the edge of the district and through a residential area in Muskegon to an interchange with the US 31 freeway. On the other side of the freeway, Apple Avenue runs farther east, leaving the Muskegon area and passing through the rural woodlands of Muskegon County. Along the way, the road passes the Hall Drain, an artificial reservoir. At Casnovia, M-37 merges in from the north at a roundabout intersection, and the two highways run concurrently across the county line into Kent County, turning to the southeast. A few miles later in Kent City, M-46 turns due east again and leaves M-37 to run independently along 17 Mile Road. The highway runs through more mixed agricultural land to Cedar Springs, where M-46 turns north along the US 131 freeway. US 131/M-46 runs northwards through the northern Kent and western Montcalm counties for about near Sand Lake and Pierson. Near Howard City. M-46 leaves the freeway and turns eastward independently along Howard City – Edmore Road. The highway runs through the north side of Montcalm County connecting the communities of Lakeview and Edmore. Between Six Lakes and Edmore, M-66 runs along M-46, a distance of around . The trunkline passes several small lakes and crosses the Maple River near Vestaburg before crossing into Gratiot County. The highway, now called Monroe Road crosses more farm fields as it approaches Alma. North of downtown, M-46 intersects the north–south leg of the Alma business loop before meeting the US 127 freeway. East of this freeway interchange, M-46 picks up the east–west leg of the US 127 business loop for St. Louis. Although similar, the separate business loop follows M-46 along Monroe Road over the Pine River to Main Street, where it turns south through downtown. M-46 continues eastward from town through farm fields to Breckenridge. At Meridian Road, the highway follows Gratiot Road into Saginaw County east through Merrill and Hemlock to the Saginaw area. East of Hemlock, M-46 meets the northern terminus of M-52 and then the southern terminus of M-47 in Saginaw Charter Township near its crossing of the Tittabawassee River. Saginaw to Port Sanilac As M-46 enters Saginaw proper, it follows Gratiot Avenue past the Saginaw Country Club. The area around the club is filled with residential subdivisions as the roadway approaches the Saginaw River. M-46 follows Stephens Street southeasterly and Rust Avenue eastward to cross the river. The highway continues along