U.S. Route 67 - History

History

US 67 is one of the older US highway corridors in Madison County, Missouri. The northern terminus of US 67 was in Missouri under the original US highway numbering scheme of 1926, likely due to limited bridge crossings over the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. In Missouri, US 67 replaced Route 23, created in 1922 from Arkansas to Fredericktown. By 1932, with a Mississippi River crossing route determined, US 67 was extended north along Illinois Route 3 to Rock Island, Illinois.

Even though the old Clark Bridge had been opened to traffic across the Mississippi River at Alton in 1928, US 67 originally crossed the Mississippi River with US 66 via the McKinley Bridge from St. Louis to Venice. From Venice, US 67 headed north along what had been IL 3 via Alton to Rock Island, Illinois. The original route of IL 3 from Alton to Jacksonville that became US 67 went through East Newbern, Jerseyville, and Carrollton.

US 67 had several routes over the years. The Illinois section was likely not included in original US highways in 1926, due to limited bridge crossings. The history of US 67 through Illinois is almost as storied as the famous highway to its east U.S. Route 66 that follows the old Illinois Route 4.

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