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Route 66 is officially known as "The Will Rogers Highway" Will Rogers
(1879 to 1935) was an American humorist. Route 66 is also known as "the
Mother road" and "Main Street USA".
Commissioned in November of 1926 const-ruction soon began. the great
depression of 1930's slowed construction. "The Mother Road" was completed in 1938, and was one of the original us highways. 66 ran from Chicago to Los Angeles, and was 2,488 miles long.
During the 1930's 66 was also known as the road of opportunity. 200,000
Mid Westerners used 66 as escape from the depression and the dust
bowl. they migrated West to California, the land of
opportunity. the movie "The Grapes of Wrath" was about that
migration.
Route 66 played an important role during World War II. Troops and equipment in the Mid West and South were deployed much easier
to California using 66.
Enaction of the Federal Aid Act of 1956 paved the way for construction of the modern interstate system. The construction of I-40 was basically the beginning of the end of "The Mother Road" through the Western States.
by 1970 most of 66 was
bypassed by modern four lane highways.By the mid 1980's 66
was declared no longer relevant and the "US" designation was dropped in1985. the final section of I-40 was completed in 1984
in Williams, Arizona.
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