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Portal:U.S. roads/Did you know

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This is an archive of previous "Did you know?" items on the U.S. Roads Portal. Items are listed by the first month that they were displayed. To nominate an interesting fact for next month, please visit Portal:U.S. Roads/Did you know/Recommend.

2006

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February

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March

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April

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Interstate H-1 eastbound previous to the Waikiki exits
Interstate H-1 eastbound previous to the Waikiki exits

May

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2007

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February

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August

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I-15 southbound at milepost 17.8—afternoon sun in a bright red rock cut
I-15 southbound at milepost 17.8—afternoon sun in a bright red rock cut

September

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A portion of Interstate 580 following the collapse
A portion of Interstate 580 following the collapse

October

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Luzerne County, Pennsylvania highlighted in red
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania highlighted in red

November

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Interstate 190 northbound at exit 18A (New York State Route 324) on Grand Island
Interstate 190 northbound at exit 18A (New York State Route 324) on Grand Island

2008

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February

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Arroyo Seco Parkway looking south from Marmion Way
Arroyo Seco Parkway looking south from Marmion Way

April 1 (April Fool's Day)

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I-75 shield
I-75 shield

April

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Seney Stretch along M-28
Seney Stretch along M-28

May

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Old and new route numbers at the intersection with US 191 in Monticello
Old and new route numbers at the intersection with US 191 in Monticello

June

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Hite Crossing Bridge, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Hite Crossing Bridge, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

August

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Map of U.S. Routes in Washington
Map of U.S. Routes in Washington

September

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I-15 at the Cedar Pocket
I-15 at the Cedar Pocket

October

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Map of Eisenhower Tunnel in Colorado
Map of Eisenhower Tunnel in Colorado

November

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Interstate 90 in Wallace, Idaho
Interstate 90 in Wallace, Idaho

December

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Julia Butler Hansen Bridge to Puget Island, Washington
Julia Butler Hansen Bridge to Puget Island, Washington

2009

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January

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February

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Aerial map and diagram of the Newhall Pass Interchange
Aerial map and diagram of the Newhall Pass Interchange
  • ... that Washington State Route 531's bridge over Cougar Creek had a collapsed culvert that was discovered and fixed during October 2008?
  • ... the routing of U.S. Route 191 has changed so many times that Yellowstone National Park is the only place that has been continuously served by the highway?
  • ... that the Robert Moses State Parkway was originally one continuous road; however, due to low usage, a portion of the parkway near Niagara Falls was removed, separating the parkway into two sections?
  • ... that the Newhall Pass interchange (pictured) has collapsed from earthquakes twice and burned from trucks colliding in a tunnel once?

March

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April 1 (April Fool's Day)

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I-75 shield
I-75 shield

April

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May

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June

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July

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The Dewey Bridge, constructed in 1916
The Dewey Bridge, constructed in 1916

August

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SR 508 eastbound as Main Avenue in Morton near the SR 7 intersection
SR 508 eastbound as Main Avenue in Morton near the SR 7 intersection

September

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Drawbridge at Tilghman Island, Maryland
Drawbridge at Tilghman Island, Maryland

October

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Southbound New Jersey Route 55 approaching the exit for Deptford Center Road, exit 58
Southbound New Jersey Route 55 approaching the exit for Deptford Center Road, exit 58

November

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Looking westbound along the Vestal Parkway (NY 434) in Vestal
Looking westbound along the Vestal Parkway (NY 434) in Vestal

December

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Maryland Route 231 (Prince Frederick Road) at the intersection with Maryland Route 5 Business in the heart of downtown Hughesville
Maryland Route 231 (Prince Frederick Road) at the intersection with Maryland Route 5 Business in the heart of downtown Hughesville

2010

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January

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February

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A six lane freeway in a wooded area with a overpass containing trees
Interstate 78 across the Watchung Reservation in New Jersey

March

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A grayscale view of a rural two-lane road lined with fences and telephone poles
Hand-painted centerline on state highway M-15 in Marquette County, Michigan in 1917

April 1 (April Fool's Day)

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The route, the route, the route is on fire
The route, the route, the route is on fire

April

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Alabama route 10 and 141 signs as posted in Easthampton, Massachusetts
Alabama route 10 and 141 signs as posted in Easthampton, Massachusetts

May

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Seney Stretch along M-28
Seney Stretch along M-28

June

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Approaching Donner Pass from the east on Lincoln Highway / old US 40, April 2007
Approaching Donner Pass from the east on Lincoln Highway / old US 40, April 2007

July

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Portage Lake Lift Bridge, at night, connecting the cities of Hancock and Houghton, Michigan
Portage Lake Lift Bridge, at night, connecting the cities of Hancock and Houghton, Michigan

August

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Road sign for Zzyzx Road in California
Road sign for Zzyzx Road in California

September

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Looking east from the top of the Boji Tower showing the corner of Michigan and Grand avenues, part of the Capitol Loop
Looking east from the top of the Boji Tower showing the corner of Michigan and Grand avenues, part of the Capitol Loop

October

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Lava from Puʻu ʻŌʻō flows through subsurface lava tubes until it meets the ocean, creating the steam plumes seen in the distance from Chain of Craters Road
Lava from Puʻu ʻŌʻō flows through subsurface lava tubes until it meets the ocean, creating the steam plumes seen in the distance from Chain of Craters Road
  • ... that the interchange between Maryland Route 90 and U.S. Route 113 sat unused for 24 years until US 113 was relocated as a four-lane divided highway in 2000?

November

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December

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2011

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January

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Tumbleweed Snowman
Tumbleweed Snowman

February

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Disambiguation sign posted in advance of the MD 68 interchange on westbound I-70 near Clear Spring
Disambiguation sign posted in advance of the MD 68 interchange on westbound I-70 near Clear Spring

March

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Westbound on the Benedict Bridge over the Patuxent River looking toward Benedict
Westbound on the Benedict Bridge over the Patuxent River looking toward Benedict

April 1 (April Fool's Day)

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So many lights but no clocks
So many lights but no clocks
  • ... that Nevada State Route 604 (pictured) is one of the most famous highways in the world?
  • ... that because of some torpedos, cars were once stranded in a mousetrap?
  • ... that trying to drive the length of Maryland Route 797 sends drivers in circles?
  • ... that Interstate 4 crosses some of the coldest, most snow covered terrain in North America?
  • ... that people who have driven Utah State Route 299 end to end several times are really crappy drivers?
  • ... that 99 percent of people who claim to have been to Beatosu, Ohio are lying?

April

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Plants washed onto the road at the Post Office, Pago Pago, American Samoa
Plants washed onto the road at the Post Office, Pago Pago, American Samoa

May

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Interstate 99 northbound in Blair Township
Interstate 99 northbound in Blair Township

June

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A ship crossing a narrow channel
The SS Drummond Islander IV crossing the De Tour Passage

July

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Westernmost end of the Fenway near Brookline Avenue
Westernmost end of the Fenway near Brookline Avenue

August

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The Cave Rock Tunnel in winter
The Cave Rock Tunnel in winter

September

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Virginia Street Bridge in downtown Reno, Nevada
Virginia Street Bridge in downtown Reno, Nevada

October

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The Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge
The Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge

November

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December

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2012

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January

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February

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March

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April 1 (April Fool's Day)

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April

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Launch of Discovery on February 24, 2011
Launch of Discovery on February 24, 2011

May

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Motorcycles on the International Selkirk Loop, Colville National Forest, northeast Washington
Motorcycles on the International Selkirk Loop, Colville National Forest, northeast Washington

June

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Point Iroquois Lighthouse boardwalk along the Whitefish Bay National Forest Scenic Byway
Point Iroquois Lighthouse boardwalk along the Whitefish Bay National Forest Scenic Byway

July

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US 50 stretching across the Nevada desert
US 50 stretching across the Nevada desert

August

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SR 55 southbound at I-405 interchange in Costa Mesa
SR 55 southbound at I-405 interchange in Costa Mesa

September

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The Davison (M-8)
The Davison (M-8)

October

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Route 17 at the Linwood Avenue East exit
Route 17 at the Linwood Avenue East exit

November

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Night photograph of the Mackinac Bridge
Night photograph of the Mackinac Bridge

December

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The Prospect Highway at one of the scenic overlooks along the mountainside
The Prospect Highway at one of the scenic overlooks along the mountainside

2013

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January

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Gateway I-94 bridge over US 24
Gateway I-94 bridge over US 24

February

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Signage denoting the State Senator Norman J. Levy Memorial Parkway designation just south of exit M7E on the northbound Meadowbrook
Signage denoting the State Senator Norman J. Levy Memorial Parkway designation just south of exit M7E on the northbound Meadowbrook

March

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SR 162 crosses the Puyallup River northwest of Orting on the McMillin Bridge opened in 1934
SR 162 crosses the Puyallup River northwest of Orting on the McMillin Bridge opened in 1934

April 1 (April Fool's Day)

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I-95 shield
I-95 shield

April

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The original Sawgrass Expressway road signs
The original Sawgrass Expressway road signs

May

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Seward Highway looking southbound along the Turnagain arm stretch
Seward Highway looking southbound along the Turnagain arm stretch

June

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Portage Lake Lift Bridge
Portage Lake Lift Bridge

July

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Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel
Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel

August

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View north to the Terwilliger curves from Terwilliger Boulevard
View north to the Terwilliger curves from Terwilliger Boulevard

September

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October

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State Route 102 within Acadia National Park in Maine
State Route 102 within Acadia National Park in Maine

November

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December

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2014

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January

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CA 14U along Sierra Highway in Santa Clarita
CA 14U along Sierra Highway in Santa Clarita

February

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Legacy Parkway approaching 500 South
Legacy Parkway approaching 500 South

March

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A rural segment of I-37 between Corpus Christi and San Antonio
A rural segment of I-37 between Corpus Christi and San Antonio

April

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Brick-paved section of Lincoln Highway in West Omaha near Elkhorn
Brick-paved section of Lincoln Highway in West Omaha near Elkhorn

May

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I-495 near the I-678 exit
I-495 near the I-678 exit

June

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A drawing entitled "the escape of Stonewall Jackson's Army down the valley pike at Strausburg [sic], Va." U.S. Library of Congress Collection
A drawing entitled "the escape of Stonewall Jackson's Army down the valley pike at Strausburg [sic], Va." U.S. Library of Congress Collection

July

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I-182 in Richland
I-182 in Richland

August

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September

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View of Newburgh Bay and Pollepel Island from highway, 2006
View of Newburgh Bay and Pollepel Island from highway, 2006

October

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November

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December

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2015

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January

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February

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Frankford Avenue Bridge over the Pennypack Creek in Northeast Philadelphia
Frankford Avenue Bridge over the Pennypack Creek in Northeast Philadelphia

March and April

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The Schuylkill Parkway freeway stub in Bridgeport
The Schuylkill Parkway freeway stub in Bridgeport

May

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US 25 on Gratiot Avenue in Detroit in 1941
US 25 on Gratiot Avenue in Detroit in 1941

June and July

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August

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September

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I-180/US 85/I-25 BUS at its northern terminus at US 30/I-80 BUS in Cheyenne
I-180/US 85/I-25 BUS at its northern terminus at US 30/I-80 BUS in Cheyenne

October

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November

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December

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A black and white photo of cars in 1917 rounding Dead Man's Curve on either side of a hand-painted centerline
Marquette–Negaunee Road in 1917

2016

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January

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Main Street and the Hotel Jerome
Main Street and the Hotel Jerome

February

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March

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The Chickasaw Turnpike westbound at Mile 13
The Chickasaw Turnpike westbound at Mile 13

April

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Old and new route numbers at the intersection with US 191 in Monticello
Old and new route numbers at the intersection with US 191 in Monticello

May

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Bridge over Hanalei River on Hawaii Route 560
Bridge over Hanalei River on Hawaii Route 560

June

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Viewed from the east end of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge in Medina shortly after opening in April 2016
Viewed from the east end of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge in Medina shortly after opening in April 2016

July

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The Arroyo Seco Parkway looking south from Marmion Way, showing the differently-colored passing lanes
The Arroyo Seco Parkway looking south from Marmion Way, showing the differently-colored passing lanes

August

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September

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October

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November

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The Tridge in winter
The Tridge in winter

December

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2017

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January

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February

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March

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April

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The Blue Ridge Parkway near Grandfather Mountain
The Blue Ridge Parkway near Grandfather Mountain

May

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June

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July

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August

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1955 map of the proposed Michigan Turnpike
1955 map of the proposed Michigan Turnpike

September

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View north from the south end of MD 995
View north from the south end of MD 995

October

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November

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Abandoned section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Abandoned section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike

December

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The "Tunnel of Trees" between Harbor Springs and Good Hart
The "Tunnel of Trees" between Harbor Springs and Good Hart

2018

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January

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Orchard Pond Parkway route marker
Orchard Pond Parkway route marker

February

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March

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April

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J. F. Roberts Octagonal Barn, located on Missouri Route 48
J. F. Roberts Octagonal Barn, located on Missouri Route 48

May and June

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July

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Alabama route 10 and 141 signs as posted in Easthampton, Massachusetts
Alabama route 10 and 141 signs as posted in Easthampton, Massachusetts

August

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A six lane freeway in a wooded area with a overpass containing trees
Interstate 78 across the Watchung Reservation in New Jersey

September

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October

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November

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December

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2019

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January and February

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M-10 (Lodge Freeway) passing under Cobo Hall
M-10 (Lodge Freeway) passing under Cobo Hall

March

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Drawbridge at Tilghman Island, Maryland
Drawbridge at Tilghman Island, Maryland

April

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View along MD 797, which follows State Circle in Annapolis
View along MD 797, which follows State Circle in Annapolis

May

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A grayscale view of a rural two-lane road lined with fences and telephone poles
Hand-painted centerline on state highway M-15 in Marquette County, Michigan in 1917
  • ...that, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation, the first highway centerline in the US (pictured) was painted on the first designation of M-15 in 1917?
  • ... that none of State Highway 32 as it was originally designated through southwestern Oklahoma in 1934 is a part of the current route?
  • ...that speed limits on Guam Highway 1 may differ depending on which side of the road you are on?
  • ...that in the 1950s, four service plazas on the Garden State Parkway had uniformed female employees known as the "Park-ettes" whose duties included providing directions and other information to motorists as well as rendering odd bits of service such as sewing a missing button on a patron's coat?
  • ...that California State Route 174, which includes a historic 1924 bridge, was not designated a State Scenic Highway due to opposition by residents concerned about their property rights?

June

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Mileage sign at the eastern terminus of I-70 near Baltimore
Mileage sign at the eastern terminus of I-70 near Baltimore

July

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Westbound view on beginning of US 50 in Ocean City, with an overhead sign giving the distance to the western terminus in Sacramento, California
Westbound view on beginning of US 50 in Ocean City, with an overhead sign giving the distance to the western terminus in Sacramento, California

August

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Sign at beginning of westbound US 6 in Provincetown, Massachusetts
Sign at beginning of westbound US 6 in Provincetown, Massachusetts

September

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Sign for US 20 at Kenmore Square, near the Boston Citgo sign
Sign for US 20 at Kenmore Square, near the Boston Citgo sign

October and November

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Mileage sign at the western terminus of US 50
Mileage sign at the western terminus of US 50

December

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US 6 heading east from Bishop, California
US 6 heading east from Bishop, California

2020

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January

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Sign at western origin of US 20 in Newport, Oregon
Sign at western origin of US 20 in Newport, Oregon

February

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Seney Stretch along M-28
Seney Stretch along M-28

March

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Approaching Donner Pass from the east on Lincoln Highway / old US 40, April 2007
Approaching Donner Pass from the east on Lincoln Highway / old US 40, April 2007

April

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Road sign for Zzyzx Road in California
Road sign for Zzyzx Road in California

August

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Arroyo Seco Parkway looking south from Marmion Way
Arroyo Seco Parkway looking south from Marmion Way