I have hesitation about starting this topic because it easily leads into questions of correct definition, but I think it is still worth doing for the individual US states and Canadian provinces, and for other countries globally which have extensive freeway networks. There have been attempts to do it in the past on MTR but none of them have been carried through to completion, as far as I can tell.
Put simply, what were the first lengths of freeway? If there are multiple claims (based on different definitions), the basis of the claim should be stated. In the cases of Oklahoma and Pennsylvania, the lengths suggested are essentially guesses (i.e., I don't know for a fact that there were no urban grade-separated roads built prior to the turnpikes which would have qualified as freeways).
To start:
USA
California--Arroyo Seco Parkway (now SR 110), 1940
New York--Meadowbrook State Parkway, 1933 (?)
Oklahoma--Turner Turnpike, 1954 (later included in the Interstate system as I-44)
Pennsylvania--Pennsylvania Turnpike, 1940 (Irwin-Carlisle only)
Rest of world
Germany--AVUS in Berlin, 1921 (based on dual carriageway construction with no intermediate intersections on the level, but was originally a racetrack later retrofitted into the Autobahn network, and is now part of the A115 between Wannsee and Charlottenburg); Autostrasse Cologne-Bonn, 1932 (based on comprehensive grade separation with just one intermediate interchange with proper ramps allowing gradual change of speed, but however had a four-lane single-carriageway cross-section; now part of the Autobahn network as the A555); Frankfurt am Main-Darmstadt, 1935 (first Reichsautobahn to open, probably now part of the A5)
Italy--Milan-Lakes autostrade, 1924-25 (based on comprehensive grade separation, but access to the mainline was by turns rather than ramps, with some turns running across the path of oncoming traffic, and the mainline was a single carriageway with three traffic lanes on the mainline and two on spurs; later upgraded to conventional motorway standard in the 1960's; now the A8 and parts of the A8 diramazione and A9); A1 Autostrada del Sole, mid-1950's (probably first Italian autostrada built to modern motorway standards with dual carriageways and access by ramps only)
Britain--Preston Bypass, 1958 (first true British motorway)
Sweden--Malmö-Lund, 1953 (probably now part of the E22)
For Virginia, it is arguably the stretch of today's I-395 (but then numbered VA 350) near the Pentagon...not certain of the opening (maybe mapmikey knows), but it definitely was open by 1947.
In Minnesota, parts of MN 100 were open by 1936, but it'd be a huge stretch to call it a freeway (MN 100 at the time featured several RIROs and median crossovers). The first true freeway segment to open was a stretch of I-35 north of Owatonna in 1958.
Illinois has a few differing times by differing agencies.
Built by the City of Chicago -- Lake Shore Drive (US-41), 1937 (then Leif Ericson Drive - renamed in 1946). LSD's origins extend back to 1882, and was included (not as a freeway) in Daniel Burnham's Plan for Chicago.
Built by Cook County Highway Commission -- Calumet Expressway and Kingery Expressway between the state line and 130th Street, 1950. This is considered the first modern freeway in Illinois.
Built by Illinois Highway Department (now IDOT) -- US-66 bypass of Braidwood, Joliet, and Plainfield, now I-55, 1956. IODT was relatively late to the freeway game (as usual) and thus it was proposed that a toll commission be formed.
Built by Illinois State Toll Highway Commission (now ISTHA) -- Tri-State Tollway, Northwest Tollway, and the East-West Tollway to Sugar Grove, 1958. These were planned earlier but held up by lawsuits. Without the lawsuits, they might have been built much closer to 1950.
Indiana:
Tri-State Highway (now Borman Expressway), 1949-50. Was opened as Indiana SR 420.
Indiana East-West Toll Road, 1956
Michigan:
Willow Run Expressway, 1942
Davison Expressway, 1942
The Davison is notable for being the first depressed urban expressway in the US (maybe the world).
Boston it was Route 1A I think
CT Merritt Parkway- 1938
Quote from: froggie on May 18, 2010, 08:33:15 AM
For Virginia, it is arguably the stretch of today's I-395 (but then numbered VA 350) near the Pentagon...not certain of the opening (maybe mapmikey knows), but it definitely was open by 1947.
Scott Kozel's website has it opening in 1944 which is consistent with CTB entries about it.
I agree this is Virginia's first freeway by conventional definition.
Virginia might have some interchanges that are older, though:
US 13 and US 58 (Military Circle)
US 13-58-460 I think had at least a partial interchange in Bowers Hill way back when
Some of the grade separated intersections on the George Washington Pkwy south of Alexandria date to 1932. Some of the Colonial Pkwy grade separated interchanges date to 1936. Blue Ridge Pkwy interchanges date to the late 30s as well.
Close but...
US 1-VA 3 interchange opened in 1945.
Mapmikey
The first highways in Ontario/Canada:
(Photos from Thekingshighway.com)
Middle Road (today known as the Queen Elizabeth Way/QEW) in 1936/37:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thekingshighway.ca%2FPHOTOS%2Fqew-7_lg.jpg&hash=ea52f14cbeea68c70b86f044559bcd04a2d6391f)(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thekingshighway.ca%2FPHOTOS%2Fqew-3_lg.jpg&hash=a7e8c1f1850ff89196a37c0c88efc7b2ae30711f)(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thekingshighway.ca%2FPHOTOS%2Fqew-10_lg.jpg&hash=65cafa30229b8ff900ca16e8d946d121821c32b2)
Highway 400: 1951.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thekingshighway.ca%2FPHOTOS%2Fhwy400-6_lg.jpg&hash=fe96334214165be2803541600055c80162230b3b)(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thekingshighway.ca%2FPHOTOS%2Fhwy400-5_lg.jpg&hash=f777cddcc45fd81450ccaf73dc27da44c89ebda1)
Highway 401: 1938 plans. (Partially redesigned and postponed due to WWII)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thekingshighway.ca%2FPHOTOS%2Fhwy2A-2_lg.jpg&hash=b4d11cd02ea2a03b1b935cdcd8386dbee53138bb)
1953/54.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thekingshighway.ca%2FPHOTOS%2Fhwy401-133_lg.jpg&hash=dee6ce9881e71b2561057e6ec8ddc3948e0d8978)(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thekingshighway.ca%2FPHOTOS%2Fhwy400-48_lg.jpg&hash=519dd5632aaae846b2c31ad17741542d67b8c794)(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thekingshighway.ca%2FPHOTOS%2Fhwy401-8_lg.jpg&hash=ec5adcca5ed574e239cb06d2604082e420175b92)
1958/59. The highway is already congested. Widening begins.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thekingshighway.ca%2FPHOTOS%2Fhwy401-12_lg.jpg&hash=90979ecda316b93c0b7013108bee7f31525eee2e)(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thekingshighway.ca%2FPHOTOS%2Fhwy401-23_lg.jpg&hash=de0e6f33a00e066d35d4ec4e5187e51bc4bf83b1)
1966/67: Some of the first parts of the 12 lane collector/express system open in Toronto.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thekingshighway.ca%2FPHOTOS%2Fhwy401-18_lg.jpg&hash=94aa62da95a22650ddbea2a8254a7db1106763dd)(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thekingshighway.ca%2FPHOTOS%2Fhwy401-20_lg.jpg&hash=a6ed1495c4194f4a3e390b28ade2f40c4adf0d5b)
In Alabama, the first length of freeway is I-65 from Warrior to Cullman, I believe.
Quote from: J N Winkler on May 18, 2010, 04:43:07 AM
New York--Meadowbrook State Parkway, 1933 (?)
1934 on the Meadowbrook. And it's not the first anyway. The Wantagh State Parkway goes back to 1927. If we don't demand the highway still be in use, there's also the Long Island Motor Parkway from 1908.
Delaware would be the 1951-opened Delaware Memorial Bridge freeway approach from Farnhurst (U.S. 13), that U.S. 40 followed east to the span.
(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/northeast/1951_w_app_rd_dmb.jpg)
(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/northeast/1951_dmb_toll_plaza.jpg)
QuoteSome of the grade separated intersections on the George Washington Pkwy south of Alexandria date to 1932. Some of the Colonial Pkwy grade separated interchanges date to 1936. Blue Ridge Pkwy interchanges date to the late 30s as well.
There's only two grade separations south of Alexandria, a pseudo-interchange at Fort Hunt Park, and a simple overpass at Alexandria Ave. All other GW Pkwy access through there (including to/from the Alexandria Ave overpass) is at-grade.
Nevada didn't get any major freeway facilities until after the creation of the Interstate Highway system. The first stretches of Interstate highways appear on Nevada's 1960 state map, so it's likely they were completed in 1959. These three sections are:
*I-15: California state line up to just north of Sloan (probably ending at that minor mountain pass right before entering the Las Vegas Valley), about 26 miles.
*I-15: A stretch near the Valley of Fire interchange, about 15 miles (not labeled as I-15 on this map).
*I-80: A slightly mountainous stretch along the Truckee River between Reno/Sparks and Fernley, about 10 miles.
Quote from: Duke87 on May 18, 2010, 12:20:55 PM
If we don't demand the highway still be in use, there's also the Long Island Motor Parkway from 1908.
The LIMP was not a freeway in today's sense.
The first Dutch freeway was the A12 east of The Hague, which opened on April 15th, 1937. It is also claimed to be the first freeway in the world to feature continuous shoulders.
Nebraska had no pre-interstate freeways-the first section of freeway to open was a portion of I-80 near Gretna in 1961. The rest of I-80 between Lincoln and Omaha and I-180 in Lincoln opened soon after that as well.
North Carolina: As far as I can determine, the first freeway in NC was the west side of the Beltline, now US 1 and I 440, opened in 1963.
It was the Sunshine State Parkway down here in 1957 (I-4 came a close second), but looking at older county maps, they do show FL 9 (present-day I-95) as being proposed through Broward County in 1951, then built as a surface road up to Hollywood Blvd (FL 820) by the mid 1950s or so. The surface road of FL 9 had the codes of I.S.U. and I.S. listed along the road, but there is no indication of any interchanges at either Pembroke Road, Hallandale Beach Blvd, or Hollywood Blvd.
For Arkansas it was either the US 61-63-64-70-79 approach to the Memphis-Arkansas bridge between West Memphis and Memphis which opened around 1949. I'm not sure if it was originally built as a freeway or if it was just a 4 lane expressway. This stretch of highway is part of I-55 now.
The other candidate would be the New Benton Highway (US 67-70, now I-30) between the modern I-30/University Avenue interchange in Little Rock and Benton, which was built in the early 50s IIRC. I believe the New Benton Highway was originally built as a freeway.
Quote from: bugo on May 18, 2010, 06:59:20 PM
The other candidate would be the New Benton Highway (US 67-70, now I-30) between the modern I-30/University Avenue interchange in Little Rock and Benton, which was built in the early 50s IIRC. I believe the New Benton Highway was originally built as a freeway.
http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-030.html (http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-030.html)
Looks like the New Benton Highway was originally built as a 2 lane road.
For Oregon, it was the TH Banfield Expressway (US 30, later I-80N and now I-84 and still US 30, natch). It opened between 42nd Ave and Troutdale Oct 1 1955, and west to the Burnside and Steel Bridges by 1957.
On 1947-12-13, the Maine Turnpike opened, from the US1 Bypass in Kittery to outer Congress St in Portland.
Quote from: dfilpus on May 18, 2010, 04:31:50 PM
North Carolina: As far as I can determine, the first freeway in NC was the west side of the Beltline, now US 1 and I 440, opened in 1963.
Several freeway segments were open in NC by 1957:
US 301 Byp of Lumberton
US 15 Byp of Durham
US 29-70 Bypass of Lexington (possibly a freewayish route when opened in 1952)
I-95 around Dunn
What is now I-85 between Greensboro and Hillsborough
There are probably more...
Mapmikey
very cool old photos of Ontario freeways!
dang, too bad there's no shields on those guide signs, just spelled-out designations.
In the Cleveland area, it would have to be either:
A) The Willow Freeway (Then US-21, now SR-21/I-77) from Granger Road (SR-17) to Broadway (SR-14) south of Downtown.
Side note: I have heard a few times that the intersection of SR-17 & SR (nee US)-21, known as "The Cloverleaf" has some significance in transportation history (one of the first Cloverleafs ever built?) but it still remains as it was built the many, MANY decades ago!
or B) The Cleveland Memorial (East/West) Shoreway. (SR-2 and parts of US-6 & 20).
In Akron, it would have to be parts of the "North Leg" of "The Expressway" (aka SR-8 between I-76/I-77 and Tallmadge Avenue/SR-261) and the "East Leg" of "The Expressway" which is the modern day I-76 between the SR-8/I-77 Central Interchange and SR-18/East Market Street(???).
In Grand Junction, CO, it was the "Bypass" (modern day I-70) between the ends of the modern day I-70 Business Loop in Grand Junction -- 1964-ish.
I believe the first stretches of freeway in New Jersey were NJ 495 and Interstate 280.
If I remember reading correctly, the first stretches in Texas (or at least Houston) were IH 45 (then US 75) through downtown and heading south... the original "Gulf Freeway"
Quote from: njroadhorse on May 20, 2010, 05:37:42 PM
I believe the first stretches of freeway in New Jersey were NJ 495 and Interstate 280.
Er... The Pulaski Skyway...
Missouri: probably US 66 (later upgraded to I-44)
In Hawaii, the first part of the Mauka Arterial near University Ave., about a mile long, opened in November 1953 as a six-lane freeway. The Mauka Arterial was incorporated into the eastern Lunalilo Freeway segment of Interstate H-1 after Hawaii became a state.
In New Jersey, I-280 was not built 'til the 1970's. Some earlier possibilities are NJ Route-4 from G.W. Bridge west in about 1931 when the bridge opened. Pulaski Skyway was I believe 1932. Re: NJ-495, are you talking about the approach to the Lincoln Tunnel? I'll guess mid-1930's when the first tube of the tunnel opened.
I believe there were fully limited-access grade-separated approaches to the Bay Bridge on the Oakland side (CA-17, US-40, US-50) by 1937 or 1938, the "distribution structure" which was a predecessor to the current MacArthur Maze.
Quote from: Mapmikey on May 18, 2010, 08:34:02 PM
Quote from: dfilpus on May 18, 2010, 04:31:50 PM
North Carolina: As far as I can determine, the first freeway in NC was the west side of the Beltline, now US 1 and I 440, opened in 1963.
Several freeway segments were open in NC by 1957:
US 301 Byp of Lumberton
US 15 Byp of Durham
US 29-70 Bypass of Lexington (possibly a freewayish route when opened in 1952)
I-95 around Dunn
What is now I-85 between Greensboro and Hillsborough
There are probably more...
Mapmikey
The original I-40 (now Business 40) through Winston Salem dates back to the mid 50s I think, as does a section of I-40 from Asheville to Waynesville. I believe the latter is credited by NCDOT as the first section of Interstate completed in NC.
Quote from: SignBridge on January 16, 2012, 08:50:04 PM
In New Jersey, I-280 was not built 'til the 1970's. Some earlier possibilities are NJ Route-4 from G.W. Bridge west in about 1931 when the bridge opened. Pulaski Skyway was I believe 1932. Re: NJ-495, are you talking about the approach to the Lincoln Tunnel? I'll guess mid-1930's when the first tube of the tunnel opened.
495 was not built until later, actually. First stretch of freeway in the state was definitely the Skyway. NJ was a pioneer at grade-separated interchanges, though, and had several Jersey Freeways in place that early. US 1-9/NJ 35 was the original cloverleaf anywhere (then US 1-NJ 4 over US 9), and NJ 17/NJ 4 was not far behind.
In RI, the first section of freeway was the section of RI-146 between Lincoln Woods state park and the Woonsocket city line. This opened in, I think, 1959. Some short sections of RI-10, such as the Olneyville Bypass, may be older, but 146 was the first section of road with any length.
In Mass, I think some sections of MA-128 near Dedham and Westwood opened as super-2 in the late 1940s.
Quote from: yakra on May 18, 2010, 07:18:00 PM
On 1947-12-13, the Maine Turnpike opened, from the US1 Bypass in Kittery to outer Congress St in Portland.
December 13, 1947 sounds familiar, as there's a big red sign in the Kittery/York area which states "Gold Star Memorial Highway - Dedicated 1947." As for Outer Congress Street, is that associated with a modern exit on the Maine Turnpike? I know Exit 44 is for I-295 North in Scarborough and Exit 45 is for the Maine Mall and Scarborough Connector.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on January 16, 2012, 09:07:36 PM
I believe there were fully limited-access grade-separated approaches to the Bay Bridge on the Oakland side (CA-17, US-40, US-50) by 1937 or 1938, the "distribution structure" which was a predecessor to the current MacArthur Maze.
Does that predate the Doyle Drive freeway on US 101?
In Louisiana, I believe the oldest section of freeway is what is now I-110 in Baton Rouge from the Governor's Mansion curve (exit 1F) to the other sharp curve to the east at Plank Road/Scenic Highway (exit 2B), completed ca. 1955. This original section was constructed to provide a direct connection from 9th/10th Streets (downtown BR) to Plank Road and Scenic Highway (north BR) without having to navigate the surface streets in the Mid City area. The ramps on the eastern end were configured differently at the time to facilitate this traffic pattern.
The oldest section of limited access highway with a definite open date is the Pontchartrain Expressway (I-10) from Airline Highway to Carrollton Avenue (1957). Of course that's really just a single interchange but a short section of mainline did open as well. The expressway from DeGaulle across the Mississippi River bridge to Airline was complete by 1959.
Quote from: achilles765 on January 16, 2012, 07:42:46 PM
If I remember reading correctly, the first stretches in Texas (or at least Houston) were IH 45 (then US 75) through downtown and heading south... the original "Gulf Freeway"
According to Erik from houstonfreeways.com, the Gulf Freeway was dedicated September 30, 1948. Meanwhile, in Dallas, the first section of Central Expressway (US 75) opened between downtown and the Fitzhugh Ave. exit on August 20, 1949.
Quote from: froggie on May 18, 2010, 08:33:15 AM
In Minnesota, parts of MN 100 were open by 1936, but it'd be a huge stretch to call it a freeway (MN 100 at the time featured several RIROs and median crossovers). The first true freeway segment to open was a stretch of I-35 north of Owatonna in 1958.
Similarly, parts of MN 36 date to the late 1930s, but I don't know when that stretch (between say Cleveland and Edgerton) became fully limited-access.
Wisconsin's first freeway turns out to be a chunk of the Stadium Freeway across the Menomonee Valley. I previously thought it was a piece of then WI 30 (modern I-94) around Waukesha, but it turns out that was the first interstate segment in this state.
I'm looking at a 1956 aerial right now that shows the Stadium Freeway fully under construction between National Ave & Wisconsin Ave. (Man, look at the size of the factory that sat where I now tailgate ;) )
The same photos show the start of earthworks for what is now I-43 through the northeast suburbs between Good Hope Rd. and the county line. But this was not built as an interstate-standard freeway and still isn't to this day. x|
In Kentucky, the first freeway in the state would be parts of the Watterson Expressway (now I-264) around Louisville. From what i had read, the first section was opened around 1954, which predated the Kentucky Turnpike, which opened in 1956.
The Watterson was built as US 60.
The first section of freeway that opened in Québec was a section of A-15 that ran from the Metropolitan Boulevard (now A-40) in Montreal to Sainte Rose Boulevard in Laval. AFAIK it was tolled.
Quote from: TheStranger on January 17, 2012, 01:29:41 AMQuote from: agentsteel53 on January 16, 2012, 09:07:36 PMI believe there were fully limited-access grade-separated approaches to the Bay Bridge on the Oakland side (CA-17, US-40, US-50) by 1937 or 1938, the "distribution structure" which was a predecessor to the current MacArthur Maze.
Does that predate the Doyle Drive freeway on US 101?
I believe it does. From my memory of
CHPW articles browsed from 1936 onward (NB: Internet Archive now has the entire run of
CHPW in scanned PDF--almost 2 GB worth of highway goodness), the Distribution Structure opened at the same time as the Bay Bridge proper, but the rail tracks on the lower deck and the Transbay Terminal opened later, around 1937 or 1938. The Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937 and I believe its accesses on either side opened at about the same time.
Checking
CHPW running notes:
* November 1936 is the
CHPW Bay Bridge opening special issue and includes an article on the Distribution Structure, explaining that it was located in Emeryville to allow the Bay Bridge approach roadway to cross two rail lines at once.
* May 1937 is the Golden Gate Bridge opening special issue and has a feature on the construction of what it calls the "Waldo Point road," now known as US 101 just north of the Golden Gate. (This was built by the State of California rather than the Golden Gate Bridge District.)
* May 1938 contains an in-depth account of the Transbay Terminal, whose opening was reported in December 1938.
Edit: I am now going through
CHPW June 1939, which has a feature on the "Presidio Approach to Golden Gate" which was then under construction. It is therefore definite that the Doyle Drive freeway was finished after the Distribution Structure. An interesting question, which I hope later issues of
CHPW will clarify, is whether the Doyle Drive freeway opened before or after the Arroyo Seco Parkway, which (notwithstanding any competing claim the Distribution Structure may be able to make) is usually quoted as California's first length of freeway.
Oregon: The Banfield Expressway in Portland was the first one as I recall. Today it is I-84 and has been modernized so the old style expressway look is now gone. It predated the Interstate system's creation by a year I believe. Maybe Xonhulu (Chris) has more info as he's the expert on all things US 30 in Oregon.
Rick
Quote from: nexus73 on January 22, 2012, 08:56:18 PM
Oregon: The Banfield Expressway in Portland was the first one as I recall. Today it is I-84 and has been modernized so the old style expressway look is now gone. It predated the Interstate system's creation by a year I believe. Maybe Xonhulu (Chris) has more info as he's the expert on all things US 30 in Oregon.
Rick
Thanks, but you're overstating things by calling me any kind of expert.
I looked up on the ODOT History of Oregon Interstates document ( http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/COMM/interstate50_I84.shtml ) that the Banfield did indeed open in 1955, pre-dating the start of the interstates. It was widened and modernized in the 1980's, so yeah, the original roadway is gone.
Quote from: J N Winkler on January 19, 2012, 09:17:37 PM
An interesting question, which I hope later issues of CHPW will clarify, is whether the Doyle Drive freeway opened before or after the Arroyo Seco Parkway, which (notwithstanding any competing claim the Distribution Structure may be able to make) is usually quoted as California's first length of freeway.
I suspect the reason the Arroyo Seco Parkway (Pasadena Freeway) gets that claim, and not the Doyle Drive US 101 freeway or the original US 40/50 stretch from 5th Street to the MacArthur Maze/Distribution Structure (today's I-80)...
is that it was the first freeway in California built not simply as access to a bridge.
having said that, by the most general definition of limited-access (ramps only, no driveways or intersections at-grade), those two bridges and their associated access roads would fall under what we do consider "freeway" today.
Does the Presidio Tunnel also predate the Arroyo Seco Parkway? I think it was under construction ca. 1938, though that limited access spur (Route 1 today, planned to be grandfathered into I-280 in the 1950s and 1960s at one point) has no exits.
Hardly makes it historic, but the Valley Highway in Denver opened in 1958 as U.S. 87, and became I-25 within a few years. I-25 around Pueblo was originally constructed as the "Pueblo Freeway" (its original name), with the south side near the steel mill being bypassed by about 1956. I work at the electric utility, and in our vaults dating from the time the utility was headquartered here is the 1949 annual report which shows construction on what is called the Pueblo Freeway. I believe the picture shown is the original interchange with U.S. 50 west on the north side of the city, a junction which has been reconstructed twice since then.
Quote from: bugo on May 18, 2010, 06:59:20 PM
For Arkansas it was either the US 61-63-64-70-79 approach to the Memphis-Arkansas bridge between West Memphis and Memphis which opened around 1949. I'm not sure if it was originally built as a freeway or if it was just a 4 lane expressway. This stretch of highway is part of I-55 now.
The other candidate would be the New Benton Highway (US 67-70, now I-30) between the modern I-30/University Avenue interchange in Little Rock and Benton, which was built in the early 50s IIRC. I believe the New Benton Highway was originally built as a freeway.
I've copied the following from a post I made in the Midsouth section:
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
Quote from: Brandon on May 18, 2010, 08:41:53 AM
Illinois has a few differing times by differing agencies.
Built by the City of Chicago -- Lake Shore Drive (US-41), 1937 (then Leif Ericson Drive - renamed in 1946). LSD's origins extend back to 1882, and was included (not as a freeway) in Daniel Burnham's Plan for Chicago.
Built by Cook County Highway Commission -- Calumet Expressway and Kingery Expressway between the state line and 130th Street, 1950. This is considered the first modern freeway in Illinois.
Built by Illinois Highway Department (now IDOT) -- US-66 bypass of Braidwood, Joliet, and Plainfield, now I-55, 1956. IODT was relatively late to the freeway game (as usual) and thus it was proposed that a toll commission be formed.
Built by Illinois State Toll Highway Commission (now ISTHA) -- Tri-State Tollway, Northwest Tollway, and the East-West Tollway to Sugar Grove, 1958. These were planned earlier but held up by lawsuits. Without the lawsuits, they might have been built much closer to 1950.
Indiana:
Tri-State Highway (now Borman Expressway), 1949-50. Was opened as Indiana SR 420.
Indiana East-West Toll Road, 1956
I remember seeing a few old road atlases showing the proposed routings of the above-mentioned highways. It figures that Illinois was a little hesitant to jump onto the freeway (expressway) bandwagon, what with these lawsuits and lengthy opposition going on then.
Quote from: Mapmikey on May 18, 2010, 08:34:02 PM
Quote from: dfilpus on May 18, 2010, 04:31:50 PM
North Carolina: As far as I can determine, the first freeway in NC was the west side of the Beltline, now US 1 and I 440, opened in 1963.
Several freeway segments were open in NC by 1957:
US 301 Byp of Lumberton
US 15 Byp of Durham
US 29-70 Bypass of Lexington (possibly a freewayish route when opened in 1952)
I-95 around Dunn
What is now I-85 between Greensboro and Hillsborough
There are probably more...
Mapmikey
The former I-40 in Winston-Salem (now a Business Loop) is another.
EDIT: Someone beat me to it! That section of I-40 was definitely open by 1957.
Quote from: J N Winkler on January 19, 2012, 09:17:37 PM
Edit: I am now going through CHPW June 1939, which has a feature on the "Presidio Approach to Golden Gate" which was then under construction. It is therefore definite that the Doyle Drive freeway was finished after the Distribution Structure.
Just clarifying:
Is that a definitive reference to Doyle Drive, or to the then-under-construction Route 1 tunnel?
Quote from: TheStranger on January 30, 2012, 02:00:29 AMQuote from: J N Winkler on January 19, 2012, 09:17:37 PMEdit: I am now going through CHPW June 1939, which has a feature on the "Presidio Approach to Golden Gate" which was then under construction. It is therefore definite that the Doyle Drive freeway was finished after the Distribution Structure.
Just clarifying:
Is that a definitive reference to Doyle Drive, or to the then-under-construction Route 1 tunnel?
That particular article references the tunnel under the Presidio golf course (i.e., Route 1). A later article (from early 1940) refers to it as still under construction, so at this point I can't tell whether it predates the Arroyo Seco Parkway. I expect to encounter a later article on the opening of the Arroyo Seco--at the moment I am going through
CHPW issues in chronological order, page by page, and I am up to March 1940. This issue contains an article on channelization which is illustrated by a plan of a flat channelized intersection on the Waldo Point access road, so I think that length of US 101 just north of the Golden Gate must have been upgraded to freeway later.
It is actually not that easy to decode references to early construction in
CHPW because the toponymy has changed considerably. US and state sign routes were novel back in the 1930's; they have now become ingrained. Articles were written by Division of Highways staff, so they tend to use legislative route numbers and construction programming terminology in lieu of places and route names and numbers that would be recognized today--e.g., "New unit of Route 2 through Gaviota Pass opens." This is all on top of the fact that 1930's and earlier issues of
CHPW describe improvements which have been superseded by later upgrades (often to full freeway) and thus are not straightforwardly recognizable from Google Maps.
Quote from: J N Winkler on January 30, 2012, 08:24:12 AM
Quote from: TheStranger on January 30, 2012, 02:00:29 AMQuote from: J N Winkler on January 19, 2012, 09:17:37 PMEdit: I am now going through CHPW June 1939, which has a feature on the "Presidio Approach to Golden Gate" which was then under construction. It is therefore definite that the Doyle Drive freeway was finished after the Distribution Structure.
Just clarifying:
Is that a definitive reference to Doyle Drive, or to the then-under-construction Route 1 tunnel?
That particular article references the tunnel under the Presidio golf course (i.e., Route 1). A later article (from early 1940) refers to it as still under construction, so at this point I can't tell whether it predates the Arroyo Seco Parkway.
I've referred to it in the past, but remembered this map from 1938:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/octoferret/1221566788/sizes/l/in/photostream/
This old Standard Oil piece shows Route 1 in the Presidio under construction, but Doyle Drive as complete.
Quote from: J N Winkler on January 30, 2012, 08:24:12 AM
It is actually not that easy to decode references to early construction in CHPW because the toponymy has changed considerably. US and state sign routes were novel back in the 1930's; they have now become ingrained. Articles were written by Division of Highways staff, so they tend to use legislative route numbers and construction programming terminology in lieu of places and route names and numbers that would be recognized today--e.g., "New unit of Route 2 through Gaviota Pass opens."
You may find this useful:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_U.S._Roads/California/History/Legislative_definitions_(1963)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_U.S._Roads/California/History/When_each_route_was_added_to_the_state_highway_system (sorted by current route)