| Back to Previous Route: H-63 |
  |
On to Next Route: OLD-76 |
| Southern Terminus: | Clare/Roscommon Co line along Old US-27 south of Houghton Lake |
| Northern Terminus: | Otsego/Cheboygan Co line along Old US-27 north of Vanderbilt |
| Length (Total): | 64.735 miles |
| Segment Lengths: | 1. 31.872 miles – Clare Co line to Four Mile Rd south of Grayling 2. 21.321 miles – Jct BL I-75 & M-93 north of Grayling to I-75 at Exit 379 south of Gaylord 3. 11.542 miles – Gaylord north city limit to Cheboygan Co line |
| Map: | Route Map of OLD-27 |
| Notes: | While it is not technically an official part of the Michigan Intercounty Highway system, especially since it doesn't adhere to the letter-number/number (x-nn) route designation convention, OLD-27 and its companion route OLD-76 in Crawford, Roscommon—and, to an extent Ogemaw—Counties can be grouped into the system for several reasons. First, OLD-27, as signed by Roscommon, Crawford and Otsego Counties, uses the same yellow-on-blue county route markers that the Intercounty Highway system uses and is signed in a very similar manner to those routes. Second, one may argue the reason OLD-27 and OLD-76, which are both definitely deserving of inclusion within the Intercounty Highway system, haven't been assigned Intercounty route numbers of their own are their unique circumstances: OLD-27 being the dividing line between Intercounty Zones "C" and "F" and OLD-76 being a meandering route which would defy easy numbering under the Intercounty Highway numbering scheme. |
OLD-27, in its "Intercounty-esqe" incarnation—other portions of the former route of Old US-27 are named "Old US-27" or "Old 27" but not signed with the route designation "OLD-27"—exists in three distinct segments:
|
|
| Route signage for OLD-27 in Roscommon Co is actually rather good, an exception to the norm for Intercounty Highways in Michigan. In Crawford Co, signage is mediocre at best and in Otsego Co, most OLD-27 signage is likely the original from the 1970s and very faded and extremely difficult to read in most instances. In a few cases, the OLD-27 route markers in Otsego Co are essentially illegible at this point. As always, a high level of patience and a very good map are required for following some of these routes. | |
 For decades, OLD-27 in Roscommon Co was signed as part of its "regular" numbered county route system, albeit as "OLD-27" instead of fitting into the countywide route numbering scheme of CR-100, CR-101, CR-102 and so on through CR-603. Roscommon Co Rd OLD-27 used the same small black-on-white county route markers as the rest of the county route system instead of the yellow-on-blue Intercounty Route markers. An example of the former style of Roscommon County OLD-27 route marker is included at right. In 2015, however, the Roscommon Co Road Commission conducted a major, systemwide effort to replace their entire inventory of square, black-on-white county route markers with the "NACO-standard" yellow-on-blue pentagon-shaped route markers, like those used on the Intercounty Highway system. Since 2015, OLD-27 in Roscommon Co is signed similarly to the portions in Crawford and Otsego Cos. |
|
| History: | 1971 – The Intercounty Highways in Otsego Co appear for the first time on the 1971 Michigan Official Highway Map, meaning they were likely first signed in 1970 or early 1971. It could be that OLD-27 was first signed in Otsego Co during this timeframe, although since OLD-27 has never been indicated on the official maps as such, it is difficult to pinpoint precisely when it debuted as a signed route. |
| 1970s – For a few decades, OLD-27 in Roscommon Co was signed with standard black-on-white standard county route markers and not "Intercounty-esque" signage, making it appear as more a part of the Roscommon County county route system and not the Michigan Intercounty Route system. | |
| 1983 – The Intercounty Highways in Crawford Co appear for the first time on the 1983 Michigan Official Highway Map, meaning they were likely first signed in 1982 or early 1983. It could be that OLD-27 was first signed in Crawford Co during this timeframe, although since OLD-27 has never been indicated on the official maps as such, it is difficult to pinpoint precisely when it debuted as a signed route. | |
| 1986 (Apr 10) – Likely at the request of local civic leaders, a new BL I-75 routing is commissioned at Gaylord. Beginning at I-75 at Exit 279 south of the city, the new loop routing continues northerly via Old 27 South into Gaylord, where it continues via Otsego Ave to M-32/Main St downtown. There, BL I-75 then turns westerly via M-32/Main St, terminating at I-75 at Exit 282 on the western edge of the city. If Old US-27 from downtown Gaylord south to I-75 Exit 279 had been signed as part of OLD-27, those markers are removed as it is now a state trunkline highway route. | |
| 2015 – The Roscommon Co Road Commission conducts a major, systemwide effort replacing their entire inventory of square, black-on-white county route markers with the "NACO-standard" yellow-on-blue pentagon-shaped route markers, like those used on the Intercounty Highway system. (See note above) | |
| Counties: | Roscommon | Crawford | Otsego |
| Photographs: |
|
| Weblinks: |
|
| Back to H-63 | Route Listings Home | On to OLD-76 |