Existed: 1931 – present Length 51.13 km | South end: SR 205 near Garrett Constructed 1931 | |
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North end: Rierson Road & W 800 N Street at the Michigan state line Counties DeKalb County, Indiana, Steuben County, Indiana | ||
State Road 327 (SR 327) is a State Road in the north-eastern section of the state of Indiana. Running for about 32 miles (51 km) in a general north-south direction, connecting rural portions of Dekalb and Steuben counties. SR 327 was originally introduced in the early 1930s routed between Garrett and Corunna. The road was extended north to the Michigan state line in the mid-1930s. In the late 1960s the road was extended south to the city of Fort Wayne. This extension didn't last by the mid-1970s the southern end of SR 327 was truncated to its current location at SR 205.
Contents
Map of IN-327, Indiana, USA
Route description
SR 327 heads north from its southern terminus at an all-way stop with SR 205, as a two-lane highway passing through farmland. The route enters Garrett and passes through a mix of commercial and residential properties. The highway enters downtown Garrett and passes under the CSX Railroad tracks. North of the railroad tracks the route passes through residential properties, before coming to a four-way stop at SR 8. North of SR 8 the road leaves Garrett and makes a sharp curve turning due west. The road has a second sharp curve turning back due north and heads towards Corunna. The route enter Corunna from the south and passes through residential properties. The highway passes over the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks and has an intersection at U.S. Route 6 (US 6). SR 327 turns west concurrent with US 6 as a two-lane highway, passing through commercial properties. After leaving Corunna, SR 327 turns north leaving US 6 and heads towards Helmer heading through farmland. South of Helmer the road has an intersection with the western terminus of the eastern section of SR 4. After SR 4 the road enters Helmer and crosses the Indiana Northeastern Railroad track. North of the Railroad tracks the road passes through residential properties, before leaving Helmer. North of Helmer the route passes through rural farmland and an intersection at US 20. The highway enters Orland and passes through residential properties with a few commercial properties. After leaving Orland SR 327 passes through rural farmland and under the Indiana Toll Road. North of the toll road the highway crosses into Michigan and becomes Rierson Road.
No part of SR 327 in Indiana is included in the National Highway System (NHS). The NHS is a network of highways that are identified as being important for the economy, mobility and defense of the nation. The highway is maintained by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) like all other State Roads in the state. The department tracks the traffic volumes along all state roads as a part of its maintenance responsibilities using a metric called average annual daily traffic (AADT). This measurement is a calculation of the traffic level along a segment of roadway for any average day of the year. In 2010, INDOT figured that lowest traffic levels were 800 vehicles and 70 commercial vehicles used the highway daily between SR 120 and Michigan state line. The peak traffic volumes were 7,880 vehicles and 1,910 commercial vehicles AADT along the section of SR 327 at its concurrency with US 6.
History
SR 327 had its beginning in 1931 when it was designated from Garrett to Corunna. The route between Corunna and the Michigan state line was authorized in 1934. DeKalb County purchased the right-of-way for the road between Corunna and Helmer in 1935. The state highway commission constructed that section of road in 1936. During 1969 SR 327 was extended south to Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne, along former US 27. The state highway commission truncated SR 327 south of Garrett at an intersection with SR 205 during 1974-75.