Arizona Roads - AZ 87/old US 66/Business I-40

AZ 87 and 87/former US 66/Business I-40 in Winslow



AZ 187 is a short spur route south of Phoenix, yet it meets AZ 87 at MP 192. Where did the other 180-odd miles come from? In Arizona, state highways sometimes start at MP 0, and sometimes start wherever they left the last highway. The other end of AZ 187 is former US 93, which was a transcontinental north-south route, so from this photo it was 192 miles to Mexico that way.


AZ Loop 303 is the only highway in Arizona that ever had white numerals on a black background. These shields on Riggs Rd. EB south of Phoenix must be Maricopa County-issued, and possibly inspired by Loop 303. That, and it's possible the eventual Loop 303 routing may come through somewhere around here, but that's most likely a coincidence and probably a conjectural one at that.


AZ 87 NB, a surface street that just happens to get an underpass here at Broadway Rd., approaching Main St. in 1988 courtesy Michael Summa. Until 1992, this was still US 60 and had been US 89 not long before. In decades past, it was also US 70 and 80, but all besides US 60 were truncated away from Phoenix. US 60 was rerouted, south to the Superstition Freeway to replace AZ 360.


Southern Ave. EB at AZ 87 in Mesa, pointing to the aforementioned now-defunct AZ 360, again courtesy Michael Summa in 1988. With shields that ugly, maybe I'm glad the route is gone, but if I saw that same shield out in the field now I'd be getting a super-closeup.


SB at Loop 202, where all the old signs are intact. Actually, I take that back. The 202 East signs are too new to be button copy, and yet they miraculously still have brown shields on them, which I haven't seen anywhere else. The last two photos are on the same overhead gantry. AZ 87 crosses Loop 202 twice, since it is a loop after all; these are at Exit 13 on the north side of Mesa. Yes, that's why AZ 87 SB is signed to Mesa. Good girl.


Not to be outdone, in the NB direction, the first three photos are on the same gantry. I just don't want to shrink sign size in the name of having a single photo.


All the way up to Winslow, where AZ 87 SB turns left from 3rd St. onto Williamson Ave., leaving old US 66/Business I-40 as AZ 99 NB comes on. AZ 87/99 SB leave town together from here.


NB approaching Transcon Lane. ADOT wants all of the Historic US 66 tourists to turn here and get back on the highway. Actual US 66 travelers continue straight two more miles.


Actual US 66 travelers don't even turn when AZ 87 continues north. If we had our way, we actual travelers would continue straight on gravel and climb up the I-40 shoulder - and cross over the freeway and continue on the other side.


But in order to do that in actuality, I have to come back out from the dead end, where there's a button copy sign facing nothing at all. The Minnetonka Trading Post is on the stub of old 66 but I'm not even sure that's open anymore, and anyone who got into the post ought to know how to get out again anyway. The remaining photos are on AZ 87 NB as it crosses I-40 and continues north. I don't know what destination was removed, but I'm sure it was another tribal town like Seba Dalkai.


AZ 87 SB through the same area until it meets old US 66.


Now that I'm across I-40, here's the next piece of old US 66. Unfortunately, the part I most want to see, where it breaks away from I-40 and continues to the old bridge, is gated off. I'm not trying to be through traffic! Let me in! I don't care if the road isn't maintained, I have a rental car.

Original US 66 in Winslow
Continue west on old US 66/Business I-40 to AZ 99
Continue east on old US 66 to Business I-40, Joseph City
Back to US 66 main page

Onto I-40 (US 66's successor)

Onto AZ Loop 202
Onto Transcon Lane
Back to Arizona Roads
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