US 127 passes through residential neighborhoods to enter downtown Ithaca. At Main Street, the business loop turns northward one block to Emerson, then turns westward one block along Emerson to Pine River Street, bypassing downtown Ithaca. From there, Bus. US 127 turns northward along the former route of US 27 through town. North of downtown, the highway passes through another residential area before exiting Ithaca. North of town, the business loop passes a golf course before turning eastward a short distance along Polk Road to connect to the freeway. An expressway through Gratiot County opened in late 1961, and US 27 was rerouted to follow it, bypassing Ithaca to the east. The former route of US 27 along Center and Pine River streets in Ithaca was designated Bus. US 27 at this time. On April 26, 1973, the state transferred control over one block of Center Street west of Main Street and one block of Pine River Street south of Emerson Street. At the same time, the city transferred control of one block each of Main and Emerson streets. In 1999, MDOT petitioned AASHTO to decommission the US 27 designation in the state; the change was approved on April 16, 1999. The state waited until 2002 to make the change. After the change was implemented, Bus. US 27 was renumbered to Bus. US 127 as with all of the other similar business routes in the state to reflect the new parent highway designation. Major intersections  Business US Highway 127 (Bus. US 127) is a business loop through Alma. The highway starts at a partial interchange for exit 123 on US 127 in a rural area east of Alma. There are a few businesses adjacent to the interchange and an intersection with State Road, which provides access to another partial interchange with US 127 as well as the Bus. US 127 for St. Louis. Continuing westward along Lincoln Road, the landscape along the southern leg of Bus. US 127 comprises farm land. Once the highway enters Alma, the street name changes to Superior Street. US 127 crosses the Pine River and runs through residential neighborhoods on the eastern side of Alma before entering the downtown area. At an intersection with Wright Avenue to the east of the campus of Alma College, Bus. US 127 turns northward. North of downtown, the business loop crosses another residential area before passed the hospital and more commercial properties. In Pine River Township north of the city, Bus.