America Built Route 66 Across Eight States — Then Removed It From the Highway System
Lost Alignment
112 views
Route 66 became one of the most famous highways in American history—but in 1985, the United States officially removed it from the U.S. Highway System.
This documentary follows the rise and disappearance of Historic Route 66, from its designation in 1926 across eight states to the final paving work of the 1930s, the Dust Bowl migration, roadside towns, bridges, motels, gas stations, and the growing traffic that eventually made the old highway obsolete. As the Interstate Highway System expanded, newer roads such as I-40, I-44 and I-55 bypassed communities that had depended on Route 66 for decades.
Why did America spend years building and improving Route 66, only to replace it? What happened to the towns and businesses left behind? And why does so much of the old road still survive today?
Explore the forgotten engineering, abandoned alignments, historic bridges, roadside communities, and transportation decisions behind the Mother Road.
Subscribe to Lost Alignment for documentaries about forgotten highways, abandoned roads, tunnels, bridges, railroads, engineering failures, and hidden American infrastructure history.
#Route66 #AmericanHistory #AbandonedHighways #InfrastructureHistory #LostAlignment
America Built Route 66 Across Eight States — Then Removed It From the Highway System
Lost Alignment
112 views
Route 66 became one of the most famous highways in American history—but in 1985, the United States officially removed it from the U.S. Highway System.
This documentary follows the rise and disappearance of Historic Route 66, from its designation in 1926 across eight states to the final paving work of the 1930s, the Dust Bowl migration, roadside towns, bridges, motels, gas stations, and the growing traffic that eventually made the old highway obsolete. As the Interstate Highway System expanded, newer roads such as I-40, I-44 and I-55 bypassed communities that had depended on Route 66 for decades.
Why did America spend years building and improving Route 66, only to replace it? What happened to the towns and businesses left behind? And why does so much of the old road still survive today?
Explore the forgotten engineering, abandoned alignments, historic bridges, roadside communities, and transportation decisions behind the Mother Road.
Subscribe to Lost Alignment for documentaries about forgotten highways, abandoned roads, tunnels, bridges, railroads, engineering failures, and hidden American infrastructure history.
#Route66 #AmericanHistory #AbandonedHighways #InfrastructureHistory #LostAlignment