Quote:
Originally Posted by muscle_collector
that is cool. did rt 66 or some highway do away with that road???
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This section of road started as a wagon trail in the 1870s. The town of Globe had a silver boom and much larger than the Phx are. The Army/Calvery carved out a trail to connect them. With the motorvehicle, the road had been upgraded and, over the decades, was realigned and straightened, etc. From what I have learned, most of the improvements started around 1920 when federal money for improved roadways allowed for this. This appears to be the reason for the concrete overpasses and tunnel put in around the time ( 90 years back ). The, newer, larger Queen Creek tunnel was finished in 1952 and is still in use today. That tunnel bypassed the old Claypool tunnel.
My understanding is the hwy was paved by the 1940s or so. Have some postcards showing the hwy in use in the 1930s while still graded.
This is why I have found many wrecks and abandoned cars and trucks in the area, dating as far back to the WWI era.
I found this tunnel on my own and it was quite a find indeed!
This shows a west bound view of hwy 60 with the 1952 Queen Creel Tunnel on the right. If you looks close, you can see the entrance to the 1921 Claypool tunnel to the left.
remember, Arizona history/civilization/population is much shorter than places east. Very little was happening here over 100 years back.
Here is a ut bue of going through the tunnel on a bike.
One day will video going through there in my GTO! Maybe get a few guys up the road a few miles to warn me of any dangers and, with that cleared, go through at 'extra legal' speeds! hmm It's a great road to drive real fast and to even drive real slow while towing. There is much to see and enjoy.
Personally, I would never do this on a bycycle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guSDgFGIOAE
Several years back in my modified '71 GTO 455HO, was on the way back from a day of skiiing with a date and got into a clash with some expensive, fancy foreign German car with the motor in the back late that night. I ended up running well over 100 on the wrong side of the double yellow getting around him. As I got back on the right side of the road, YIKES! my radar detector lit off, there was a full dress bear sitting there looking at me. He was on the other side of the road, just outside of the tunnel. As his lights went on, I had so much speed going I just kept my foot in it! I think he got the porcshe thing that I got around because never saw either again. Scary and but, you gotta do what you gotta do to defend your country, right?! I doubt the bogie has a chance to barely get a glance of my GTO as I was going so fast and was around the corners and out of sight in less than a few seconds. Everytime I drive throught there, I often remember that exciting night.