All right, I have covered a lot of western roads of late, many of them going through deserts and mountains. Also, these roads were north-south highways. To my horror, I realized that I had not tackled any east-west highways as a single focus, though I did write about U.S. highways 10,20,30,40,50,60,70,80, and 90, cut into 2 articles. OK OK, wasn't HORRIFIED...because the 100th birthday of the U.S. Highway System is not until next year, but I have been giving the deserts a lot of coverage. This partly due to the fact that I have been living in the desert for 23 years. Also, I am about to re-enter the classroom for another 9 1/2 months, so I will not have a ton of free time to write.
First on my east west agenda is a single-digit classic, also a sad case of some truncation (though only a few hundred miles). In fact, this highway got some coverage in my "Lost California U.S. Highways" article. All right all right, Captain Preamble, on with it!
And with that, we go to...
U.S. 6 is extraordinary as it covers a lot of different terrtain in its long trek between Provincetown, Massachsetts and Bishop, California. Plus, for most of its length it manages to stay off of Interstate highways and keep its own original identity.
Starting in Provincetown, 6 actually begins going more south instead of west as it cuts down the Cape Cod Peninsula, and then begins its westward trek across southern Massachusetts and then into Rhode Island and Connecticut and southern New York State.That is 338 miles before 6 even gets into Pennsylvania, which shows just how much terrain has been covered already! Between Massachusetts and New York, 6 crosses a myriad of creeks and rivers along with several bigger towns like Providence, Hartford, and Danbury.
After crossing the Hudson River, U.S. begins to see less in terms of waterways and more of what I like to call good old countryside. After passing through the greater Scranton area, 6 climbs into the northern tier of Pennsylvania, ascending and descending many high hills and going through just a few samples of what Pennsylvania is known for: small towns. After the hills of Appalachia end, 6 transitions into well over a thousand miles of agriculture, though it does pass througha few metro areas, most notably downtown Cleveland, along with the northwestern burbs of Indiana, though it shares road with the Indiana Toll Road for this.
On a side note, if anyone passed through a great expanse of farmland with no end in sight on a nonfreeway, you're missing out. Case in point: a little over 10 years ago, we were taking care of Vickie's dad's funeral arrangements in northern Missouri. Flying into Kansas City, we took I 35 to Eagleville, and it was about 100 miles of boredom. Now, contrast that with U.S. 69 which ran close to I 35. U.S. 69 is a rolling highway that sees farms, residences, and towns...in other words, much more fun.
U.S. 6 is just like this. Of course there are some flat straight areas to contend with, that's why God created music! Pick a station or playlist and enjoy the ride!
In the Midwest, 6 does share some road here and there with I 80 In Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska, but not for terribly long stretches (meaning more than 50 miles). That said, one always needs to account for the fact that the Interstate highway system was created to improve upon older, slower, and narrower highways.
In terms of sharing with other U.S. and state highways, 6 does much of that, particularly with U.S. 34 in Nebraska. Not long before the Colorado line, they split.
Just east of Brush, Colorado, U.S. 6 is joined with the western I 76 all the way to just a few miles north of Denver, a length of 83 miles, and from Commerce city, it joins U.S. 85 to I 70 and then I 25 to downtown Denver before striking on its own for a while, mostly in expressway status to Golden.
Once again, there is a choice from south of Golden to Idaho Springs. If one is in a hurry, then cutting to I 70 from U.S. 6 would make sense. However, to truly get a sense of a narrower highway through some of the Rockies, 6 is THE way to go! Tunnels, trees, curves, and fresh mountain air are what 6 offers until it is forced on to I 70 to just before the Eisenhower Tunnel. I have been on much of this, it is WORTH THE EXTRA TIME!
Just before the Eisenhower Tunnel, 6 departs 70 for the steep windoing journey up to Loveland Pass and then the descent toward Dillon and Silverthorne. If you have a good healthy car, 6 makes more sense in terms of scenery. It stays with 70 again to west of Vail and then is on its own to just before Glenwood Canyon. and again from west of Glenwood Srings to west of Rifle, offeirng much experience of its original routing, tohugh often in 70's lofty shadow.
In Palisade, one can take old 6 into the greater Grand Junction area for several miles before joining U.S. 50 and I 70 just before entering Utah. Looking at Google Maps, there is an older but not very well maintained stretch of 6 and 50 going into Utah. This Interstate was built either on top of 6 or next to it for the first 72 miles. 11 miles east of Green River, there is another older and less maintained stretch of 6 and 50 that is driveable right into town.
In Green River, 6 and 50 end their association for a little while. 50 continues with I 70 through some fantastic desert scenery to Salina while 6 and U.S. 191 travel north to Price, then separate before 6 heads into picturesque Price Canyon and then other just as impressive canyons before joining with U.S. 89 to Spanish Fork. Here, 6 hooks up with I 15 south to Santaquin and then cuts west and south to reunite with U.S. 50 in Delta. Before I 70 was paved from Green River to Salina, 50 followed 6 to Spanish Fork and then north and west and south again before meeting 6 in Ely.
From Delta, 6 and 50 travel the desert to Nevada, granting access to Great Basin National Park and U.S. 93 down the road before the 3 enter Ely together. From Ely, 6 heads on a quite lonely road for almost 170 miles to Tonopah. For its 305 miles in Nevada, Ely and Tonopah are its only 2 major towns in terms of services. In Tonopah, 6 joins with U.S. 95 for 40 miles to Coaldale Junction (nothing fancy) before 6 continues on its own into California to end at U.S. 395 in Bishop.
Coming to 3,198 miles, U.S. 6 has an impressive number of miles to its name. Trailing that mileage is U.S. 20, though 20 is broken up in Yellowstone, where officially no numbered highways enter.
Now, let's talk truncation!
Before 1964, U.S. 6 continued with U.S. 395 from Bishop to just north of Inyokern, where 6 headed a little more southwest and west as the Sierra Highway to U.S. 99, which it followed to Los Angeles and then south to end in Long Beach. This extra 296 miles definitely put U.S. 6 over the top in terms of mileage! Even better, much of the old Sierra Highway between just south of Mojave and I 5 can still be driven and with decent road conditions!
All right, before I end this usual Moore Farce, I need to give credit where credit is due. You all know I am a road geek, but what you may not know is that watching road trip videos makes me an even bigger geek! Some of these videos are real-time, others are sped up mildly, and even more others are sped up a lot...as in you can watch an end to end highway video across the nation in 8+ hours.
I was going to write about old but no longer existent U.S. 99 today, but a video about U.S. 6 changed my mind...U.S. 99 will come later.
I highly recommend watching this in whole or segments between bowel movements. It really does U.S. 6 justice.
With that, I will find my funeral clothes so I may conduct a proper service for old U.S. 99.
Food and coffee after!
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