Portal:U.S. Roads/Did you know

This is 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. To nominate an interesting fact for next month, please visit Portal:U.S. Roads/Did you know/Recommend.

2006

February

... 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 concurrency of Oklahoma State Highway 20/Arkansas State Highway 43 is possibly the only multi-state concurrency in the country?
... that Alt Bus US 66 was the only double-bannered US route in history?

March

... 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?

April

File:Interstate H-1.jpg

... 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 (21 m) 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?

May

... that Oklahoma and Texas once had a "war" over a toll bridge?

2007

February

... that Hawaii Route 560 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 because of its historical character of one lane bridges?

August

I-15 southbound at milepost 17.8—afternoon sun in a bright red rock cut

... that New York State Route 104 was once U.S. Route 104?
... that the 30-mile (48 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 (370 km) long?
... that although Pennsylvania Route 576 is north–south, it is signed as east–west?

September

... 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?

October

... 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?

November

... 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 (121 km)?
... that North Carolina has surpassed Texas and now has the largest state highway network in the U.S. at 79,779 miles (128,392 km)?
... 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?

2008

February

... 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 (3,109 m) mountain, and a 70-foot (21 m) 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?

April 1 (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?

April

Seney Stretch along M-28

... 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?

May

... 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?

June

Hite Crossing Bridge, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

... that Utah State Route 95 (pictured) is called the Bicentennial Highway because the highway was rebuilt and dedicated as part of the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations?
... that Pennsylvania Route 402 used part of what is now U.S. Route 209 in Minisink Hills?
... the Forty Mile Desert, traversed by Interstate 80 in Nevada was the deadliest and most dreaded portion of the California Trail?
... that County Route 18 in Otsego County, New York has three suffixed route that all cross county lines along with itself?
... that that M-117 was dedicated in 1993 to the deactivated 117th Quartermaster Battalion formerly based out of Kingsford, Michigan?
... the Million Dollar Highway (U.S. Route 550) is the only north–south U.S. Highway in the U.S. state of Colorado west of the continental divide?

August

Map of U.S. Routes in Washington

... U.S. Routes within Washington state (map pictured) currently make up about 1,800 miles (2,897 km) of the Washington highway system?
... Utah State Route 279 was one of four finalists in a contest to determine the most beautiful highway to open to traffic in 1963?
... County Route 676 in Middlesex County, New Jersey was signed in April 2008 during a blade sign rehabilitation by NJDOT?
... Rhode Island Route 114 has wrong-way concurrency with itself?
... U.S. Route 189 has a discontinuity in signage that originates where the Federal Highway Administration instructed UDOT not to sign a constructed re-route of the highway?
... California State Route 70 was once signed as U.S. Route 40 Alternate as this road was more likely to be open during winter storms than the main route over Donner Pass?

September

I-15 at the Cedar Pocket

... Utah loaned Arizona money to expedite construction of Interstate 15 in Arizona (pictured)?
... that Utah State Route 30 is the only highway signed as a Utah state route that runs from state line to state line?
... that the longest suspension bridge in Utah is along Utah State Route 128?
... the low overpasses on Storrow Drive in Boston once caused a truck full of scissors to spill its cargo, resulting in over thirty cars getting flat tires?
... that when Idaho State Highway 41 goes through Oldtown, Idaho, the northbound lanes are in Idaho, but the southbound lanes are in Newport, Washington and is the unsigned Washington State Route 41?

October

Map of Eisenhower Tunnel in Colorado

... that Washington State Route 124 follows the route of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail from Piper Canyon Road to its eastern terminus in Waitsburg?
... that U.S. Route 395 in California has views of both Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States, and Death Valley, the lowest point in the North American continent?
... that the Eisenhower Tunnel (map pictured) is the highest point on the Interstate Highway System, highest automotive tunnel in the world, and the longest tunnel built for the Interstate Highway System?
... that Interstate 15 in Utah connects every metropolitan statistical area in the state, except one, Logan?
... that Interstate 580, currently under construction, when finished will connect with Carson City, one of 5 state capitals with no connection to the Interstate Highway system?
... that Interstate 19 is signed in metric?

November

... that even though Washington State Route 527 was added as part of the Pacific Highway in the 1920's and part of the older highway system from 1937 until 1943, and later between 1957 and 1970, the actual road opened on October 17, 1969, one year before it officially became State Route 527?
... that proponents of the I-90 bypass of Wallace, Idaho (pictured) and I-70 through Glenwood Canyon have both errantly claimed these pieces as the last stretches of the Interstate Highway System to open to traffic, even though gaps in the system still exist along I-70 in Breezewood, Pennsylvania and I-95 in Somerset, New Jersey?
... there have been three completely different routings of US 50 through Utah, each differing from the others by hundreds of miles?
... that Interstate 405 in southern California is the most congested piece of the Interstate highway system?
... Nevada State Route 375 is known as the "Extraterrestrial Highway" due to its proximity to Area 51 and high number of UFO sightings?

December

... that U.S. Route 40 in Colorado crosses the continental divide 3 times?
... that Wyoming Highway 89 is so numbered from a failed proposal for U.S. Route 89 to stay in that state rather than enter Idaho?
... that U.S. Route 6 was a discontinuous route from spring 1983 to spring 1984 because of the most costly landslide in the United States that destroyed the town of Thistle, Utah?
... that Washington State Route 409's route is connected by a ferry and a bridge (pictured) and that the bridge was formerly a ferry route too?
... that Washington State Route 100 ends at itself and is signed as a "loop"?

2009

January

... the 1971 road movie Duel was filmed near Acton, California along the Sierra Highway, an old alignment of U.S. Route 6 and later California State Route 14?
... that Interstate 990 is the highest numbered Interstate in actual use?
... that Wyoming Highway 789 was part of a proposed border-to-border U.S. Highway 789 that would have run from Sweetgrass, Montana to Nogales, Arizona?
... that U.S. Route 62 runs "backwards", bearing west for several miles before ending at its northern terminus at New York State Route 104 near the Rainbow Bridge?
... the modern U.S. Route 91 is only about one-tenth of the historical length of the highway?

February

... that Washington State Route 531's bridge over Cougar Creek had a collapsed culvert that was discovered and fixed during October 2008?
... the routing of U.S. Route 191 has changed so many times that Yellowstone National Park is the only place that has been continuously served by the highway?
... that the Robert Moses State Parkway was originally was one continuous road; however, due to low usage, a portion of the parkway near Niagara Falls was removed, separating the parkway into two sections?
... that the Newhall Pass interchange (pictured) has collapsed from earthquakes twice and burned from trucks colliding in a tunnel once?

March

... that New York State Route 17 is currently the longest New York State Highway? It stretches 397 miles (639 km). When it becomes fully transformed into Interstate 86, the title of longest New York State Route will be passed down to New York State Route 5 which is 370.87 miles (596.86 km) long.
... that New York State Route 437 is the shortest signed state highway in New York, located entirely within the vicinity of Melrose Park in Cayuga County? It connects NY 38 and NY 38A.
... that Florida State Road 9336 is the only signed four digit state route in Florida?
... that California State Route 49 is so numbered to honor the California gold rush of 1849, that occurred along the areas served by the highway?

April 1 (April Fool's Day)

... that Interstate 75 (pictured), is a road?
... that Interstate 90 is another freeway that runs from Washington to Massachusetts?
... that California State Route 78 is not the longest state route in California?
... that U.S. Route 1243435454656 does not exist?
... that it is unknown how many freeway exits there are in the United States?
... that some really weird freaks of nature do nothing but study roads all day?

April

... the highest road in the California state route system is California State Route 120 over Tioga Pass [elevation 9,943 feet (3,031 m)]?
... Interstate 99 is so numbered because it was written into law by Congressman Bud Shuster, not per the usual numbering scheme for Interstate highways?
... Interstate 238 exists even though there is no I-38, as all x80 numbers were in use in the state of California at the time?
... the highest road in the Utah state route system is Utah State Route 150 over Bald Mountain Pass [elevation 10,715 feet (3,266 m)]?

May

... the highest road in the Nevada state route system is Nevada State Route 431 over Mount Rose Summit [elevation 8,911 feet (2,716 m)]?
... the highest road in the Colorado state highway system and U.S. Highway system is U.S. Route 34 over Trail Ridge Road inside Rocky Mountain National Park [elevation 12,183 feet (3,713 m)]?
... that Interstate 90 has a complete set (190 through 990) of spur routes in New York and is the only Interstate Highway that has a complete set within any state?
... that the portion of U.S. Route 209 in New York had five different designations over a span of 10 years in the 1920s and 1930s?
... that New York State Route 990V, the highest-numbered signed state highway in New York, is actually a reference route?

June

... that a one-mile (1.6 km) portion of New York State Route 17 is actually in Pennsylvania?
... that U.S. Route 40 Scenic and U.S. Route 412 Scenic are the only two scenic special routes that remain in the U.S. Highway System?
... that most of New York State Route 37B's original alignment was destroyed as part of the St. Lawrence Seaway's construction?
... that U.S. Route 666 is the only route that has served all of the Four Corners states at the same time?
... that there are no Interstate Highways that connect northern Nevada to southern Nevada?