The City of Tulsa is receiving a $90,000 grant from the Oklahoma Route 66 Revitalization Grant Program to build a “musical road” along Route 66.
According to the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, it would be the first such road in the Sooner State.
The musical road in Tulsa will be installed on the Southwest Boulevard Bridge, which runs parallel to the Cyrus Avery Memorial Bridge, an important landmark in Tulsa’s history as the Capital of Route 66. The site is near several other roadside attractions, namely Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza, the East Meets West sculpture, Route 66 skybridge, the neon sign park, and another Oklahoma Route 66 Revitalization Grant recipient, the 66-foot-tall dinosaur roadside attraction coming soon to Howard Park.
This project is also unique because it is the city’s first “roadbed” attraction. The musical road will be created using thermoplastic rumble strips that when driven over play notes of a song. Work is currently underway to secure permissions and copyright to use a song by an Oklahoma musician, highlighting the importance of featuring a song by a local artist.
It is hoped the musical road will be installed by March — before the Route 66 tourism season begins during its centennial year.
Route 66 Musical Roads LLC will help the city with the installation. The company seeks to install other musical roads in all eight states that Route 66 traverses.
Other musical roads have been installed in Tijeras, New Mexico, and Winslow, Arizona, with another planned in Santa Rosa, New Mexico.
(Image of the musical road sign along Route 66 in Tijeras, New Mexico)