IN|CR|17|county1=Elkhart}} at Indiana state line
|direction_b=North
|terminus_b={{jct|state=MI|US|12}} near Union
|counties=Cass
|previous_type=M
|previous_route=216
|next_type=M 1948
|next_route=218
}}
M-217, also known as Michiana Parkway, is a multi-lane state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan. The Michiana Parkway, which extends into Indiana, was constructed as a joint effort of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Cass County Road Commission and the Elkhart County Highway Department. Michigan's segment of the parkway is {{convert|1.563|mi|km}} long continuing County Road 17 (CR 17) in Elkhart County north into the state.
Route description
M-217 starts at State Line Road on the Michigan–Indiana state line. It is the continuation of CR 17 that runs due north to an intersection with US Highway 12 (US 12) in Porter Township in Cass County. The highway crosses farmland between the two termini.{{google maps |url= https://www.google.com/maps/dir/41.7592697,-85.8776575/41.7832158,-85.8771527/@41.7712424,-85.8862043,3858m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1 |title=Overview Map of M-217 |access-date=April 23, 2009}} In 2008, 4,239 vehicles used the highway on a daily basis in MDOT's average annual daily traffic (AADT) survey. The survey calculated how many vehicles used the roadway on average each day. The 2008 counts also showed that 75 trucks were included in the total. For 2009, the figured dropped to 3,738 vehicles and 67 trucks.{{cite web |author= Bureau of Transportation Planning |url=http://mdotnetpublic.state.mi.us/tmispublic/ |title= Traffic Monitoring Information System |publisher=Michigan Department of Transportation |year=2008 |access-date=September 24, 2010}} M-217 is not listed on the National Highway System,{{cite map|author=Michigan Department of Transportation |location=Lansing |scale=Scale not given |title=National Highway System, Michigan |date=April 23, 2006 |publisher=Michigan Department of Transportation |url=http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDOT_NHS_Statewide_150626_7.pdf |format=PDF |access-date=October 7, 2008 |url-status = dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004040152/http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDOT_NHS_Statewide_150626_7.pdf |archive-date=October 4, 2012 }} a system of highways important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.{{cite web |first1= Stefan |last1= Natzke |first2= Mike |last2= Neathery |first3= Kevin |last3= Adderly |url= https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/ |title= What is the National Highway System? |work= National Highway System |publisher= Federal Highway Administration |date= June 20, 2012 |access-date= July 1, 2012 |name-list-style=amp}}
History
The Michiana Parkway was constructed from CR 4, just south of the "Elkhart East" interchange (exit 96) of the Indiana Toll Road, to US 12 in Porter Township, along the boundary with Mason Township.{{cite news |title=Michiana Parkway Will Benefit Region |url= https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/southbendtribune/access/208487251.html?FMT=ABS |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121020114009/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/southbendtribune/access/208487251.html?FMT=ABS |url-status= dead |archive-date= October 20, 2012 |work= South Bend Tribune |date=October 6, 2002 |access-date= April 29, 2009 |oclc= 8793233 |url-access=subscription }} The Indiana portion was an upgrade and extension of Elkhart County Road 17 to the state line; Michigan's portion was entirely new construction built by the Michigan Department of Transportation and numbered M-217.{{cite news |first= Adam |last= Jackson |title=County Road 17 Extension Finally Begins |url= https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/southbendtribune/access/111609479.html?FMT=ABS |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121020081719/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/southbendtribune/access/111609479.html?FMT=ABS |url-status= dead |archive-date= October 20, 2012 |work= South Bend Tribune |date= March 14, 2002 |access-date= April 23, 2009 |oclc= 8793233 |url-access=subscription }}{{cite news |first= Eddy Okada |last= Green |title= Road Party Proves Popular |url= https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/southbendtribune/access/149195381.html?FMT=ABS |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121020081801/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/southbendtribune/access/149195381.html?FMT=ABS |url-status= dead |archive-date= October 20, 2012 |work= South Bend Tribune |date= August 11, 2002 |access-date=April 23, 2009 |oclc= 8793233 |url-access=subscription }} With the completion of M-217, MDOT and the Cass County Road Commission swapped roads on September 25, 2002. MDOT took over jurisdiction of M-217 and gave M-205 to the road commission, an action that decommissioned M-205 as a state trunkline.{{cite MDOT map |year= 2002 |section= N8 }}{{cite MDOT map |year= 2003 |section=N8 }}
Major intersections
{{MIinttop|ref=|nocty=yes|location=none|hatnote=The entire highway is along the Porter–Mason township line, Cass County.
}}
{{MIint
|mile=0.000
|road={{jct|state=IN|CR|17|county1=Elkhart|dir1=south|city1=Elkhart}}
|notes=Indiana state line}}
{{MIint
|road={{jct|state=MI|US|12|city1=Niles|city2=Sturgis}}
|notes=|mile=1.653}}
{{jctbtm}}
See also
- {{portal-inline|Michigan Highways}}
References
{{reflist}}