Portion of original National Road found

This isn’t on Route 66, but still significant for lovers of historic highways. After all, we’re talking about the granddaddy of the entire bunch.

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

While excavating for construction of a new bridge overpass near the Brownsville Drive-In, PennDOT workers discovered what turned out to be a 200-year-old portion of the original National Road.

Donna Holdorf, executive director of the National Road Heritage Corridor, said the slab was discovered in late August and was buried beneath several layers of asphalt, dirt, and cement. Holdorf added that an archaeologist from PennDOT contacted the Corridor upon discovery of the road bed in accordance with an agreement. […]

“When the backhoe dug down through the existing asphalt, which was 16 inches thick from repaving projects, it first exposed a thin layer of tar over a thick layer of earth fill placed there by a contractor decades ago,” Rowles said. “Beneath the fill was another layer of tar and then the original National cobble roadbed, beneath which was a layer of natural clay.” […]

Although she isn’t exactly sure when the slab will be ready for display, Holdorf said she hopes to have it ready by next spring.

For more about the National Road, aka U.S. 40, go here.

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