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The Mid-South's first four-lane highway

Started by cbalducc, January 19, 2012, 04:54:13 PM

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cbalducc



agentsteel53

define "mid-south".  I know there's a section of US-78 in Alabama that has a 1930s or so railroad underpass that fit what looks to be an undivided (or maybe divided, just without much of a median) four-lane road.
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

cbalducc

As it is defined in this region: Eastern Texas, Arkansas, western Louisiana, and western Tennessee.

Alps

I would think Little Rock or Memphis is the first candidate. City streets have a habit of being wide. I'm more familiar with Little Rock and I can think of a few, Broadway being the most obvious. I mean, it very likely was as wide as it is now back before there were even cars, so it's just a question of when traffic laws allowed multiple lanes in one direction.

bassoon1986

the only place in western louisiana i could think of is maybe the Texas Street neon bridge in downtown shreveport that carries US 79 and US 80. Its been there since early 30's i think

agentsteel53

Quote from: cbalducc on January 19, 2012, 05:28:26 PM
As it is defined in this region: Eastern Texas, Arkansas, western Louisiana, and western Tennessee.

first time I've ever heard that term for that region.  usually I put Tennessee, Louisiana, and half of Texas in with "the South" while Arkansas goes into "the Ozarks" or "the Midwest".
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

Grzrd

Quote from: agentsteel53 on January 20, 2012, 01:41:15 PM
Quote from: cbalducc on January 19, 2012, 05:28:26 PM
As it is defined in this region: Eastern Texas, Arkansas, western Louisiana, and western Tennessee.
first time I've ever heard that term for that region.  usually I put Tennessee, Louisiana, and half of Texas in with "the South" while Arkansas goes into "the Ozarks" or "the Midwest".
cbalducc is just using the AARoads Forum definition for the Mid-South page.

agentsteel53

Quote from: Grzrd on January 20, 2012, 01:50:55 PM

cbalducc is just using the AARoads Forum definition for the Mid-South page.

shows how often I look at the forum index!  :ded:  (I usually view by "recent posts", independent of subforum, so I can look at everything.)
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

cbalducc

This is from an online version history of the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department
(http://arkansashighways.com/historic_bridge/Historic_Documents/History%20Book%202004.pdf):

Construction on Arkansas' Interstates actually began in 1952.
The U.S. Highway 61 Bypass in West Memphis is generally considered
the first Interstate project in Arkansas. It was constructed using a 50/
50 ratio of federal and state funds. The southbound lanes of I-30
between Little Rock and Benton came along in 1954 under the 60/40
arrangement. This was the state's second Interstate project.

Of course, this refers to highways built to Interstate standards.  I'm not sure about where the first four-lane was in Arkansas.

God bless,

CKB

M86

#9
Quote from: cbalducc on January 20, 2012, 03:36:12 PM
This is from an online version history of the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department
(http://arkansashighways.com/historic_bridge/Historic_Documents/History%20Book%202004.pdf):

Construction on Arkansas' Interstates actually began in 1952.
The U.S. Highway 61 Bypass in West Memphis is generally considered
the first Interstate project in Arkansas. It was constructed using a 50/
50 ratio of federal and state funds. The southbound lanes of I-30
between Little Rock and Benton came along in 1954 under the 60/40
arrangement. This was the state's second Interstate project.

Of course, this refers to highways built to Interstate standards.  I'm not sure about where the first four-lane was in Arkansas.

God bless,

CKB

You had to have done some major digging to find that!  AHTD's website is... ehhh... readable.  The only way I've found information (that I was searching for)  is through a thorough Google Search, and the info was on a FTP server that was public.  This has changed, because I can't find it now... But, luckily, I've saved a lot of it.

bugo

Quote from: agentsteel53 on January 20, 2012, 01:41:15 PM
Quote from: cbalducc on January 19, 2012, 05:28:26 PM
As it is defined in this region: Eastern Texas, Arkansas, western Louisiana, and western Tennessee.

first time I've ever heard that term for that region.  usually I put Tennessee, Louisiana, and half of Texas in with "the South" while Arkansas goes into "the Ozarks" or "the Midwest".

Arkansas is NOT midwestern at all.  It is a very southern state.



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