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U.S. Route 2 in Minnesota

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87-710: U.S. Highway 2 ( US 2 ) is a United States Numbered Highway in northwest and northeast Minnesota , which runs from the Red River at East Grand Forks and continues east to Duluth , where the route crosses the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge over the Saint Louis Bay . The route connects the cities of East Grand Forks , Bemidji , Grand Rapids , and Duluth . Of the 264 miles (425 km) of US 2 in Minnesota, 146 miles (235 km) have four lanes, mostly located in

174-425: A banner such as alternate or bypass —are also managed by AASHTO. These are sometimes designated with lettered suffixes, like A for alternate or B for business. The official route log, last published by AASHTO in 1989, has been named United States Numbered Highways since its initial publication in 1926. Within the route log, "U.S. Route" is used in the table of contents, while "United States Highway" appears as

261-514: A distinctively-shaped white shield with large black numerals in the center. Often, the shield is displayed against a black square or rectangular background. Each state manufactures their own signage, and as such subtle variations exist all across the United States. Individual states may use cut-out or rectangular designs, some have black outlines, and California prints the letters "US" above the numerals. One- and two-digit shields generally feature

348-488: A four-lane divided highway built to expressway standards for 83 miles (134 km). This expressway portion of US 2 in northwest Minnesota passes through the cities of Mentor , Erskine , Fosston , Bagley , and the west of Bemidji . After the Minnesota State Highway 197 (MN 197) interchange, US 2 becomes a four-lane freeway for nine miles (14 km) as it bypasses Bemidji. US 71 joins

435-604: A main route. Odd numbers generally increase from east to west; U.S. Route 1 (US 1) follows the Atlantic Coast and US 101 follows the Pacific Coast. (US 101 is one of the many exceptions to the standard numbering grid; its first "digit" is "10", and it is a main route on its own and not a spur of US 1.) Even numbers tend to increase from north to south; US 2 closely follows the Canadian border, and US 98 hugs

522-507: A male householder with no wife present, and 43.9% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 35.4 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 13.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

609-441: A means for interstate travelers to access local services and as secondary feeder roads or as important major arteries in their own right. In other places, where there are no nearby Interstate Highways, the U.S. Routes often remain as the most well-developed roads for long-distance travel. While the system's growth has slowed in recent decades, the U.S. Highway System remains in place to this day and new routes are occasionally added to

696-449: A part of popular culture. US 101 continues east and then south to end at Olympia, Washington . The western terminus of US 2 is now at Everett, Washington . Superior, Wisconsin Superior ( / s ʊ ˈ p ɪ r . i . ə r / ; Ojibwe : Gete-oodenaang ) is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin , United States. The population was 26,751 at

783-423: A producer of plastic films; Genesis Attachments, manufacturer of shears and grapples; Amsoil , a producer of synthetic motor oil and lubricants; and Crane Song Ltd., a manufacturer of discrete Class A electronics for recording studios. Fraser Shipyards also provides many jobs to local residents. They repower and repair commercial vessels. Superior Public Library is located in downtown Superior. Superior City FC,

870-656: A refinery in Superior. The refinery is located along a pipeline connecting western Canada and the Midwest . On April 26, 2018, there was an explosion at the refinery. Douglas County issued a state of emergency due to heavy smoke, and then an evacuation order for local residents and workers. There were 20 injuries, and five were taken to hospital in Duluth. No fatalities were reported. Growing area manufacturers include FenTech, Inc., which manufactures vinyl doors and windows; Charter NEX Films,

957-591: A rough grid. Major routes from the earlier map were assigned numbers ending in 0, 1 or 5 (5 was soon relegated to less-major status), and short connections received three-digit numbers based on the main highway from which they spurred. The five-man committee met September 25, and submitted the final report to the Joint Board secretary on October 26. The board sent the report to the Secretary of Agriculture on October 30, and he approved it November 18, 1925. The new system

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1044-546: A semi-professional soccer club, compete in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL). Founded in 2023, the club supports a Men's UPSL Premier team, a Women's UPSL Premier team, and multiple amateur adult teams. The club plays their home games at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex, located at Superior Senior High School. There are several parks in the city, including the second largest municipal forest in

1131-617: Is a north–south route, unlike its parent US 22 , which is east–west. As originally assigned, the first digit of the spurs increased from north to south and east to west along the parent; for example, US 60 had spurs, running from east to west, designated as US 160 in Missouri , US 260 in Oklahoma , US 360 in Texas , and US 460 and US 560 in New Mexico . As with

1218-521: Is an industrial city, with ship harbors along two sides, several large rail yards, an oil refinery, and shipyard. The first log cabin in Superior was erected in September 1853 on the banks of the Nemadji River , at the same time that ground was broken for construction of the locks and ship canal at Sault Ste. Marie , Michigan . This was intended to allow ships to bypass the rapids at that site. Superior

1305-439: Is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States . As the designation and numbering of these highways were coordinated among the states, they are sometimes called Federal Highways , but the roadways were built and have always been maintained by state or local governments since their initial designation in 1926. The route numbers and locations are coordinated by

1392-745: Is in the process of eliminating all intrastate U.S. Highways less than 300 miles (480 km) in length "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials can reach agreement with reference thereto". New additions to the system must serve more than one state and "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards ". A version of this policy has been in place since 1937. The original major transcontinental routes in 1925, along with

1479-480: Is officially designated the Paul Bunyan Expressway. After Cass Lake, US 2 continues east as a two-lane roadway for 40 miles (64 km) to Deer River . East of Deer River, US 2 is a four-lane divided highway for seven miles (11 km) until the city of Grand Rapids , where it has a junction with US 169 . US 2 then heads southeasterly as a two-lane roadway for 59 miles (95 km) to

1566-495: Is part of the Duluth radio and television market. The following routes are located within the city of Superior. Richard I. Bong Airport (KSUW) serves the city and surrounding communities. Duluth International Airport in Duluth is the nearest commercial airport, with service on three commercial and two cargo airlines, as of December 2018. The Duluth Transit Authority provides Superior and nearby Duluth with fixed-route and dial-a-ride public bus service. Intercity bus service to

1653-622: The 2020 census . Located at the western end of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin, the city lies at the junction of U.S. Route 2 and U.S. Route 53 immediately north of, and adjacent to, both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior . Bordered by Saint Louis, Superior, and Allouez bays, the city is framed by two rivers: the Nemadji and the Saint Louis . Superior and the neighboring city across

1740-552: The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), worked to form a national numbering system to rationalize the roads. After several meetings, a final report was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in November 1925. After getting feedback from the states, they made several modifications; the U.S. Highway System was approved on November 11, 1926. Expansion of the U.S. Highway System continued until 1956, when

1827-518: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The only federal involvement in AASHTO is a nonvoting seat for the United States Department of Transportation . Generally, most north-to-south highways are odd-numbered, with the lowest numbers in the east and the highest in the west, while east-to-west highways are typically even-numbered, with the lowest numbers in

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1914-661: The Cathedral of Christ the King in Superior is the mother church of the diocese. Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church, located in the East End of Superior, has been noted for its architecture. Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church is the only congregation of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod located in Superior. It recently moved from its original location on Belknap Street to a new campus on North 28th Street. Pilgrim Lutheran Church

2001-497: The Everett Turnpike . However, US Routes in the system do use parts of five toll roads: U.S. Routes in the contiguous United States follow a grid pattern, in which odd-numbered routes run generally north to south and even-numbered routes run generally east to west, though three-digit spur routes can be either-or. Usually, one- and two-digit routes are major routes, and three-digit routes are numbered as shorter spur routes from

2088-656: The Gulf Freeway carried US 75 , the Pasadena Freeway carried US 66 , and the Pulaski Skyway carries US 1 and US 9 . The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 appropriated funding for the Interstate Highway System, to construct a vast network of freeways across the country. By 1957, AASHO had decided to assign a new grid to the new routes, to be numbered in the opposite directions as

2175-522: The Interstate Highway System was laid out and began construction under the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower . After the national implementation of the Interstate Highway System, many U.S. Routes that had been bypassed or overlaid with Interstate Highways were decommissioned and removed from the system. In some places, the U.S. Routes remain alongside the Interstates and serve as

2262-603: The New England states got together to establish the six-state New England Interstate Routes . Behind the scenes, the federal aid program had begun with the passage of the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , providing 50% monetary support from the federal government for improvement of major roads. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 limited the routes to 7% of each state's roads, while 3 in every 7 roads had to be "interstate in character". Identification of these main roads

2349-528: The Pacific coast . Many local disputes arose related to the committee's choices between designation of two roughly equal parallel routes, which were often competing auto trails. At their January meeting, AASHO approved the first two of many split routes (specifically US 40 between Manhattan, Kansas and Limon, Colorado and US 50 between Baldwin City, Kansas and Garden City, Kansas ). In effect, each of

2436-578: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 55.65 sq mi (144.13 km ), of which, 36.96 sq mi (95.73 km ) is land and 18.69 sq mi (48.41 km ) is water. Most of Superior is level with a gradual slope toward Lake Superior. As of the census of 2020 , the population was 26,751. The population density was 730.5/sq mi (282.0/km ). There were 12,593 housing units at an average density of 343.9/sq mi (132.8/km ). The racial makeup of

2523-415: The auto trails which they roughly replaced, were as follows: US 10, US 60, and US 90 only ran about two thirds of the way across the country, while US 11 and US 60 ran significantly diagonally. US 60's violation of two of the conventions would prove to be one of the major sticking points; US 60 eventually was designated as US 66 in 1926, and later it became

2610-684: The "new Chicago". Many of the investors were from out East, so the buildings received names like the New Jersey Block and the Maryland Block. By 1892, population was 34,000. Then the Panic of 1893 hit, and development slowed again. Between 1890 and 1920, the city was heavily settled by migrants from the eastern United States as well as immigrants from over 15 countries, including England, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, and Croatia. According to

2697-409: The 1940s and 1950s to adopt the same number as the U.S. Route they connected to – mostly in the western provinces. Examples include British Columbia 's highways 93 , 95 , 97 , and 99 ; Manitoba 's highways 59 , 75 , and 83 ; or Ontario King's Highway 71 . The reverse happened with U.S. Route 57 , originally a Texas state highway numbered to match Mexican Federal Highway 57 . In the 1950s,

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2784-478: The Gulf Coast. The longest routes connecting major cities are generally numbered to end in a 1 or a 0; however, extensions and truncations have made this distinction largely meaningless. These guidelines are very rough, and exceptions to all of the basic numbering rules exist. The numbering system also extended beyond the borders of the United States in an unofficial manner. Many Canadian highways were renumbered in

2871-596: The Northeast, New York held out for fewer routes designated as US highways. The Pennsylvania representative, who had not attended the local meetings, convinced AASHO to add a dense network of routes, which had the effect of giving six routes termini along the state line. (Only US 220 still ends near the state line, and now it ends at an intersection with future I-86 .) Because US 20 seemed indirect, passing through Yellowstone National Park , Idaho and Oregon requested that US 30 be swapped with US 20 to

2958-985: The Spartan. Over 1,400 students are also enrolled in the Maple School District. Parochial schools include the Catholic Cathedral School, the Protestant-based Maranatha Academy and Twin Ports Baptist School. The University of Wisconsin–Superior (UWS) is a public liberal arts college. Originally opened as a state Normal School (teacher's college), UWS became part of the University of Wisconsin System in 1971. Northwood Technical College (formerly WITC) offers skill development and technical education, with an enrollment of over 2,200. Superior

3045-739: The U.S. Highway grid. Though the Interstate numbers were to supplement—rather than replace—the U.S. Route numbers, in many cases (especially in the West ) the US highways were rerouted along the new Interstates. Major decommissioning of former routes began with California 's highway renumbering in 1964 . The 1985 removal of US 66 is often seen as the end of an era of US highways. A few major connections not served by Interstate Highways include US 6 from Hartford, Connecticut, to Providence, Rhode Island and US 93 from Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada, though

3132-529: The US Highway system, three-digit numbers are assigned to spurs of one or two-digit routes. US 201 , for example, splits from US 1 at Brunswick, Maine , and runs north to Canada. Not all spurs travel in the same direction as their "parents"; some are connected to their parents only by other spurs, or not at all, instead only traveling near their parents, Also, a spur may travel in different cardinal directions than its parent, such as US 522 , which

3219-477: The US highway, which did not end in zero, but was still seen as a satisfyingly round number. Route 66 came to have a prominent place in popular culture, being featured in song and films. With 32 states already marking their routes, the plan was approved by AASHO on November 11, 1926. This plan included a number of directionally split routes, several discontinuous routes (including US 6 , US 19 and US 50 ), and some termini at state lines. By

3306-633: The United States Numbered Highways system had a total length of 157,724 miles (253,832 km). Except for toll bridges and tunnels , very few U.S. Routes are toll roads . AASHTO policy says that a toll road may only be included as a special route , and that "a toll-free routing between the same termini shall continue to be retained and marked as a part of the U.S. Numbered System." U.S. Route 3 (US 3) meets this obligation; in New Hampshire , it does not follow tolled portions of

3393-467: The United States, located in the city's Billings Park neighborhood. The current mayor of Superior is Jim Paine, who was first elected in 2017. Superior is served by the Superior School District , which has one high school, one middle school, and six elementary schools, with a total enrollment of over 5,000 students. Superior High School enrolls more than 1,500 students. Its mascot is Sparty

3480-551: The age of 18 and 7.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males. The transportation industry accounts for more than 1,000 jobs. The Twin Ports of Duluth–Superior,

3567-471: The approval of the states along the former US 60. But Missouri and Oklahoma did object—Missouri had already printed maps, and Oklahoma had prepared signs. A compromise was proposed, in which US 60 would split at Springfield, Missouri , into US 60E and US 60N, but both sides objected. The final solution resulted in the assignment of US 66 to the Chicago-Los Angeles portion of

U.S. Route 2 in Minnesota - Misplaced Pages Continue

3654-405: The auto trail associations were not able to formally address the meetings. However, as a compromise, they talked with the Joint Board members. The associations finally settled on a general agreement with the numbering plans, as named trails would still be included. The tentative system added up to 81,000 miles (130,000 km), 2.8% of the public road mileage at the time. The second full meeting

3741-591: The bay, Duluth, Minnesota , form a single metropolitan area called the Twin Ports . They share a harbor that is one of the most important ports on the Great Lakes . Both cities feature museum ships ( SS  William A. Irvin in Duluth and SS  Meteor in Superior), devoted to the local maritime heritage. Superior was the final port of call for SS  Edmund Fitzgerald before her sinking on November 10, 1975. It

3828-600: The city is provided by Indian Trails . A proposed Amtrak route running between Duluth and the Twin Cities has a planned stop in Superior and is the final stop before arriving in Duluth or the first stop after departing from Duluth. Previously, Superior was served by passenger rail until 1984 at the Superior Union Station . Superior is the episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Superior , and

3915-562: The city limits of Duluth , where it has a junction with Interstate 35 (I-35), US 2 joins that route's freeway. US 2 runs concurrently with I-35 for two miles (3.2 km) in West Duluth , proceeding down Thompson Hill. US 2 then exits the I-35 freeway in West Duluth and crosses the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge over the Saint Louis Bay , entering the state of Wisconsin and

4002-499: The city of Superior . US 2 then follows Belknap Street in Superior. Legally, the Minnesota section of US 2 is defined as Constitutional Route  8 and Legislative Route  106 in the Minnesota Statutes §§ 161.114(2) and 161.115(134). The route is not marked with those numbers. US 2 in Minnesota was authorized on November 11, 1926. It followed the route of old state Trunk Highway 8 in its entirety. At

4089-539: The city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female. As of the 2000 census , there were 27,368 people, 11,609 households, and 6,698 families residing in the city. The population density was 740.9 people per square mile (286.1/km ). There were 12,196 housing units at an average density of 330.2 per square mile (127.5/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 94.26% White , 0.68% Black or African American , 2.23% Native American , 0.84% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 0.26% from other races , and 1.69% from two or more races. 0.83% of

4176-540: The city was 87.7% White , 2.1% Native American , 1.8% Black or African American , 0.9% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 0.6% from other races , and 6.7% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.1% Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the census of 2010, there were 27,244 people, 11,670 households, and 6,548 families residing in the city. The population density was 737.1/sq mi (284.6/km ). There were 12,328 housing units at an average density of 333.5/sq mi (128.8/km ). The racial makeup of

4263-428: The city was 91.5% White , 1.4% African American , 2.6% Native American , 1.2% Asian , 0.2% from other races , and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 11,670 households, of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had

4350-625: The dream of a rail and water highway from coast to coast. In 1883 General John H. Hammond formed the Land and River Improvement Company, which developed much of West Superior, including the West Superior Iron and Steel plant. Numerous grain, coal and lumber businesses formed in the same period. In the Boom Period from 1888 to 1892, Land and River Improvement and others built impressive architect-designed business blocks on Tower Avenue, seeing Superior as

4437-464: The first documented person to drive an automobile from San Francisco to New York using only a connection of dirt roads, cow paths, and railroad beds. His journey, covered by the press, became a national sensation and called for a system of long-distance roads. In the early 1910s, auto trail organizations—most prominently the Lincoln Highway —began to spring up, marking and promoting routes for

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4524-501: The freeway after 1.5 miles (2.4 km) and runs concurrently with US 2 for 4.5 miles (7.2 km). The freeway crosses the Mississippi River after 115 miles (185 km). The freeway ends at an at-grade junction with Animal Land Drive south of Bemidji. US 2 continues as a four-lane divided highway built to expressway standards for 12 miles (19 km) to Cass Lake . The portion of US 2 from Bemidji to Cass Lake

4611-509: The heading for each route. All reports of the Special Committee on Route Numbering since 1989 use "U.S. Route", and federal laws relating to highways use "United States Route" or "U.S. Route" more often than the "Highway" variants. The use of U.S. Route or U.S. Highway on a local level depends on the state, with some states such as Delaware using "route" and others such as Colorado using "highway". In 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson became

4698-461: The intended use, provide a parallel routing to the mainline U.S. Highway. Before the U.S. Routes were designated, auto trails designated by auto trail associations were the main means of marking roads through the United States. These were private organizations, and the system of road marking at the time was haphazard and not uniform. In 1925, the Joint Board on Interstate Highways , recommended by

4785-420: The largest in the Great Lakes , welcomes both domestic and foreign vessels. Bulk solids (such as grain) make up much of the tonnage handled by the port, and the silos of such port facilities are visible on the Superior waterfront. In 2004, the port's busiest year since 1979, more than 41.4 million metric tons were shipped out of the port. BNSF Railway has an operations hub in Superior. Cenovus Energy operates

4872-468: The latter is planned to be upgraded to Interstate 11 . Three state capitals in the contiguous U.S. are served only by U.S. Routes: Dover, Delaware ; Jefferson City, Missouri ; and Pierre, South Dakota . In 1995, the National Highway System was defined to include both the Interstate Highway System and other roads designated as important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility. AASHTO

4959-475: The more colorful names and historic value of the auto trail systems. The New York Times wrote, "The traveler may shed tears as he drives the Lincoln Highway or dream dreams as he speeds over the Jefferson Highway , but how can he get a 'kick' out of 46, 55 or 33 or 21?" (A popular song later promised, " Get your kicks on Route 66! ") The writer Ernest McGaffey was quoted as saying, "Logarithms will take

5046-513: The new recreation of long-distance automobile travel. The Yellowstone Trail was another of the earliest examples. While many of these organizations worked with towns and states along the route to improve the roadways, others simply chose a route based on towns that were willing to pay dues, put up signs, and did little else. Wisconsin was the first state in the U.S. to number its highways , erecting signs in May 1918. Other states soon followed. In 1922,

5133-593: The north, and the highest in the south, though the grid guidelines are not rigidly followed, and many exceptions exist. Major north–south routes generally have numbers ending in "1", while major east–west routes usually have numbers ending in "0". Three-digit numbered highways are generally spur routes of parent highways; for example, U.S. Route 264 (US 264) is a spur off US 64 . Some divided routes , such as US 19E and US 19W , exist to provide two alignments for one route. Special routes, which can be labeled as alternate, bypass or business, depending on

5220-499: The northwest part of the state. US 2 enters the state from the west at the city of East Grand Forks , at the Red River . From the North Dakota state line to Crookston , US 2 is a four-lane divided highway built to expressway standards for 26 miles (42 km). Upon entering Crookston, US 2 follows the city streets of North Main, North Broadway, and East Robert streets. Once US 2 leaves Crookston, it becomes

5307-458: The numbering grid for the new Interstate Highway System was established as intentionally opposite from the US grid insofar as the direction the route numbers increase. Interstate Highway numbers increase from west-to-east and south-to-north, to keep identically numbered routes geographically apart in order to keep them from being confused with one another, and it omits 50 and 60 which would potentially conflict with US 50 and US 60 . In

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5394-487: The optional routes into another route. In 1934, AASHO tried to eliminate many of the split routes by removing them from the log, and designating one of each pair as a three-digit or alternate route, or in one case US 37 . AASHO described its renumbering concept in the October 1934 issue of American Highways : "Wherever an alternate route is not suitable for its own unique two-digit designation, standard procedure assigns

5481-404: The other states. Many states agreed in general with the scope of the system, but believed the Midwest to have added too many routes to the system. The group adopted the shield, with few modifications from the original sketch, at that meeting, as well as the decision to number rather than name the routes. A preliminary numbering system, with eight major east–west and ten major north–south routes,

5568-412: The place of legends, and 'hokum' for history." When the U.S. numbered system was started in 1925, a few optional routings were established which were designated with a suffixed letter after the number indicating "north", "south", "east", or "west". While a few roads in the system are still numbered in this manner, AASHO believes that they should be eliminated wherever possible, by the absorption of one of

5655-512: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.8% were of German , 13.6% Norwegian , 10.9% Swedish , 9.3% Irish , 7.2% Polish , 6.9% Finnish and 5.3% American ancestry. There were 11,609 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who

5742-589: The route and the nominal direction of travel. Second, they are displayed at intersections with other major roads, so that intersecting traffic can follow their chosen course. Third, they can be displayed on large green guide signs that indicate upcoming interchanges on freeways and expressways. Since 1926, some divided routes were designated to serve related areas, and designate roughly-equivalent splits of routes. For instance, US 11 splits into US 11E (east) and US 11W (west) in Bristol, Virginia , and

5829-630: The routes rejoin in Knoxville, Tennessee . Occasionally only one of the two routes is suffixed; US 6N in Pennsylvania does not rejoin US ;6 at its west end. AASHTO has been trying to eliminate these since 1934; its current policy is to deny approval of new split routes and to eliminate existing ones "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways can reach agreement with reference thereto". Special routes —those with

5916-500: The same large, bold numerals on a square-dimension shield, while 3-digit routes may either use the same shield with a narrower font, or a wider rectangular-dimension shield. Special routes may be indicated with a banner above the route number, or with a letter suffixed to the route number. Signs are generally displayed in several different locations. First, they are shown along the side of the route at regular intervals or after major intersections (called reassurance markers ), which shows

6003-488: The southwest to Oklahoma City , from where it ran west to Los Angeles . Kentucky strongly objected to this designated route, as it had been left off any of the major east–west routes, instead receiving the US ;62 designation. In January 1926, the committee designated this, along with the part of US 52 east of Ashland, Kentucky , as US 60 . They assigned US 62 to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, contingent on

6090-522: The splits in US 11 , US 19 , US 25 , US 31 , US 45 , US 49 , US 73 , and US 99 . For the most part, the U.S. Routes were the primary means of inter-city vehicle travel; the main exceptions were toll roads such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike and parkway routes such as the Merritt Parkway . Many of the first high-speed roads were U.S. Highways:

6177-430: The system. In general, U.S. Routes do not have a minimum design standard, unlike the later Interstate Highways , and are not usually built to freeway standards. Some stretches of U.S. Routes do meet those standards. Many are designated using the main streets of the cities and towns through which they run. New additions to the system, however, must "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards ". As of 1989,

6264-406: The time it was marked, it was paved along a short concurrency with US 75 north of Crookston and from its junction with then-Trunk Highway 11 (present-day US 53 ) through Duluth . The remainder was graveled or graded, except for a section west of Bagley which was simply a maintained dirt surface. The route in Minnesota was completely paved in 1939. The last segment to be completed

6351-540: The time the first route log was published in April 1927, major numbering changes had been made in Pennsylvania in order to align the routes to the existing auto trails. In addition, U.S. Route 15 had been extended across Virginia . Much of the early criticism of the U.S. Highway System focused on the choice of numbers to designate the highways, rather than names. Some thought a numbered highway system to be cold compared to

6438-543: The two routes received the same number, with a directional suffix indicating its relation to the other. These splits were initially shown in the log as—for instance—US 40 North and US 40 South, but were always posted as simply US 40N and US 40S. The most heated argument, however, was the issue of US 60. The Joint Board had assigned that number to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, which ran more north–south than west–east in Illinois, and then angled sharply to

6525-468: The two-digit routes, three-digit routes have been added, removed, extended and shortened; the "parent-child" relationship is not always present. AASHTO guidelines specifically prohibit Interstate Highways and U.S. Routes from sharing a number within the same state. As with other guidelines, exceptions exist across the U.S. Some two-digit numbers have never been applied to any U.S. Route, including 37, 39, 47, 86, and 88. Route numbers are displayed on

6612-495: The unincorporated area of Saginaw , where it has an interchange with MN 33 . The route then continues east for two miles (3.2 km) to its intersection with MN 194 at Solway Township . US 2 then continues southeasterly for 12 miles (19 km) before entering the city of Proctor , where it is the main street through town. The route widens to a three-lane roadway as it approaches its intersection with Boundary Avenue ( County Road 14 [CR 14]). The route enters

6699-471: The unqualified number to the older or shorter route, while the other route uses the same number marked by a standard strip above its shield carrying the word 'Alternate'." Most states adhere to this approach. However, some maintain legacy routes that violate the rules in various ways. Examples can be found in California , Mississippi , Nebraska , Oregon , and Tennessee . In 1952, AASHO permanently recognized

6786-407: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.91. The city's median household income was $ 31,921, and the median family income was $ 41,093. Males had a median income of $ 33,712 versus $ 22,073 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 17,253. 13.4% of the population and 9.6% of families were below the poverty line . 16.0% of those under

6873-636: Was also chosen, based on the shield found on the Great Seal of the United States . The auto trail associations rejected the elimination of the highway names. Six regional meetings were held to hammer out the details—May 15 for the West , May 27 for the Mississippi Valley , June 3 for the Great Lakes , June 8 for the South , June 15 for the North Atlantic , and June 15 for New England . Representatives of

6960-430: Was between then-State Highway 94 (now MN 194 ) at Solway Township and the community of Adolph. A few short (four-lane) divided highway segments of US 2 were constructed west of Bemidji during the 1960s. In the present day, from East Grand Forks to Cass Lake , this route is built to expressway standards and a posted 65-mile-per-hour (105 km/h) speed limit. The highway from Bemidji to Cass Lake

7047-499: Was both praised and criticized by local newspapers, often depending on whether that city was connected to a major route. While the Lincoln Highway Association understood and supported the plan, partly because they were assured of getting the US 30 designation as much as possible, most other trail associations lamented their obsolescence. At their January 14–15, 1926 meeting, AASHO was flooded with complaints. In

7134-519: Was completed in 1923. The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), formed in 1914 to help establish roadway standards, began to plan a system of marked and numbered "interstate highways" at its 1924 meeting. AASHO recommended that the Secretary of Agriculture work with the states to designate these routes. Secretary Howard M. Gore appointed the Joint Board on Interstate Highways , as recommended by AASHO, on March 2, 1925. The Board

7221-418: Was composed of 21 state highway officials and three federal Bureau of Public Roads officials. At the first meeting, on April 20 and 21, the group chose the name "U.S. Highway" as the designation for the routes. They decided that the system would not be limited to the federal-aid network; if the best route did not receive federal funds, it would still be included. The tentative design for the U.S. Route shield

7308-509: Was deferred to a numbering committee "without instructions". After working with states to get their approval, the committee expanded the highway system to 75,800 miles (122,000 km), or 2.6% of total mileage, over 50% more than the plan approved August 4. The skeleton of the numbering plan was suggested on August 27 by Edwin Warley James of the BPR, who matched parity to direction, and laid out

7395-501: Was designated the Paul Bunyan Expressway in 1991. That designation originally extended down MN 371 to Little Falls , but that section was repealed in 2005. From Cass Lake to Duluth, there are only a couple of short four-lane divided highway segments, but the nonurban portions of this segment are a posted 60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) speed limit. United States Numbered Highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways )

7482-424: Was held August 3 and 4, 1925. At that meeting, discussion was held over the appropriate density of routes. William F. Williams of Massachusetts and Frederick S. Greene of New York favored a system of only major transcontinental highways, while many states recommended a large number of roads of only regional importance. Greene in particular intended New York's system to have four major through routes as an example to

7569-520: Was incorporated as a city on March 25, 1889. Around the same time Superior became the seat of newly formed Douglas County. Immediately there was eagerness for a railroad from Lake Superior to the Pacific Coast, and investment flowed in, but then the Panic of 1857 hit, investment slowed, and the population of the new city collapsed from 2500 to 500. 25 years later the Northern Pacific Railway and other rail lines finally arrived, fulfilling

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