The mayor of Arcadia, Okla., is expressing concern about a number of improvements planned for Oklahoma Highway 66 (aka Route 66) through her town, reported The Oklahoman newspaper.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation plans to widen 66 to four lanes from Post Road near Edmond to about Winchester Westminster Road in Arcadia, which is right next to Pops. It also plans to resurface the road and add shoulders from Post Road to the Lincoln County line, which is east of Arcadia.
But Arcadia Mayor Marilyn Murrell is skeptical:
“This project will have a negative impact on the town of Arcadia,” Murrell said. “A major portion of Arcadia’s budget is generated from tourism-related activities. People come to Arcadia because they want to visit the original Route 66.”
Murrell led a campaign to get people’s opinions about the estimated $26 million project in the hands of transportation department officials.
“I am confident we got their attention,” Murrell said.
I’m not joining Murrell on her concerns. The highway changes will not affect any historical bridges or other structures, nor will the four-lane portion go through the heart of her town. And more lanes on 66 in that area probably is warranted, with the additional traffic that Pops is bringing from Interstate 35 and the large suburban city of Edmond to the west.
Also, the highway in Arcadia to the Lincoln County line is not original pavement. The road in that area already is made of asphalt, and resurfacing won’t affect its character in any measurable way. Plus, the addition of shoulders will make that portion of 66 safer and more pleasurable for cyclists.
Oklahoma Route 66 historian Jim Ross concurs with my assessment on the lack of any historical impact this project will have.
Interestingly, Edmond is planning a Route 66-themed park at Post Road.
Road construction is slated for 2015 or 2016.
UPDATE: Ross followed up with this comment that clarifies that plan and corrects the Oklahoman’s report:
The plan was to 4-lane 1.2 miles (which will do nothing to disperse traffic), then skip the portion from Pops to Indian Meridian Rd. (5 miles), then add shoulders and resurface from that point to the Lincoln Co. line. This seemed bizarre. The consensus at the meeting was to forget the 4-lane bit and simply add shoulders the entire length of the project, including Arcadia, and to also widen the box drains with narrow guardrails (there are two of these on the portion they planned to omit). ODOT seemed open to these ideas. I have to agree with the mayor that the last thing the road needs is to have any part of it 4-laned unless absolutely necessary.
Ron, the article is somewhat inaccurate. I was at the meeting. The plan was to 4-lane 1.2 miles (which will do nothing to disperse traffic), then skip the portion from Pops to Indian Meridian Rd. (5 miles), then add shoulders and resurface from that point to the Lincoln Co. line. This seemed bizarre. The consensus at the meeting was to forget the 4-lane bit and simply add shoulders the entire length of the project, including Arcadia, and to also widen the box drains with narrow guardrails (there are two of these on the portion they planned to omit). ODOT seemed open to these ideas. I have to agree with the mayor that the last thing the road needs is to have any part of it 4-laned unless absolutely necessary.
Thats a busy area, but hardly warrants adding more lanes. Shoulders would satisfy the need for any safety concerns. While at the same time, it would be hardly noticeable to the average explorer our tourist. I’m happy for the simple fact that Arcadia is fortunate enough to have a watchful Mayor, even if people might believe there was some over reaction to ODOT’s proposal. Any reaction is better than none.
Here in Missouri, we have a tough time preserving relics of the road, even on Route 66. Once an area has been modernized beyond the actual need, it just seems to invite more commercialization. Arcadia and other places in Oklahoma should be so lucky that ODOT and the enthusiasts of Route 66 can come to an agreement that satisfies the both interests.
Whether Ms. Murrell actually is watchful is debatable. The much-debated billboard near the Round Barn was erected about a year ago without a peep from her or the town council.
And ODOT irked the Route 66 community by not maintaining the Bird Creek Bridge near Catoosa and ripping out original pavement near Bridgeport.
Don’t get me wrong — I’m glad some oversight by her and hints of compromise by ODOT are happening. But, to be honest, both parties have checkered reputations.
Yeah, the sign is an atrocity. Still yet, it seems like they might be minor steps in the right direction. Maybe, just maybe some seeds have been planted that will keep preservation in mind while balancing progress.
We can hope.
The mayor is a politician first. She has a history of making supportive statements in public while doing absolutely nothing to promote the road or make the tourist experience more inviting (their speed-trap reputation is still well deserved). That billboard business is a good case in point.
I drive the road west of POPS every day and while there is some traffic, in my mind it is light. Given that the ODOT project is 3-4 years out, I realize they are thinking ahead. They stated that traffic counts on the proposed 4-lane section are 3,000 per day higher than counts east of Pops. I think they are exaggerating the numbers. Pops is lively, but not to the tune of 3,000 cars a day. In any case, extending the 4-lane another 1.2 miles ain’t gonna change anything.
The latest data on traffic counts in that area is 2009, and it shows that west of Arcadia on 66, the traffic counts are 2,100 higher than east of town — 7,500 to 5,400.
https://www.okladot.state.ok.us/aadtcnt/map.aspx?map=Oklahoma%20%20County&year=2009
Because the data is two years old and traffic is trending upward on that road in general, it may not be such an exaggeration.
By the way, daily traffic counts west of Arcadia went up 1,600 from 2006 to 2009. So Pops definitely has made a big impact on traffic there.
Would it affect businesses such as The Biker Shak or Route 66 Lake Stop?
Other than disruption during the actual construction, I don’t see why it would.