I love finding old and new photos of an area to compare and this section of old Hwy 60 is no exception.
On the left a photo now and right an old tinted postcard.

US Hwy 60 was one of the first east-west transcontinental highways. It was commissioned in 1926, stretching from Virginia Beach, Virginia to Los Angeles, California. Today, its western terminus is in Quartzsite, Arizona (18 miles east of the California border), with the remainder of the route to L.A. being picked up by Interstate 10.

Today much of old 60 is reduced to dirt track and broken pavement, but some of the most beautiful canyons can still be seen by following the trail heads photographed by Preston the Yeti. You can read more about the trails and see more of Preston’s gorgeous photography on the Bellamy Trail-Queen Canyon, AZ trail site.

On the left a photo now and right an old tinted postcard.

Pinto Creek Bridge (the bridge that crosses Queen Creek on the new alignment)

On the left a photo now and right an early photograph.

The map displays the area of Hwy60 highlighted in this post.

The west entrance of the Claypool Tunnel. This tunnel was bored through the mountain in the early 1920’s, and was named for the city of Claypool, about 20 miles to the east.

PHOTOCREDIT:Rob Svirskas ©2004
On the left a photo now and right an old sepia tinted photograph.

The Queen Creek Tunnel built in 1952 replaced the old Claypool Tunnel on the new alignment.

PHOTOCREDIT:Rob Svirskas ©2004

After seeing photographs of the historic Hwy 60 and the gorgeous photographs of the canyon, I have learned I need to park my bike and walk more, as I’m missing a lot of the local beauty.

PHOTOCREDIT:Preston the Yeti