Gribblenation

As originally defined US Route 99 terminated at US Route 80 in El Centro of Imperial County, California.  US Route 99 was extended to the Mexican Border in Calexico by way of what was supposed to be temporary alignment through Heber during June of 1932.  US Route 99 would remain aligned to the Mexican Border in Calexico until being truncated to Los Angeles during June 1963.  Above US Route 99 can be seen terminating at the Mexican Border at the end of Heffernan Avenue in 1933.  Below US Route 99 can be seen following 4th Street south of US Route 80/Main Street in El Centro, Corfman Road, Heber Road through Heber, Imperial Avenue into downtown Calexico, 3rd Street and Heffernan Avenue in Calexico to the Mexican Border on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Imperial County .   This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page.  For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes che...

In October 1961, the United States Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) authorized a southern extension of Interstate 79 from Washington, PA to Charleston, WV.  This nearly 160-mile addition to the interstate system in West Virginia didn't come as a surprise, but where it ended did.  The consensus was that the two-state extension of the Interstate would follow US 19 and end at the West Virginia Turnpike in Beckley.  After three years of lobbying by Pennsylvania and West Virginia - why and how did this change? History: When the Interstate Highway System was authorized in 1956 - a north-south route linking the Pittsburgh area to Erie, PA was included in the mileage.  This route would be known as Interstate 79 and terminated at Interstate 70 in Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle.  Interstate 70 would follow Pittsburgh's Parkway West to near Roslyn Farms and then head south to Washington, PA.  Alignment and designation changes throughout the 1960s would eventually have I-79...

The year 2021 will not go down as a productive one for North Carolina's newer and future interstates. No new highways were opened during the year, though some had been planned to, and many projects were slowed down due to the effects of COVID-19, higher costs due to inflation, or other problems. Yet some of the progress made during the year offers hope that 2022 will be a banner year for many of the state's newest interstate routes. I'll review the year by Interstate and then discuss what the next year could bring. Year in Review Work continued on constructing the I-73/I-74 Rockingham Bypass, though progress slowed during the year. At the beginning of December work was still less that 50% complete, at 42.4%. The official opening date was moved back from the fall of 2023 to April 2024. Work continued on the future interchange with US 74. Here's a photo by David Gallo of what the construction zone looked like just before Christmas on US 74 West: Here's a view of bridg...