:M-62 (Michigan highway)

File:CassopolisMichigan-DirectionalSigns.jpg

M-62 follows a roughly "question mark"-shaped routing in southwestern Michigan. It starts at the Indiana state line south of Edwardsburg in Cass County's Ontwa Township north of Granger, Indiana. The trunkline connects with State Road 23 and runs north through farmland to Edwardsburg, intersecting US Highway 12 (US 12) in town. M-62 turns northeasterly running out of town parallel to a rail line up to Cassopolis. The trunkline crosses the rail line and runs concurrently with M-60 through Cassopolis. The two highways pass Stone Lake on the way into downtown. M-62 continues north after leaving M-60, where the change in signposting from north–south to east–west occurs,{{google maps |SV = yes |link = no |url= https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9117128,-86.0125157,3a,15y,1.86h,89.31t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVx7BqxydM8iMB2yS6qxmEg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 |date= November 2018 |title = M-62 in Cassopolis |access-date= July 8, 2019 }} then curves west to leave town. It then continues through more farmland to La Grange, where it crosses the Dowagiac River at the mouth of La Grange Lake. It crosses the river a second time on the way northwest to Dowagiac.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) tracks the traffic volumes along the roads it maintains. This is measured using a metric called average annual daily traffic, which is the number of vehicle per day that use a roadway segment for any average day of the year. In 2009, MDOT's survey calculated that 2,246 vehicles used the section of M-62 between Cassopolis, La Grange and Dowagiac. This was the lowest traffic count along the whole highway.{{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 = December 18, 2010 }}

The third crossing of the Dowagiac is at the mouth of Mill Pond in eastern Dowagiac, where M-62 follows Division Street through downtown. This section of the highway had the highest traffic count with 9,088 vehicles in 2009. At Front Street, M-51 merges with M-62, and the two run concurrently to the west through town. M-62 continues westerly after M-51 separates and turns southwesterly near the Dowagiac Municipal Airport. The highway crosses into Berrien County south of Indian Lake and continues west through more scattered farms and woodland to a junction with M-140. At this intersection, M-140 turns west along the roadway, and M-62 ends.{{cite MDOT map |year= 2009 |section= N8}}{{google maps |url= https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=MI-62+E&daddr=Birch+Rd%2FMI-62+S&hl=en&geocode=FVyjgAIdELXb-g%3BFVg3fQIdHGXe-g&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=12&sll=41.919651,-86.232376&sspn=0.241666,0.256462&ie=UTF8&ll=41.876208,-86.135902&spn=0.24183,0.256462&z=12 |title= Overview Map of M-62 |access-date= February 2, 2010}} No section of M-62 has been listed on the National Highway System,{{cite map |author = Michigan Department of Transportation |location = Lansing |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 |scale = Scale not given |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 |df = mdy-all }} a system of roads considered important to the country's defense, economy or mobility.{{cite web |first1 = Stefan |last1 = Natzke |first2 = Mike |last2 = Neathery |first3 = Kevin |last3 = Adderly |name-list-style = amp |date = June 26, 2013 |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 |access-date = October 1, 2014 }}

M-62 was formed before 1924 along a portion of its current routing. The trunkline started at the Indiana state line and ran north through Edwardsburg and Cassopolis. The northern terminus was at M-40 (now M-51) in Dowagiac.{{cite MDOT map |date= 1924-05-15 |link= yes }} The southern section was moved by the end of 1925 to follow a more direct routing between Edwardsburg and the state line.{{cite MDOT map |date=1925-09-15 }} An extension in 1930 moved the northern terminus west into Berrien County, ending in Eau Claire.{{cite MDOT map |date= 1930-01-01 |c-link= yes }}{{cite MDOT map |date= 1930-11-01 }} The final few miles of highway were transferred back in local control around 1957. Before the transfer, M-62 ran concurrently with M-140 west and continued into Eau Claire. After the transfer, M-62 ended at the eastern M-140 junction and the concurrency was removed.{{cite MDOT map |date= 1957-10-01 |section= N7}}{{cite MDOT map |year= 1958 |section= N7}}

{{MIinttop|ref={{cite MDOT PRFA |link= yes |access-date= December 18, 2010}}}}

{{MIint

|county=Cass

|cspan=4

|location=Ontwa Township

|mile=0.000

|road={{jct|state=IN|SR|23|dir1=south|city1=South Bend}}

|notes=Indiana state line}}

{{MIint

|location=Edwardsburg

|mile=2.859

|road={{jct|state=MI|US|12|city1=Niles|city2=Sturgis}}

|notes=}}

{{MIint

|location=Cassopolis

|mile=11.220

|mile2=11.787

|type=concur

|road={{jct|state=MI|M|60|city1=Niles|city2=Three Rivers}}

|notes= M-62 is concurrent with M-60 through town}}

{{MIint

|location=Dowagiac

|mile=20.137

|mile2=21.005

|type=concur

|road={{jct|state=MI|M|51|city1=Niles|city2=Paw Paw}}

|notes=M-62 is concurrent with M-51 through town}}

{{MIint

|county=Berrien

|location_special=Pipestone–Berrien township line

|mile=28.329

|road={{jct|state=MI|M|140|city1=Niles|city2=South Haven}}

|notes=}}

{{jctbtm|keys=concur}}

• {{portal-inline|Michigan Highways}}

{{reflist}}

{{AttachedKML|display=title,inline}}

• [http://www.michiganhighways.org/listings/M-062.html M-62] at Michigan Highways

{{good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:M062}}

062

Category:Transportation in Cass County, Michigan

Category:Transportation in Berrien County, Michigan