Proposed Rt. 254 in the News – April 1964

For those of us that depend on State Route 2 for a quick and easy way to get to Sandusky, or to connect up with I-90 to the east towards Cleveland, it's odd to think of the days before it was built.

State Route 2 been a favorite topic on this blog, since I remember when a piece of it was built here, then another chunk there, etc. It took a while before it all connected up and was technically finished. Although for a while the state couldn't decide what to call it, it was eventually designated State Route 2, and the familiar name "6 & 2" (Federal Route 6 and State Route 2) along the lakeshore was broken up forever.

Back in April 1964, the limited access highway we know as Route 2 was being referred to as State Route 254, and its planning and financing was in progress. That's the topic of the article above, which appeared in the Journal back on April 15, 1964.

The map shows that Rt. 254 would join up with I-90 to the east, just as Route 2 does now. But as the caption notes, "Eventually as routes are completed, I-90 becomes one limited access route from Boston, Mass. to the west coast. The proposed Rt. 254 will join I-90 and eventually become part of of that route. I-90 now crosses Lorain County as part of the Ohio Turnpike."

It sure sounds like I-90 was originally planned to be its own route separate from the Turnpike. I even remember my parents mentioning that we would be able to get on I-90 at Leavitt Road and take it all the way to Mt. Rushmore. But as we all know, west of the Rt 57 interchange, I-90 gloms onto the Ohio Turnpike, and Route 2 follows its own route west towards Sandusky and Toledo.

The map also shows U. S. 6 as being part of the new highway, rather than State Route 2. That didn't happen either.

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Also on the page: we get a look at pretty Miss Lorain, Maria Arvanitis; a story about Ohioan Mrs. Jerrie Mock, who was attempting to become the first woman to fly around the world alone (she made it); and a Lorain City Planning Commission article in which local restaurant entrepreneur Richard Head was requesting some rezoning of the property near his Hoop Drive-in at Leavitt and W. Erie.