1980 Rand McNally road atlas

[inkyatari]

I have to go through my maps, but Idaho used Rand McNally maps for the official state map for a while, and I think the one I have is 1978 in a sort of "proto" style of the atlas.

[Brandon]

How did the open stretches of freeway between towns usually transition to streets going through the towns? Did you have to exit off the freeway and follow a connector to the old highway or did the freeway seamlessly feed into the street?

Remembering what I do of I-69 in Michigan (Charlotte to Lansing) pre-1992, it was a seamless transition.  The freeway just ended and became Lansing Road (albeit, four-lane divided).  Others were not as seamless and required one to exit the freeway, such as I-696 across Oakland and Macomb Counties.  Another example of exiting the freeway was I-39 between LaSalle and Bloomington, Illinois.  That freeway ended south of the Illinois River, at the interchange with IL-251, requiring an exit from the freeway to follow what was then US-51 south towards Bloomington.

[DandyDan]

How did the open stretches of freeway between towns usually transition to streets going through the towns? Did you have to exit off the freeway and follow a connector to the old highway or did the freeway seamlessly feed into the street?

Remembering what I do of I-69 in Michigan (Charlotte to Lansing) pre-1992, it was a seamless transition.  The freeway just ended and became Lansing Road (albeit, four-lane divided).  Others were not as seamless and required one to exit the freeway, such as I-696 across Oakland and Macomb Counties.  Another example of exiting the freeway was I-39 between LaSalle and Bloomington, Illinois.  That freeway ended south of the Illinois River, at the interchange with IL-251, requiring an exit from the freeway to follow what was then US-51 south towards Bloomington.

That's not how I remember it. When I was a kid in Minnesota, we would go to my grandparents in Seneca, IL. We used to always cut across a jumble of roads to get from I-90 to Seneca, but when we took I-39 south from Rockford the first time, it ended at I-80.

[DJStephens]

Looking at the I-40 / US 66 stuff in the southwestern states...
Thanks to whoever uploaded the atlas!!!

Back then you could be standing on a corner in Winslow AZ and not be bypassed.

That's right! And numerous towns in AZ have not been bypassed by I-40 yet. I'm nut sure of the publication of the 1980 atlas but I reckon it was just before the Kingman bypass opened up. Ash fork, Williams, Winslow, Joseph City, and Holbrook haven't been bypassed yet (as per this atlas).

Believe Williams was the last town in Arizona to be finally bypassed by I-40.   1984 or 85.  Unfortunate that they were in such a hurry to decommission US 66 though, instead of duplexing it on the Interstate, in the rural sections, and running it through the towns on the original alignment, along with the Business Loops.   

[jp the roadgeek]

Some highlights of the CT/RI map (other than the obvious I-84/I-86 situation):

1. CT 52 erroneously printed on I-95 near Exit 72.  CT 52 was the old number for I-395, and ended where I-395 does.

2.  The little proposed extension of CT 11 to bypass the four corners (now a traffic circle) in Salem connecting directly to CT 85.

3. The proposed SW quadrant of I-291 still displayed, despite being cancelled in 1979 (with a portion becoming a part of the CT 9 extension).

4. CT 3 shown as connecting directly to CT 2, although it didn't actually happen until 1987.

5. The proposed CT 34 expressway west to the New Haven/West Haven town line.

6.  The Mohegan-Pequot Bridge being shown as a toll bridge.  Tolls were removed in 1980

7.  CT 15 not shown on I-86.  Officially cancelled in October of 1980, so they sort of jumped the gun.

8. CT 25 expressway shown as unbuilt (finished in 1982), but CT 25 extends all the way to downtown Bridgeport (why wasn't CT 111, its replacement, extended beyond the city line?)

9. CT 8 not complete between Naugatuck and Seymour (opened in 1982).  Old CT 72 routing/end of expressway in Berlin.

10.  CT 229 shown as a 4 lane divided highway just north of I-84.  38 years later, it's still undivided and only 3 lanes.

11. The US 6 expressway in Providence is RI 195

12.  RI 146 downgrades to 4 lanes divided south of I-295.  It does now just north of RI 99 (which didn't exist in 1980)

13. I-495 not completed yet south of I-95 in MA.  MA 57 expressway ends at MA 147.

[Brandon]

How did the open stretches of freeway between towns usually transition to streets going through the towns? Did you have to exit off the freeway and follow a connector to the old highway or did the freeway seamlessly feed into the street?

Remembering what I do of I-69 in Michigan (Charlotte to Lansing) pre-1992, it was a seamless transition.  The freeway just ended and became Lansing Road (albeit, four-lane divided).  Others were not as seamless and required one to exit the freeway, such as I-696 across Oakland and Macomb Counties.  Another example of exiting the freeway was I-39 between LaSalle and Bloomington, Illinois.  That freeway ended south of the Illinois River, at the interchange with IL-251, requiring an exit from the freeway to follow what was then US-51 south towards Bloomington.

That's not how I remember it. When I was a kid in Minnesota, we would go to my grandparents in Seneca, IL. We used to always cut across a jumble of roads to get from I-90 to Seneca, but when we took I-39 south from Rockford the first time, it ended at I-80.

I-39 was built in pieces.  First from IL-5 (now I-88) to US-20.  Then from I-80 to I-88.  Then the bridge across the Illinois River south to IL-251.  North from I-55 to about Kappa.  Then the last bit between Kappa and IL-251 near LaSalle.