The Fun Of Discovering An Old Alignment....

[roadmaven]

I was out Saturday giving the new Honda a shakedown and decided to take US 136 out of Indy. 136 west of Indy parallels the CSX rail line and just past Lizton, I noticed 136 took an unnatural curve to the left, yet I could've continued straight across the tracks onto a county road. It looked as if that county road was the natural path. So I kept looking to my right and that county road parallelled to the north of the tracks and eventually blended back in with 136 at another rail crossing about 3 miles up the road. So, being a road detective, I decided to take said county road at that western crossing and take it back east to where I first saw it.

 

I had a hunch I was on the western alignment of the Dixie Highway , but I shortly verified it when I saw someone's mailbox that had the address "Old State Road Thirty-Four". Well, I knew SR 34 was the precursor to US 136 and the Dixie Highway was the precursor to SR 34. The best I can figure is that they rerouted it to eliminate two railroad crossings.

 

Here's a satellite image of my find, with the section called "Old State Road" being the DH alignment:

 

http://tinyurl.com/yz78ms

 

There's also another suspected old DH alignment a few miles up the road in New Ross.

[DennyG]

Your post lead me to a "discovery", too. Actually it's more an embarrassing revelation than a discovery. My defense, which I'll admit is weak, is that I live in western Ohio and, until not too many years ago, thought the Dixie Highway was nothing more than the road that connected Michigan with Florida before I-75 came along. The embarrassing revelation was that US-136 was once the Dixie Highway. I now see that the Dixie Highway must have become US-136 from Danville, IL, to Indianapolis. I've driven that entire stretch but it never occurred to me that I was on the DH.

 

Incidentally, it seems the Mr. Droz supports both you discovery at Lizton and your suspicions about that road at New Ross at http://www.us-highways.com/dixiehwyw.htm .

 

New Honda, eh? Since it's a bit chilly to be cruising on a Gold Wing, I'll assume it's of the four wheeled variety.

[roadmaven]

When looking at a map of the DH here , it's interesting the DH-West wasn't called a connector and the alignment heading out of Mackinaw City, MI that took the path along the west coast of Michigan wasn't called the DH-West. It boggles the mind how a highway could run amok like that, especially in the south in TN and GA. I have explored a little bit down in southern Indiana near Bloomington some of the route that is closed to the public. If memory serves me, part of it is used by some sort of construction company and is gated off.

 

I'm curious though, are these "connectors" considered to be the DH as well? If so, US 40 from Richmond, IN to Indy would have been at various points in its life three different trails: The National Road, The Old National Trails Highway, and the Dixie Highway.

 

As for your assumption, you are correct sir! My 35 mile round trip to & from work in a guzzler that was getting me 20mpg was putting a dent in my budget. So I found a good looking '98 Honda Civic...high miles, but not really for a Honda (142K). I picked it up in Louisville last Saturday at a dealer and got a whopping 39.2 mpg on the trip back to Indy (it's an automatic too!). Surprising pep for a 1.6, 106hp 4 banger. I've been really happy with it thus far. It's not a VW, but it's been total fahrvergnügen. I sold my old green Caprice to my nephew. 240K on the odometer, but it was time we parted ways....my wallet insisted!

 

[DennyG]

I believe that once upon a time the route starting in Chicago was THE Dixie Highway and that the eastern route came later. That's why the bit that connects Indianapolis with Michigan is considered a connector (even though it looks like it could be called DH Central;-). Of course, learning this was quite a shock for a guy who, for much of his life, thought of the Dixie Highway as purely an I-75 (or US-25) predecessor.

 

Practically doubling your gas mileage in one swoop is quite an accomplishment. Are the gas station owners glaring at you yet?

[Alex Burr - hester_nec]

I believe that once upon a time the route starting in Chicago was THE Dixie Highway and that the eastern route came later. That's why the bit that connects Indianapolis with Michigan is considered a connector (even though it looks like it could be called DH Central;-). Of course, learning this was quite a shock for a guy who, for much of his life, thought of the Dixie Highway as purely an I-75 (or US-25) predecessor.

 

Practically doubling your gas mileage in one swoop is quite an accomplishment. Are the gas station owners glaring at you yet?

 

I found an interesting "old alignment" for US 70, et al, on the east side of West Memphis - coming off a railroad bridge!!!!

 

Will have aerial photos on my web site @ http://www.freewebs.com/yankeetraveller/index.htm shortly - been visiting a friend down in Mississippi for the past 3 days so havn't caught my web site up yet.

When you get to the YankeeTraveller site, click on Memphis Day Trips and then scroll down to "1 Jan 2007 - Memphis-Arkansas Speedway.

I'll try to get the overhead shots on in the next day or two - along with some others.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

 

09 JAN 2007 - Aerial views of the US 70, et al, early alignment are posted on the yankeetraveller web site.

Edited January 9, 2007 by hester_nec