You know I love to find an abandoned road. While researching State Road 67 from Indianapolis to Muncie, I saw this on Google Maps on the north side of Pendleton. SR 67 is on the right, labeled Doctor M.L.K. Jr Blvd. Just check out how narrow that abandoned strip is compared to the modern highway!
Here it is, southbound, on the ground. This is a concrete road, probably constructed in the late 1920s. I say that because Indiana built a lot of similar-looking concrete highways in that era, based on my past research.
Construction of current SR 67 here eliminated a steep hill. It also made a safer intersection with Pendleton Avenue, the main street through town. Where the two roads used to meet as a fork, now you have to turn right at the end of Pendleton Avenue to meet SR 67 at a T intersection.
It’s easy to see from the end of this concrete strip that SR 67 used to flow directly to where I was standing.
Turning around, here’s this strip northbound. Pendleton Avenue is on the left, and you can see where you now turn right to reach SR 67. My car is beyond that bisecting road on the path of the old alignment.
You can see that more clearly here. Just ahead of my car is where Pendleton Avenue and SR 67 used to meet.
Finally, here’s the spot where these two roads used to come together.
Today, the road on the right above carries not only SR 67, but also SR 38 and SR 9.
To get Down the Road in your inbox or reader six days a week, click here to subscribe!
To get my newsletter with previews of what I’m working on, click here to subscribe!
