US 10 Designation

Contact:
Terri Brown, Director of Marketing and Media Relations
tbrown@ssbadger.com
Phone: 231.843.7233

Lake Michigan Carferry /Historic SS BADGER Newly Designated as the Continuance Route of the US 10 Highway System.

Ludington MI – Manitowoc WI, July 5, 2015: Since 1926, U.S. Highway 10 has been broken into two segments by Lake Michigan between the port cities of Ludington MI, and Manitowoc WI.  The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) have notified Lake Michigan Carferry that the route traveled by the Historic SS BADGER will now be designated as the continuance route of U.S. 10. 

AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico and work in tandem with Michigan DOT and WI DOT. AASHTO represents all five transportation modes: air, highways, public transportation, rail, and water. http://www.aashtojournal.org/Pages/Default.aspx

Greg Johnson, Chief Operations Officer for MDOT stated, “The Michigan Department of Transportation is happy to be a partner with the Michigan-based Lake Michigan Car Ferry Service and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation in creating this US-10 designation across Lake Michigan.  The ferry service plays an important role in the tourism industry, as well as the efficient movements of goods in our two states.”

The SS BADGER transports passengers, vehicles and commercial traffic from Ludington, MI to Manitowoc, WI. The ship is the last remaining operating coal-fired passenger steamship in the United States and is currently being considered for National Historic Landmark Designation from the United States Department of Interior. 

The 410’ Historic Badger plays a major role in the connectivity of the U.S. 10 route by linking millions of travelers, hundreds’ of thousands of vehicles and commercial cargo throughout the upper Mid-West. Pat McCarthy, VP of Shore Operations for Lake Michigan Carferry states, “We are very pleased that both states recognize the current and historic importance of the Ludington to Manitowoc ferry route serviced by the SS Badger."

U.S. 10 is an east-west United States highway connecting the states of Michigan with Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota by means of ferrying across 60 miles of Lake Michigan. U.S. 10 is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry service/connection.