The city council of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, last week unanimously chose a contractor to build the Route 66 Park west of town so it would be ready by the highway’s centennial next year.
According to the Sapulpa Times, Magnum Construction’s low bid of nearly $2.1 million won.
The new park will include numerous points of interest for the Route 66 traveler and enthusiast, including photo ops, a playground, and of course, the historic Rock Creek Bridge.
This park is made possible by the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission, which awarded a $2 million grant to Sapulpa for the creation of a new Route 66-themed park at the historic Bridge 18 over Rock Creek at Ozark Trail Road. Sapulpa was the largest of the 11 recipients chosen in the first round of grants. […]
“As our city has grown, transportation infrastructure has improved and the public safety needs of our community have increased, these historic places have been bypassed and access limited,” the City said. “Our project is designed to both preserve these historic assets and develop the area so that the public and travelers from around the world may continue to enjoy these iconic landmarks that Route 66 enthusiasts seek.”
Artist’s renderings of the project show a Route 66 centennial marker, a bridge overlook plaza, parking, wildflower gardens, boulder playground, a “Get Your Kicks” photo-op sign plaza, a license-plate plaza, a directional sign plaza and a neon sign at the park’s entrance.
The park is just east of the century-old Bridge 18, aka Rock Creek Bridge, that once carried Route 66 and its precursor, the Ozark Trail.
Construction on the park will begin on July 7 and be finished by the start of Route 66’s centennial in 2026.
(Artist’s rendering of the forthcoming Route 66 Park in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, via city documents)