"Wow, these were once public roads?!"

[mgk920]

While going through some random stuff recently, I was a bit floored by the thought that before World War II, regular automobile traffic passed through the Brandenburger Tor in Berlin (Germany) like with any other street.

What are some of the most surprising to you other instances of places that exist today that you'd never think of once being parts of regular motorized roads?

Mike

[GaryV]

This bridge, which now is part of someone's driveway, used to be US-41 in the Upper Peninsula at the south end of Keweenaw Bay: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sV7eTKY8WpBaBRwy5

[vdeane]

This driveway is where there used to be a four-lane freeway through Niagara Falls State Park.  The previous configuration through here was a bit more interesting from a roadgeek POV, however.

[epzik8]

The abandoned sections of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, especially the Laurel Hills tunnel, which turned into Chip Ganassi's wind tunnel.

[pderocco]

This is often the case for old alignments of roads:

I always wanted to drive the entire length of the Maryhill Loops Road, the old alignment of US-97 in southern Washington, but the northern part of it looks like it's now a private road belonging to the ranch it passes through. I can make out what looks like a gate in the Google aerial imagery.

And of course, there's the piece of the old US-66 in Nebo Center, CA, which has been absorbed by the Marine Corps Logistics Base. And the bridge which once carried it over the Colorado River is now carrying pipelines.

The old alignment of US-395 in Mammoth Lakes is partly inside the Ormat - Mammoth Geothermal Complex.

[ClassicHasClass]

The part of old US 395 near CA 203 that ends in a gate? So that's what that is.

[kphoger]

Sorry to get off topic, but there are also roads that I'd never think of still being parts of regular motorized roads.

Genoa, Italy

[FrCorySticha]

Sorry to get off topic, but there are also roads that I'd never think of still being parts of regular motorized roads.

Genoa, Italy

I've driven some of those streets in old parts of Italian cities. Very tight, especially when driving a 10 passenger van.

[Henry]

There's also I-44's old alignment in Catoosa, OK. It was a much straighter shot than the routing that replaced it.

[Quillz]

Probably the oldest sections of the Ridge Route. Long abandoned and mainly just dirt trails these days, but it's hard to believe at one point two cars could pass by one another on them. Cars must have been a lot narrower back in the day.

[Max Rockatansky]

Only so difficult because Los Angeles County handed a large portion over to the Forest Service who no interest in maintaining it.  The Old Ridge Route is now stuck in this weird state of limbo where the Forest Service doesn't want to maintain it and a small group of preservations try but don't really have the resources.  Interestingly I've found similar First State Highway Bond Act roads such as the San Juan Grade to be perfectly passable.  The thing is though, stuff like the San Juan Grade as a county backing maintenance.

Pretty much the entire original portion of CA 1 over Old Pedro Mountain Road fits the criteria:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2021/07/former-california-state-route-1-over.html?m=1

[kphoger]

There's also I-44's old alignment in Catoosa, OK. It was a much straighter shot than the routing that replaced it.

Oh hey, look, a mini family roadmeet!

[TEG24601]

I always think of the old pictures of US 30 (and likely what is now WA 14) through the Columbia River Gorge.  Some pre and some post dams, but roads literally cut into the cliffs, with tunnels and windows, tight turn, cantilevered bridges from the cliffs (some of which you can still see from I-84).


https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/columbia_river_highway/

[GaryV]

I forgot about this one earlier. Pictures I took of the original end of US-102 (later US-141) at US-41 in back of nowhere Michigan.
https://www.usends.com/covington.html

[pderocco]

I always think of the old pictures of US 30 (and likely what is now WA 14) through the Columbia River Gorge.  Some pre and some post dams, but roads literally cut into the cliffs, with tunnels and windows, tight turn, cantilevered bridges from the cliffs (some of which you can still see from I-84).

https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/columbia_river_highway/

That reminds me: 4.4 miles of the old US-30 between Hood River and Mosier OR is now just a hiking or biking trail.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

One could once drive their car around the Ohio State campus oval. It's why some of the buildings still have address for N. Oval Dr & S. Oval Dr
(Access was removed back in the 1960s)

[catch22]

In my freshman year at Michigan Tech, this was US-41.  It was rerouted the following year (1969) to new alignment on the south side of campus and the former College Avenue became a parking lot for a while.  This landscaping was done long after I left.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/GQgh6mqBSjFhv6bh6

[ilpt4u]

Grand Ave in Carbondale IL used to be a continuous street across Southern Illinois University's campus, but sometime in the 60s/70s parts of it were removed and converted to green space - probably a good idea to not have a thru traffic road right thru the middle of a college campus

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7168878,-89.2227855,1625m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu

[pderocco]

One could once drive their car around the Ohio State campus oval. It's why some of the buildings still have address for N. Oval Dr & S. Oval Dr
(Access was removed back in the 1960s)

Ridge Walk in the UCSD campus in La Jolla, CA is the southbound side of the old US-101 alignment. The entire campus was built in the late 50s, just as the Interstates, in this case I-5, were obsoleting the US routes. A little further north, the old US-101 alignment is now Torrey Pines Park Rd, and most of that is only open to biking and hiking.

[jay8g]

My grandfather has pictures from when he went to Rome in the 60s showing people driving right around the base of the Colosseum. I found this view showing just how close people were able to drive. That being said, most of Italy is full of places like kphoger's example that are somehow still active roads!

Back to the US, one of the major paths through the Old Faithful area was the main highway until it was rerouted in the 70s or 80s. It's hard to imagine this once being a highway!

[ClassicHasClass]

One could once drive their car around the Ohio State campus oval. It's why some of the buildings still have address for N. Oval Dr & S. Oval Dr
(Access was removed back in the 1960s)

Ridge Walk in the UCSD campus in La Jolla, CA is the southbound side of the old US-101 alignment. The entire campus was built in the late 50s, just as the Interstates, in this case I-5, were obsoleting the US routes. A little further north, the old US-101 alignment is now Torrey Pines Park Rd, and most of that is only open to biking and hiking.

Reminds me of the little snippets of old US 395 in San Diego county that are also now trails (the section of Murphy Cyn Rd between Clairemont Mesa Blvd and CA 52, and the old alignment on the "shores" of Lake Hodges, for example).

[D-Dey65]

Some of you reminded me of a dispute I had on Wikipedia about a former segment of NY 30 that was clearly in a photograph in the article.

I've mentioned this on numerous occasions, but Suffolk CR 21 in the Rocky Point Conservation Area has had numerous Road Closed signs at intersections with roads that don't exist, although some of them have existed back in the day when it was RCA's Radio Central.

Of course, there's this near Silver Springs State Park.


Do you see this strip of land between the houses on the left and the two-story brick building on the right?

Well that used to be part of "G Road" back when that land was part of Pilgrim State Psychiatric Hospital. Now it's a greenway and part of "G Road" east of Suffolk CR 13 is CR 106 and ends at CR 7.

On the other hand, I look at some places, and it's pretty easy to believe that they were public roads in the past.

[WillWeaverRVA]

This piece of South Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach used to be US 60. That's the original concrete.

[D-Dey65]

Holy crap! How can I possibly forget this one? A parking lot and a vacant strip used to be part of Granny Road in Farmingville, New York!

https://historicaerials.com/?layer=map&zoom=11&lat=40.8425&lon=-73.043611

[Phoenix1867]

This use to be a road in Hawaii: https://www.alamy.com/solidified-lava-flow-across-the-land-and-east-coast-road-with-a-speed-restriction-sign-half-covered-on-hawaii-island-hawaii-image387000615.html[/img]]