An original member of the 1926 U.S. highway family, Highway 80 was once a grand transcontinental highway that overlaid or replaced many early important 'named' auto routes such as the Bankhead Highway and Broadway of America routes from Dallas west.  Old 80 also encompassed portions of the Ocean to Ocean Highway, the Dixie Overland, the Old Spanish Trail;  the Southern National, the Lone Star Route, the Pinal Pioneer Parkway and even the Lee Highway.  Whew!  I know of no other highway that evens come close to being an integral part of so many of the early auto trails.

However, as the need for ever faster transportation became apparent, Highway 80, like many of its brethren, found itself being bypassed and decommissioned bit by bit as the new interstates took an increasingly larger share of the traffic burden.  Today, unlike Route 66, U.S. 80 still exists though severely truncated.  Replaced by the asphalt mega-ways of I-30, I-20; I-10 & I-8, its starting point remains in Georgia, but this once sea-to-sea roadway now officially ends in Dallas, Texas.  It's demise in the Southwest began in California when it was decommissioned in 1974.  Completely decommissioned in Arizona in the late 80's, the old highway struggled for a little longer in New Mexico, but gave up the ghost there as well in '91.

Above are a few representative pictures of old Highway 80 that I hope wet your appetite for some exploring of your own.  I aslo invite you to check out my drive guide for old Highway 80 in the Southwest: Drive the Broadway of America.  The U.S. 80 and Bankhead Highways across the American Southwest.  I've captured all the nooks and crannies of old 80 from the New Mexico/Texas border out to the Pacific.  Real roadie aficianados will savor the level of detail and information in this tome.  Please check out some sample pages by clicking on the cover image just below! 

NOTE!  The BOOK version is SOLD OUT!  CD version only.