Portal:U.S. roads/Selected article/February 2006

Historic US 66 sign

U.S. Route 66 was one of the original 1926 highways and was decommissioned in 1985 when it was completely bypassed by interstates. It is now designated an historic route for its entire length of 2,347 miles (3,777 km). Promoted as the "Main Street of America" and immortalized by John Steinbeck as the "Mother Road", it has been the subject of a television show, a popular song, and numerous books. It has also given its name to a gasoline company and two sports teams.