Kicks on Route 66
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The story of Route 66 .
Get Your Kicks on Route 66! From 1926 to 1985, it was the main drag between Lake Michigan in Chicago to the Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles, passing through eight states including Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
By the end of 1937, U.S. 66 became the first entirely paved transcontinental route across the United States with the completion of final paving projects in Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico - and a major rerouting in New Mexico in which a straightline route from Santa Rosa through Albuquerque to near Laguna replaced the former Santa Fe and Los Lunas loops and cut off a good four hours of travel through New Mexico.
After being much traveled by farm families in Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and other Plains states hit by the Dust Bowl and headed to California during the Depression of the 1930s, World War II soon brought a suspension of automobile production, rationing of gasoline and tires, and 35 mile-per-hour speed limits on American highways and overall traffic decreased on Route 66 but tanks and deuce-and-a-halfs took to the highway to haul the ammunition cross-country to help our Allied forced in Europe and Asia.
When World War II ended in 1945, gasoline and tires became generally available again and auto production resumed. Pent-up demand for vacation travel brought considerable profits to Route 66 businesses such as gasoline service stations, restaurants and motels. The Main Street of America was now in its heyday as more Americans took to the highways than ever before.
Unfortunately, that increase in traffic had resulted in increased congestion and considerable wear and tear to U.S. highways. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, commander of Allied forces in Europe during WW II, had noticed the modern efficiency of the German Autobahn and upon being elected president in 1952, had pushed for the development of a national superhighway system. In 1956, he signed legislation to create a 42,000 mile system of multilane controlled access highways from coast to coast that would bypass all cities. With that, all of Route 66 would eventually be superseded by six interstate routes including I-55 from Chicgao to St. Louis, I-44 from St. Louis to Oklahoma City, I-40 from Oklahoma City to Barstow, Calif., I-15 from Barstow to San Bernardino and I-10 to Los Angeles.
Although it took only 12 years to pave all of Route 66, it took nearly 30 years to complete the interstates that replaced 66. In 1984, the last bypass was completed at Williams, AZ and a year later, U.S. 66 was officially decertified as a highway designation.
Though 66 is no longer an official designation, the historic route is anything but ancient history as most of the original highway is still intact (all of the route in Kansas and Oklahoma) with some other sections buried under an interstate paving such as in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Much of Route 66 is marked with brown-and-white Historic Route 66 signs and in some states, the old U.S. 66 is now signed as State Highway 66. Many of the tourist businesses from 66's heyday are still intact, while some others are still standing but now vacant.
A trip down Route 66 is definitely worth the time and effort at a slow pace, and a very nice diversion from the high speed and boring interstate routes that replaced it.
By the end of 1937, U.S. 66 became the first entirely paved transcontinental route across the United States with the completion of final paving projects in Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico - and a major rerouting in New Mexico in which a straightline route from Santa Rosa through Albuquerque to near Laguna replaced the former Santa Fe and Los Lunas loops and cut off a good four hours of travel through New Mexico.
After being much traveled by farm families in Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and other Plains states hit by the Dust Bowl and headed to California during the Depression of the 1930s, World War II soon brought a suspension of automobile production, rationing of gasoline and tires, and 35 mile-per-hour speed limits on American highways and overall traffic decreased on Route 66 but tanks and deuce-and-a-halfs took to the highway to haul the ammunition cross-country to help our Allied forced in Europe and Asia.
When World War II ended in 1945, gasoline and tires became generally available again and auto production resumed. Pent-up demand for vacation travel brought considerable profits to Route 66 businesses such as gasoline service stations, restaurants and motels. The Main Street of America was now in its heyday as more Americans took to the highways than ever before.
Unfortunately, that increase in traffic had resulted in increased congestion and considerable wear and tear to U.S. highways. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, commander of Allied forces in Europe during WW II, had noticed the modern efficiency of the German Autobahn and upon being elected president in 1952, had pushed for the development of a national superhighway system. In 1956, he signed legislation to create a 42,000 mile system of multilane controlled access highways from coast to coast that would bypass all cities. With that, all of Route 66 would eventually be superseded by six interstate routes including I-55 from Chicgao to St. Louis, I-44 from St. Louis to Oklahoma City, I-40 from Oklahoma City to Barstow, Calif., I-15 from Barstow to San Bernardino and I-10 to Los Angeles.
Although it took only 12 years to pave all of Route 66, it took nearly 30 years to complete the interstates that replaced 66. In 1984, the last bypass was completed at Williams, AZ and a year later, U.S. 66 was officially decertified as a highway designation.
Though 66 is no longer an official designation, the historic route is anything but ancient history as most of the original highway is still intact (all of the route in Kansas and Oklahoma) with some other sections buried under an interstate paving such as in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Much of Route 66 is marked with brown-and-white Historic Route 66 signs and in some states, the old U.S. 66 is now signed as State Highway 66. Many of the tourist businesses from 66's heyday are still intact, while some others are still standing but now vacant.
A trip down Route 66 is definitely worth the time and effort at a slow pace, and a very nice diversion from the high speed and boring interstate routes that replaced it.
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