Portal:U.S. Roads/Did you know/Archive
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An archive of previous "Did you know?" items on the U.S. Roads Portal. Items are listed by the first month that they were displayed.
Contents |
[edit] February 2006
- ...that U.S. Route 6 once connected Provincetown, Massachusetts with Wilmington, California for a total length of 3652 miles (5,877 km) and was the longest highway in US history?
- ...that U.S. Route 50 in Nevada is nicknamed the "Loneliest Road in America" and is also the home of the "Loneliest Payphone in America"?
- ...that Scenic U.S. Route 412 is only one of two such "scenic" designations in the US (the other is on U.S. Route 40)?
- ...that the multiplex of Oklahoma State Highway 20/Arkansas State Highway 43 is possibly the only multi-state multiplex in the country?
- ...that Alt Bus US 66 was the only double-bannered US route in history?
[edit] March 2006
- ...Hurricane Charley is sometimes referred to locally as the I-4 Hurricane because the storm's path closely followed Interstate 4 for its last 100 miles (160 km)?
- ...a McDonald's is built over Interstate 44 near Vinita, Oklahoma and is only one of several structures built over an interstate?
- ...Puerto Rico's highway system consists of four different classes?
- ...even though U.S. Route 60 is a "zero highway" and should have crossed the country, its original western terminus was in Springfield, Missouri?
- ...the Dixie Highway (pictured) was actually a whole system of roads and not a single highway?
[edit] April 2006
- ...there are interstate highways in Alaska, Hawaii (H-1 pictured), and Puerto Rico?
- ...U.S. Route 97 was once proposed in Alaska?
- ...Vermont State Highway 26 is only 69 feet long?
- ...U.S. Route 99 was known as the Main Street of California?
- ...Interstate 180 in Wyoming has five traffic lights?
- ...there is an unmarked Interstate 444 in Tulsa, Oklahoma?
[edit] May 2006
- ...that Oklahoma and Texas once had a "war" over a toll bridge (pictured)?
[edit] February 2007
- ...that Hawaii Route 560 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 because of its historical character of one lane bridges?
[edit] August 2007
- ...that New York State Route 104 was once U.S. Route 104?
- ...that the 30-mile (50-km) section of Interstate 15 in Arizona (pictured) was the most expensive section of rural freeway through the Virgin River Gorge?
- ...that New Mexico State Road 6563 takes its number from the wavelength (6563 Å) used by scientists to locate areas of interest on the Sun?
- ...that New York State Route 18 was once 230 miles long?
- ...that although Pennsylvania Route 576 is north-south, it is signed as east-west?
[edit] September 2007
- ...that a tanker fire once caused part of the MacArthur Maze (pictured) to collapse?
- ...that Interstate 78 is routed on two one-way streets in eastern New Jersey?
- ...that Interstate 676 has stoplights on it?
- ...that Interstate 95 is still incomplete?
- ...that Interstate 97 is the only primary Interstate Highway outside of Hawaii to not cross a county line?
[edit] October 2007
- ...that Interstate 90 is longer than the entire British motorway network?
- ...that the segment of Pennsylvania Route 309 known as the Bethlehem Pike between Quakertown and Philadelphia is over 300 years old?
- ...that Luzerne County (pictured) is the only county in Pennsylvania with county routes?
- ...that Wisconsin was the first state to sign route numbers on its state highways in 1918?
- ...that some Vermont routes are town-maintained and use a different style sign than state-maintained routes?
[edit] November 2007
- ...that New York State Route 20SY was the only state highway to have an "SY" suffix in its name?
- ...that New Jersey Route 47 is the longest state route in New Jersey at 75 miles?
- ...that North Carolina has surpassed Texas and now has the largest state highway network in the U.S. at 79,779 miles?
- ...that Interstate 190 (pictured) is the only auxiliary Interstate Highway to reach the Canadian border?
- ...that part of Connecticut Route 108 was established as the Farm Highway in 1696?
[edit] February 2008
- ...that the passing lanes of the Arroyo Seco Parkway (pictured), California's first freeway, were paved in a different color to encourage drivers to stay in their lanes?
- ...that Henry Ford helped stop construction of a state highway in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in order to gain admission to the exclusive Huron Mountain Club?
- ...that New Mexico State Road 4 forms the core of Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway, with trails to Puebloan ruins, a 10,199-foot mountain, and a 70-foot waterfall from roadside turnouts?
- ... that Nevada State Route 88 is one of three state routes that cross the Nevada-California state line with the same number?
- ... that Interstate 70 in Utah was built along an entirely new route, and is the longest road built in the US over a new route since the Alaska Highway?
[edit] April 1, 2008 (April Fool's Day)
- ...that Interstate 75 (pictured), is a freeway running from Michigan to Florida?
- ...that Interstate 80 is another freeway that runs from California to New Jersey?
- ...that New York State Route 292 is not the shortest state route in New York?
- ... that New York State Route 174 isn't either?
- ... that it is unknown how many state roads there are in the United States?
- ... and known even less how many county roads?
- ... that no matter how much you wish they did, United States Federal Routes don't exist?
[edit] April 2008
- ... that the Mount Rose Summit along Nevada State Route 431 is the highest pass open year-round in the Sierra Nevada mountain range?
- ... that the Seney Stretch (pictured) is 25 miles (40 km) of "straight as an arrow highway" commonly called the most boring highway in Michigan?
- ... that WIS 35 is the longest highway in Wisconsin?
- ... that U.S. Route 12 was extended into Washington in 1967, taking over most of the routing of U.S. Route 410?
- ... that New England Route 12 is a state-numbered route that keeps its number across four states?
- ... that the Chickasaw Turnpike is the only two-lane turnpike in Oklahoma?
[edit] May 2008
- ... that U.S. Route 491 (pictured) was created in part due to large amounts of sign thefts from its former route number?
- ... that the highway centerline was invented in Wayne County, Michigan in 1911?
- ... that Massachusetts was the first state to establish a state highway system in 1893?
- ... that Washington State Route 339 is the only state highway in Washington state to consist only of a Washington State Ferries route?
- ... that Nevada State Route 722 is an old routing of both U.S. Route 50 in Nevada and the Lincoln Highway that was abandoned in 1967 due to steep grades and sharp curves?
- ... that there is still a gap in Interstate 95 in the state of New Jersey?
