The Old Road

In most cases, the interstate highways were built alongside the older US roads which tied the country together by connecting towns and regions. Some of these original routes garnered a measure of fame for various reasons of use, like US 1 which ran from Maine to the tip of Florida. It was what we called "a main route" north or south, depending on where you were and which direction you were headed. Same thing with US 51 from Lousiana to Chicago, US 101 on the coast or US 89 which tied the states of the intermountain west to one common winding ribbon of road.

You can still see them most places as they wind back and forth under and over the freeways. In some places, taking an exit immediately takes you back to a simpler time. If you are lucky, the access road gives you a view of old businesses that flourished years ago, maybe even after the interstates were built. It's like history from a car window.