Old alignments visible from Google Maps

[fillup420]

I have been using NCroads.com and Google maps to trace the original alignment of US 70 through North Carolina, and I have found some fascinating things. Foremost, a portion of Old US 70 has been closed to vehicles since 1954, but it is now a walking/biking trail, complete with original concrete paving. Has anyone else found anything like this?

[ilpt4u]

The most famous is the Abandonded PA Turnpike

[US71]

A couple years ago, I found part of the old Bankhead Highway east of Tupelo, MS.  Still mostly driveable with some "sidewalk highway" sections.

[Beltway]

Portions of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge that were left in place to be used as fishing piers --
https://www.google.com/maps/@27.5985639,-82.6386727,3997m/data=!3m1!1e3

[jp the roadgeek]

The old 7 Mile Bridge in the FL Keys used for fishing and access to Pigeon Key.
https://www.google.com/maps/@24.7039688,-81.1444561,0a,75y/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s97dLC5_54mroD6fYWswrCA!2e0

Looking against traffic on the ramp from I-384 West to I-84 West, you can still see the line in the trees where I-84 (mostly as I-86) passed over Sunset Ridge prior to the interchange construction.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7738608,-72.5863328,0a,75y/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s5v-Q5X33C1i1QjYfv_a9WA!2e0

The old alignment of CT 68 between US 5 and I-91.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.482154,-72.7730583,0a,75y/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s5upirbxfF_n8boC_fPePRw!2e0

The original ending of the Mass Pike just before the NY line.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3477948,-73.4117027,0a,75y/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sfyo0dn2moRWfBKPHChm4GQ!2e0

[adwerkema]

This portion of Historic Route 66 in Chicago suburbs.

The unfinished portion of I-189 in Burlington, VT. Now used as a parking lot.

Don't know the story behind this one. I think it's the closest abandoned segment of road to me.

[LM117]

Remnants of US-29's former northbound lanes north of Danville before the current US-29 Danville bypass was built.

[slorydn1]

The old alignment of US-17 to the old Neuse River Bridge in Bridgeton, NC.


Also, a helpful hint that was passed along to me about doing away with those long internet links in posts when I got started here years ago:


(ignoring all spaces within the brackets)[ url = http://www.yoursitehere.com ] Whatever you want to type [ /url ]


It turns the word or words in your post into the clickable link so its much neater.

(thanks Froggie for that advice!)

[mgk920]

These aerial images are a Godsend for historic 'old road' research!  Doing off and on research on historic routings of the Yellowstone Trail, I would be completely lost without them.

Mike

[Kulerage]

Not a highway, but the grading is a remnant of Alston Avenue, which used to be a long parallel road of NC 55. Now various split up roads.

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.8371495,-78.8843699,368m/data=!3m1!1e3

[MCRoads]

[Snip]

The original ending of the Mass Pike just before the NY line.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3477948,-73.4117027,0a,75y/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sfyo0dn2moRWfBKPHChm4GQ!2e0

Lol, I bet the conversation was like this...

W
Guy in charge: So, how should we end the Mass Pike to the east?
Guy who is never listened to: we could end it like Kansas did at-
Guy who is always listened to: we could end it right on the NY border!!!
Guy in charge: GREAT IDEA!!!

[Chris19001]

Here are a few along the Bethlehem Pike corridor in SE Pa.  Neither are fully abandoned at length, but neither are accessible along their original length.
Line Lexington
Saucon Valley

[cpzilliacus]

The most famous is the Abandonded PA Turnpike

There are some less-famous (but more recently) abandoned sections of the Pennsylvania Turnpike on the grade between the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel and New Baltimore.  The old grade was brutal, with plenty of twisting curves and no climbing lane headed west (up the hill).

Here, here and here.

[BrianP]

The most famous is the Abandonded PA Turnpike

There are some less-famous (but more recently) abandoned sections of the Pennsylvania Turnpike on the grade between the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel and New Baltimore.  The old grade was brutal, with plenty of twisting curves and no climbing lane headed west (up the hill).

Here, here and here.

This one is recent enough that there's no streetview of the new alignment:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.1457997,-77.6406345,1229m/data=!3m1!1e3

[Paulinator66]

Here is another old section of Route 66 in Springfield, IL. 
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.6875649,-89.6459452,589m/data=!3m1!1e3

[theline]

Business US 20 (Lincolnway) in South Bend was arrow straight until rerouting to accommodate an extension of the north-south runway at South Bend International Airport. Some of the road was repurposed but much was removed: https://goo.gl/maps/urgp1E89wZU2

[ErmineNotyours]

This one is recent enough that there's no streetview of the new alignment:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.1457997,-77.6406345,1229m/data=!3m1!1e3

I like that Google is preserving their old Street Views, but if a road alignment is changed, the old Street View is deleted?  Huh.

[Max Rockatansky]

There are a ton of them between Barstow and Needles pertaining to US Route 66.  The National Old Trails Route Facebook page actually posts a ton of them.

[US 81]

Love to play with Google maps, comparing map to Street View to satellite views. Traced Meridian, Bankhead and OSR extensively through TX, also most of the US highways. Have had fun just "surfing" down the rivers finding abandoned bridges, also looking around lakeshores to find older pre-lake road alignments. 

[ilpt4u]

also looking around lakeshores to find older pre-lake road alignments.

Old IL 13 between Carbondale and Carterville (and then Marion) has been partially consumed by Crab Orchard Lake

The Carbondale side of the Lake on Old IL 13 is now the feeder to the lake's Marina, and the Carterville side is a Boat Ramp. The rest of Old IL 13, on both sides of the lake, is a decently well used roadway to this day, and I believe still under IDOT control (at least parts of it are)

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7358169,-89.1102607,15z is the area. Part of Foreville Rd is part of Old 13 as well


Sourced from http://www.mihp.org/

Of course, some parts are not visible, because the lake took over

[fillup420]

Along the same line of routes being consumed by lakes, NC 288 is pretty famous in southwestern NC folklore. It was submerged by Fontana Lake, and the TVA promised the locals a new road along the north shore that never got completed. It is dubbed as the "road to nowhere"  and it can be hiked on up to a tunnel where it ends. You can read more about it here http://www.gribblenation.com/nclost/roads/nowhere.html

Also, parts of old NC 288, including a bridge, are visible during periods of low lake levels. I believe the latest Google Map image shows this, but I'm on mobile and can't check right now.

[US 89]

That reminds me of the Jordanelle Reservoir near Heber City, UT. The original routes of US 40 and US 189 were submerged, along with the town of Hailstone where they met. A new freeway was built just west of the lake, and both 40 and 189 were rerouted onto it (but 189 was unsigned until this past summer). Anyway, the original US 40 went east at the current 40/248 junction on what is today 248, and then split to the south near Deer Mountain, where you can still see the old US 40 heading south into the lake. How much of the route you can see depends on the lake level. If it’s low enough (as it was before the wet winter of 2016-17) you might be able to see the site that was the town of Keetley.

Also, there are several segments of old US 40 west of Salt Lake City visible on Google Maps. Most of it is now a frontage road to I-80, but the old alignment can be seen between the westbound ramps and freeway in the 7200 West interchange (exit 111), and near the Hyatt Place just west of the airport, where the parking lot was built on top of the old highway.

[Max Rockatansky]

That reminds me of the Jordanelle Reservoir near Heber City, UT. The original routes of US 40 and US 189 were submerged, along with the town of Hailstone where they met. A new freeway was built just west of the lake, and both 40 and 189 were rerouted onto it (but 189 was unsigned until this past summer). Anyway, the original US 40 went east at the current 40/248 junction on what is today 248, and then split to the south near Deer Mountain, where you can still see the old US 40 heading south into the lake. How much of the route you can see depends on the lake level. If it's low enough (as it was before the wet winter of 2016-17) you might be able to see the site that was the town of Keetley.

Also, there are several segments of old US 40 west of Salt Lake City visible on Google Maps. Most of it is now a frontage road to I-80, but the old alignment can be seen between the westbound ramps and freeway in the 7200 West interchange (exit 111), and near the Hyatt Place just west of the airport, where the parking lot was built on top of the old highway.

You're avatar got me thinking about US 89.  There is a massive and really obvious old alignment north of Flagstaff, AZ just east of be modern highway.  There is also another big original alignment of US 89 that's teniously mantained between Ashfork and Prescott that is easily observed on Google Maps. 

[kphoger]

The rest of Old IL 13, on both sides of the lake, is a decently well used roadway to this day, and I believe still under IDOT control (at least parts of it are)

I know I've seen state reference markers on that road, but I can't locate any official information about that.

[abc2VE]

Remnants of US-29's former northbound lanes north of Danville before the current US-29 Danville bypass was built.

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.7003702,-79.3687725,3a,20.7y,32.68h,88.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skbLSDZSZW10JDvnEwnd34A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en-US

This is the first hairpin curve sign I've seen in Virginia.

Edit:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.6994276,-79.367772,3a,20.4y,298.57h,87.76t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sObAjsmkgh5wv1OgkMWV-Yg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en-US
And second.