US Routes

[Riverside Frwy]

What's the point of these anyway? Are they the street version of Interstates?(In other words, regular non-freeway roads that receive federal funding just like interstates do)

I mean, I really don't see the main point of these roads.I assume these are just suppose to be an official network of roads to get around the country, but then again thats what the interstates are for.....right?Has there even been any new US Routes commissioned in the past 10 years or are pretty much defunct now?

[Alps]

For people with these types of questions, please look through our websites first.  The history of the American highway system is well documented among road enthusiasts, Wikipedia, and other resources.