The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership recently announced it was awarding a total of 14 Preservation & Economic Development Grants worth $2,500 each in 2026.
Recipients were chosen from 124 applications. Qualifying projects were reviewed by an independent review committee from across the eight Route 66 states.
Eligible activities included capital improvements, historic preservation planning or work, and accessibility or community outreach for businesses and attractions located on Route 66 that employ fewer than 20 or are a small, locally owned franchise with five or fewer locations.
Four grant awards in the program were designated or set aside for independent auto repair shops and mechanics along Route 66, funded by Bosch Wiper Blades.
The four Bosch grant award recipients are:
- Cranked Garage in Atlanta, Illinois
- Atlas Automotive in Tulsa
- O’Brien Tire & Auto Care in Granite City, Illinois
- Downtown Service Station in Waynesville, Missouri
“Bosch Wiper Blades is proud to partner with the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership during this historic centennial year to celebrate the independent automotive businesses that have been part of the journey for generations of Route 66 travelers,” said Scott Sullivan, Bosch Senior Marketing Team Lead.
“The Bosch Road Ready Grant is designed to help preserve these businesses, enhance their visibility and breathe new life into the places along the Mother Road. We’re excited to support the projects already underway and those still ahead through this partnership.”
In Illinois, three projects will benefit from the grants.
O’Brien Automotive will use its grant award to strengthen the building’s Route 66 identity and complement its retro design, creating a more welcoming gateway for travelers.
Cranked Garage intends to repaint and restore the exterior of its Route 66–facing auto repair workshop/
Giants Route 66 Stop in Atlanta will use its grant to replace the original solid wood door with a new glass, steel-framed, commercial door for the shop that sells Route 66 souvenirs, sodas, vintage candies, t-shirts, stickers and more.
Two lodging establishments in Missouri will receive awards for use in energy-efficient building improvements. They are
- The Shamrock Court in Sullivan
- Manor Inn on Route 66 in Lebanon
Also receiving a grant in Missouri is the last full-service gas/service station still in operation on Route 66, the Downtown Service Station in Waynesville.
Oklahoma will also benefit from grants to three of their Route 66 businesses.
Gasoline Alley Classics will restore and update the historic building’s south sign that directly faces travelers in Supulpa.
Westfall Station in Chandler will modernize its outdated electrical infrastructure to safely open a gift shop. \
The grant to Atlas Automotive Repair will help fund restoration of the original 1941-era gas station sign and shop exterior at
4625 E 11th St. (aka Route 66) in Tulsa.
In New Mexico, grants will support restoration of the neon sign at Pecos Trail Inn in Santa Fe and renovation of bathrooms that are up to city code and ADA compliant at Ricca Mercantile Community Arts Center in Gallup.
El Pueblo Motor Inn in Flagstaff served as the founding home for Navajo Code Talkers during World War II. The $2,500 grant will go toward a plan to purchase the motel and restore the building’s historic exterior, convert the interior to workforce housing, add additional housing at the rear of the property and rebuild the office to serve as a museum and community space.
Also in Arizona, the Ash Fork Route 66 Historic Museum will be awarded a grant to digitize Ash Fork’s irreplaceable photographs, oral histories, newspapers, newsletters and community archives to create a searchable digital collection that protects local
heritage and expands access for residents, researchers, educators, Route 66 travelers, and future generations.
Additionally, a grant assists in replacing the deteriorated floor and roof of the existing washroom at Road Runner’s Retreat in Chambless, California.
The grant program is an Official Route 66 Centennial Project as recommended by the Route 66 Centennial Commission.
(Image of the Shamrock Court motel in Sullivan, Missouri, via Facebook)