Abandoned Dixie Highway
Canon PowerShot S95
2012
A limestone (I think) pit was dug north of Oolitic, a small town in southern Indiana. It obliterated a section of the old Dixie Highway (and former State Road 37). A gate blocks the way long before this; such is the condition of the road beyond the gate.
It’s amazing how quickly roads and bridges will deteriorate after being abandoned. So many are obsessed with building new facilities, but one has to plan on how to maintain existing resources – and that’s no easy feat as a ton of salt is pricier than a ton of hot-mix asphalt in many locations.
I remember watching a movie as a kid where the apocalypse happened and this family lived in their underground bunker to wait out nuclear winter. They emerged, among the only people living on the planet — and got into a car and started it (!!), and drove on pristine empty roads (!!!). Ain’t no way that car would start and the roads would not have at least crumbled at the edges with weeds growing in the cracks.
I did not know salt could be more expensive than asphalt!
great shot
Thanks! :-)
Great photo, Jim. A perfect place for a long quiet walk.
Oooh, except it’s on private property owned by a limestone mining operation. It’s gated off:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mobilene/8092093402/
The road leading up to it is peaceful though:
That is a shame. 😕
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