With the Route 66 State Park bridge near Eureka, Missouri, facing an early 2017 deadline, the Great Rivers Greenway is raising funds in an effort save the bridge from demolition and even restore it. The $325,000 earmarked by the Missouri Department of Transportation for demolition in 2017 instead would be rolled into a restoration plan and the bridge deeded to the … Continue reading 2016 will be make-or-break for Route 66 State Park bridge
Category: Bridges
Galena Viaduct wins grants to finish restoration
The Galena Viaduct, also known as the Front Street Bridge, north of Galena, Kansas, recently received almost $400,000 in grants to finish its restoration. The bridge recently received a federal $193,836 Community Development Block Grant and a $193,837 match from Cherokee County. Cherokee County commissioner Pat Collins said the money will be used to refurbish the … Continue reading Galena Viaduct wins grants to finish restoration
Jackson Boulevard Bridge marks 100th birthday
The Jackson Boulevard Bridge in Chicago, which carried Route 66 until the 1950s, marks the 100th anniversary of its opening today. The North Loop News dug up history on the draw bridge over the Chicago River, which still is used today. --- The bridge replaced a swing bridge built in 1888. A photo of it … Continue reading Jackson Boulevard Bridge marks 100th birthday
Mural will be added to Chelsea pedestrian tunnel
A mural that will portray the history of Chelsea, Oklahoma, will be painted on the pedestrian tunnel that goes under Route 66 in the town, reported The Daily Progress of nearby Claremore, Oklahoma. Artist Ken Hollingshead of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, has been preparing the walls of the tunnel. It will be closed for about a month as he's … Continue reading Mural will be added to Chelsea pedestrian tunnel
High water in central Missouri
This stunning video shows the flooding that was occurring yesterday in the central Missouri towns of Jerome, Devil's Elbow and Hazelgreen. The video, with the help of a drone, includes a lot of footage of the closed Route 66 bridge, aka the Gasconade River Bridge, near Hazelgreen. Route 66 fans are hoping the bridge can … Continue reading High water in central Missouri
Will the Mountain Springs Road section of Route 66 reopen?
As many readers know, flash flooding in September 2014 destroyed dozens of bridges and made huge stretches of old Route 66 in California's Mojave Desert impassable for months. Fifteen months later, all of Route 66 in the desert is open except for a section west of Ludlow, California -- which can be bypassed via the north … Continue reading Will the Mountain Springs Road section of Route 66 reopen?
Martin Luther King Bridge in St. Louis to reopen next month
The Martin Luther King Bridge in St. Louis is slated to reopen the week of Dec. 21 after being closed in July for repairs, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other media outlets. The King bridge had been tentatively set to close from July 6 through Nov. 24. But that timeline was contingent on … Continue reading Martin Luther King Bridge in St. Louis to reopen next month
Part of Route 66 reopens in the Mojave Desert
A 21-mile stretch of Route 66 in California's Mojave Desert reopened Friday from Cadiz Road to Essex Road, reported the Needles Desert Star. A large chunk of Route 66 in the Mojave closed in September 2014 after flash flooding damaged roadways and destroyed dozens of bridges. The stretch from Ludlow to Amboy reopened in January after … Continue reading Part of Route 66 reopens in the Mojave Desert
Gasconade River Bridge placed on state’s improvement list
The closed Gasconade River Bridge that carries old Route 66 near Hazelgreen, Missouri, was placed on the Missouri Department of Transportation's Statewide Transportation Improvement Program from 2015 to 2019, according to the Lebanon Daily Record. The state closed the bridge in December 2014 after an inspection revealed its deterioration made it unsafe. Route 66 enthusiasts … Continue reading Gasconade River Bridge placed on state’s improvement list
An intriguing look at the Pony Bridge
There are plenty of videos on the Internet of the historic Pony Bridge on Route 66 near Bridgeport, Oklahoma. However, it's likely you haven't seen one from this angle. Pointing the camera behind a moving vehicle creates an interesting visual effect. The good stuff happens near the 1:15 mark. https://youtu.be/WjJRmomJrjI The Pony Bridge was built … Continue reading An intriguing look at the Pony Bridge