<P> A southerly extension of the freeway to or near the Indiana state line is still under study . Improvements to the US 131 corridor from Portage to the Indiana Toll Road have been underway for several years and although a late - 2005 decision by MDOT to not pursue a new controlled - access route through St. Joseph County seemed to terminate the discussion, public outcry and backlash from local legislators forced the department to re-evaluate its decision . State House Speaker Craig DeRoche was critical of the original decision, citing the economic development benefit such a road would bring to the area in defense of the proposed freeway . The previous "no - build decision" was rescinded in April 2006 . </P> <P> MDOT has begun a project to upgrade a 16.4 - mile (26.4 km) segment of US 131 in St. Joseph County, home of one of the most dangerous roadway sections in Southwest Michigan for auto crashes . The final environmental impact statement for the project was published in mid-2008 and the preferred alternative consists of a two - lane road bypassing the village of Constantine . The new highway would maintain access to local roads via at - grade intersections, and the department would maintain jurisdiction of the old route through town . MDOT has stated that present traffic demands do not warrant the cost of a full freeway facility on a new alignment from the Indiana Toll Road to north of Three Rivers, stating that such a project would cost over $300 million (equivalent to $371 million in 2016) to build . Construction plans were placed on hold after an announcement in June 2009 as various proposals around the state, including the Constantine bypass, were shelved until funding issues could be resolved . In total, 137 road and bridge projects totaling $740 million were delayed to 2012 because the state could not match available federal funding to pay for the work . </P> <P> US 131 and its predecessors bears several memorial designations in addition to the Sidney Ouwinga Memorial Bypass near Cadillac . One of the oldest is the Mackinaw Trail, named after a former Indian trail that ran from Saginaw to Mackinaw City and Sault Ste . Marie . By 1915, the name was transferred to the roadway that was later numbered US 131 . The Mackinaw Trail Association was formed that year to promote an all - weather highway between Grand Rapids and Mackinaw City, using a logo incorporating a trout for the road . The name was to be officially applied to the highway in 1929, but the State Senate did not agree to the proposal . The official endorsement of the name came in 1959, after the opening of the Mackinac Bridge revitalized the idea . </P> <P> During World War I, households would display a service flag if a family member was serving in the war . A blue star denoted a service member in action, and a gold star symbolized someone who died in the military . In St. Joseph County, the chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the American Legion wanted to honor the local fallen soldiers . Using the flags as inspiration, they planted 100 black walnut and four Norway spruce trees along the road south of Three Rivers . Dedicated on May 4, 1924, this tribute was named the Gold Star Memorial Highway and ran for 1.5 miles (2.4 km) along what is now US 131 south of Three Rivers . </P>

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