California Route 66’s declining condition will be discussed Thursday

The poor or deteriorating condition of roads or bridges along the Route 66 corridor in California will be part of an online discussion Thursday regarding the California Route 66 Management Plan from Barstow to Needles.

Lardner/Klein Landscape Architects, the contractor preparing the management plan, will host the webcast from 10:30 a.m. to noon Pacific time Thursday. It’s the third of four webcasts about the plan. The next webcast will be in October.

According to a news release:

The webcast agenda will include an update on the progress of the CMP, ideas for maintaining a safe and historic travel experience, and recommendations regarding how to preserve or maintain the roadway’s character-defining features. […]

Anyone interested in participating in the web based meeting is requested to send an email to cart66cmp(at)lardnerklein(dot)com with the words “CART 66 WEB MEETING” in the subject line.
Participants are requested to RSVP prior to the webcast to ensure Lardner/Klein can plan for maximum effective public participation during the call.

Members of the public also may contact Lardner/Klein at 1-800-337-1370 to discuss transportation-related issues prior to or after the webcast.

Written comments may be submitted by mail to Lardner/Klein Landscape Architects, 815 North Royal Street, Suite 200, Attn: Route 66 CMP, Alexandria, VA, 22314. The public also may submit written comments by using the CHR66A website at https://www.route66ca.org.

In particular, it seems addressing Route 66’s road surface through the Mojave Desert is overdue. During a road trip earlier this month, I found the stretch west of Amboy to Ludlow as rough. And the stretch Newberry Springs to Ludlow was deemed all but undrivable in Jerry McClanahan’s “Route 66: EZ Guide for Travelers” book.

The problem is a borderline safety issue for motorists, especially on motorcycles. And it will have to be addressed before the route will be used with any regularity by cyclists — a growing segment in Route 66 tourism.

(Image of Route 66 in San Bernardino County, California, via Lynne Miller)

One thought on “California Route 66’s declining condition will be discussed Thursday

  1. The sections of 66 from I-40 to Goffs, and on to Essex and Amboy do have some rough patches, but are for the most part entirely drivable- and in many instances no worse and in some cases better than I-40 in regards to road conditions. The section west from Ludlow to Newberry Springs is horrible- at least for the piece north of I-40 heading into NS. It would seem that this would be a huge expense to bring these sections into even semi-contemporary specifications for a highway- especially with the low tonnage bridges, but like so many places these roads could be both scenic byways with lower speed limits to enhance both the Route 66 and Mohave Desert experience, and in limited fashion, alternative routes for when 40 closes owing to accidents and other events.
    These old alignments though are vital links however to other California, and Nevada destinations, and in fact are the very best way to see the desert and experience the pre-I-40 time period in that environment.

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