History
M-59 was first designated by July 1, 1919 between M-10 (now BUS US 24) in Pontiac and M-19 (later US 25 and now M-3) in Mt. Clemens. It would be moved to follow Hall Road exclusively on the east end in 1932. The west end was extended in 1936 to end at the Livingston–Oakland county line. The extension to US 23 in Hartland was finished by 1938. The east end was extended again in 1939 along US 25 and over to M-29 in New Baltimore. The east end was rerouted again between Mt. Clemens and New Baltimore over another former alignment of M-29 in late 1947 or early 1948. The eastern terminus was truncated to M-29 east of US 25/Gratiot Avenue in 1961.
Another extension on the west end moved M-59 to end at US 16 in Howell by 1960. The west end was extended with the new BL I-96 in Howell to end at the newly opened I-96 freeway in 1963. The east end was rerouted to end at I-94 in 1964.
M-59 was converted into a freeway starting in 1966 with the first segment between Pontiac and Rochester. A second segment opened in 1972 east to Utica. Segments were converted to divided highway in Oakland County in 1984 through 1986. The east end was reconstructed in 1995–97 and converted to a six- to eight-lane divided highway. The freeway was extended east in 1998 to Van Dyke Avenue in Utica.
Read more about this topic: M-59 (Michigan Highway)
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“Let us not underrate the value of a fact; it will one day flower in a truth. It is astonishing how few facts of importance are added in a century to the natural history of any animal. The natural history of man himself is still being gradually written.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)