I stumbled across some interesting right-of-way acquisitions by the Michigan
Department of State highways in the very early 1930s.

About the same time as the original plans for the US-16 south and west by-pass
of Grand Rapids, (modern-day M-11, 28th Street on the south and Wilson Avenue on
the west), apparently there was a competing plan for the south by-pass that
would have been parallel with 28th Street, but 2 miles north.

From Cascade Road (old US-16) at Hall Street, the US-16 by-pass would have been
routed along the township line between Cascade and Ada Townships, then continue
along the township line between Paris Township (now City of Kentwood) and Grand
Rapids Township. Right of way was actually acquired for three miles, extending
about 1000 feet west of modern-day East beltline, nearly to East Grand Rapids
city limits.

The MDOT right of way sheet (available online) indicates that all of the right
of way was acquired between late September 1930 and early January 1931. It also
indicates that it was abandoned as a trunkline 10-29-1932. What is curious
about this is that the right of way for the 28th Street route was being acquired
about the same time. In fact, many of the parcels along 28th Street had already
been acquired in January of 1930.

It is as though there were two competing teams, each pushing for their plan. Or
perhaps the two teams were each not aware of what the other was doing.

At any rate, there never has been a road built along most of the proposed
township line route. The right of way acquired in the 1930s was later sold or
relinquished, mostly in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

--
Brian Reynolds
Hastings Michigan