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History Day |
Route 66: Just another highway? | |
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Demise
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Demise
Sadly, the road that many had come to love has been replaced. However, the road is still available in some areas, and has been immortalized. From Bobby Troup's "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" hit (rerecorded by 66 different people) to John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, the road will be in America's heart forever. The end of Route 66's living reign as the "Mainstreet of America" ended finally on October 13, 1984. In 1957, President Eisenhower started the NIHS (National Interstate Highway System). It was most likely motivated by the German Autobahn that Eisenhower saw during the war. At first, the system was supposed to be completed by 1972, but it was not actually finished until 1982. On October 13, 1984, I-40 was opened. The small town of Williams, Arizona had the recognition of being the last town bypassed by I-40. Route 66 was quietly decommissioned, and the US Route 66 signs were taken down.
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This
picture shows what many believed about America's Main Street.