Arizona's Oldest Road is Now an Historic Landmark

Building a highway from wooden boards might seem ridiculous in the 21st century, but this was once considered an innovative marvel.

Believe it or not, one of our very first "interstate highways" was constructed out of wooden planks. This highway linked Arizona to another state, creating an interstate trade route. This modern marvel connected the past to the future. Arizona's oldest road is now a historic landmark, although it didn't last long.

The Old Plank Road: A Journey Through Time

One of Arizona's first official roadways is now a relic of transportation history. According to Wikipedia, the Old Plank Road was built in 1915 and was constructed out of wooden planks, not unlike the boardwalks found in ghost towns like Tombstone.

The Algodones Dunes // Canva

The wooden pathway crossed the Algodones Dunes and linked Southern Arizona with San Diego. Although only a crumbling relic remains of the original road, it stands as a testament to the human ingenuity of the early 20th century.

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Why Was the Old Plank Road Built?

In the early 1900s, a rivalry arose between two Southern California towns. San Diego and Los Angeles were each vying to be the hub of their road network, and San Diego was pulling out all the stops.

READ: The Oldest Continuously Inhabited Town in the US is in Arizona

Background: Canva // The Old Plank Road, what's left of it. Wikimedia Creative Commons, Public Domain.

The Old Plank Road was built as a direct response to the opposition, linking San Diego to Yuma with a commercial route to ensure San Diego remained a pivotal player in the Southland's development.

Enter "Colonel" Ed Fletcher. The brainchild of this businessman and roadbuilder, the Old Plank Road was more than just a series of wooden planks. The road was a testament to the modern age and a symbol of progress.

The Old Plank Road: Travel Innovation

Travel across the Algodones Dunes was tedious and treacherous. Constructing this ingenious road would allow travelers to traverse the shifting sands safely and easily, which seemed impossible at the time.

The road was constructed by laying two parallel plank tracks, each 25 inches wide, spiked to wooden crosspieces beneath them.

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Ultimately, the road was intended to be part of the Ocean-to-Ocean transcontinental highway, which would connect the nation from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.

Driving the Old Plank Road: Wikipedia Creative Commons, Public Domain. // Background: Canva

History Marches On: Replacing the Old Plank Road

As you can imagine, maintaining miles of wooden road was a tremendous engineering challenge. Crews constantly battled the elements; by 1926, much of the road had been replaced by a paved road. The Old Plank Road eventually succumbed to the march of time and progress.

By 1926, the road was replaced by a paved portion of U.S. Route 80, which was eventually supplanted by Interstate 8.

Background: Canva // Foreground: Wikipedia - Creative Commons

Today, there are still remnants of the Old Plank Road. They serve as an historical landmark and offer a glimpse into our past with Arizona's oldest roadway.

Sources: [ Wikipedia | Southern Arizona Guide | Ramona Journal | Echoes of the Southwest | Rider Magazine ]

Photos:

Old Plank Road: By Perdelsky at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Off2riorob using CommonsHelper., Public Domain.

Driving the Old Plank Road: By Bureau of Land Management California - Plank Road 2, Public Domain.

"Old Plank Road." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Apr. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Plank_Road. Accessed 7 Jun. 2024. Public Domain.