The folks at RETRO — Relive the Route plan to build a massive wall along Route 66 near Edgewood, New Mexico, made of New Mexico license plates in the form of a New Mexico Route 66 map.
The wall will measure 40 feet long by 12 feet high and be made primarily of 960 yellow New Mexico license plates donated by the state.
Outlining the path of Route 66 will be turquoise blue New Mexico license plates, some of them personalized.
Here’s a better look at the proposed wall:
The wall will be placed on the historic gas-station property of the late Bob Audette, a longtime Route 66 champion.
RETRO 66 needs nearly $4,000 in materials and tool rentals for the project. To that end, the nonprofit group launched FundRazr crowdfunding campaign.
Donations can be of any amount. Goodies will be offered at pledges of $25, $100 and $125. With full funding, the group will add a remote camera to the site that will take your picture and post it on RETRO 66’s Facebook page.
The crowdfunding campaign runs through March 29.
Roger Holden, president of the group, told KRQE-TV it has other things planned for the Audette property once it finishes the wall.
In the future, the group plans on building a drive-in movie theater on the land, refurbish the old gas station into a museum, and bring back some of the original gas pumps.
“To make this an attraction… a place to stop, a place to enjoy Route 66,” said Holden.
RETRO 66 — Relive the Route has been instrumental in other projects in the East Mountains near Albuquerque, including five murals, restoring two neon signs at one of the last remaining Whiting Brothers gas stations, cleanups of historic Route 66 properties and other projects.
(Artist’s renderings of the proposed Route 66 license-plate wall near Edgewood, New Mexico)