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  • 1.  March Madness--Engineer Mode

    Posted 03-16-2026 11:16 AM

    Good morning,

    Today marks the beginning of the second week in March Infrastructure Madness.

    The Allegheny Portage Railroad LOST to Route 66.  While I understand the allure of Route 66 I am calling on all train people to come out and represent.

    Trains are way more iconic than parking lots in my book, and deserve to move up in the brackets.

    Here is the link, now go vote:

    Landmark Madness

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    Landmark Madness
    ASCE's Historic Civil Engineering Landmark program recognizes historically significant local, national, and international civil engineering projects, structures, and sites - nearly 300 in all. Landmark Madness is a celebration of that history - mixed with a landmark battle royale for the ages.
    View this on Asce >



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    Sarah Halsey P.E., M.ASCE
    New York NY
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  • 2.  RE: March Madness--Engineer Mode

    Posted 03-17-2026 10:27 AM

    Sarah,

    While I agree that railroads are impressive, let's not reduce an iconic part of our infrastructural history that still attracts visitors from countries around the world to a "parking lot"



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    Heidi C. Wallace, P.E., M.ASCE
    Tulsa, OK
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  • 3.  RE: March Madness--Engineer Mode

    Posted 03-17-2026 10:43 AM

    Heidi,

    I understand that those were fighting words.  But I was reading a book written be someone following Route 66 and looking at the places where they stopped along the route, and it was really depressing.

    The towns and cities were more parking lot than building.  See the screenshot from google maps below of Clinton, OK along RT. 66.

    For now, I am boosting the the Central Pacific Railroad and the Inka Imperial HIghway.  

    What are others passionate about?

    Vote!!!!

    Home of Rte. 66 museum



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    Sarah Halsey P.E., M.ASCE
    New York NY
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  • 4.  RE: March Madness--Engineer Mode

    Posted 03-23-2026 12:12 PM

    Sarah,

    You'll find in a zoom-around of rural areas across the US that what you don't like about Clinton is true of most rural towns. When you have a low population density in the area and plenty of land, public transportation is infeasible, and going "out" is much more economical than going "up" instead.


    Yes, there are some over-paved and under-maintained spots along the Route, but that is not what makes the Route iconic. The neat thing about driving Route 66 is the preservation of a bygone era with old fueling stations, historic buildings, etc. along with the fantastic bridges in many different styles. Sadly, the interstates replacing Route 66 with straighter alignments that were safer also meant a bypass of many of those towns. Their economies were gone nearly overnight in some places. Reading about the Route or viewing it from above is quite different from seeing it in person. 

    Below are a few photos of some of the interesting things I've seen along the Route so far. (I'm breaking my drive up across multiple smaller trips.)


    Located on Route 66 in Clinton, OK. Route 66 was paved with Portland Concrete in the early stages of construction. On portions of Route 66, travelers can still locate the road by the color of the road surface.

    William H. Murray Bridge, known as Pony Bridge. 3,944 feet span with 38 trusses.
    Located in Shamrock, Texas. Constructed in the mid 1930s and it was the first commercial building construction along the new Route 66 in Shamrock.
    The first Phillips 66 station in Texas
    Brush Creek Bridge near Baxter Springs, Kansas. A fixed Marsh Rainbow Arch bridge.
    Original Route 66 filling station and attached business in Spencer, Missouri in the process of being restored


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    Heidi C. Wallace, P.E., M.ASCE
    Tulsa, OK
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  • 5.  RE: March Madness--Engineer Mode

    Posted 03-24-2026 11:34 AM

    I see that Route 66 has a lot of backing.

    Remember to VOTE!



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    Sarah Halsey P.E., M.ASCE
    New York NY
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  • 6.  RE: March Madness--Engineer Mode

    Posted 26 days ago

    It is the LAST bracket!

    Remember to VOTE!!!!!!!



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    Sarah Halsey P.E., M.ASCE
    New York NY
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  • 7.  RE: March Madness--Engineer Mode

    Posted 03-23-2026 11:22 AM

    I think we need as many civil landmarks as possible.  While I love RR, this first nationall highway must have inspired Eisenhower to set up the interstate system (for mostly military purposes, but...)  State coordination on route, construction methods - if they hadn't built interstates right along the route, more people would still be using it.  Maybe the first example of not running highways through established communitities.  Doesn't take much to stop off the interstate in western AZ to visit the towns, which could use the tourism.  



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    Sarah Simon P.E., M.ASCE
    RETIRED
    Ipswich MA
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  • 8.  RE: March Madness--Engineer Mode

    Posted 03-23-2026 11:22 AM

    Didn't know we did this ;)   Several of the nominations are already landmarks, so I think we should make more landmarks, rather than re-promoting ones already in the system.  A question, though - for all these transportation routes (and I love RRs), do we have several plaques along the way? or where do we put them?



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    Sarah Simon P.E., M.ASCE
    RETIRED
    Ipswich MA
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  • 9.  RE: March Madness--Engineer Mode

    Posted 03-25-2026 02:33 PM

    Sarah-

    For linear projects like highways and railways, the Society's History & Heritage Committee generally provides at least one plaque, ideally at the project's start or end. We also invite Sections along the route to participate and host local plaque dedication ceremonies.



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    Jennifer Lawrence M.ASCE
    ASCE
    Reston VA
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