M-89 (Michigan Highway) - History

History

The July 1, 1919, incarnation of M-89 was much shorter relative to today's road. Its western terminus was at a junction with M-11 (later US 31, now A-2) near Ganges. It traveled east to Fennville then turned south to Pearl before turning back to the east towards Allegan on an alignment that is a few miles south of the present day configuration. The highway then left Allegan on present day M-222 and terminated at M-13, which is now A-45 east of the US 131 freeway.

In 1926, when M-40 was extended, M-89 was rerouted out of Allegan to the southeast along its present day alignment to terminate at US 131 in Plainwell. Just a few years later, the road was extended further to the southeast to Richland then east along its present day routing to end at M-96 in Augusta. In 1931, the route was realigned to run east, rather than south into Augusta, where it then met up with M-96 just inside the Calhoun County line. The road remained in this fashion for the next 20 years.

In late 1951 or early 1952, the last section of M-89 was paved, a segment south and east of Fennville in Allegan County. Just months later, the highways was realigned to run east from Fennville, rather than south to Pearl, to intersect M-40. From there it was rerouted to run concurrently into Allegan.

In 1963, when the I-196/US 131 freeway opened, the western terminus of M-89 was extended to meet the new freeway. A few years later, when M-96 was realigned onto a route that took it into Battle Creek, M-89 was extended southeasterly along Michigan Avenue (the old M-96) and terminated at M-37. The highway was extended further southeasterly into Battle Creek to replace the old routing of M-37 along Michigan Avenue; it then turned south on Washington to the BL I-94 where it terminated, thus bringing the route to its current alignment.