Don't expect a quick fix to Route 66's dilapidated bridges in the Mojave Desert -- or anyplace else -- if Congress and the president enact the Route 66 centennial bill this year. The Route 66 Centennial Commission Act, passed unanimously by voice vote earlier this week, contains a provision that requests the Secretary of Transportation to … Continue reading Bill won’t provide quick fix for Route 66 bridges in Mojave Desert
Month: July 2018
Sign removed for long-closed Bel Air Drive-In theater in Mitchell
Workers on Thursday removed the decaying sign for the long-closed Bel Air Drive-In theater in Mitchell, Illinois. Local resident Charles Alexander, who snapped a few photos of the sign being taken down and posted them on Facebook, said the sign is making way for a new truck stop going into the area. Alexander also stated … Continue reading Sign removed for long-closed Bel Air Drive-In theater in Mitchell
Artist’s rendering unveiled for OKPOP museum in Tulsa
The Oklahoma Historical Society earlier this week unveiled an artist's rendering for the upcoming Oklahoma Museum of Pop Culture, aka OKPOP, in Tulsa, slated for a groundbreaking this fall. According to a news release: Nabholz Construction will construct OKPOP at 422 North Main Street in Tulsa, across the street from the Cain’s Ballroom, home of … Continue reading Artist’s rendering unveiled for OKPOP museum in Tulsa
Joliet sets up schedule for old prison tours
The city of Joliet, Illinois, in early August will begin offering guided tours to the historic but long-closed old prison. The Joliet Patch reported some details about the upcoming tours: The Joliet Area Historical Museum will transport tourists to and from the prison by bus, about a five-minute ride each way. Tours inside the old … Continue reading Joliet sets up schedule for old prison tours
ART gets $14M grant; rest of $75M grant remains unclear
Albuquerque's mayor announced Monday the troubled Albuquerque Rapid Transit project will receive $14 million from a Federal Transit Administration grant, but the fate of a long-anticipated $75 million grant from the agency remains unclear. The Albuquerque Journal reported: Mayor Tim Keller in a Monday news conference at the Uptown Transit Center said the federal government … Continue reading ART gets $14M grant; rest of $75M grant remains unclear
‘World’s largest branding iron’ placed at Vega museum
A history museum in Vega, Texas, that sits a half-block off Route 66 recently placed what it calls the "world's largest branding iron" on its grounds. The Milburn-Price Culture Museum at 1005 Coke St. (map here) announced Monday in a Facebook post it placed a 22-foot-long, 3,000-pound branding iron with the XIT ranch logo. The … Continue reading ‘World’s largest branding iron’ placed at Vega museum
Scenes from the Texas Route 66 Festival
Hundreds of Route 66 enthusiasts from all over America and several foreign countries descended on Shamrock, Texas, over the weekend for the Texas Welcomes the World Route 66 Festival. One longtime roadie said authors and artists stationed in the Shamrock Community Center were pleased with attendance, with several reporting strong sales. A focal point at … Continue reading Scenes from the Texas Route 66 Festival
U.S. House passes Route 66 Centennial bill
The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday passed the Route 66 Centennial Commission Act. It next will be considered by the U.S. Senate. The measure was passed by a voice vote without objection. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), a key sponsor of the bill known as H.R. 66, issued this statement after the bill passed: Route … Continue reading U.S. House passes Route 66 Centennial bill
Two states poised to celebrate Route 66’s centennial in 2026
Today, when the U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a bill to set up a federal-level 100th anniversary commission for Route 66, two Midwestern states also are poised to set up their commissions to mark the road's centennial in 2026. Missouri's governor signed such a bill into law this year, and Illinois' … Continue reading Two states poised to celebrate Route 66’s centennial in 2026
UPDATED: Original section of Route 66 to be paved over after convenience-store chain buys it
The fate of an original section of Route 66 in Springfield, Missouri, remains up in the air after the Kum & Go convenience-store chain recently bought the property on which it sits. The Springfield News-Leader reports the piece of road on 2.9 acres on the southeast corner of Glenstone Avenue and Kearney Street (map here) … Continue reading UPDATED: Original section of Route 66 to be paved over after convenience-store chain buys it