A current and historic US Highway endpoint in St. Ignace, MI
Photo credits: John
Harmon; Brent Ivy; Steve
Lockwood; Robert
Mortell; Alex Nitzman; Greg
Osbaldeston
Additional research: Christopher
Bessert
| Highway | Approx. time period |
|---|---|
| US 27 | 1957-1959 |
| US 2 | 1984-present |
After the Mackinac Bridge was completed in late 1957*, US 27 was extended north from Mackinaw City and signed over the bridge to end at the first interchange on the Upper Peninsula: a cloverleaf with US 2 in St. Ignace. That lasted only about 2 years, but the photo on the postcard below must've been taken during that brief timeframe:
scanned
by Lockwood
That's looking west at the interchange - at the time, westbound US 2 was straight ahead (as it is today), but you could also continue eastbound on US 2 to Sault Ste. Marie behind the camera. To the right was the north beginning of US 27 - that exit loops around and passes under US 2 heading south (left).
When the new I-75 designation was applied to the Bridge a couple years later, the US 27 designation was truncated back to Mackinaw. Then, about 25 years later, this same interchange became a US route endpoint again, when the east end of US 2 was shortened to its current terminus in St. Ignace. The photo below was taken from the same perspective, and it shows the current route designations at the interchange:
Mortell,
1996
As you can see, it's now I-75 that leads to the Bridge. Today US 2 begins straight ahead. That assembly has since been replaced by one that's posted further east...
Ivy/Nitzman,
2009
...and which lacks the US 2 sign (and note the odd application of the Clearview font). But if you continue ahead past the interchange, the first westbound US 2 sign is posted:
Ivy/Nitzman,
2009
The shot below was taken looking the opposite direction:
Ivy/Nitzman,
2009
For a brief period that ramp to southbound I-75 was the north beginning of US 27. Today US 2 ends here, and straight ahead is the south beginning of Business Loop I-75 through St. Ignace. The BGS in the distance is shown close-up in the photo below...
Ivy/Nitzman,
2009
...as well as an "End" assembly. Both of those signs were replaced sometime after the photo below was taken:
Osbaldeston, Aug. 2000
Below is a perspective from northbound I-75:
Harmon, summer 2000
That used to be the north end of US 27. Originally eastbound US 2 continued to the right via what is now Business 75 through St. Ignace, but now the second exit provides access to the east beginning of US 2. Here's how it's signed today:
Ivy/Nitzman,
2009
* At the Bridge's dedication ceremony in 1958, each of Michigan's 83 counties chose a "Queen" to represent them; my very own mother was voted "Miss Missaukee County". You can view lots of old photos and news clippings here.