U.S. Route 127 in Michigan

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This article is about the section of highway in Michigan. For the entire length of highway, see U.S. Route 127.

US Highway 127 marker

US Highway 127

Map
US 127 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length212.168 mi[1] (341.451 km)
ExistedNovember 11, 1926[2]–present
HistoryExtended in 2002
Major junctions
South end US 127 near Waldron
Major intersections
North end I-75 near Grayling
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountiesLenawee, Hillsdale, Jackson, Ingham, Clinton, Gratiot, Isabella, Clare, Roscommon, Crawford
Highway system
←
Bus. US 127

US Highway 127 (US 127) is a part of the

freeway. A notable exception is a 16-mile (26 km) stretch from north of St. Johns to just south of Ithaca, where the highway is built as an expressway
and speed limits are lower. South of Jackson to the state line, the trunkline is a two-lane, undivided highway with access from adjacent properties.

The highway was first designated on November 11, 1926, along a series of existing state highways from Lansing southward toward

Somerset in rural northwestern Lenawee County to a course that ran directly south to the Ohio state line; the remainder was renumbered US 223. Starting in the 1950s, the highway was reconfigured to bypass Mason and other communities, converting US 127 into a freeway from Jackson to the Lansing area by the mid-1970s. When the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) successfully petitioned the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in 1999 to remove US 27 from the state, US 127 was to be extended northward from Lansing to Grayling as the replacement designation. This change was made in 2002, resulting in the current configuration of the highway in Michigan. The United States Congress has designated an additional Interstate Highway, to be part of I-73
, that would replace most or all of US 127 through Central and Southern Michigan, but any plans by MDOT to complete this highway were cancelled in 2001.

Route description

Running just about 212.2 miles (341.5 km) in Michigan, US 127 runs north–south up the center of the Lower Peninsula. North of its junction with US 223 in Lenawee County, it is listed as a part of the National Highway System,[3] a system of roads importance to the nation's economy, defense and mobility.[4] As a state trunkline highway, the roadway is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), and it includes approximately 162.6 miles (261.7 km) of freeway in two segments, the southernmost running between Jackson and Clinton counties, separated by a 16-mile-long (16 mi) gap from the northernmost segment between Gratiot and Crawford counties.[1] According to the department, 1,253 vehicles use US 127

on average near the state line, and 68,853 vehicles do so between M-43 and Kalamazoo Street in Lansing, the lowest and highest traffic counts along the highway in 2013, respectively.[5]

State line to Lansing

US 127 enters Michigan as a two-lane highway south of

survey Michigan in the early 19th century.[6] From the state line north, US 127 follows the Hillsdale–Lenawee county line north through agricultural areas in Southern Michigan. The highway intersects M-34 at Hudson. Near Beecher Road north of the city, US 127 veers westward, off the county line and travels fully within Hillsdale County for about six miles (9.7 km). Near intersections with Manitou and Adams roads south of Addison, it crosses fully into Lenawee County. The highway continues due north from Addison to an intersection with US 223's northern terminus in the northwestern corner of the county, where US 127 turns northwesterly.[7][8]

About a mile (1.6 km) farther north, US 127 intersects

Business US 127 (Bus. US 127) follows M-50 into the city. The freeway crosses the Grand River twice near the South Street interchange.[7][8] It also crosses a rail line of the Norfolk Southern Railway near the Page Avenue interchange.[8][9] Northeast of Jackson, US 127 meets I-94 and turns westward to run concurrently with it along the northern edge of Jackson. US 127 crosses the Grand River again on this 3+1⁄2-mile (5.6 km) section of I-94 before turning northward again.[7][8]

The US 127 freeway continues northward, concurrent with M-50 for the first mile and a half (2.4 km) north of I-94. The freeway runs through rural northern Jackson County, paralleled by State Road before curving northwesterly near the county line with Ingham County. US 127 passes through Leslie with Churchill and Hull roads running parallel on either side of the freeway. US 127 loses these companion roads at Mason where it curves northwest to the Lansing area.[7][8]

US 127 through Lansing

On the southeastern side of the capital city, US 127 meets

Delhi Township and into the city of Lansing. Right near the Red Cedar River, just west of the Michigan State University campus, I-496 and US 127 separate as US 127 continues north and I-496 turns west. This side of the city is mostly residential neighborhoods as US 127 runs along the East Lansing border, but there is a commercial area surrounding the Lake Lansing Road interchange before the highway crosses into Clinton County. US 127 meets I-69 northeast of Lansing,[7][8] at the 1998[10][11]–2002 terminus of the highway.[12][13] From here north, US 127 follows the former US 27 north to Grayling.[12]

Central Michigan

The freeway continues northward through rural

expressway segment. It is a four-lane divided highway with some local driveway access and cross traffic through at-grade intersections.[7][8]

Train crossing near the Maple River and M-57

The expressway segment passes through an area that is mostly farms with occasional business. Just north of the

for St. Louis runs north on State Road. The freeway crosses the Pine River while running between Alma and St. Louis before intersecting M-46 and the northern ends of the two business loops at another pair of adjacent partial interchanges.[7][8]

North of Alma, US 127 turns due north again and crosses into

Bus. US 127 in Mount Pleasant is marked by residential neighborhoods; the location of the M-20 interchange has some commercial properties, however. Otherwise, the landscape in Isabella County is mostly farms adjacent to the freeway.[7][8]

The

welcome center in the median of US 127/US 10 before the two highways separate north of the city.[7][8]

Southbound beginning of US 127 in Beaver Creek Township

US 127 continues northward through rural woodlands in Clare County to the community of

Bus. US 127 for the community, part of which is also M-61. The freeway passes between Little Long and Sutherland lakes north of Harrison before intersecting the northern end of the business loop. US 127 serves the resort area at Houghton Lake in Roscommon County. It crosses the Muskegon River on the west side of Houghton Lake before running along the western side of Higgins Lake near the Crawford County line. US 127 ends about four miles (6.4 km) south of Grayling at a partial interchange with I-75. Traffic along US 127 northbound has access to northbound I-75 and southbound traffic on I-75 can access US 127 southbound.[7][8]

History

See also: U.S. Route 27 in Michigan § History

In 1919, the

Somerset area where it turned southeasterly, replacing the former M-80 and M-34 through Adrian to Toledo, Ohio.[2][17] The remainder of M-14 south to the state line remained a shortened M-14.[18]

The southern end of US 127 was rerouted in 1930 from Somerset south to Hudson and on to

Cincinnati, Ohio. The section of former US 127 between Somerset and Toledo became US 223.[19] The northern end was shifted slightly in 1950 in the city of Lansing when US 27 was rerouted from its car-only route to its truck route and US 127 was realigned to connect to the new routing.[20][21]

The city of

Bus. US 127.[27] Over the next few years, the expressway was upgraded to a full freeway that was completed in by 1964.[28][29] The US 127 freeway was extended north to the Lansing area by 1968. Near Lansing, it was routed along I-496 to the north side of Lansing and East Lansing to connect with US 27.[30][31] The last extension of US 127 for another 11 years was completed in 1973 when the freeway was completed north to the DeWitt area, connecting with US 27 there.[32][33]

Two changes took place in the routing of US 127 in the 1980s as the I-69 freeway was completed. The northern Lansing bypass was completed in 1984,[34][35] and I-69 was built through Clinton County in 1987. These changes routed I-69 along a portion of US 127 near DeWitt and removed a Temporary I-69 routing from US 127 on the east side of Lansing.[36][37] The opening of the St. Johns Bypass on August 31, 1998,[38] shortened US 127 by almost two miles (3.2 km) while US 27 was routed along the I-69 freeway between exits 87 and 89 to connect with the new freeway northward. US 127 ended at its junction with I-69 and US 27 and no longer ran concurrently with I-69 afterward.[10][11]

MDOT petitioned the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) for approval to remove US 27 from Michigan in 1999. This proposed change was to remove the 88-mile (142 km) concurrency of I-69 and US 27 southwest of the Lansing area. MDOT also proposed that US 127 be extended north over the former US 27 to Grayling. AASHTO approved this change on April 16, 1999,[39] nearly tripling the highway from 83 to 214 miles (134 to 344 km). The highway markers were changed over in 2002,[40] converting US 27 and the Bus. US 27 designations to US 127 and Bus. US 127, respectively.[12][13]

In 2009, MDOT constructed Michigan lefts at several intersections in northern Clinton County to remove cross-street traffic.[41] In April 2010, the department raised speed limits for passenger cars on this non-freeway stretch to 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) from the previous 55 miles per hour (89 km/h).[42]

In 2017, some speed limits in Michigan for passenger cars were increased from 70 to 75 miles per hour (113 to 121 km/h), and the speed limit for trucks was increased from 60 to 65 miles per hour (97 to 105 km/h). In turn, the expressway section of US 127 had a speed limit increase to 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) for trucks (matching passenger car speed limits), and all freeway sections north of the I-69 interchange have a speed limit of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h) (for passenger cars) now.

Future

Marker for Future I-73

As originally defined in 1991, the alignment of

right-of-way to be used for future upgrades.[46]

MDOT included using the US 127 and US 223 corridors as one of its three options to build I-73 in 2000. The others included using the US 127 corridor all the way into Ohio with a connection to the Ohio Turnpike or using US 127 south and a new freeway connection to US 223 at Adrian.[47] MDOT abandoned further study of I-73 after June 12, 2001, diverting remaining funding to safety improvement projects along the corridor.[48] The department stated there was a "lack of need" for sections of the proposed freeway, and the project website was closed down in 2002.[49] According to press reports in 2011, a group advocating on behalf of the freeway is working to revive the I-73 project in Michigan. According to an MDOT spokesman, "to my knowledge, we're not taking that issue up again."[50] The Lenawee County Road Commission is not interested in the freeway, and according to the president of the Adrian Area Chamber of Commerce, "there seems to be little chance of having an I-73 link between Toledo and Jackson built in the foreseeable future."[50]

Exit list

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
Hillsdale–Lenawee
county line		Wright–Medina township line0.0000.000
 US 127 south – Bryan		Ohio state line
Pittsford Township–Hudson line10.24516.488 M-34 – Hillsdale, Adrian
Hillsdale
 No major junctions
LenaweeWoodstock Township23.19137.322
 US 223 south – Adrian, Toledo		Northern terminus of US 223
24.05538.713 US 12 – Coldwater, Ypsilanti
Hillsdale
 No major junctions
JacksonSummit Township33.97554.677Southern end of freeway
34.37955.32834
Bus. US 127 north / M-50 – Jackson, Monroe
Northbound exit and southbound entrance for westbound M-50/Bus. US 127 only, and complete access to McDevitt Avenue/M-50 east; eastbound M-50 is briefly concurrent with southbound US 127 but westbound M-50 follows a ramp
Leoni Township36.22958.30536South Street
37.53160.40038Page Avenue – Michigan Center
38.77162.39639
BL I-94
(Michigan Avenue)
40.100–
40.110		64.535–
64.551		40
Detroit
Eastern end of I-94 concurrency; freeway uses I-94 exit numbers, signed as exit 142 southbound
Blackman Township
41.43566.683141Elm Avenue
42.46068.333139 M-106 (Cooper Street) – Stockbridge
43.66070.264138
 I-94 west – Chicago
Bus. US 127 south / M-50 east – Jackson
Western end of I-94 concurrency; southern end of M-50 concurrency; signed as exits 43A (east) and 43B (west) southbound
44.16971.08344Springport Road
45.04172.48645Parnall RoadSouthbound interchange provides access to westbound M-50 via Clinton Way
45.42573.10446
 M-50 west – Eaton Rapids, Charlotte		Northern end of M-50 concurrency; northbound exit and southbound entrance
Rives Junction
InghamLeslie56.29090.59056Bellevue Road – Leslie
Vevay Township61.32298.68861Barnes Road
Mason64.430103.69064Kipp Road – Mason
Vevay Township66.326106.74166
 M-36 east (Cedar Street) – Mason		Western terminus of M-36
Alaiedon Township69.761112.26970Holt Road – Holt
Detroit

 I-496
west		Southern end of I-496 concurrency; signed as exits 73A (I-96 east, Detroit) and 73B (I-96 west, Grand Rapids); concurrency uses I-496 exit numbers
Lansing73.953119.01611Dunckel Road, Jolly Road
76.103122.4769Trowbridge RoadSigned as exit 75 on southbound US 127
76.876123.7208
 I-496 west – Downtown Lansing		Northern end of I-496 concurrency; signed as exit 77 southbound
76.876123.72076Kalamazoo Street, Michigan AvenueNorthbound exit and southbound entrance; southbound exit and northbound entrance via exit 78
77.683–
77.734		125.019–
125.101		78
BL I-69 / M-43
(Grand River Avenue, Saginaw Street)
East Lansing79.029127.18579Lake Lansing Road
DeWitt Township
82.229–
82.259		132.335–
132.383		82
 I-69 to I-96 – Flint, Grand Rapids		Signed as exits 82A (I-69 east, Flint) and 82B (I-69 west to I-96, Grand Rapids)
DeWitt–Olive township line
85.750138.00186Round Lake Road – DeWitt
Bus. US 127
north (Price Road)		Signed only as Price Road southbound
Bingham Township95.780154.14396 M-21 – St. Johns, Owosso
99.230159.69599
Bus. US 127 south (Old 27) – St. Johns
Signed only as Old 27 northbound
Greenbush Township100.115161.119Northern end of freeway; southern end of expressway
GratiotWashington Township109.365176.006109 M-57 (Cleveland Road) – Greenville, Chesaning
North Star Township115.733186.254Bagley Road northNorthern end of expressway; southern end of freeway; intersection closed in 2018[51]
Bus. US 127 north (Washington Road) – Ithaca
Signed only as Washington Road southbound
Bus. US 127 south (Polk Road) – Ithaca
Signed only as Polk Road northbound
Bus. US 127 north (Lincoln Road) – Alma
Northbound exit and southbound entrance; southern terminus of business loop through Alma
Bus. US 127 north (State Road) – St. Louis
Southern terminus of business loop through St. Louis; signed only as State Road southbound; access from northbound State Road to southbound US 127 and northbound US 127 to southbound State Road at exit 123
Bus. US 127 south / M-46 – St. Louis, Saginaw, Edmore
Northern terminus of business loop for St. Louis; signed as exit 127 (M-46, Edmore, Saginaw) northbound; access from eastbound M-46 to northbound US 127 and southbound US 127 to westbound M-46 at exit 127B
126.986204.364127B
Bus. US 127 south (Alger Road) / M-46 west – Alma, Edmore
Southbound exit and northbound entrance; northern terminus of business loop for Alma
IsabellaCoe Township134.997217.257135Blanchard Road – Shepherd
Bus. US 127 north – Mount Pleasant
Northbound exit and southbound entrance
142.686229.631143 M-20 (Pickard Street) – Big Rapids, Midland
144.123231.943144
Bus. US 127 south – Mount Pleasant
Southbound exit and northbound entrance
Rosebush149.222240.150149RosebushConnects to Rosebush Road
Bus. US 127 north to US 10 east – Clare
Northbound exit and southbound entrance; access to eastbound US 10 via Bus. US 10
ClareClare158.041–
158.285		254.342–
254.735		158
 US 10 east – Midland		Southern end of US 10 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance
159.760257.109160
Bus. US 10 east – Clare
Signed as Old 27 only northbound
159.884–
160.562		257.308–
258.399		Michigan Welcome Center
162.342261.264162

 US 10 west to M-115 – Ludington, Cadillac		Northern end of US 10 concurrency
Hatton Township167.803270.053168Mannsiding Road – Lake George
Bus. US 127 north / M-61 – Harrison, Gladwin
Signed as M-61 only southbound
176.135283.462176
Bus. US 127 south – Harrison
Signed as Old 27 only northbound
RoscommonRoscommon Township189.912305.634189Snow Bowl Road
Houghton Lake Heights194.528313.062194 M-55 – Cadillac, Houghton LakeSigned as exits 194A (east) and 194B (west) southbound
Lyon Township201.569324.394201Higgins Lake Road
CrawfordBeaver Creek Township206.249331.926206Military Road – Camp Grayling, RoscommonSigned only as Military Road southbound
211.692–
212.168		340.685–
341.451		—
 I-75 north – Mackinac Bridge		Northbound exit to I-75 northbound and southbound entrance from I-75 southbound; exit 249 on I-75
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

  •  
    Michigan Highways portal

Notes

  1. ^ The Michigan State Highway Department was reorganized into the Michigan Department of State Highways and Transportation on August 23, 1973. The name was shortened to its current form in 1978.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c Michigan Department of Transportation (2021). Next Generation PR Finder (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  2. ^
    OCLC 32889555. Retrieved November 7, 2013 – via Wikimedia Commons
    .
  3. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (April 23, 2006). National Highway System, Michigan (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
  4. ^ Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike & Adderly, Kevin (August 26, 2010). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  5. ^ Bureau of Transportation Planning (2008). "Traffic Monitoring Information System". Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  6. OCLC 1754604
    .
  7. ^
    OCLC 42778335, 900162490
    .
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Google (April 14, 2015). "Overview Map of US 127 in Michigan" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  9. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (June 2014). Michigan's Railroad System (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  10. ^
    OCLC 42778335
    .
  11. ^
    OCLC 42778335, 55974644
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  12. ^
    OCLC 42778335
    .
  13. ^
    OCLC 42778335
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  14. OCLC 8169232. Retrieved January 18, 2021 – via Wikisource
    .
  15. OCLC 9975013
    .
  16. OCLC 63377558
    .
  17. Michigan State Highway Department
    (November 1, 1926). Official Highway Condition Map (Map). [c. 1:823,680]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department.
  18. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (December 1, 1926). Official Highway Condition Map (Map). [c. 1:823,680]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department.
  19. ^ Automobile Legal Association (1930). "Route Log of State Highway Systems". Automobile Green Book (1930–31 ed.). Boston: Scarborough Motor Guide Co. pp. 45+.
  20. OCLC 12701120
    .
  21. OCLC 12701120
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  22. OCLC 12701120
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  23. OCLC 12701120
    .
  24. OCLC 12701120
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  25. ^
    OCLC 12701120, 367386492
    .
  26. OCLC 12701120, 51856742
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center. (Includes all changes through July 1, 1958)
  27. OCLC 12701120, 81552576
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center. (Includes all changes through July 1, 1960)
  28. OCLC 12701120, 81213707
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  29. OCLC 12701120
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  30. OCLC 12701120
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  31. OCLC 12701120
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  32. OCLC 12701120, 81679137
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  33. OCLC 12701177, 83138602
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  34. OCLC 12701177
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  35. OCLC 12701177
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  36. OCLC 12701177
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  37. OCLC 42778335
    . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
  38. ^ Truscott, John (August 31, 1998). "Governor Engler Opens US 27 Freeway" (Press release). Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on December 23, 2007. Retrieved May 24, 2008.
  39. ^ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (April 17, 1999). "Report of the Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering to the Standing Committee on Highways" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2008.
  40. Newsbank
    .
  41. ^ Arend, Kari (April 29, 2009). "MDOT Begins Construction on US 127 North of St. Johns in Clinton County" (Press release). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  42. Newspapers.com
    .
  43. Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 102–240
    . Retrieved September 28, 2010 – via National Transportation Library.
  44. Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 104–59 (text) (PDF)
    . Retrieved September 28, 2010 – via Federal Highway Administration.
  45. OCLC 42778335
    .
  46. Newspapers.com
    .
  47. OCLC 12962717. Retrieved December 19, 2010 – via Google News
    .
  48. OCLC 9939307
    .
  49. OCLC 761993706. Archived
    (PDF) from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  50. ^
    OCLC 33972687. Archived from the original
    on April 1, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  51. ^ Nelson, Greg (December 4, 2018). "Dangerous Gratiot Intersection at US 127 Finally Closed". The Morning Sun. Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Retrieved July 3, 2020.

External links

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