Favorite decommissioned US Highway

[Voyager]

I have a strange fascination with original US highways, especially ones that are now decommissioned, so what's your favorite one? Mine would have to be the historic US 40 route. I'm not sure why, but I've always loved it.

[us44mt]

I like the trip up what was the former US 611, especially the section that runs next to the Delaware River. The bridge in Easton is quite awesome.

[Alex]

U.S. 122 always interested me, because it never really went to any major city.
Also like U.S. 213 a lot, because I've taken Maryland 213 quite often and feel it should still be in operation.
When I lived in California, they pretty much all interested me, because there are so few of them. U.S. 80 in San Diego and Imperial Counties ties with U.S. 101 (especially through the Los Angeles area) as the ones I most am interested.

[agentsteel53]

I like US-99 and wish they would bring it back.  CA-99 is certainly long enough in California to abide by AASHTO rules, and it could probably be extended all the way up to Washington along I-5 where needed and along the surviving old alignments.

On the complete other end of the spectrum, I like US-48.  The first one, in California from 1926-1931.

[i-95]

I heard about US 66. and i wish i could've visitted it. i heard it was a very nice highway with a lot of folk singers on the road. E-e

[FLRoads]

Two decommissioned US Highways that have always fascinated are the two missing Florida routes: US 94 and US 541.  The east/west US 94 was routed on what is now US 41 from Naples to Miami.  It fit perfectly into the national US Highway grid and like its sibling, US 92, was an intra-state highway.  US 541, also an intra-state highway, was a child of US 41 and ran along the current US 41 routing from Palmetto to the north end of Tampa.  In Tampa it ran on the current US BUS 41 alignment.  On a side note, US 41 originally ran on the current US 301 alignment when US 541 existed.  Once US 541 was decommissioned, US 41 overtook that route and US 301 was extended to Sarasota using the US 41 routing.  One aspect I liked about US 541 was that for a couple of years there was an OPT US 541 route, which ran on the also current US BUS 41 alignment (southeast end of Tampa).  They were decommissioned in the early part of the 1950's.   

[rawr apples]

I drove by US 66 and didnt even realise that the original stretch of (now abandoned) roadway was right next to the freeway near Bloomington, IL where I was driving. Needless to say, my roadgeek senses let me down. So I'd say 66 because its the only one I have really thought about. Even though Detroit has a few, like Woodward which is cool, just not interested in any aspect of that city anymore

[Scott5114]

US-91 hasn't been decommissioned but it's now a shell of itself, and for some reason it fascinates me even though I've never been to any state it travels through. Oklahoma had the longest stretch of US 66, so I naturally enjoy it too. I've done most of it between Oklahoma City and Springfield, MO.

[Tarkus]

Hmm . . . I'd say US-99W in Oregon, which is now OR-99W.  I pretty much learned to drive on it.  Between Corvallis and McMinnville, it's one of the most well-built 2-lane rural highways around.  ODOT needs to stop being silly and raise the speed limit to at least 60.  (Currently, non-Interstates are limited to 55mph, a remaining vestige of the NMSL.)

I'd also put US-830 on the list as well.  Once the highest numbered US Highway.  It was decommissioned, though, because it was entirely in Washington.  (It's now SR-14.)

Add US-10 to that list as well.  There's an old stretch of between Ellensburg and Vantage, Washington--the Vantage Highway--which is just a blast to drive.

-Alex (Tarkus)

[Darkchylde]

Although it carries another US Highway designation now, I still miss US 666.

[CityBoy1986]

Since there aren't many decommissioned highways around here, I'll have to say U.S. 466.  It made a nice cross-California highway, and the sections over the Tehachapi Mountains and near Paso Robles are fun to travel.

[Voyager]

I like old US 99-W too, especially travelling along all of the old segments of the highway when I go up the valley. The highway is very well preserved up there.

[ComputerGuy]

US-830!

[US71]

US-91 hasn't been decommissioned but it's now a shell of itself, and for some reason it fascinates me even though I've never been to any state it travels through. Oklahoma had the longest stretch of US 66, so I naturally enjoy it too. I've done most of it between Oklahoma City and Springfield, MO.

Springfield to St Louis is a good drive, especially if you like old bridges. I've driven it 2-3 times, though I'm still tracking all the variants in St Louis.   

[US71]

Not decommissioned, but severely shortened, is US 166. I've tracked nearly all of it from Missouri to Kansas.  I'm also tracking old alignments of US 71.

[Voyager]

US 48 was nice, even though it was really short lived.

[John]

US-50 from SF to Sacramento was pretty cool.

[travelinmiles]

Probably for me US 80 from Dallas to Fort Worth.

[ComputerGuy]

Historic US Highways in Washington by Paul Henry

[SimMoonXP]

US-395 in San Diego (not in my lifetime)

[tankerdave]

I have tracked several decommisoned US routes in Southern Cali.  I still use the old Stretch of US 66 Between Victorville and Barstow quite often as a shortcut to the Overcrowded I-15 on weekends.

[PAHighways]

I like the scenery of former US 120, now PA 120, especially east of Emporium.

[mrivera1]

Mine would also have to be US 395 through San Diego (several old pieces of US-395 run near my house).  The bridge where Cara Knott was killed (sorry, tis my best reference) is less than two miles away, and used to be the mainline.  Pomerado Rd. runs close-by as well.  And who could forget Kearny Villa Rd., which is about three miles away.

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

US 666? 

Well, seriously, there are very few decommissioned US routes near where I live. (I think the closest would have to be the former route of US 65 that used to be concurrent with US 61 to New Orleans, but that really doesn't count in my opinion.) But I have always appreciated tracing the former aligments of US routes in Louisiana and the Gulf region.

[Alex]

US 666? 

Well, seriously, there are very few decommissioned US routes near where I live. (I think the closest would have to be the former route of US 65 that used to be concurrent with US 61 to New Orleans, but that really doesn't count in my opinion.) But I have always appreciated tracing the former aligments of US routes in Louisiana and the Gulf region.

I like tracing the old routings of U.S. 11 and 90 across the Pearl River.