Special routes of U.S. Route 12 explained

Country:USA
Type:US
Route:12
List Type:Special routes

Several special routes of U.S. Route 12 (US 12) exist, from Washington to Michigan. In order from west to east, separated by state, they are as follows.

Walla Walla business route

State:WA
Type:US-Bus
Route:12
Location:Walla Walla, Washington
Formed:1973
Deleted: 2000

A business route in Walla Walla, Washington, was signed in December 1973 along the former alignment of US 12 two months after the main highway was rerouted onto a new freeway bypass of the city.[1]

Missoula business loop

State:MT
Type:US-Bus
Route:12
Location:Missoula, Montana

U.S. Highway 12 Business (US 12 Bus.) is a business loop that runs through Missoula, Montana. It travels north via Higgins Avenue and then travels east via Broadway Street before ending at Madison Street (US 12).

Helena business route

State:MT
Type:US-Bus
Route:12
Location:Helena, Montana

Helena bypass route

State:MT
Type:US-Byp
Route:12
Location:Helena, Montana
Header Type:former

Fallon–Ismay temporary route

State:MT
Type:US-Temp
Route:12
Location:FallonIsmay, Montana
Header Type:former

Wisconsin

See main article: Business routes of U.S. Route 12 in Wisconsin.

Big Foot–Crystal Lake temporary route

State:IL
Type:US 1926-Temp
Route:12
Location:Big Foot PrairieCrystal Lake, Illinois
Formed:1928
Deleted:1929

Temporary U.S. Route 12 (Temp. US 12) was a temporary route of US 12. It was formed in 1928 because a stretch of road between the Wisconsin state line at Richmond and Crystal Lake, Illinois, was incomplete. It ran from Big Foot Prairie to Crystal Lake which roughly followed present-day US 14. It was removed in 1929 after US 12 followed the completed roadway north of Crystal Lake.

Des Plaines–Chicago business loop

State:IL
Type:US 1961-Bus
Route:12
Location:Des Plaines–Chicago, Illinois
Formed:1960
Deleted:1968[2]
State:IL
Type:US-City
Route:12
Location:Des Plaines–Chicago, Illinois
Formed:1938
Deleted:1960

City U.S. Route 12 (City US 12; signed as U.S. Route 12 Business ['''US 12 Bus.'''] after 1960) was a business route of US 12. In 1938, almost the entire section of US 12 in Illinois was rerouted. While US 12 moved north along then-Illinois Route 60 from Richmond to Des Plaines, US 12 was rerouted to bypass the Chicago Loop via US 45 and 95th Street. This diversion subsequently redesignated the former route east of Des Plaines to City US 12, albeit along a slightly different path. Before 1938, US 12 traveled along Northwest Highway, Foster Avenue, Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Avenue, and Leif Erikson (now Lake Shore) Drive. City US 12 on the South Side instead traveled along South Parkway (now Martin Luther King Drive), Midway Plaisance, and Stony Island Avenue before ending at US 12/US 20 (95th Street).[3] [4] In 1941, City US 12 was rerouted to avoid Washington Park, traveling along Oakwood, Drexel, and Hyde Park boulevards.[5] In 1960, City US 12 was renamed to US 12 Bus. In 1963, US 12 Bus. was rerouted onto the Chicago Skyway from Stony Island Avenue to US 12/US 20/US 41 (Indianapolis Boulevard). In 1968, US 12 Bus. was decommissioned altogether.

Chicago–Hammond toll route

State:IL
Type:US-Toll
Route:12
Location:Chicago, Illinois–Hammond, Indiana
Header Type:former

Michigan

See main article: Business routes of Interstate 94 in Michigan. Michigan has had several special routes related to both routings of US 12 in the state. Before 1962, US 12 followed what is now the I-94 corridor, and there was an alternate route in the Kalamazoo area (1931–1954) as well as business routes in Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Marshall, Albion, and Jackson. After the 1962 realignment of US 12, these business routes were redesignated as business loops of I-94. Two business routes for US 112 in Niles and Ypsilanti were renumbered in 1962 when US 12 replaced US 112.

Notes and References

  1. News: Cockle . Dick . December 5, 1973 . Freeway bypass to get new signs . 1 . . . July 26, 2023.
  2. Web site: March 29, 2014 . Routes 1 thru 20 . March 21, 2023 . www.n9jig.com.
  3. Web site: 1937 Illinois Official Highway Map . January 15, 2023.
  4. Web site: 1938 Illinois Official Highway Map . January 15, 2023.
  5. Web site: 1941 Illinois Official Highway Map . January 15, 2023.