St. Louis Route 66 enthusiast Joe Sonderman said he felt considerably more optimistic about the fate of the deteriorating Meramec River-Route 66 Bridge near Eureka, Mo., after a public hearing Wednesday with Missouri Department of Transportation officials and Route 66 stakeholders. Sonderman said on his Facebook account later that night: I have to say after … Continue reading Glimmer of hope over Route 66 bridge
Category: Bridges
Missouri holds new meeting for Route 66 bridge
(Note: see time correction below) Norma Bolin, who's best-known for her "Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook" and the recently released "Route 66 St. Louis," dropped me a note over the weekend to let me know that the Missouri Department of Transportation made a last-minute change on a public meeting regarding the Route 66 bridge at … Continue reading Missouri holds new meeting for Route 66 bridge
Funding application for replacing Mojave bridges sent today
San Bernardino County is filing an application today with the U.S. Department of Transportation for a grant to rebuild several dozen wooden trestle bridges in California's Mojave Desert. The Daily Press in Victorville reported yesterday that the county was applying for a $52 million grant to replace 130 of those bridges. But the Redlands Daily … Continue reading Funding application for replacing Mojave bridges sent today
County seeks grant to restore wooden Route 66 bridges
The Desert Dispatch reports that San Bernardino County in California is seeking a federal grant to restore old bridges on the National Old Trails Road -- an early alignment of Route 66. The county applied for a $52 million stimulus grant to replace 130 bridges that were built between 1929 and 1931 on the old … Continue reading County seeks grant to restore wooden Route 66 bridges
Trying TV coverage to boost a bridge rehab
The Pulaski County Daily and Waynesville Daily Guide published stories within days of each other about Pulaski County's ongoing efforts to repair the decaying Devil's Elbow Bridge in the Route 66 hamlet of Devil's Elbow, Mo. The gist of it is: Jerry Plunkett, a local military contractor, is looking for a variety of ways to rehabilitate … Continue reading Trying TV coverage to boost a bridge rehab
Bye bye, bridge
The 81-year-old Pacific Electric Railway bridge that goes over Foothill Boulevard (aka Route 66) in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., will be dismantled starting Sunday, reported the Contra Costa Times. Two cranes will remove the bridge and place it on the north side of Foothill Boulevard, where workers will spend the next two weeks removing paint and … Continue reading Bye bye, bridge
Watching the bridge
KOTV in Tulsa posted an interesting story about the so-called Twin Bridges on Route 66 near Catoosa, Okla., and how the Route 66 community worldwide is watching closely to what happens to one of the dilapidated spans. But first, there is a glaring error in the story. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation wants to replace … Continue reading Watching the bridge
The story of the 11th Street Bridge
In less than two minutes, this video by the Journal-Record explains the history and significance of the 11th Street Bridge in Tulsa, now known as the Cyrus Avery Route 66 Memorial Bridge:
Devil’s Elbow Bridge lands a USDA grant
Pulaski County, Mo., has been scrounging for a couple of years for money to repair the aging Devil's Elbow Bridge in the Route 66 hamlet of Devil's Elbow, Mo. It looks like the county has landed more cash for the bridge, courtesy of the federal government. From KOLR-TV in Springfield: The U.S. Department of Agriculture … Continue reading Devil’s Elbow Bridge lands a USDA grant
A history of Suicide Bridge
The Pasadena Star-News published a well-researched story about the historic and architecturally significant Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena, Calif. Not only is it known as a 1913 bridge that once carried Route 66, but also is notorious for being called Suicide Bridge. More than 150 people have died by jumping off the span. One local … Continue reading A history of Suicide Bridge