City officials in Carthage, Mo., want to ensure that Route 66 travelers don’t get lost while driving the Mother Road through town. According to the Carthage Press:
To help drivers stay on course, Short said the city is painting Route 66 logos on the pavement of Garrison and Oak Streets.
“A couple of them are down already,” he said Monday night. One is on Garrison at the corner of Oak, and the other is just around the corner on Oak. Two others have been outlined but need to be filled in. The project, funded from the street department’s regular operating budget, should be completed by next week.
Short said the city looked at similar logos in Webb City before creating its own, but now that they’re in place, he’s not completely satisfied.
“They look fairly small,” Short said. “They need to be bigger and that’s something we’ll have to look at someday, but at least they’re on the ground for now.”
The painted Route 66 shields on the pavement will become increasingly common in the coming years. Unlike Route 66 signs on poles, they can’t be stolen. Sign theft has been an ongoing problem along the Mother Road for years.