Final answer:
A detour is an alternate route for travelers when the usual path is obstructed or in poor condition, and it plays a crucial role in both historical and modern-day navigation.
Step-by-step explanation:
A detour is an alternative route provided when road conditions are bad, or when there is an obstruction that prevents travelers from using the usual path. This concept applies to both historical contexts and modern-day situations. For example, during road construction in Yoknapatawpha County, travelers had to navigate around closed sections of Highway 56 and Drive.
Similarly, poor road conditions in the past, such as unpaved roads that were maintained by local authorities, would often require the creation of new routes to facilitate travel and trade. Even in cases of emergencies like landslides, detours are essential; after a mile-long stretch of Highway 530 was affected by a landslide, a bypass was created for emergency workers.
Lastly, in day-to-day urban life, pedestrians and drivers follow a series of roads and pavements that sometimes make indirect, zigzagged paths to their destinations, as seen in cities like New York.