County Road 492 (Marquette County, Michigan) - Route Description

Route Description

In the city of Negaunee, CR 492 is a part of Maas Street, which runs east–west through town starting at Teal Lake. CR 492 begins at the intersection of Maas Street and the US 41/M-28 highway in Negaunee next to Miners Park. Maas Street passes some businesses near the highway before running through residential neighborhoods. East of Woodland Drive, Maas Street runs downhill into a more rural section of town. In this area, the roadway runs through forested terrain parallel to tracks of the LS&I. The road then loops to the north away from the tracks, crossing the Carp River next to the Forge Road intersection. Through this area, the Iron Ore Heritage Trail, a new multi-use trail system, will follow CR 492. Forge Road runs north to the Michigan Iron Industry Museum on the site of the Carp River Forge, the original iron ore forge in the region. Maas Street runs along the south side of the city cemetery. The cemetery main gate is located near the city limits, where Maas Street ends and County Road 492 continues into Negaunee Township.

CR 492 intersects M-35 near the Eagle Mills location in the township. M-35 approaches the county road from the north before yielding to the country road. M-35 turns east to run concurrently with CR 492. The two cross a rail track before M-35 separates and turns south. Eagle Mills is the location of the main LS&I rail yard and the former Pioneer Pellet Plant. CR 492 curves away from the industrial area to the northeast. The roadway crosses Morgan Creek and enters the Morgan Heights area on the border of Negaunee Township and Marquette Township. This is the site of the first tuberculosis sanitarium in the Upper Peninsula built in 1911. The facility is said to have been haunted before the main buildings were torn down before 2002. The road continues east through forested lands in Marquette Township, rounding Dead Man's Curve and running downhill into the Morgan Meadows area. CR 492 passes a convent of the Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres before entering a residential area. The road curves north past these subdivisions, meeting the western end of CR 500 (Grove Street). Further north, CR 492 intersects Brookton Road before the southern segment terminates at US 41/M-28 in the middle of Marquette Township's commercial corridor.

The county road designation continues north on Wright Street. This segment of CR 492 is separated from the southern section by US 41/M-28. Traffic crossing between the two sides have to use the main highway through median turn arounds in a maneuver similar to a Michigan left. The roadway leaves the commercial corridor and returns to woodland before the intersection with Forestville Road and Commerce Drive. Wright Street curves to the northeast and then the east crossing into the westernmost section of the City of Marquette. As Wright Street continues eastward, it runs through a residential section along part of the city line before completely crossing into Marquette. The roadway passes the Holy Cross Cemetery and the north side of the campus of Northern Michigan University (NMU). The northern main entrance to campus is located at the intersection with CR 550 (Sugar Loaf Avenue) and Tracy Avenue. East of this intersection, Wright Street passes through residential neighborhoods before the intersection with Presque Isle Avenue. East of this intersection, CR 492 crosses onto the northern edge of NMU's campus immediately north of the Superior Dome. Wright Street ends as it curves around to the south into an intersection with Lakeshore Boulevard on the shore of Lake Superior.