End of US highway 127

Note: since I don't have access to a comprehensive collection of historical road atlases, much of the info below is based on the research of Robert Droz; click here to view his site. More research: Adam Froehlig. Photo credits: Neil Bratney; Don Hargraves; Mike Wiley

US 127 was among the original 1926 routes. Its northern terminus was in downtown Lansing MI. Don writes, "At one time US 127 came into Lansing down Cedar Street, while US 27 went across Washington and Main streets. Where Cedar Street and Main Street met, US 127 ended while US 27 turned north and continued northward. The intersection was torn up when I-496 was put through town, and Main Street now ends before it crosses the river. This picture is looking north on Cedar Street where the intersection would have been located before I-496 was built. This would have been the perspective from a driver on 127 as it was about to end."

Hargraves, June 2002

At the time, the south terminus of US 127 was Toledo OH; you can view photos from there on this page.

In 1930, US 223 was commissioned to run between Somerset MI and Toledo OH, and US 127 was rerouted to go south from Somerset, as it does today. From then until 1958, its southern terminus was in Cincinnati OH (you can view photos and get more info on this page).

In 1958, US 127 was extended to its current southern terminus in Chattanooga TN (you can read more and view photos on this page).

As with most other cities in recent history, much of the highway traffic in the Lansing area has been re-routed off the original surface streets and onto newer freeways. In about 1970, the north end of US 127 was changed to what is now I-69's interchange 87 at East St (at the time, US 27 was still on East Street). The photo below is looking south on East St (old US 27); the on-ramp to eastbound I-69 loops around to the right:

Hargraves, June 2002

That used to be the north beginning of US 127 (now signed "TO US 127").

In 1988, US 27 was re-routed to follow I-69 around Lansing. Then in 2001 today's US 127 freeway (the St. John's bypass) was completed to northward from I-69. But that segment used to be US 27, so during that time the north end of US 127 was at I-69's interchange 90, just north of Lansing. The photo below was on northbound US 127, at what was then the I-69/US 27 interchange:

Wiley, 1997

At the time, northbound US 27 was straight ahead, and southbound was to the left (but would've exited right from this direction). Today, the US 127 designation has been extended north (straight ahead along the former US 27) to its new north end near Grayling (see photos below). This "End" sign is gone now (as is the US 27 sign at far left).

The photo below is heading south on what was then US 27, but is now US 127. US 127 began here, while US 27 exited right and looped around Lansing with I-69...

Wiley, 1997

...but in 2002, the US 27 designation was removed from I-69, and now it doesn't begin until all the way down in Ft. Wayne IN. This "South 27" sign has been removed, and this interchange no longer marks the north beginning of US 127.

In 1999 it was approved that US 27 would end at Ft. Wayne IN, and that US 127 would extend north from Lansing along the former US 27 to its old terminus near Grayling MI. It wasn't until 2002 that the actual signage in MI reflected this change. Both photos below are looking south on I-75:

Bratney, June 2002

All of the US 127 shields on these signs said "US 27" until 2002; you may find it interesting to compare the old versions of them, shown on my US 27 page.

Bratney, June 2002

US 127 begins to the right, ahead.