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Indiana State Road 120

Route map:
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State Road 120 marker
State Road 120
Map
SR 120 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by INDOT
Length60.093 mi[1] (96.710 km)
Existed1937[2]–present
Major junctions
West endJackson Boulevard. and Middleton Run Road in Elkhart
Major intersections
East endMichigan state line east of Fremont
Location
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
CountiesElkhart, LaGrange, Steuben
Highway system
  • Indiana State Highway System
← SR 119→ SR 121

State Road 120 (SR 120) is a state road in the northeastern section of the state of Indiana. Running for about 60 miles (97 km) in a general east–west direction, connecting rural portions of Elkhart, LaGrange and Steuben counties. The western terminus is a junction with Jackson Boulevard and Middleton Run Road in Elkhart. The eastern terminus is at the Indiana–Michigan border, east of Fremont.

The modern route of SR 120 was originally just small part of a much longer Native American trail. In the early 1920s a project to construct a road replacing the Native American trail took place. SR 120 was introduced in 1937 routed along its current routing, as a state road number for Vistula Road, which was falling apart. The western end of SR 120 has been moved a couple of different times within the city of Elkhart.

Route description

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SR 120 begins in Elkhart at the intersection of Middleton Run Road and Jackson Boulevard. It follows Jackson Boulevard, northeasterly paralleling the St. Joseph River and the Grand Elk Railroad.[3][4] The road leaves the city of Elkhart and enters Elkhart County before entering the town of Bristol. In Bristol the road runs along Vistula Street and has a short concurrency with SR 15. As SR 120 leaves Bristol it crosses over the Grand Elk Railroad. East of Bristol SR 120 curves and becomes an east-west roadway, passing through rural Elkhart and LaGrange Counties, having intersections with SR 13 and SR 5. In LaGrange county the road enters the town of Howe, passing through an intersection with SR 9. After the SR 9 intersection SR 120 is concurrent with Defiance Street, until SR 120 turns south onto 3rd Street, before turning east again on Wayne Street.[4][5]

East of Howe SR 120 passes north of Ontario and through an intersection with the northern end of SR 3 near Brighton. Then, upon entering Steuben County, SR 120 enters the town of Orland on Toledo Street, before having a four-way stop with SR 327. After SR 327, SR 120 leaves Orland heading northeasterly before turning easterly again, closely paralleling the Indiana Toll Road. SR 120 passes through an intersection with the northern end of SR 127, before crossing over Interstate 69. After Interstate 69, SR 120 has an entrance to the Indiana Toll Road and then passes under the toll road. SR 120 enters the town of Fremont, running along Toledo Street, having an all-way stop with the northern end of SR 827 (Wayne Street). After Fremont SR 120 passes near Clear Lake, as the road turns towards the southeast. Before the Indiana-Michigan state line SR 120 has an intersection with the former northern end of SR 1.[5][4] At the Indiana-Michigan border SR 120 becomes Territorial Road, a county road in Hillsdale County, Michigan; this roadway was formerly M-120 which connected to OH-120.[4][6]

History

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The first path along part of the modern SR 120 roadway was the Vistula Trail, an old Native American trail, between Fort Duquesne and Green Bay via South Bend and the south shore of Lake Michigan. In 1922 Vistula Road was built at a cost of $87,500, equivalent to US$1,592,743.54 in 2023.[7] During 1930 SR 19 was proposed and accepted as a state road along modern SR 120 from Elkhart to Bristol.[8][9][10] The second state road proposed along modern SR 120 was SR 827 from Fremont east to the Michigan/Indiana border in 1934.[11][12] The right-of-way for SR 827, east of Fremont, was purchased in 1935.[13] The following year Steuben County was having trouble maintaining the roadway, with bridges needing replacement and the gravel road surface was deteriorating.[14] The state highway commission accepted Vistula Road as a state road in 1937 and it becomes part of SR 120.[2] In late 1938 or early 1939 two parts of SR 120 opens to traffic with the first being between SR 13 and SR 3 and the second being throughout Steuben County.[15][16] By 1941 SR 120 went between Elkhart and the Michigan state line, east of Fremont, uninterrupted.[16][17] The entire roadway was paved by 1965.[18][19] In late 1969 or early 1970 SR 120s western end was moved from an intersection between Middleton Run Road and US 20 (now Old US 20/Toledo Road) to an intersection between Goshen Avenue and Jackson Boulevard. The western end of SR 120 was moved once again to an intersection between Jackson Boulevard and Middleton Run Road on September 9, 2000.[20]

At one time, State Road 120 was to have been rerouted onto Elkhart County Road 17 to end at U.S. 20.[21]

Major intersections

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CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
ElkhartElkhart0.0000.000Jackson Boulevard
Middleton Run Road		Western terminus of SR 120
Concord–Washington
township line		1.6832.709
 CR 17 to Indiana Toll Road
Bristol5.6409.077
 SR 15 south		Western end of SR 15 concurrency
5.8669.440


 SR 15 north to I-80 / I-90		Eastern end of SR 15 concurrency
York Township12.59820.275
 SR 13 to Indiana Toll Road – Middlebury, Constantine
LaGrangeVan Buren Township17.86428.749
 SR 5 south – Shipshewana		Northern terminus of SR 5
Howe26.19242.152
 SR 9 to Indiana Toll Road – LaGrange, Sturgis
Greenfield Township32.28051.950
 SR 3 south – Mongo, Kendallville		Northern terminus of SR 3
SteubenOrland39.79364.041 SR 327
Jamestown Township49.42979.548

 SR 127 south to I-69 – Angola		Northern terminus of SR 127
49.58379.796 I-80 / I-90 / Indiana Toll Road – South Bend, ToledoExit number 144 on I-80/I-90/Ind. Toll Road
Fremont52.99185.281
 SR 827 south		Northern terminus of SR 827
Fremont Township60.09396.710Territorial RoadEastern terminus of SR 120 at Michigan State line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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  1. ^ a b Indiana Department of Transportation (July 2015). Reference Post Book (PDF). Indianapolis: Indiana Department of Transportation. SR 120. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Highway Officials Attend Steuben County Parley". Angola Herald. August 27, 1937. p. 1. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ Indiana Department of Transportation (March 2, 2012). Indiana Railroad Map (PDF) (Map). 1:633,600. Indianapolis: Indiana Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d "Indiana State Road 120" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Indiana Department of Transportation (2014). Indiana Roadway Map for 2014 (PDF) (Map). 1:550,000. Indianapolis: Indiana Department of Transportation. § A7–A10. OCLC 880943061. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  6. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (2015). Pure Michigan: State Transportation Map (Map). c. 1:975,000. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. § N10. OCLC 42778335, 900162490.
  7. ^ "Vistula Road Sold for $87,500". Steuben Republican. Angola, Indiana. July 5, 1922. p. 1. Retrieved July 22, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  8. ^ Indiana State Highway Commission (1930). State Highway System of Indiana (Map). Indiana State Highway Commission. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau.
  9. ^ Indiana State Highway Commission (August 1, 1930). State Highway System of Indiana (Map). Indiana State Highway Commission. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau.
  10. ^ Indiana State Highway Commission (September 30, 1930). State Highway System of Indiana (PDF) (Map). Indianapolis: Indiana State Highway Commission. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Indiana University Bloomington Libraries.
  11. ^ Indiana State Highway Commission (January 1934). State Highway System of Indiana (Map). 1:600,000. Indianapolis: Indiana State Highway Commission. OCLC 63673890. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau.
  12. ^ Indiana State Highway Commission (January 1935). State Highway System of Indiana (Map). 1:615,000. Indiana State Highway Commission. OCLC 63899341. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau.
  13. ^ "County Council Authorizes Right of Way Purchase". Angola Herald. July 12, 1935. p. 1. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  14. ^ "Vistula Road Boosters Given Encouragement". Angola Herald. September 11, 1936. p. 1. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  15. ^ Indiana State Highway Commission (1938). State Highway System of Indiana (Map). 1:630,000. Indiana State Highway Commission. OCLC 64017142. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau.
  16. ^ a b Indiana State Highway Commission (1939). State Highway System of Indiana (Map). 1:633,600. Indiana State Highway Commission. OCLC 64016573. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau.
  17. ^ Indiana State Highway Commission (1941). State Highway System of Indiana (Map). 1:633,600. Indiana State Highway Commission. OCLC 64574634. Retrieved July 23, 2016 – via Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau.
  18. ^ Indiana State Highway Commission (1964). Indiana State Highway System (Map). 1:640,000. Indiana State Highway Commission. OCLC 65195866. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau.
  19. ^ Indiana State Highway Commission (1965). Indiana State Highway System (Map) (1965–1966 ed.). 1:630,980. Indiana State Highway Commission. OCLC 53370381. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau.
  20. ^ "09A3 Digest: Elkhart: City will assume control of part of S.R. 120". Elkhart Truth. 2000-09-09. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
  21. ^ "Indiana Highway Ends - SR 120". Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
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