Everyone Says the Same Thing About this Odd Intersection in Michigan Where The Same Highway Runs South in Both Directions

There are some quirky spots in Michigan's highway system, but maybe none more so than the spot in the Leelanau Peninsula where state highway M-22 goes south in both directions. In the village of Northport where M-201 ends at M-22, drivers coming south on M-201 are confronted with the choice of going south on M-22 or going south on M-22.

Other than being at the nexus of the universe, how could a highway go in the same direction in both ways?

It's due to the peninsular make up of the highway. M-22 starts near Lake Michigan  at US-31 north of Manistee and continues in that direction along the lakeshore until it reaches the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula and turns back south to run along Grand Traverse Bay into Traverse City where it ends back at US-31.

The unique point in Northport shows the spot where M-22 heads south in both directions. If you were travelling northbound from either leg of M-22, when you get the junction with M-201, your road signs would chance from North M-22 to South M-22.

Routes changing their cardinal direction is not wholly uncommon across Michigan with, perhaps most famously Interstate 69 changing from a north-south freeway to east-west orientation at Lansing.

READ MORE: This Quirky Little Michigan Highway Ends At an Off-Ramp Just 4000 Feet Into Ohio

Less known but similar is M-62 in Cass County which makes a similar north/south to east/west changeover at Cassopolis.

There is one other highway that does exactly what M-22 does. That's M-123 near Tahquamenon Falls in the Upper Peninsula. That highway heads north from M-28 at two separate points. The northbound points meet at Paradise where the road curves around to become southbound. Even if you were coming up on that intersection from Whitefish Point Road, you'd not find a similar South M-123/South M-123 sign structure even thought that's exactly what's happening.

The odd M-22 intersection was spotted by a out-of-state traveller and shared on a Facebook group dedicated to road and highway discussions. Many, who are unfamiliar with the road, thought it was a mistake.

Someone in Michigan DOT is directionally challenged.
But why wouldn't these be two separate route numbers?
I think the reason is you have two different south m-22s from the same point... That can only be confusing.

There are of course no plans to change M-22's number or routing so it will likely continue to confuse and amaze out of state drivers who find this special little spot in the northern Lower Peninsula.