 | Nancy Hubble
is the owner and President of Inland Paving, the only paving contractor in Kansas owned by a woman. Inland Paving handles commercial, private and governmental paving and street repair throughout Kansas. You can contact Nancy at her office, (620)478-2450, FAX (620)478-2459, or on mobile at (316)644-3497. |
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2003-10-01 11:35:00
Route 66 and its importance
ANSWER: Route 66 was particularly important to America during the Depression and World War II. Crossing 8 states and 3 time zones, in Kansas, the road was only 13 miles long and cut across the southeast corner. Route 66 is no longer included on current maps. Last month, I reviewed roadside architecture and tourist-targeted facilities. This month, we’ll talk about the end of the road for Route 66.The Beginning of the End: Ironically, the public lobby for rapid mobility and improved highways that gained Route 66 its popularity in earlier decades also signaled its demise beginning in the mid-50's. Mass federal sponsorship for an interstate system of divided highways increased with Eisenhower's second term in the White House. Eisenhower had returned from Germany very impressed by the strategic value of Hitler's Autobahn. "During World War II," he recalled, "I saw the superlative system of German national highways crossing that country and offering the possibility, often lacking in the United States, to drive with speed and safety at the same time." The congressional response to the president's commitment was the passage of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, which provided a comprehensive financial umbrella to underwrite the cost of the national interstate and defense highway system. By 1970, nearly all segments of original Route 66 were replaced by a modern four-lane highway. It was replaced by Interstate Highways I-55, I-44, I-40, I-15 and I-10. Route 66 was officially decommissioned in 1985.Route 66 today: In many respects, the physical remains of Route 66 mirror the evolution of highway development in the U.S. from a rudimentary hodge-podge of state and country roads to a federally subsidized complex of well-designed interstate expressways. Various alignments of the legendary road, many of which are still detectable, illustrate the evolution of road engineering from coexistence with the surrounding landscape to domination of it. Route 66 symbolized the renewed spirit of optimism that pervaded the country after economic catastrophe and global war. Often called, "The Main Street of America", it linked a remote region with two vital 20th century cities - Chicago and Los Angeles. The outdated, poorly maintained vestiges of Route 66 completely succumbed to the interstate system in October 1984 when the final section of the original road was replaced by Interstate 40 at Williams, Arizona. Now that the highway celebrated its 75th birthday in 2001, its contribution to the nation must be evaluated in the broader context of American social and cultural history. The appearance of Route 66 on the American scene coincided with unparalleled economic strife and global instability, yet it hastened the most comprehensive westward movement and economic growth in U.S. history. Like the early, long-gone trails of the nineteenth century, Route 66 helped to spirit a second and perhaps more permanent mass relocation of Americans.
