This Quirky Highway in Northern Michigan Should End 5 Miles Sooner Than it Does

Unless you live in the Central southern Upper Peninsula for travel there often, you likely won't be familiar with US-141. The route is 169 miles travelling north from Green Bay in Wisconsin to rural Michigan. What makes the route odd is that it ends roughly 5 miles past where it should.

In Michigan, US 141 exists in two segments. The first segment is an 8 mile run from the Wisconsin border at Quinnesec through Iron Mountain. US 141 shares pavement with US 2. West of Iron Mountain, the highway re-enters Wisconsin for 14 miles before returning to Michigan south of Crystal Falls.

Past Crystal Falls, US-141 splits from US-2 and travels for roughly 29 miles on its own north to M-28 at Covington. It's at this point where US-141 encounters its oddity.

The highways joins M-28 at this point. US-141 doesn't end rather follows M-28 for 5 miles to meet US-41. It's at this point that US-141 ends.

READ MORE: The Internet Is Just Now Discovering What is Odd About Interstate 69 in Michigan

Why does US-141 need to extend these few miles existing in what's called a 'concurrency' in road-speak?

There's a concept that a 'child' route should meet its parent - meaning US-141 should begin, end or at least meet US-41. This actually does happen in Green Bay. So there would be no reason in Michigan.

Further, there's a concept that perhaps a highway should not end, when possible, at a 'lower tier' highway. Meaning a US highway should, when possible end at another US highway or interstate rather than a state highway.

So US-141 continues on past where it should likely end.

Michigan is home to a few other highways in a situation like this. US-223 near Adrian runs currently with its parent US-23 briefly into Ohio rather than end at US-23.