The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City recently opened a new exhibit that focuses on Route 66 during its centennial year. "Route 66: From Trails to Truck Stops" runs through May 3. Tickets are available here. Here's what the museum says about the exhibit: From horses and covered wagons to riverboats, steam … Continue reading National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City opens new Route 66 exhibit
Category: Highways
New Will Rogers Highway monument will be installed outside of Wellston
The Oklahoma Route 66 Association announced that a new Will Rogers Highway monument will be installed along Route 66 in Wellston to commemorate Route 66B, aka the Wellston Gap or Wellston Loop. It would be the first Will Rogers Highway monument installed in more than a decade. The association reported: “When we were looking at … Continue reading New Will Rogers Highway monument will be installed outside of Wellston
Sapulpa’s Route 66 reopens after 10-month overhaul
It took a little longer than expected, but Dewey Avenue (aka Route 66) in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, reopened to traffic last week after multiple infrastructure improvements. Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, who leads the state's tourism department, hailed the reopening during a ceremony, reported the Sapulpa Times. Also attending were the mayor, city council and city staff. … Continue reading Sapulpa’s Route 66 reopens after 10-month overhaul
Construction on NW 23rd Street project in Oklahoma City to begin on Jan. 12
A long-planned, $9.3 million streetscape project along the Route 66 alignment of NW 23rd Street in Oklahoma City is set to begin on Jan. 12. The Oklahoman newspaper reported that construction in the area will last about 18 months, but the street won't be closed entirely. Business owners and neighboring residents alike have long requested … Continue reading Construction on NW 23rd Street project in Oklahoma City to begin on Jan. 12
Route 66 at Wellston is fully reopened to traffic
Interstate 44 construction affecting Route 66 in Wellston, Oklahoma, was finally completed this month, reopening the highway to traffic for the first time and eliminating detours that had complicated travel through the area. The Oklahoma Route 66 Association recently passed along information about the reopening: The Oklahoma Department of Transportation stated that work would be … Continue reading Route 66 at Wellston is fully reopened to traffic
Sapulpa giving away pieces of Route 66 during the highway’s centennial in 2026
Route 66 travelers who visit Sapulpa, Oklahoma, in 2026 will have a chance to take home an actual piece of the Mother Road. Sapulpa’s "Great Route 66 Giveaway" marks one of three Sapulpa Main Street projects honoring the 100th anniversary of U.S. 66, which Congress approved on Nov. 11, 1926. The other two: Sapulpa Main … Continue reading Sapulpa giving away pieces of Route 66 during the highway’s centennial in 2026
City of Tulsa wins grant to install “musical road” along Route 66
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 … Continue reading City of Tulsa wins grant to install “musical road” along Route 66
“Birthplace of Route 66 Plaza” planned for downtown Springfield
A “Birthplace of Route 66 Plaza” is planned for downtown Springfield, Missouri, at the spot where local highway officials chose No. 66 for the Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway. The spot at Jefferson Avenue at Park Central East is the former site of the long-gone Colonial Hotel. That's where transportation officials chose No. 66 for the highway and … Continue reading “Birthplace of Route 66 Plaza” planned for downtown Springfield
Illinois State Museum unveils 100 oral histories about Route 66
The Illinois State Museum in Springfield announced the launch of the online Route 66 Oral History Project, which gathered 100 stories about the history of the Mother Road before its centennial in 2026. The database includes video-recorded interviews, as well as world-searchable written transcriptions. Contributors include people who lived, worked and traveled along Route 66 … Continue reading Illinois State Museum unveils 100 oral histories about Route 66
Route 66 designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
The American Society of Civil Engineers recently designated Route 66 as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. ASCE's board approved the designation on July 10 in recognition of the highway's centennial and its lasting contributions to American infrastructure and civil engineering. Initially established in 1926, Route 66 was the first paved, all-weather highway to connect the Midwest with … Continue reading Route 66 designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark