Official proposals for US 86

[usends]

This thread is for discussion of various official proposals for US route 86.  (If you have your own ideas, those go on the Fictional board; this thread is for actual proposals from official entities such as AASHTO or state DOTs.)

A 1933 proposal is confirmed in the AASHTO archive.  In a nutshell, Virginia requested a US route between VA Beach and Roanoke.  AASHO initially suggested US 86, and VA was agreeable.  But then AASHO consulted with BPR, who pointed out that 86 would have been out-of-grid for that location, so the designation was changed to US 460.

The archive also shows that in the 1980s AASHTO suggested US 86 for one of the Appalachian Development Corridors, and Alabama was agreeable.  However it is unclear which specific corridor; anyone have more info about this one?

Then there's this one:

There was also a US 86 planned to connect Natchez, MS with Wagarville, AL in 1933. It would have followed existing US 84 from US 61 to US 45, gone south with 45, and then would have headed east of MS/AL 56 to end at US 43 in Wagarville. Of course, with US 84 being extended westward from Dothan, AL to Texico, NM in 1934, the need for a US 86 along this corridor was negated.

This item and variants have been lurking in dusty corners of the web for decades, but I have not found any evidence in the AASHTO archive that such a proposal was ever submitted to them.  It may have been an internal proposal on the part of MS and/or AL.  Is anyone aware of a source for this?  (The routing through Wagarville-Chatom-State Line was indeed the temporary routing of US 84, and by "temporary" I mean about three decades; US 84's current direct route between Waynesboro MS and Grove Hill AL didn't happen until the '60s.)

[Max Rockatansky]

Bit of a missed opportunity for Arizona and New Mexico not going for US 86 between Steins-Gila Bend.  That corridor was actually proposed, but as an extension of US 90. 

[froggie]

Then there's this one:

There was also a US 86 planned to connect Natchez, MS with Wagarville, AL in 1933. It would have followed existing US 84 from US 61 to US 45, gone south with 45, and then would have headed east of MS/AL 56 to end at US 43 in Wagarville. Of course, with US 84 being extended westward from Dothan, AL to Texico, NM in 1934, the need for a US 86 along this corridor was negated.

This item and variants have been lurking in dusty corners of the web for decades, but I have not found any evidence in the AASHTO archive that such a proposal was ever submitted to them.  It may have been an internal proposal on the part of MS and/or AL.  Is anyone aware of a source for this?  (The routing through Wagarville-Chatom-State Line was indeed the temporary routing of US 84, and by "temporary" I mean about three decades; US 84's current direct route between Waynesboro MS and Grove Hill AL didn't happen until the '60s.)

A long time ago, I laid eyes on a map that showed such a US 86, but I don't remember if it was a Mississippi or Alabama map, nor which year it was from.  Wikipedia suggests it was an Alabama map.

As for US 84's "direct route", that change happened in 1965 or 1966.  Neither Alabama nor Mississippi produced a state map in 1966, but both states show the old routing on their 1965 maps but the current corridor on the 1967 maps.

[usends]

As for US 84's "direct route", that change happened in 1965 or 1966.  Neither Alabama nor Mississippi produced a state map in 1966, but both states show the old routing on their 1965 maps but the current corridor on the 1967 maps.

Right, AASHO approved the reroute in 1965.

A long time ago, I laid eyes on a map that showed such a US 86, but I don't remember if it was a Mississippi or Alabama map, nor which year it was from.  Wikipedia suggests it was an Alabama map.

It's interesting that AL might have proposed that, because the next year (when AASHO approved an extension of US 84 along that same route), AL pointed out that there was no state-maintained road heading west from Chatom.  That's why AL official state highway maps until 1950 (and MS officials until 1947) showed a gap in US 84 between Chatom and Waynesboro.  Until then, US 84 traffic had to use an unimproved county road between Chatom and State Line.

[Konza]

Bit of a missed opportunity for Arizona and New Mexico not going for US 86 between Steins-Gila Bend.  That corridor was actually proposed, but as an extension of US 90. 

I've thought that the US 80 segment between Steins and Benson should have been routed along AZ 86- which I-10 eventually was- and the route through Douglas and Bisbee should have been US 86 or 88.  The routes would have rejoined at Benson, run concurrently to Tucson, then US 86 or 88 would follow AZ 84 to Gila Bend.  From there it could head south to the border at Lukeville.

When the US Highway System was introduced, however, Douglas and Bisbee were the third and fourth most populous cities in Arizona and it made sense for them to be on a major transcontinental route.

The US 70-80-90 multiplex across New Mexico would have been interesting...

[Scott5114]

The US 70-80-90 multiplex across New Mexico would have been interesting...

Can you imagine the signage, considering what they did with 56/412?

[Rover_0]

It's probably more fit for Fictional Highways, but I could see the proposed US-114 in Texas and New Mexico--had it been approved by AASHTO in the mid-1970s--as a possible US-86.