The Old Route 66 Association of Texas and the Big Texan Steak Ranch launched the Texas Route 66 Signage Project on Thursday at Starlight Ranch, across from the Slug Bug Ranch in Amarillo.
The collaboration, which includes the Texas Department of Transportation-Amarillo District, will restore historic Route 66 signage in communities from Glenrio to McLean.
A second partnership with the TxDOT-Childress District was also reached. It has jurisdiction over Wheeler County on the east side of the Panhandle Route Corridor and will install signage from east of McLean to Shamrock.
Installation of the signs should begin in a few weeks.
The Big Texan is also funding 27 custom signs for towns along the route.
More from a report by the Amarillo Globe-News:
“Route 66 put The Big Texan on the map,” said Bobby Lee, co-owner of the Big Texan Steak Ranch. “We know how important that road is, not just to us, but to every small town it crosses. These signs are about making sure people don’t just drive through; they stop, explore, and spend time in our communities.”
Lee said his family committed the funding because they felt the Panhandle could not afford to wait for outside help. “For years we’ve watched other states make big investments in Route 66, while Texas fell behind,” he said. “We didn’t want to miss this moment. The centennial is coming, the travelers are coming, and somebody had to step up. We decided we would.” […]
The Old Route 66 Association pushed for signage for several years before the project came together. President Gary Daggett said that persistence, coupled with new partnerships, finally moved the idea forward. “Six of the other eight states have way better signage than we do,” Daggett said. “We’re constantly asked by visitors, ‘Where is it? We can’t find it.’ These signs will help guide people into our towns, where they’ll spend money and experience the history that keeps Route 66 alive.”
The association’s effort aims to restore signage along Route 66 that was removed in 2019.
Through the association’s partnership with TxDOT and its Texas Historic Route 66 Sign Project, it is now able to purchase authentic signs directly from TxDOT sign shops and make them available to the public. The Texcas Old Route 66 Association is the only place you can get the authentic, TxDOT-approved signs. The signs can be purchased here.
The association is only able to ship the smaller size but is working on ways to ship larger signs. For now, if someone wishes to purchase the larger signs, they would need to email the association for arrangements.
Available in three sizes, the signs are the same that travelers will see while on Route 66 in Texas. Every purchase helps preserve and promote the Mother Road; all proceeds go toward funding the next phase of the signs and maintaining those in place.
(Image of Bobby Lee at the sign ceremony courtesy of Jackie Phommahaxay Murguia of the Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau)