Ottawa County, Oklahoma, is planning a public meeting on March 10 to discuss options on revitalizing and preserving the historic Sidewalk Highway of Route 66 between Miami and Afton.
One of the possible options is a hiking and cycling trail, county commissioner Russell Earls told KSNF-TV.
A partnership with Miami Parks and Recreation could mean new outdoor activities for the Northeast Oklahoma community.
With ideas circling around a trail connecting Riverview Park in Miami, across the Neosho River, all the way to the historic highway.
“We want to incorporate all of that together and have a hiking and biking experience along the Route 66 Ribbon Road,” said Earls. […]
“We know that once its refurbished and where its a little more comfortable to travel on, and we are able to get the world out that people are going to be coming to it a lot more and bring in a lot of tourism money for our cities and the county.”
There was some discussion on Facebook about how the Sidewalk Highway, aka Ribbon Road, would be preserved.
Rich Dinkela, president of the Route 66 Association of Missouri, stated he’s been working with Earls and that one section of the highway “will be completely preserved and in its current state of patina.”
Rhys Martin, president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, said the county cannot prevent heavy farm equipment from using the road, but added:
“They’ve been working with the National Park Service to find a good solution that both restores/preserves the Ribbon Road as it was while also allowing space for that traffic to continue.
“I am glad that Ottawa County understands the historic significance and look forward to working with them through the Oklahoma Route 66 Association so that the lane can be preserved in the best way possible to keep the integrity intact.”
The 9-foot-wide and 7-mile-long Sidewalk Highway was built in 1922, shortly before U.S. 66 was certified. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
The Sidewalk Highway also was part of an original Ozark Trail that predates Route 66.
Much of the Sidewalk Highway is covered with gravel to fill potholes and washboarded sections. The gravel also keeps the original road surface underneath from deteriorating faster, but it’s not particularly attractive.
(Image of the Sidewalk Highway near Miami, Oklahoma, by gsamx via Flickr)
Laurel Kane would like to hear that this is taking place.