Historic US highway endpoint in Eugene, OR
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1937-1970
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Originally US 28 extended all the way west to US 101 at Florence. But for some reason it was truncated to Eugene in 1936:
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c. 1939, Rand McNally
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At that point, its west end was at the intersection shown here. This is looking west on Main Street Springfield (also known as the McKenzie Highway, which today is signed as a business loop for Oregon hwy. 126). Originally southbound US 99 was left on Franklin Boulevard south, and ahead on Franklin west was northbound US 99 -- so US 28 ended here:
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Elbert
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In 1951, US 28 was replaced by an extended US 26 and a then-new US 126. So this junction also served as the west end of US 126, but for only a couple years. In 1954 a new freeway was built through here -- it would later become a segment of I-5. It runs on the far side of the U-Haul building shown above, and essentially functions as a cut-off to this corner of Franklin. So when US 99 traffic was routed onto the freeway, the US 126 designation was extended ahead about a mile, to its new junction with US 99. That point is shown here:
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Wiley
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That was looking west on Franklin, just past where I-5 crosses. Coming in from the right is traffic exiting from northbound I-5 (via exit 192). That also used to be northbound US 99, which continued straight ahead, so US 126 ended at this merge. Interestingly -- because this interchange provided only partial access to the freeway -- US 126 also had to be extended south along former US 99 (Franklin Blvd. south) to exit 189. In other words, it had a split terminus. More on that below... but first, heading the opposite direction (east) on Franklin:
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Wiley
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That was heading out of Eugene towards Springfield on Franklin. Traffic following US 99 (today's OR hwy. 99) was routed south from here on I-5, to the right. This next photo shows the actual split:
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Elbert
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The left fork is now Business OR 126 -- but, from 1954 to 1972, that was the west beginning of US 126. Prior to 1954, there was no freeway here, so US 99 traffic was directed further along the left fork (Franklin) for another mile, to the point shown here:
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Elbert
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There, Franklin goes right, and southbound US 99 used to go right as well. Ahead (via the cool old bridge over the Willamette River) was the west beginning of US 28 from 1937-1951, and the west beginning of US 126 from 1951-1954. The signage at right is shown close-up here:
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Elbert
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After the freeway was built in 1954, Franklin Blvd. south became a spur of US 126, in order to provide a connection from westbound US 126 to southbound US 99, and from northbound 99 to eastbound 126. This historic map illustrates that situation:
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c. 1970, Gousha (Texaco)
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If a driver heads south on Franklin about 1.5 miles, they will come to this signage near interchange 189:
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Elbert
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That would have marked the south end of the US 126 spur. Here is a view heading the opposite direction:
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Elbert
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That was looking north on what is now I-5, but used to be US 99. Spur 126 exited here and went north via Franklin (old 99). Here is what one sees after exiting:
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Elbert
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South Eugene is to the left via 30th Street; Franklin is straight ahead. That was originally US 99, and later Spur 126. In about 1.5 miles that reaches the "T" junction with Main:
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Elbert
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The sign pointing left (in the background) says "Franklin Blvd / Eugene downtown". Originally this was northbound US 99, which turned left here. To the right was the beginning of US 28, and later the beginning of US 126. After 1954, this was the north end of Spur 126; mainline 126 continued left for another mile to the new US 99. That remained the case until 1970, when US 126 was decommissioned. Now this segment of Franklin is unsigned OR 225.
Research and/or photo credits: Chris Elbert; Dale Sanderson; Mike Wiley
Page originally created 2004;
last updated Dec. 8, 2023.
last updated Dec. 8, 2023.
