The bridge is now part of a state park. scoUT Search The intention was to drive the road from start to finish; we didn’t quite succeed, though we came pretty close. West of Columbus, US 40 is a divided highway as far west as Springfield, 45 miles to the west. The National Road officially ended at the corner of what is now U.S. 40 and 3rd Street, at the Vandalia State House. Since we had no idea how long it would take for the train to clear, we went down the new route instead, following Front Street until it met back up with Centre Street on the west end of town. 317-837-7777 oasisdiner.com. SEARCH:choose an area to search There are large sections of divided highway in Indiana and Ohio; however, you pass through numerous small towns, which makes the going slower. Traveling along the Indiana National Road, you can see wonderful historic architecture, attractions and landmarks that help piece together the Historic National Road's past and its historic importance. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Geospatial Program is scanning published USGS 1:250,000-scale and larger topographic maps printed between 1884, the inception of the topographic mapping program, and 2006. Entering Indiana, US 40 becomes a divided highway once again, and will remain that way for pretty much its entire journey through the state, except for short stretches through towns. B11, 65 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/tm11B6. Discovering the Cartography of the Past. Outside of Pennsylvania, Indiana probably has the largest number of surviving historic structures of any state along the National Road’s route, as the pictures below will illustrate. 40). The section from Vandalia to St. Louis wasn’t part of the final National Road construction authorization issued in 1838, and wasn’t completed until the opening of the Eads Bridge connecting Illinois and Missouri at St. Louis in 1874. We decided that would be it for stops for the day. And through the rise of railroads, the invention of automobiles and the creation of Interstate 70, the National Road has remained a constant. When improved in the 1830s, it became the second U.S. road surfaced with the macadam process pioneered by Scotsman John Loudon McAdam. To review our itinerary and other posts in my trip report series so far, read my Bermuda trip report introduction and index. The road is fairly slow going up to St. Clairsville, Ohio, mainly due to numerous small towns to pass through and speed limits mostly restricted to 45 mph, but the road does open up a bit past St. Clairsville, as the road flattens out and you enter the vast farmlands of the Midwest. Other Collections. Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Follow this map of Historic National Road. Map of Minute Man National Historical Park Battle Map - April 19, 1775 Pick up a Minute Man NHP brochure, which includes the two maps linked … However, I didn’t see it in time to stop. MAP . In 2006 the National Road celebrated its 200th anniversary. The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the federal government. Abandoned storefronts are much too typical of the modern Rust Belt. This is Part 13 of my Bermuda trip report series. The Historic National Road, this nation’s first federally funded highway, is one of them. All Rights Reserved. Old Victorian-style building in Richmond, Indiana, Cambridge City, Indiana, typical of the small towns along the route, William L. Houston Store, built c.1835, Lewisville, Indiana, Knightstown, Indiana, the setting for the movie Hoosiers, Towering gothic-style church in Greenfield, Indiana, Typical rural section of highway, west of Indianapolis, Classical Revival style Clay County Courthouse, Brazil, Indiana (built 1913-14).