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US Route 1 is a 2,400-mile highway running from Maine to Florida, passing through major cities on the Atlantic coast. It was established in 1925 and became one of the busiest highways in the country. Interstate 95 was built as a bypass in the 1950s. Route 1 varies in size and requires constant maintenance, with tolls added in some states to help cover costs.
US Route 1 is the major highway that runs along the east coast of the United States. It covers 2,400 miles (about 3,800 km) north to south from Fort Kent, Maine to Key West, Florida. As one of the largest coastal highways in the country, it passes through nearly every major city on the Atlantic, allowing drivers to conveniently connect to some of the major population centers in the United States. Larger cities located along US Route 1 include Boston, Massachusetts; New York, New York; Philadelphia, Pa.; Washington DC; and Miami, Florida.
The forerunner of US Route 1 was the Quebec-Miami International Highway, a north-south highway built in 1911 shortly after cars became prominent on American roads. It officially became known as the Atlantic Highway in 1915. During the 1920s, many road designations were changed as permanent stretches were established. New England renamed the section of the Atlantic Highway Route 1. This was eventually extended to New York City in 1924.
In 1925, the federal government established the Joint Board on Interstate Highways, a committee overseen by the US Department of Transportation. This group organized the existing roads across the country into a concretely numbered system. Each north-south highway would be given odd numbers, while the west-east highways were to be even. This board designated the stretch along the Atlantic as US Route 1.
Route 1 quickly became one of the busiest highways in the country, particularly between Boston and Washington, D.C. In the 1950s, the Interstate Highway System was in the midst of construction. This was an attempt by the federal government to create an intricate system of roads and highways that would connect every state and major population center with logical transportation methods. Because Route 1 was so busy, it was felt that some kind of secondary highway needed to be built to relieve the stress.
Interstate 95 is the main bypass for US Route 1. It runs parallel to the Coastal Highway and is located between Route 1 and Route 2 further west. Construction of the highway began in the 1950s and continues today. Specifically, a section of the roadway between Pennsylvania and New Jersey is expected to be completed in 2014.
US Route 1 varies between two- and four-lane configurations in different areas. Logically, more populated areas generally have larger sections, while less populated ones require less space for traffic. Due to the age of the highway, many sections are always under construction to be fixed. While much of the funding for maintenance is handled by federal government payments, the overall cost requires additional revenue from states to maintain Route 1 in ruins. Most of the states in which the highway runs have added tolls at various points to help pay for this construction.
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