M-129 (Michigan highway)


M-129 is a state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs from Cedarville to Sault Ste. Marie. South of Nine Mile Road in Chippewa County, M-129 overlays the Michigan Meridian. The section of M-129 that overlays the meridian is named Meridian Road. The highway between M-48 and the northern terminus is a part of the larger Lake Huron Circle Tour.
Originally a part of M-12 and US Highway 2, the current roadway was formerly designated M-5 from 1930 until 1939. Two other highways were also previously designated M-129. The first was in the western UP in the late 1920s; it was replaced by M-64. The second was in the Keweenaw Peninsula and was replaced by M-26.

Route description

M-129 starts at an intersection between Meridian Road and M-134 in Cedarville. This intersection is northwest of Lake Huron and the La Salle Island, part of Les Cheneaux Islands. The islands are a quiet tourist destination that Hunt's Guide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula describes as "off the beaten tourist track" and full of "low-key charm". From here north, M-129 follows the Michigan Meridian on Meridian Road. The highway forms part of the north–south Mackinac–Chippewa county line as it approaches the community of Pickford. South of Pickford, M-129 and M-48 merge along Meridian Road at 26 Mile Road. M-129 picks up the Lake Huron Circle Tour designation and the two roads cross together over the Munuscong River, which empties into Munuscong Lake, a part of the St. Marys River. These two highways run concurrently through Pickford to 22 Mile Road.
At 22 Mile Road, M-48 turns westerly and M-129 continues north. This intersection is also the location of the Munscong Golf Club. M-129 meets the eastern termini of M-80 and M-28 at 17 Mile Road and 9 Mile Road, respectively. Just before meeting 9 Mile Road, M-129 jogs to the east, leaving Meridian Road to meet up with McKnight Road, which runs parallel to the Michigan Meridian. McKnight Road and I-75 run roughly parallel approaching Sault Ste. Marie from the south. At 3 Mile Road, M-129 enters the city of Sault Ste. Marie east of the southern terminus of BS I-75, and the roadway is renamed Ashmun Street. When BS I-75 meets Ashmun Street, M-129 ends and BS I-75 takes over the Ashmun Street name into downtown.

History

The modern M-129 was originally part of M-12 from 1919 until 1926 and US 2 from 1926 to 1933.

Previous designations

The first usage of M-129 on a highway in Michigan was on a roadway connecting Lake Gogebic State Park to Marenisco and south to the Wisconsin state line; this routing was designated M-64 in 1930. The second usage was for a highway in the Keweenaw Peninsula connecting Phoenix with Eagle Harbor. This second designation was extended in 1933 to Copper Harbor and replaced by M-26 in 1935.

Current designation

M-5 was used as the designation for the former US 2 in Mackinac and Chippewa counties until 1939, when it was redesignated as M-129 on maps. The last gravel sections of roadway were paved in 1960 south of Sault Ste. Marie, and the highway was truncated to end at M-134 in Cedarville in 1963. Previous to this, the highway continued south into downtown Cedarville on Merdian Road. A small realignment moved the northern terminus to a new intersection with BS I-75 in Sault Ste. Marie in late 1967.