Wisconsin Highway 27

State Trunk Highway 27 (often called Highway 27, STH-27 or WIS 27) is a state highway in the US state of Wisconsin. The highway spans a length of 294 miles (473km) and is generally two-lane local road with the exception of urban multilane arterials within some cities. Earlier routing of the highway had it reaching Superior along the present US Highway53 (US53) and Fennimore along the present US61 and following Interstate94 (I-94) between Black River Falls and Osseo.

Route description

In southern Crawford County, WIS 27 begins at a junction with US18, WIS 60 and WIS35 in Prairie du Chien. The highway turns north after a three-mile (4.8km) northeast stretch out of the city and passes through Eastman and Mount Sterling. After entering Vernon County, WIS27 converges with WIS82 and turns northeast in Fargo. The two highways continue concurrently for seven miles (11km) and turn northwest onto US14 and US61. WIS82 turns east off the concurrency in downtown Viroqua at the junction with WIS56 west. WIS27 turns north off the concurrency in Westby and crosses into Monroe County near Newry. The highway crosses WIS33 in Cashton, Wisconsin and passes through Melvina before crossing I-90 just south of Sparta. In downtown Sparta, WIS27 crosses WIS16. The junction is also the west terminus of WIS21 and the point where WIS71 west joins WIS27 heading north; WISwest follows WIS16 east. WIS71 turns westward off the highway near Four Corners. WIS27 enters Jackson County seven miles (11km) north of the WIS71 west junction.

WIS 27 junctions with US12 east on the south side of Black River Falls. The two highways run concurrently through the city and junction with WIS54 in the city center and I-94 on the north side. US12/WIS27 crosses WIS95 in Merrillan and entere Clark County four miles (6.4km) north of Merrillan. The highway passes through Humbird and turns west onto US10 and passes back into Jackson County. After entering Eau Claire County, US12/WIS27 turns northwest off US10 in Fairchild. WIS27 turns north off US12 in Augusta. The highway crosses WIS29 five miles (8.0km) north of the Chippewa County line in Cadott and junctions with WIS64 in Cornell. WIS27 enters Rusk County five miles (8.0km) north of Holcombe.

The entire stretch of WIS27 is due north–south and passes through only one city, Ladysmith, midway through the county. WIS27 crosses US8 in Ladysmith. Eleven miles (18km) after crossing into Sawyer County, WIS27 turns west onto WIS70 in Ojibwa. The highway passes through Radisson and Couderay along a stair-stepped northwest trek. WIS27 turns north off the concurrency near Sand Lake The highway junctions with US63 and WIS77 in Hayward. WIS77 west follows WIS27 north for three miles (4.8km) north of Hayward. WIS27 enters Bayfield County seven miles (11km) north of the WIS77 west junction. WIS27 passes through the county for 13 miles (21km) before turning west into Douglas County WIS27 turns north again and continues to its north terminus is at a junction with US2 in Brule.

History

When first added as part of the original Wisconsin state trunkline in 1918, WIS27's northern terminus was at Sparta. It was extended further to WIS12 at Shamrock in the early 1920s. It was extended to follow the current routing through Hayward (with the exception of the portion through Rusk and Sawyer counties to Radisson)—where it followed present day WIS77 and US53 (then WIS11) to Superior in 1924. When US61 was added in the late 1920s, WIS27 was re-routed to Fennimore from Viroqua until 1932—when it was restored to its original routing to Prairie du Chien. The present route in Rusk and Sawyer counties was opened in the late 1940s and the section north of Hayward was rerouted along the present alignment in 1948. The section of WIS27 between Black River falls and Augusta was rerouted to follow I-94 between Hixton and Osseo in 1967, but was relocated back to the section following US12 in 1972.

Major intersections

See also

• U.S. Roadsportal

External links

• Media related toWisconsin Highway 27at Wikimedia Commons