Next Wednesday, repair work begins on a bridge on the northeast side of Carthage, Mo. It will take virtually all summer on this project.
The owners of the recently reopened Boots Motel and other businesses along the Route 66 corridor in town are worried the marked detour will potentially keep travelers away.
According to a story by the Joplin Globe:
The Spring River bridge on Highway 96 will be closed starting May 30 for four to six months for a project to replace the span. The work is expected to take four to six months. A detour will be marked directing drivers to use Route 37, Jasper County Route E and Route 571 to get around the project, but local drivers can use alternate routes.
Hart said the detour will direct travelers away from Route 66 business and could prove confusing to those traveling the route. He said his group and the Boots Motel will publicize an alternate that redirect traffic back into Carthage. The Carthage Convention and Visitor’s Bureau will help distribute that information, Wendi Douglas, executive director, told the council.
Hart also emailed maps for eastbound and westbound Route 66 travelers. You can click on these maps to enlarge them.
First, the westbound map:
Next, the eastbound map:
I’ve also provided an illustration of a Route 66-related detour, via Google Maps. If you’re traveling Route 66 this summer, keep these in mind, and let others know as well.