U.S. Route 66 was a United States Numbered Highway in Illinois that connected St. Louis, Missouri, and Chicago, Illinois. It was originally located on the Kansas-Missouri state line, but moved to the Howard Litch Memorial Park in 2001. Like other highways in the system, the path of Route 66 was a cobbling together of existing local, State, and national road networks. [29], In 1940, the first freeway in Los Angeles was incorporated into US 66; this was the Arroyo Seco Parkway, later known as the Pasadena Freeway; now again known as Arroyo Seco Parkway.[28]. Changes like these to the landscape further cemented 66's reputation as a near-perfect microcosm of the culture of America, now linked by the automobile.[23]. Increased traffic led to a number of major and minor realignments of US 66 through the years, particularly in the years immediately following World War II when Illinois began widening US 66 to four lanes through virtually the entire state from Chicago to the Mississippi River just east of St. Louis, and included bypasses around virtually all of the towns. Near there, it passed by Cahokia Mounds, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since the 1950s, as Interstates were being constructed, sections of US 66 not only saw the traffic drain to them, but often the route number itself was moved to the faster means of travel. [18] Avery and highway engineer John Page settled on "66," which was unassigned, despite the fact that in its entirety, US 66 was north of US 60. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for. The route also passed through the once-incorporated community of Winona. They moved in unprecedented numbers. By the early to mid-1950s, Missouri also upgraded its sections of US 66 to four lanes complete with bypasses. I-55 covered the section from Chicago to St. Louis; I-44 carried the traffic on to Oklahoma City; I-40 took the largest chunk, replacing 66 to Barstow, California; I-15 took over for the route to San Bernardino; and California State Route 66, I-210 and State Route 2 (SR 2) or I-10 carried the traffic of US 66 across the Los Angeles metropolitan area to Santa Monica, and the beach. As the highway became busier with the nation’s traffic, the roadbed received marked improvements, and the infrastructure of support businesses, especially fuel, lodging, and food, lining its right-of-way expanded dramatically. Important shipping info. Route 66 1926 - 1937 Alignment. The new 88-mile (142 km) toll road paralleled US 66 for its entire length and bypassed each of the towns along 66. As in Arizona, in New Mexico, U.S. 66 paralleled I-40.[68]. Several county roads and city streets at various places along the old route have also retained the "66" number. [44] The group's redesignation proposal does not enjoy universal support, as requirements the route to meet modern US Highway system specifications could force upgrades that compromise its historic integrity or require US 66 signage be moved to Interstate highways for some portions of the route. The route changed over the years and was down to 2238 miles by 1960. The Turner Turnpike was joined in 1957 by the new Will Rogers Turnpike, which connected Tulsa with the Oklahoma-Missouri border west of Joplin, Missouri, again paralleling US 66 and bypassing the towns in northeastern Oklahoma in addition to its entire stretch through Kansas. Finally, the National Old Trails Road became the rest of the route to Los Angeles. In 1930, between the Illinois cities of Springfield and East St. Louis, US 66 was shifted farther east to what is now roughly Interstate 55 (I-55). This alignment also predates Route 66, under the SBI-4 name. Studies by the Public Roads Administration between 1941 and 1943 showed that trucks rather than trains transported and delivered at least 50% of all defense-related material destined for America's war production plants. Before it was called Route 66, and long before it was even paved in 1926, this corridor was traversed by the National Old Trails Highway, one of the country’s first transcontinental highways. Completion of the all-weather capability of Route 66 on the eve of World War II was particularly significant to the nation's war effort. Route 66 helped to facilitate the single greatest wartime mobilization of labor in the history of the nation. [65] Between Kingman and Seligman, the route is still signed as SR 66. Route 66 Round Established 1926 Hat Pin. Enjoy a pleasant day wherever you go with OYO. Route 66 was completed in 1926 under the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 that aimed to create a coherent highway network that connected rural American communities to larger metropolitan areas. The original alignment followed the current Illinois Route 4 (IL 4).[28]. In 2008, the World Monuments Fund added US 66 to the World Monuments Watch as sites along the route such as gas stations, motels, cafés, trading posts and drive-in movie theaters are threatened by development in urban areas and by abandonment and decay in rural areas. The Lone Star Route passed through St. Louis on its way from Chicago to Cameron, Louisiana, though US 66 would take a shorter route through Bloomington rather than Peoria. In contrast, the 1,200-mile western stretch had not seen a cement mixer, with the exception of California's metropolitan areas. As the Depression worked its baleful effects on the nation, it also produced an ironic consequence along Route 66; the vast migration of destitute people fleeing from the privation of their former homes actually produced an increased volume of business along the highway, thus providing commercial opportunities for a multitude of low-capital, mom-and-pop businesses. Arguments and counterarguments continued throughout February, including a proposal to split the proposed route through Kentucky into Route 60 North (to Chicago) and Route 60 South (to Newport News). [23], Much of the early highway, like all the other early highways, was gravel or graded dirt. This would go on to become a route that reshapes the world, transporting millions of adventurers, migrants, grifters and even dreamers who wandered into America – the land of opportunity. Several places were dangerous: more than one part of the highway was nicknamed "Bloody 66" and gradually work was done to realign these segments to remove dangerous curves. It entered across the Topock Gorge, passing through Oatman along the way to Kingman. Route 66 was a highway spawned by the demands of a rapidly changing America. In November 1969, a truce was reached when federal highway officials agreed to build the I-40 route just outside the city, therefore providing local businesses dependent on highway traffic easy access to and from the freeway via the north–south highway that crossed old US 66 in San Jon. The highway covered 376 miles (605 km)[70] in Oklahoma. Route 66 received official designation in 1926, after the government enacted a plan for national highways. An estimated 210,000 people migrated to California to escape the despair of the Dust Bowl. [50], Tulsa has multiple sites, starting with the Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza, located at the east end of the historic 11th Street Bridge over which the route passed, and which includes a giant sculpture weighing 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg)[51] called "East Meets West". Within many cities, the route became a "business loop" for the interstate. Parts of the road still carry traffic and six separate portions of the roadbed have been listed on the National Register of This diagonal configuration was particularly significant to the trucking industry, which by 1930 rivaled the railroad for preeminence in the American shipping industry. Postwar Years: 1945 - 1960, Previous Chapter: 2. At La Posada, Route 66 meets the Santa Fe railroad, which in many … At a very early point it was evident that a major nearby highway could both bring business and take it away. [78] Pixar's creative director John Lasseter, inspired by what he saw during a cross-country road trip with his family in 2000, contacted road historian Michael Wallis who led the creative team down the still-drivable parts of the route as research for the film. Since the interstates only provided access via ramps at interchanges, travelers could not pull directly off a highway into a business. [27], In the 1950s, US 66 became the main highway for vacationers heading to Los Angeles. People doing business along the route became prosperous due to the growing popularity of the highway, and those same people later fought to keep the highway alive in the face of the growing threat of being bypassed by the new Interstate Highway System. The route that would become US 66 was covered by three highways. However, some business and civic leaders in cities along US 66 were completely opposed to bypassing fearing loss of business and tax revenues. This enormous capital outlay underwrote entirely new industries that created thousands of civilian jobs. Local and area business and civic leaders and news media called upon state and federal highway officials to get I-40 built through the area; however, disputes over proposed highway routing in the vicinity of San Jon held up construction plans for several years as federal officials proposed that I-40 run some five to six miles (8 to 10 km) north of that city while local and state officials insisted on following a proposed route that touched the northern city limits of San Jon. The net result of this mass migration was the loss of more than 1 million people from the metropolitan northeast between 1940 and 1943. "Historic Route 66" runs for a significant distance in and near Flagstaff, Arizona. The Arroyo Seco Parkway in the Los Angeles Area and US 66 in New Mexico have been made into National Scenic Byways. Important Shipping Info. Route 66 was one of the United State's first continuous stretches of paved highway, and served as a major path for those who migrated west. California's total demographic growth between 1930 and 1940 reflected scarcely more than a 22% increase, compared to a 53% growth rate in the following decade. In 1933, a straighter cut-off route was completed from west of El Reno to one mile (1.6 km) south of Bridgeport, crossing over a 38-span steel pony truss bridge over the South Canadian River, bypassing Calumet and Geary by several miles. The transcontinental National Old Trails Road led via St. Louis to Los Angeles, but was not followed until New Mexico; instead, US 66 used one of the main routes of the Ozark Trails system,[11] which ended at the National Old Trails Road just south of Las Vegas, New Mexico. [5] It was recognized in popular culture by both the hit song "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" and the Route 66 television series, which aired on CBS from 1960 to 1964. Traffic grew on the highway because of the geography through which it passed. The Illinois Motor Vehicles Division reported that between Chicago and St. Louis trucks increased from approximately 1,500 per day in 1931 to 7,500 trucks a day a decade later. See more ideas about Dr caligari, Film history, Sound film. US 66 covered 178 miles (286 km) in the Texas Panhandle, travelling in an east–west line between Glenrio, New Mexico and Texas and Texola, Oklahoma. A controversy erupted over the number 60, largely from delegates from Kentucky who wanted a Virginia Beach–Los Angeles highway to be US 60 and US 62 between Chicago and Springfield, Missouri. In 1928, Oklahoma native Andrew Hartley Payne brought pride to the state by winning the "Bunion Derby" — a … The town was there when the first traders traveled the Santa Fe Trail the first time. A U.S. Highway 66 Association office in Oklahoma received hundreds of requests for information after the ad was published. Its diagonal course linked hundreds of predominantly rural communities in Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas to Chicago; thus enabling farmers to transport grain and produce for redistribution. This newer routing saved travelers as much as four hours of travel through New Mexico. During its nearly 60-year existence, US 66 was under constant change. [23] In many communities, local groups have painted or stenciled the "66" and U.S. Route shield or outline directly onto the road surface, along with the state's name. In 1936, US 66 was extended from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica to end at US 101 Alt., today the intersection of Olympic and Lincoln Boulevards. [39], Many preservation groups have tried to save and even landmark the old motels and neon signs along the road in some states. Some towns in Missouri threatened to sue the state if the US 66 designation was removed from the road, though lawsuits never materialized. Until the height of the Great Depression, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and the desert communities of southeast California had a collective total of only 64.1 miles of surfaced highway along Route 66. [59] Elsewhere, Tulsa has constructed twenty-nine historical markers scattered along the 26-mile route of the highway through Tulsa, containing tourist-oriented stories, historical photos, and a map showing the location of historical sites and the other markers. The first Route 66 associations were founded in Arizona in 1987 and Missouri in 1989 (incorporated in 1990). Crossing eight states and covering over 2,400 miles, Route 66 officially opened on November 11, 1926. In 1990, the state of Missouri declared US 66 in that state a "State Historic Route". In addition to its abbreviated route between Chicago and the Pacific coast, Route 66 traversed essentially flat prairie lands and enjoyed a more temperate climate than that of northern highways, further enhancing its appeal to truckers. Both Oklahoma turnpikes were soon designated as I-44, along with the US 66 bypass at Tulsa that connected the city with both turnpikes. According to legend, the rerouting was done at the behest of Democratic Governor Arthur T. Hannett to punish the Republican Santa Fe Ring, which had long dominated New Mexico out of Santa Fe. Perhaps the most compelling reason to follow Route 66 is to experience the road’s ingrained time line of contemporary America. In 1932, this route was changed and the original alignment was never viewed as anything more than temporary. At the outset of American involvement in World War II, the War Department singled out the West as ideal for military training bases, in part because of its geographic isolation and especially because it offered consistently dry weather for air and field maneuvers. [46], Elk City, Oklahoma has the National Route 66 & Transportation Museum, which encompasses all eight states through which the Mother Road ran. The US Highway 66 Association had become a voice for the people who feared the loss of their businesses. Originally, highway officials planned for the last section of US 66 to be bypassed by interstates in Texas, but as was the case in many places, lawsuits held up construction of the new interstates. The ROUTE 66 brand is instantly recognised around the globe and stands for freedom, hope, authenticity, originality and adventure. At first, plans were laid out to allow mainly national chains to be placed in interstate medians. During 1968 and 1969, this section of US 66 was often referred to by locals and travelers as "Slaughter Lane" due to numerous injury and fatal accidents on this stretch. The race ended in Madison Square Garden, where the $25,000 first prize (equal to $372,238 in 2019) was awarded to Andy Hartley Payne, a Cherokee runner from Oklahoma. Nearly 400 miles of the 2,448 mile-long highway ran through northern Arizona. During this time, U.S. Highway 66 and other major roads in America had integral links to President Roosevelt's revolutionary New Deal programs for work relief and economic recovery. In the cities of Rancho Cucamonga, Rialto, and San Bernardino in California, there are US 66 signs erected along Foothill Boulevard, and also on Huntington Drive in the city of Arcadia. Stay safe at Sanitised budget hotels in over 230 cities, each available with standardized AC Rooms, Breakfast, LED TV, Wi-Fi, and Hygienic Washrooms. Between 1941 and 1945, the government invested approximately $70 billion in capital projects throughout California, many in the Los Angeles-San Diego area. [4] The highway, which became one of the most famous roads in the United States, originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before terminating in Santa Monica in Los Angeles County, California, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km). In 1964, Tucumcari and San Jon became the first cities in New Mexico to work out an agreement with state and federal officials in determining the locations of their I-40 bypasses as close to their business areas as possible in order to permit easy access for highway travelers to their localities. The highway then passed through Hamel, Springfield, passing by the Illinois State Capitol, Bloomington-Normal, Pontiac, and Gardner. US 66 has been a fixture in popular culture. Meramec Caverns near St. Louis, began advertising on barns, billing itself as the "Jesse James hideout". A 250 or 500-piece, artist signed jigsaw puzzle from the Artist Signature Series, titled Route 66: 1926 Model T - 327CI. The corridor is also being redeveloped into U.S. Washington's increased level of commitment began with the Great Depression and the national appeal for emergency Federal relief measures. With the decommissioning of US 66, no single interstate route was designated to replace it. Right after US 66 was commissioned, it was known as "The Great Diagonal Way" because the Chicago-to-Oklahoma City stretch ran northeast to southwest. In New Mexico, as in most other states, rural sections of I-40 were to be constructed first with bypasses around cities to come later. Alignments and Road Improvements Route 66 originated in 1926 as a pre-existing network of local roads, united on federal maps under the newly-designed U.S. Highway 66 shield. A Texaco Gasoline road report published that same year noted the route as entirely concrete in Kansas, 66% paved in Missouri, and 25% improved in Oklahoma. Farther west, a long segment of US 66 in Arizona runs significantly north of I-40, and much of it is designated as State Route 66 (SR 66). [52] In 2020, Avery Plaza Southwest opened, at the west end of the bridge, which features a “neon park” with replicas of the neon signs from Tulsa-area Route 66 motels of the era, including the Tulsa Auto Court, the Oil Capital Motel, and the famous bucking-bronco sign of the Will Rogers Motor Court. However, road signs did not go up until the following year. "Historic Route 66" signs may be found along the old route on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, San Dimas, La Verne, and along Foothill Boulevard in Claremont, California. One of the remnants of US 66 is the highway now known as Veterans Parkway, east and south of Normal, Illinois, and Bloomington, Illinois. [47] Clinton has the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, designed to display the iconic ideas, images, and myths of the Mother Road. The meeting of Cyrus Avery, John Marshall Page, B. H. Piepmeier, and perhaps Woodruff, must have been hastily called, because on Saturday, April 17, Avery wrote to Piepmeier and expressed in very general, vague terms the hope of seeing Piepmeier sometime soon. Today, it is marked by I-40 west of Oklahoma City, and SH-66 east of there. The pair lobbied the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) for the creation of a route following the 1925 plans.[13]. Until 2017, when it was moved to the nearby Millennium Park, the annual June Chicago Blues Festival was held each year in Grant Park and included a "Route 66 Roadhouse" stage on Columbus Avenue, a few yards north of old US 66/Jackson Boulevard (both closed to traffic for the festival), and a block west of the route's former eastern terminus at US 41 Lake Shore Drive. The displacement of US 66 signage to the new freeways, combined with restrictions in the 1965 Highway Beautification Act that often denied merchants on the old road access to signage on the freeway, became factors in the closure of many established US 66 businesses as travelers could no longer easily find or reach them.[30]. Along much of the way, US 66 paralleled I-40. Notably, just between Seligman and Flagstaff, Williams was the last point on US 66 to be bypassed by an Interstate. A typical approach was to build one new set of lanes, then move one direction of traffic to it, while retaining the original road for traffic flowing in the opposite direction. [21] The publicity worked: several dignitaries, including Will Rogers, greeted the runners at certain points on the route. Also on display is a "Hamons Court" neon sign that hung at a gas station and tourist cabins near Hydro, Oklahoma, a "CABINS" neon sign that pointed to Ring's Rest tourist cabins in Muirkirk, Maryland, as well as several post cards a traveler sent back to his future wife while touring the route. Some sections became state roads, local roads, private drives, or were abandoned completely. Jan 30, 2020 - Explore Nastasi's board "Movie" on Pinterest. Finally, with decertification of the highway by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials the following year, US 66 officially ceased to exist. U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66), also known as the Will Rogers Highway, the Main Street of America or the Mother Road, was one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway System. Route 66 played a critical role in this vast movement of Americans to meet the demands of war. The highway, which became one of the most famous roads in the United States, originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before ending in Santa Monica in Lo… [60] The markers are mostly along the highway's post-1932 alignment down 11th Street, with some along the road's 1926 path down Admiral Place. At the same time, production of trucks capable of hauling loads in excess of 30,000 pounds increased to keep pace with wartime demands. USPS domestic deliveries affected by COVID-19 USPS announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on transportation availability, some services will experience delays We Take Great Pride In Our Fudge … [42] The National Park Service developed a Route 66 Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary describing over one hundred individual historic sites. History. In 1937, a straight-line route was completed from west of Santa Rosa through Moriarty and east–west through Albuquerque and west to Laguna. Route 66 was commissioned in 1926 and fully paved by the late 1930s. 1.1K likes. Comments Required. Several alternate alignments of US 66 occurred because of traffic issues. ... Get your kicks on Route 66. The Historic 66 website provides free information for all those who want to learn more about the legendary Route 66. Then a second set of lanes for traffic flowing in the other direction would be constructed, finally followed by abandoning the other old set of lanes or converting them into a frontage road. Route 66 Maps "The Mother Road" was established on November 11, 1926, and ultimately stretched 2,448 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. Of the more than 200,000 refugees who journeyed west to California beginning in the early 1930s, less than 16,000 people from the Dust Bowl proper ended up in California. This is where it all begins. In 1953, the first major bypassing of US 66 occurred in Oklahoma with the opening of the Turner Turnpike between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. This museum quality 1926 Model T shows off its 327 cubic inch V8 just for you. Upon entering from Galena, Kansas, the highway passed through Joplin. Back in 1926, the highway used to be as long as 2500 kilometres but it has been reduced to a number of historic byways, losing much of its length of state highways and other local roads. Dubbed the “Mother Road” by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath, … Extending 2,400 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles, the new highway wound through eight States and was not completely paved until 12 years after its designation. Use old IL-4: In Springfield, ... Route 66 turned right onto St Louis Ave. towards Veteran’s Memorial Bridge [renamed to Martin Luther King Memorial Bridge] (not possible anymore: St. Louis Ave. is blocked by the … Although it is no longer possible to drive US 66 uninterrupted all the way from Chicago to Los Angeles, much of the original route and alternate alignments are still drivable with careful planning. [24][25] A restored Magnolia fuel station is also located in Shamrock as well as Vega, in Oldham County, west of Amarillo. Spawned by the demands of a rapidly changing America, Route 66 did not follow a traditionally linear course in contrast to the Lincoln, the Dixie, and other highways of its day. The U.S. Highway 66 Association also placed its first advertisement in the July 16, 1932, issue of the Saturday Evening Post. Also considered as the "Main Street of America", it gave rise to new cultures and ways of life, and got its own unique spirit that was reflected in its towns and residents. The road passed through the Painted Desert and near the Grand Canyon. In the exhibit is a portion of pavement of the route taken from Bridgeport, Oklahoma and a restored car and truck of the type that would have been driven on the road in the 1930s. Contrasted with the Lincoln, the Dixie, and other highways of its day, route 66 did not follow a traditionally linear course. [55] Also, Tulsa has installed "Route 66 Rising," a 70-by-30-foot (21.3 by 9.1 m) sculpture on the road's former eastern approach to town at East Admiral Place and Mingo Road. Road improvements and maintenance work were central features of the New Deal's Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Project Administration (WPA) programs. US 66 was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. Chicago, Illinois to Springfield, Illinois. [37][38] Since 2001, Springfield, Illinois has annually held its "International Route 66 Mother Road Festival" in its downtown district surrounding the Old State Capitol. Visit the Route 66 Preservation Program website to learn more about this historic roadway. Willkommen auf unserer offiziellen Facebook Seite! In 1857, Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale, a naval officer in the service of the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers, was ordered by the War Department to build a government-funded wagon road along the 35th Parallel. [16][self-published source?] Business routes (BUS), bypass routes (BYP), [45], The National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. has a section on US 66 in its "America on the Move" exhibition. However, one section through the Black Mountains outside Oatman, Arizona, was fraught with hairpin turns and was the steepest along the entire route, so much so that some early travelers, too frightened at the prospect of driving such a potentially dangerous road, hired locals to navigate the winding grade. It also marked the birth of the fast-food industry: Red's Giant Hamburg in Springfield, Missouri, site of the first drive-through restaurant, and the first McDonald's in San Bernardino, California. [64], In Arizona, the highway originally covered 401 miles (645 km) in the state. This runs from Seligman to Kingman, Arizona, via Peach Springs. US 66 was assigned by the American Association of State Highway Officials in November 1926 and signed in 1928 by the Automobile Club of Southern California; however historic US 66 shields and even present day US 66 shields remain. Meteor Crater in Arizona was another popular stop. [73], US 66 covered 301 miles (484 km) in Illinois. State engineers worked to reduce the number of curves, widen lanes, and ensure all-weather capability. Bicycle Route 66, part of the United States Bicycle Route System, in Kansas and Missouri. US 66 served as a primary route for those who migrated west, especially during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, and the road supported the economies of the communities through which it passed. This road became part of US 66. In 1929, Illinois boasted approximately 7,500 miles of paved roads, its entire portion of U.S. Highway 66. Discover the hotels, gas stations, restaurants, and more than lined this iconic roadway. The War Department needed improved highways for rapid mobilization during wartime and for national defense during peacetime. [63] The terminus was located at the Pacific Coast Highway, then US 101. The War Department's expropriation of the nation's railways left a transportation vacuum in the West that only the trucking industry could fill. Route 66 would give many small towns their first access to a major road. This sharp increase in tourism in turn gave rise to a burgeoning trade in all manner of roadside attractions, including teepee-shaped motels, frozen custard stands, Indian curio shops, and reptile farms. The same scenario was used in western Oklahoma when US 66 was initially upgraded to a four-lane highway such as from Sayre through Erick to the Texas border at Texola in 1957 and 1958 where the old paving was retained for westbound traffic and a new parallel lane built for eastbound traffic (much of this section was entirely bypassed by I-40 in 1975), and on two other sections; from Canute to Elk City in 1959 and Hydro to Weatherford in 1960, both of which were upgraded with the construction of a new westbound lane in 1966 to bring the highway up to full interstate standards and demoting the old US 66 paving to frontage road status. route be US 62. Very … According to one government source, the production of new cars dropped from 3.7 million in 1941 to 610 in 1943, because of rationing. Officially, the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route received the numerical designation of Route 66 in the summer of 1926. [71] Beyond Oklahoma City, the highway passed through Edmond on its way to Tulsa. Many of the merchants in the small and large towns through which the highway passed looked to the road as an economic opportunity to bring much needed outside revenues into their often rural and isolated communities.