U.S. Route 223

U.S. Route 223
US 223 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of US 23
Maintained by MDOT and ODOT
Length:	47.11 mi[a] (75.82 km)
Existed:	1930[1][2] – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 23 / SR 51 / SR 184 in Sylvania, OH
	US 23 near Lambertville, MI M-52 in Adrian, MI
North end:	US 12 in Woodstock Township, MI
Location
States:	Ohio, Michigan
Counties:	OH: Lucas, MI: Monroe, Lenawee
Highway system
United States Numbered Highways List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced Ohio highways Interstates • U.S. Routes • State Routes Michigan State Trunkline Highway System Interstate • US • State ← SR 222 OH US 224 → ← M-222 MI M-227 →

US Route 223 or US Highway 223 (US 223) is a diagonal (northwest–southeast) US Highway lying in the US states of Michigan and Ohio. The southern most section is completely concurrent with the US 23 freeway, including all of the Ohio segment. It connects US 23 in the south near Toledo, Ohio with US 127 and US 12 south of Jackson, Michigan. The highway passes through farmland in southern Michigan and woodland in the Irish Hills. Including the concurrencies on each end, US 223 is 47.11 miles (75.82 km) in total length.

The highway designation was created in 1930 out of the southern end of US 127. Three sets of reroutings through Adrian have resulted in the creation of two different business loops through the city. A change proposed in the 1960s and implemented in the 1970s shifted the southern end of US 223 along the US 23 freeway between Whiteford Township, Michigan and Sylvania, Ohio. Since the 1980s, US 223 no longer reaches Toledo, Ohio, instead feeding into the freeway system of greater Toledo. Changes proposed and enacted into law in the 1990s would upgrade the highway as an Interstate Highway. Congress has designated this corridor as part of Interstate 73 (I-73), although neither state intends at this time to complete the freeway.

Route description

US 223 starts at an interchange in with State Route 51 (SR 51) and SR 184 in Sylvania on the northwest side of the Toledo, Ohio metropolitan area. Although unsigned by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) along the US 23 freeway, US 223 runs concurrently around two-thirds of a mile (1.0 km) to the Ohio–Michigan state line.^[3] Once across the border, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has signed both numbers along the freeway. The two highways' designations follow the freeway northward through rural farmland. At exit 5, US 223 separates from the freeway and turns west along an extension of St. Anthony Road.^[4][5]

The highway continues westward through the farmland as a two-lane road to the Monroe–Lenawee county line. US 223 meets its former routing and turns northwesterly along Lansing Road,^[4][5] crossing a branch of the Indiana & Ohio Railway. US 223 runs parallel to the Adrian & Blissfield Railroad that branches off southwest of the highway.^[6] Both the highway and rail line run northwesterly into Blissfield. The two cross while US 223 runs along Adrian Street through downtown, and the highway makes its first crossing of the River Raisin before leaving downtown. The second crossing is in Palmyra northwest of Blissfield.^[4][5]

US 223 returns to a due west track as it crosses a branch of the Norfolk Southern Railway, and the roadway approaches the outskirts of Adrian.^[4][6] The highway runs along the southern city limits for Adrian as it meets M-52. The only business loop for US 223 runs north of this intersection with M-52 into downtown Adrian while US 223 continues through this secondary business corridor south and west of town. US 223 crosses Beaver Creek and then intersects M-34 on the western city line in a residential section of Adrian. As US 223 crosses fully into the city of Adrian, it continues northwesterly, then turns due west at the intersection were it meets its business loop's western terminus. Outside of town, the highway cross through more farmland continuing to northwestern Lenawee County.^[4][5]

US 223 passes out of flat farmlands into the Irish Hills region as the highway runs northeast of Manitou Beach as the roadway rounds the northern shore of Devils Lake. The Irish Hills region has gently rolling hills that transition to forests from farms. Southeast of Somerset US 223 meets US 127. Signage for US 223 ends at US 127,^[4][5] but according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the body responsible for US Highway number assignments, US 223 continues along US 127 less than a mile to end at US 12.^[7] The entire highway in both Ohio and Michigan is listed on the National Highway System, a system of highways important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.^[8][9][10]

History

As early as 1912, the Ohio section of what is now US 223 was shown on maps as SR 54, however the road was not signed with the number at the time.^[11] The Michigan section carried two numbers when the signs were erected by July 1, 1919. The segment from Somerset to Adrian was M-80, and the remainder in Michigan was M-34.^[12] Ohio signed its highways, including SR 54, by July 1923.^[13][14]

When the United States Numbered Highway System debuted on November 11, 1926, these highways were all used as part of the southern end of US 127, which started in Lansing, Michigan and ended in Toledo at the time.^[15] In 1930, US 127 south of Somerset was rerouted to replace M-14 to the state line and extended to end in Cincinnati, Ohio. The section of US 127 between Somerset and Toledo was then renumbered US 223, making the highway a spur of US 23.^[1][2]

The routing of US 223 was changed through Adrian in 1935, shifting the highway along different streets through town.^[16][17] Another change in 1942 through Adrian led to the creation of the first business loop through the city.^[18][19] This version of the business loop lasted until the main highway was moved a second time in 1956. With this subsequent move, the business loop designation was shifted to its current location.^[20][21] Michigan first started converting US 23 into a freeway in 1957.^[22] Several years later, the state first proposed a realignment of US 223 in 1965. This change would reroute the highway to replace M-151 in southern Monroe County, and use the US 23 freeway to connect to Sylvania, Ohio.^[23] This change was made in 1977 when Michigan shifted its segment of US 223 over M-151 as previously proposed. Instead of running south through Ottawa Lake, US 223 continued east to the US 23 freeway and south into Ohio.^[24][25]

The last major change occurred when ODOT truncated US 223 at exit 234. The city of Toledo and the state proposed the change in late 1985 to simplify travel in the area.^[26] The section of US 223 from Sylvania into downtown Toledo was used for an extension of SR 51 when the change was made between 1985 and 1987.^[27][28] A local regional planning group in Michigan proposed upgrading the section of US 223 through Lenawee County in 1990, citing increased congestion and accidents in the previous five years. The commission also supported upgrades to the highway because it was the main route between the Jackson and Toledo areas.^[29] Subsequent upgrades during 2000 added passing lanes near Palmyra and 6.6 miles (10.6 km) of roads were resurfaced.^[30]

Future

Main article: Interstate 73

The original defined alignment of I-73 would have run along I-75 to Detroit.^[31] However, Congress amended that definition in 1995 to have a branch along the US 223 corridor to south of Jackson and the US 127 corridor north to I-75 near Grayling. From Grayling it would use I-75 to Sault Ste. Marie.^[32] Except south of Jackson, where the existing highways are two-lane roads and a section of road north of Lansing where the freeway reverts to a divided highway, this corridor is mostly a rural four-lane freeway.^[4] MDOT included using the US 223 corridor as one of its three options to build I-73 in 2000. The others included using the US 127 corridor all the way into Ohio with a connection to the Ohio Turnpike or using US 127 south and a new freeway connection to US 223 at Adrian.^[33] MDOT abandoned further study of I-73 after June 12, 2001, diverting remaining funding to safety improvement projects along the corridor.^[34] The department stated there was a "lack of need" for sections of the proposed freeway, and the project website was closed down in 2002.^[35] According to press reports in 2011, a group advocating on behalf of the freeway is working to revive the I-73 project in Michigan. According to an MDOT spokesman, "to my knowledge, we’re not taking that issue up again."^[36] The Lenawee County Road Commission is not interested in the freeway, and according to the president of the Adrian Area Chamber of Commerce, "there seems to be little chance of having an I-73 link between Toledo and Jackson built in the foreseeable future."^[36]

Major intersections

State	County	Location	Mile[b]	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Lucas	Sylvania	0.00	234	US 23 south SR 51 south / SR 184 east	Freeway continues south as US 23; northern terminus of SR 51 and western terminus of SR 184; freeway uses US 23 exit numbers
			0.66 0.000	Ohio–Michigan state line
Michigan	Monroe	Whiteford Township	1.487	1	Stearns Road
			2.980	3	Consear Road
			5.098	5	US 23 north	Northern end of US 23 concurrency; Freeway segment of US 223 ends
	Lenawee	Adrian – Madison Township	24.923		BUS US 223 north / M-52 (Adrian Highway / Main Street)
			26.328		M-34 (Beecher Street)
		Adrian	27.676		BUS US 223 south (Maumee Street)	No access from BUS US 223 north to US 223 south
		Woodstock Township	45.695		US 127 south – Hudson	Southern end of unsigned US 127 concurrency
			46.454		US 12 – Coldwater, Detroit US 127 north – Jackson	Northern end of unsigned US 127 concurrency
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi      Concurrency terminus •      Closed/Former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

Business loop

BUS US 223
Location:	Adrian, Michigan
Length:	3.751 mi[37] (6.037 km)
Existed:	1956[20][21]–present

U.S. Highway 223 Business Route (BUS US 223) is a business route running through downtown Adrian, Michigan. It is also currently the highest numbered and signed business routing in the state of Michigan. Both Business Spur I-375 (BS I-375) and Capitol Loop currently exist but BS I-375 is not signed and the Capitol Loop, while inventoried as Connector 496 does not use that number on signs.^[38]

The current routing of BUS US 223 marks the second time the designation has been used in the Adrian area. The first was created in 1942 when the first bypass of Adrian was constructed. This bypass was built along Cadmus Road at Treat Highway west to M-52 (Adrian Highway). US 223 then ran along M-52 to connect with the previous routing. BUS US 223 was designated along Church, Center, Beecher and Treat streets, the former routing of US 223 through downtown.^[18][19] This incarnation of BUS US 223 would survive until March 26, 1956 when another new bypass of Adrian was built. The first BUS US 223 was deleted to allow the designation to be used on the routing of the first US 223 bypass. This first bypass became the current alignment of BUS US 223.^[20][21]

In the current routing, BUS US 223 follows M-52 (Adrian Highway / Main Street) and a former route of US 223 through downtown. The southern terminus is at US 223 at an intersection with M-52 near downtown Adrian. The business loop follows M-52 north into downtown on Main Street. At Church Street, the BUS US 223 turns northwest and follows that street to Maumee Street. The loop follows Maumee Street west out of the center of town back to the main highway. The northern terminus of BUS US 223 is an intersection with US 223 northwest of downtown Adrian.^[39]

Major intersections

The entire highway is in Lenawee County.

Location	Mile[37]	Destinations	Notes
Adrian – Madison Township	0.000	US 223 M-52 south (Adrian Highway)	Southern end of M-52 concurrency; southern terminus on city line
Adrian	1.004	M-34 west	Eastern terminus of M-34
	1.649	M-52 north (Main Street)	Northern end of M-52 concurrency
	3.751	US 223 north	No direct access to US 223 south from BUS US 223 north
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi      Concurrency terminus •      Closed/Former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

Footnotes

	Michigan Highways portal
	Ohio portal
	U.S. Roads portal

1. ^ Total mileage is a summation of the state mileages.
2. ^ Mileposts and exit numbers reset at the Ohio–Michigan state line crossing.^[3][37]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Ohio Department of Highways (1930) (MrSID). Map of Ohio Showing State Highway System (Map). Cartography by ODOH. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1930a.sid. Retrieved December 31, 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Ohio Department of Highways (1931) (MrSID). Map of Ohio Showing State Highway System (Map). Cartography by ODOH. Section E4–B14. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1931a.sid. Retrieved December 31, 2010. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Staff (January 1990) (PDF). Straight Line Diagram for US 223 in Lucas County. Bowling Green, OH: Ohio Department of Transportation. p. 1. http://www.odotonline.org/techservapps/SLD/pdf_files/LUCUS0223R.pdf. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Michigan Department of Transportation (2010). Official Department of Transportation Map (Map). 1 in.:15 mi/1 cm:9 km. Section N11–N12. 
5. ^ ^{a b c d e} Google, Inc. Google Maps – Overview map of US 223 (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=US-223+N%2FUS-23+N&daddr=US-127+N&hl=en&geocode=FfuYfAIdPgQD-w%3BFQmUgQIdh874-g&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=11&sll=41.663679,-83.688354&sspn=0.48475,0.465546&ie=UTF8&ll=41.86547,-83.979492&spn=0.96645,0.931091&t=h&z=10. Retrieved September 26, 2010. 
6. ^ ^{a b} Michigan Department of Transportation (April 2009) (PDF). Michigan's Railroad System (Map). http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDOT_Official_Rail_130897_7.pdf. Retrieved September 14, 2010. 
7. ^ "U.S. Route Number Database". American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. December 2009. US 223. http://nchrp20-7-228.com/USRoute.aspx. Retrieved September 26, 2010. 
8. ^ "The National Highway System". Federal Highway Administration. August 26, 2010. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/nhs/. Retrieved September 14, 2010. 
9. ^ Federal Highway Administration (December 2003) (PDF). National Highway System, Toledo, OH–MI (Map). http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/nhs/maps/oh/toledo_oh.pdf. Retrieved September 27, 2010. 
10. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (2005) (PDF). National Highway System, Michigan (Map). http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDOT_NHS_Statewide_150626_7.pdf. Retrieved October 7, 2008. 
11. ^ Ohio State Highway Department (1912) (MrSID). Map of Ohio Showing Inter-County Highways (Map). Cartography by OSHD. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1912a.sid. Retrieved December 31, 2010. 
12. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (July 1, 1919). State of Michigan: Lower Peninsula (Map). Cartography by MSHD. 
13. ^ Ohio Department of Highways and Public Works (April 1922) (MrSID). Map of Ohio State Highways Showing All Improved Roadways (Map). Cartography by ODHPW. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1922a.sid. Retrieved December 31, 2010. 
14. ^ Ohio Department of Highways and Public Works (July 1923) (MrSID). Map of Ohio Showing State Routes (Map). Cartography by ODHPW. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1923a.sid. Retrieved December 31, 2010. 
15. ^ Bureau of Public Roads (November 11, 1926) (PDF). United States System of Highways (Map). http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/hqdiv/p-r-div/maps/misc-maps/1926us.pdf. Retrieved May 10, 2008. 
16. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (May 15, 1935). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally. Section N12. 
17. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (July 1, 1935). Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally. Section N12. 
18. ^ ^{a b} Michigan State Highway Department (December 1, 1941). 1942 Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally (Winter ed.). Section N12. 
19. ^ ^{a b} Michigan State Highway Department (June 1, 1942). 1942 Official Michigan Highway Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally (Summer ed.). Section N12. 
20. ^ ^{a b c} Michigan State Highway Department (October 1, 1955). 1955 Official Highway Map (Map). Section N12. 
21. ^ ^{a b c} Michigan State Highway Department (April 15, 1956). 1956 Official Highway Map (Map). Section N12. 
22. ^ Grigsby, John N. (February 20, 1957). "US 23 Work To Start in Michigan This Year". Toledo Blade: p. 1. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5PZOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xAAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6590,4045259&dq=us+223+michigan+%7C+toledo+%7C+ohio&hl=en. Retrieved December 19, 2010. 
23. ^ "Michigan Asks To Reroute US 223". Toledo Blade: p. 29. September 9, 1965. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dT0xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZgEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1715,4741443&dq=us+223+michigan&hl=en. Retrieved December 19, 2010. 
24. ^ Ohio Department of Transportation (1977) (MrSID). Official Ohio Highway Map (Map). Cartography by ODOT. Section E2–F3. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1977a.sid. Retrieved December 31, 2010. 
25. ^ Michigan Department of State Highways and Transportation (1978). Official Transportation Map (Map). 1 in:14.5 mi/1 in:23 km (1978–1979 ed.). 
26. ^ "Route-Shift Plan Gains at Hearing". Toledo Blade: p. 16. November 22, 1985. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vQ4VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0QIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5519,5900231&dq=us+223+michigan+%7C+ohio+-court&hl=en. Retrieved December 19, 2010. 
27. ^ Ohio Department of Transportation (1985) (MrSID). Official Ohio Highway Map (Map). Cartography by ODOT. Section E3–F3. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1985a.sid. Retrieved December 31, 2010. 
28. ^ Ohio Department of Transportation (1987) (MrSID). Official Ohio Highway Map (Map). Cartography by ODOT. Section E2–F3. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1987a.sid. Retrieved December 31, 2010. 
29. ^ Harvey, Hank (January 29, 1990). "Planning Group Seeks Upgrading of US 223". Toledo Blade: p. 13. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=A0RPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BgMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4375,6265376&dq=us+223+michigan+%7C+toledo+%7C+ohio&hl=en. Retrieved December 19, 2010. 
30. ^ "Michigan Highway Plan Focuses on Repair Work: Engler Pledges Gradual Shift to New Construction". Toledo Blade: p. 9. January 26, 2000. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6oMUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qAMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6482,3511680&dq=us+223+michigan+%7C+toledo+%7C+ohio&hl=en. Retrieved December 19, 2010. 
31. ^ "Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991". U.S. Congress. December 18, 1991. http://ntl.bts.gov/DOCS/istea.html. Retrieved September 28, 2010. "§1105(c)(5) I-73/74 North-South Corridor from Charleston, South Carolina, through Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to Portsmouth, Ohio, to Cincinnati, Ohio, and Detroit, Michigan." 
32. ^ "The National Highway System Designation Act of 1995". U.S. Congress. November 28, 1995. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/title3.html#332. Retrieved September 28, 2010. "§1105(c)(5) I-73/74 North-South Corridor from Charleston, South Carolina, through Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to Portsmouth, Ohio, to Cincinnati, Ohio, to termini at Detroit, Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The Sault Ste. Marie terminus shall be reached via a corridor connecting Adrian, Jackson, Lansing, Mount Pleasant, and Grayling, Michigan." 
33. ^ "Michigan Settles on 3 Options for I-73: State Still May Decide not to Build Highway". Toledo Blade: p. B2. December 14, 2000. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=38wpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wQMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6389,4543775&dq=us+223+michigan+%7C+toledo+%7C+ohio&hl=en. Retrieved December 19, 2010. 
34. ^ "MDOT Postpones Further Studies Along I-73 Corridor" (Press release). Michigan Department of Transportation. June 12, 2001. Archived from the original on December 31, 2004. http://web.archive.org/web/20050228055502/www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9620_11057-75166--M_2001_6,00.html. Retrieved September 28, 2010. 
35. ^ "South Takes the Lead: I-73 Will Push from South to North" (PDF). Marion Star & Mullins Enterprise (Marion County, SC: Media General Carolina). August 22, 2007. http://www.i73.com/pdf/South%20takes%20the%20lead%20I-73%2008.24.07.pdf. Retrieved January 4, 2011. 
36. ^ ^{a b} Pelham, Dennis (July 16, 2011). "Group Seeks to Revive I-73 Interest in Michigan". The Daily Telegram (Adrian, MI). http://www.lenconnect.com/news/x121480165/Group-seeks-to-revive-I-73-interest-in-Michigan. Retrieved September 6, 2011. 
37. ^ ^{a b c} Michigan Department of Transportation (2009). MDOT Physical Reference Finder Application (Map). Cartography by Michigan Center for Geographic Information. http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/prfinder/. Retrieved May 20, 2010. 
38. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (2006). Truck Operator's Map (Map). Detroit, Lansing inset. 
39. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (2010) (PDF). Official Transportation Map (Map). 1 in:3.5 mi. Adrian inset. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDOT-State-Map-Adrian_64162_7.pdf. Retrieved September 28, 2010. 

External links

• US 223 at US Highways: From US 1 to (US 830)
• US 223 at Michigan Highways
• US 223 at US Ends
• US 223 at Michigan Highway Ends
• BUS US 23 at Michigan Highways
• BUS US 223 at Michigan Highway Ends