A stretch of Route 66 that goes near Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup and the Illinois hamlet of Funks Grove will be closed through late October because a 1950s-era bridge will be replaced.
According to a brief in the Bloomington Pantagraph, a 4 1/2-mile stretch of Route 66 north of U.S. 136 will be closed starting Monday so the Timber Creek Bridge can be replaced. The road is slated to reopen Oct. 31.
According to Bridgehunter.com, the concrete bridge was built in 1954. And according to UglyBridges.com, an inspection in May 2014 stated the bridge graded poorly in several area and met “minimum tolerable limits.” An a document from the Illinois Department of Transportation reveals the bridge had been on a list for replacement for some time.
In image of the old bridge may be seen from Google Street View:
Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup sits about a mile or so south of the bridge. To go there while the bridge is closed, one can take Interstate 55 to the U.S. 136 exit and head north on old Route 66 to the farm. An alternative for westbound travelers is via North 800 East Road, which takes you to a road that goes through Funks Grove business. A Google Map of the area may be seen here.
Debby Funk at Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup also said the Illinois Department of Transportation will post signs at the detours indicating Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup is open and directions on how to get there.
Funk said although summer is a busy season, the busiest time usually is March — right after maple sap is harvested and processed into sirup. At the least, IDOT isn’t making old Route 66 less accessible at the worst possible time.
(Image of one of the Funks Grove Maple Sirup signs by ElectraSteph via Flickr)
It is a shame they can’t leave the old bridge and build a new one alongside it
Make the old one a walking/bike bridge only
Another piece of history being destroyed that could be saved