Historic endpoints of US highway 550 in Durango CO and Shiprock NM
View a map showing this route.
Photo credits: me
The original south terminus of US 550 was at US 450 in Durango CO. This first photo shows where US 550 used to end:
me, July 2004
That's looking south on Main Avenue at College Drive. US 160 ran along College (although it was probably called "6th Street" back then), and US 550 ended here. Despite signage at this intersection, neither US 160 nor US 550 are still routed along these streets. US 550 runs along a bypass about 2 blocks to the west (right), and the US 160 bypass is ahead about 2 blocks, on the other side of the Durango-Silverton Train railyard. Below is a close-up of the signage...
me, July 2004
...which probably dates back to a time when US 160 and 550 were actually at this location. Below we're looking west on College at Main:
me, July 2004
That used to be westbound on US 160, and the south beginning of US 550 was to the right.
In 1934 the US 550 designation was extended south through Aztec and Farmington NM, and then west, where it ended at Shiprock for the next 50-plus years. The USGS map below shows how things used to be there:
By the time of the photos below, both US routes had been renumbered. This first one is looking at the former end of US 550:
me, July 2004
That's from westbound US 64; US 491 is co-signed with it ahead for a few blocks before they split again (on the other side of the San Juan River). US 550 used to end here; southbound US 666 was ahead, and northbound was to the right.
Below we're looking the opposite direction (eastbound US 64/northbound US 491):
me, July 2004
This used to be northbound US 666, which continued to the left. Ahead was the former beginning of US 550. The photo below is from southbound US 491:
me, July 2004
Until 2003 that was southbound US 666, which continued to the right. US 64 wasn't extended through here until 1989; before that it was US 550 that began to the left.
Info and photos regarding US 550's other endpoints can be found on my main US 550 page.