This steep winding stretch was part of the original 1811-12 alignment, using sections of a military trail called the Braddock Road. In 1833 the National Road leaving Cumberland was moved to a longer but easier grade through "the Narrows." This was the first bypassing on a U.S. highway.

Today, US 40-Alt uses that easier grade some distance away. I-68 roars by at a lower elevation just to the left of this scene.