Once a major route running from Provincetown MA to Long Beach CA, today's US 6 in California is a shadow of its former self. For your lunchtime enjoyment (and mine), here's our podcast on Route 6 in California: LRN 6, Sign Route 6, and of course, US 6 and all of its history.
On CA Route by Route: https://caroutebyroute.org/2025/05/23/ca-rxr-3-11-us-6-a-major-route-no-more/
On Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/caroutebyroute/episodes/CA-RxR-3-11-US-6-A-Major-Route-no-More-e3398sf/a-abv8gja
Ready, set, discuss.
I live on a former alignment of US 6 from before it got re-routed onto I-80/94 between IN 51 and IL 83.
US 6 is still the HAZMAT and oversized vehicle route over the Continental Divide (Loveland Pass) to bypass the Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnels on I-70 in Colorado.
Mike
Quote from: mgk920 on May 24, 2025, 11:09:49 AMUS 6 is still the HAZMAT and oversized vehicle route over the Continental Divide (Loveland Pass) to bypass the Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnels on I-70 in Colorado.
Mike
For context, the podcast is only about California. In California US 6 isn't anything all that special anymore.
I did mention Dale's research (on USends) which suggests US 6 is now nominally longer than US 20. Daniel in podcast also asked me if I thought US 6 was the loneliest US Route (referring to Nevada). My response was US 191 given it has absolutely desolate stretches like the Coronado Trail.
I dunno, US 6 between Tonopah and Ely is pretty darn desolate.
Quote from: ClassicHasClass on May 24, 2025, 12:44:16 PMI dunno, US 6 between Tonopah and Ely is pretty darn desolate.
Not Coronado Trail desolate. If I recall correctly the Coronado Trail and another segment of US 191 in Wyoming had two of the top three traffic counts in the US Route System. I can't for the life of me find the thread where we discussed that.
I think US 6 should have been truncated to Interstate 5 in 1964 instead of to US 395 in Bishop. If the unbuilt CA 14 extension to CA 1 had been constructed, it should have been part of US 6 as well.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on May 24, 2025, 08:54:45 PMI think US 6 should have been truncated to Interstate 5 in 1964 instead of to US 395 in Bishop. If the unbuilt CA 14 extension to CA 1 had been constructed, it should have been part of US 6 as well.
The problem there is the 1964 Renumbering was big on emphasizing "one route, one number." Given the Tioga Road was being improved at the time my preference would to revisit that 1936-1937 option that was floated alongside Long Beach. Pole Line Road (CA 167) and pretty much all of CA 120 to I-5 near Manteca would be my preferred outcome.