Peter Stork, a representative with the Illinois Route 66 Association, passes along word that part of old Route 66 will be affected by road construction: ... Route 66 will be closed just south of Art's at Farmersville for, according to IDOT, the next seven months. Work began Monday to repair the Macoupin Creek bridge on … Continue reading Bridge work closes part of Illinois Route 66
Category: Highways
Stretch of old 66 may be placed on National Register
A 1.3-mile stretch of old Route 66 southeast of Springfield, Ill., may be placed on the National Register of Historic Places next month, reports the Springfield Journal-Register. Preservationists believe the road is the longest drivable section of the original Route 66 remaining in Illinois. [...] The road, 16 feet wide compared to 24 feet for … Continue reading Stretch of old 66 may be placed on National Register
New murals at the Blue Swallow
Bill Kinder, co-owner of the Blue Swallow Motel on Route 66 in Tucumcari, N.M., showed us new murals that recently were painted by a traveling artist. These murals are painted inside the garages that are next to the rooms. The murals really bring vibrant color in an unexpected place.
Book review: “Roadside USA: Route 66 and Beyond”
"Roadside USA: Route 66 and Beyond" by Shellee Graham and Jim Ross (64 pages, Ghost Town Press, $10.95) isn't strictly a book as much as a bound collection of their vibrant travel photographs in postcard form. The 30 postcards are detachable from the binding so you can mail them to friends and family. However, "Roadside … Continue reading Book review: “Roadside USA: Route 66 and Beyond”
Route 66 national monument proposed in Mojave
The fledgling national Route 66 Alliance is proposing making a national monument out of an area of Mojave Desert in Southern California to protect 70 miles of Route 66, reports the Press-Enterprise. According to the newspaper, the proposal would: -- Designate "Mother Road National Monument," which could be twice as big as Joshua Tree National … Continue reading Route 66 national monument proposed in Mojave
Stimulus money to help a few Route 66 projects
Money from President Obama's economic stimulus package is slated to help at least two portions of Route 66 and probably more. According to the Bloomington Pantagraph, $3.4 million has been designated to resurface Old Route 66 from just south of Towanda, Ill., to north of Lexington, Ill. And, according to the Mohave Valley Daily News, … Continue reading Stimulus money to help a few Route 66 projects
Roads to Lincoln
A lot of people are going to explore Illinois this year because this is the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth. During a recent presentation, Chicago Route 66 expert David G. Clark explained how to get the most mileage out checking historical sites within the Land of Lincoln, according to Shopper Source Online: By following Route … Continue reading Roads to Lincoln
Construction work coming on Oatman Road
The Mohave Valley News reports that a bid of $188,864 was accepted to repair six culverts along Oatman Road, aka Route 66, between Oatman, Ariz., and Kingman, Ariz. If approved by the county supervisors, the construction project is expected to begin in later this month and take about two months to complete. [...] The culverts … Continue reading Construction work coming on Oatman Road
Nothing minor about it
Llewellyn Toulmin has a story in The Sentinal Newspapers about a trip on Route 66, with most of the material taking place in Illinois and Missouri. Then there's this passage: The history of Route 66 is fascinating but complicated. It was not envisioned as a major road at first, as witnessed by its number. In … Continue reading Nothing minor about it
Book review: “Drive the Broadway of America”
It's not about Route 66. It's not a book in the traditional sense. But Jeff Jensen's "Drive the Broadway of America" (self-published, 223 pages, $30, including shipping) should greatly please Route 66ers and entice roadies to new two-lane adventures. Jensen's book, subtitled "The U.S. 80 and the Bankhead Highways Across the American Southwest," is the … Continue reading Book review: “Drive the Broadway of America”