U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill., announced today that a series of grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation had been awarded to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Two of the grants included: $235,000 for implementation of the Marketing Program for Historic Route 66, which includes 421 miles in Illinois from Chicago to Metro East St. … Continue reading Illinois Route 66 receives two grants
Category: Highways
Myth-busting about scenic byways
Talk about a public service: The Meramec Journal has appropriated the theme of the Discovery Channel's "Mythbusters" show and has sifted the fact from fiction regarding Missouri's scenic byways program. Route 66 is one of those byways. The newspaper contacted Monica Duncan, a scenic byway coordinator for Missouri and a resource management analyst for the … Continue reading Myth-busting about scenic byways
Mystery of the marker
Holy cow. I didn't even know the Los Angeles area even had one of these. The folks at Curbed LA wondered what this stone marker (photo can be seen on link) was in Pasadena. A city worker provided the answer: "You posted a while back about a 3' tall concrete marker on PCC property in … Continue reading Mystery of the marker
McKinley Bridge to open in mid-month
The McKinley Bridge, which held a reopening ceremony to much fanfare about two weeks ago, will open to traffic for real sometime in mid-December, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. About 10,000 motorists are expected to use the McKinley a day — the same number as used it before its closure in 2001. At that time, … Continue reading McKinley Bridge to open in mid-month
Sunset at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge carried Route 66 over the Mississippi River from Madison, Ill., to St. Louis for decades. Those structures you see in the river are water intake towers. And that roaring sound in the video is water rushing over the natural chain of rocks near those towers. The Old Chain of … Continue reading Sunset at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
Images from the McKinley Bridge dedication
Longtime roadie Kip Welborn of St. Louis went to Saturday's dedication ceremony of the rehabbed McKinley Bridge, which connects Venice, Ill., to St. Louis. It's open to pedestrian and bicycle traffic now, and vehicular traffic will be allowed by sometime in December. The McKinley Bridge was built in 1910, and carried Route 66 from 1926 … Continue reading Images from the McKinley Bridge dedication
McKinley Bridge reopens — to pedestrians
Illinois officials held a dedication ceremony Saturday for the rehabbed McKinley Bridge, but the historic Mississippi River span won't be ready for traffic until as late as mid-December, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The McKinley Bridge, which once carried an alignment of Route 66 from Venice, Ill., to St. Louis, was closed in 2001 because … Continue reading McKinley Bridge reopens — to pedestrians
Parking lot closed near Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
I was afraid this might happen, and it appears my fears were realized. The St. Clair County Journal in Illinois reports that the parking lot on the Missouri side of the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge was closed by Trailnet a few days ago. The pedestrian bridge, which once carried Route 66 over the Mississippi … Continue reading Parking lot closed near Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
Book review: “Greetings from the Lincoln Highway”
When best-selling author Michael Wallis and award-winning photographer Michael Williamson were doing field research for their book, "The Lincoln Highway," they used Brian Butko's 2005 volume, "Greetings from the Lincoln Highway" ($29.95, Stackpole Books, 288 pages), as one of their key references. Butko even embarked a bit of a mirror book tour when Wallis and … Continue reading Book review: “Greetings from the Lincoln Highway”
You’re invited
Today, I received a message in the mail from the Illinois Department of Transportation. Here's what it said: Governor Rod R. Blagojevich and the Illinois Department of Transportation in conjunction with the Great Rivers Greenway District Cordially invite you to the Dedication Ceremony for the McKinley Bridge and the opening of The Chamber of Commerce … Continue reading You’re invited