Blues Brothers statue may greet Route 66 travelers

The city of Joliet, Ill., wants to draw more tourists into its suburban Chicago town.

One of the ways it hopes to do this is by building a fiberglass statue of the Blues Brothers on Route 66, according to United Press International. 

The Blues Brothers was a “Saturday Night Live” routine by the Dan Aykroyd and the late John Belushi that eventually produced a movie and at least a couple of albums. The Blues Brothers were patterned mostly after the Memphis soul act Sam and Dave.

The city also is considering neon signs to guide travelers to area attractions, the report says. The city has pledged $105,000 for the project, with another $83,000 anticipated from the state.

The Daily Southtown gives a few more details:

According to a city memo, the Blues Brothers statue, an information kiosk and directions to the historical museum will be placed at the Broadway Greenway Park along Illinois 53 and neon lighting will be added to the vintage Rich & Creamy ice-cream stand nearby.

The lobby of the historical museum on Ottawa Street will be transformed into a Route 66 Welcome Center complete with a mural, a 3-D photo opportunity display, more neon sings, a mock hotel room and drive-in and information on Joliet and the historic route.

Plans also call for vintage gas pump replicas that will serve as educational markers explaining key downtown sites such as the Rialto Square Theatre. […]

If the funding is approved soon and the city’s plan proceeds on schedule, residents and visitors will see most of the Route 66 improvements by summer.