The Missouri Department of Transportation wants to relocate Missouri Highway 266 a few hundred feet north so it can better accommodate Springfield-Branson National Airport. However, a lot of residents at a public hearing on Monday questioned whether relocating the highway was cost-effective compared to widening the existing one, reported the Springfield News-Leader. Those skeptics included … Continue reading Pointed questions mark Missouri 266 relocation hearing
Category: Highways
The expert of Cajon Pass
Mark Muckenfuss of the Inland Press-Enterprise writes a feature about Cajon Pass expert John Hockaday, who has researched the Southern California trail for decades and recently wrote a book, "Trails and Tales of the Cajon Pass," about it. Cajon Pass was a predecessor of Route 66 and, later, Interstate 15. He and his late wife, … Continue reading The expert of Cajon Pass
Good news about Devil’s Elbow bridge
The Waynesville (Mo.) Daily Guide reports that Pulaski County Commissioner Bill Farnham appears to have been successful in persuading the state Department of Transportation to repair the old Route 66 bridge that leads into the village of Devil's Elbow. State financing is only one $250,000 piece of a multi-part financing package totaling $1.46 million that, … Continue reading Good news about Devil’s Elbow bridge
Living link to Route 66’s early history
The Portales News-Tribune in New Mexico scored an interview with a man who actually helped build Route 66. The man is Elmer Jones. He is 95 years old. He is the only member left from Portales' Class of 1931. As a young man in Childress, Texas, Jones, with his brother Allen, drove a team and … Continue reading Living link to Route 66’s early history
Book review: “The Lincoln Highway”
Michael Wallis and Michael S. Williamson's new book, "The Lincoln Highway" (320 pages, $39.95), earns the highest praise I can think of: It made me want to jump in the car and see that 3,400-mile historic road for myself. The book, subtitled "Coast to Coast from Times Square to the Golden Gate," likely will spur … Continue reading Book review: “The Lincoln Highway”
Book about Cajon Pass published
John Hockaday says he's no writer. He says he's just a rancher who became fascinated by Cajon Pass, which passes through his property in Southern California. "I'm just an old construction worker who likes history," he told the San Bernardino County Sun. He must like history a lot. He and his wife began compiling old … Continue reading Book about Cajon Pass published
Illinois bridge being restored
John and Lenore Weiss are at it again. The two Illinois Route 66 preservationists are restoring the original appearance of the Division Street Bridge in Pontiac, which carried the original Illinois Highway 4 and the first alignment of Route 66 in the state during the 1920s, according to the Pontiac Daily Leader. Their work on … Continue reading Illinois bridge being restored
Pontiac set to add to Route 66 attractions
A report by the Pontiac (Ill.) Daily Leader about Monday's city council meeting had items of interest for Route 66ers: A mural is planned on the east side of the Diaz Sign Art building at 628 W. Lincoln Ave. that says "Enjoy Pontiac, Illinois on Route 66" with a 1950s-era car and a Route 66 … Continue reading Pontiac set to add to Route 66 attractions
Route 66 sites earn historic designations
A 1926-37 alignment of Route 66 between Bernalillo and Algodones, N.M., has been added to the state's Register of Cultural Properties, reported the Associated Press. It's a five-mile stretch of original road that was supplanted by a new alignment of Route 66 that went from Santa Rosa to Albuquerque. Also, the Flynt Building at 720 … Continue reading Route 66 sites earn historic designations
McKinley Bridge set to reopen this fall
Route 66 travelers going through the St. Louis area received good news over the weekend: The long-closed McKinley Bridge is set to reopen to traffic on Sept. 25, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The bridge, built in 1910 to link St. Louis to Venice, Ill., was closed in 2001 when it became too dangerously … Continue reading McKinley Bridge set to reopen this fall