A section of 9-foot-wide Sidewalk Highway, aka Ribbon Road, of Route 66 near Miami, Oklahoma, is undergoing a required Section 106 review before Ottawa County begins work to restore the century-old roadway.
Section 106 is a review period required by the National Historic Preservation Act anytime work is imminent on or near historic properties. The review involves a 3.6-mile section near Miami.
The Oklahoma Route 66 Association posted some details:
The intent is to “restore the original character of the historic road, improve poor roadway conditions, and reduce traffic on the original nine-foot-wide pavement section.”
When this project was first announced a few years back, several proposals were made. The alternative that is being recommended by the aforementioned parties at this time includes adding paved shoulders on either side of the original lane:
“The proposed improvements include restoring the original section of pavement; replacing the 6-inch-wide flush concrete curbing; widening the existing 5- to 8-foot-wide gravel shoulders to 10 feet on both sides of the roadway; and paving them to create a durable travel lane. The paved shoulders will eliminate future motor grader activity and therefore discontinue the damage it is causing to the original pavement section. The newly paved shoulders will be chip sealed with brown pea gravel to give the appearance and character of the original historic gravel shoulder. The slope beyond the paved 10-foot lane will be a 2’-9” wide aggregate base shoulder with a slope of 2:1. The project includes drainage structures, and roadside ditches will be graded to properly drain. Trees along the existing right-of-way fence line are being preserved where possible.”
ODOT has made its Historic Structure Report, Roadway Evaluation Report and Alternatives Design Report available here.
Oklahoma Route 66 Association organized a Ribbon Road Committee that is following the project and making recommendations to all parties involved. The committee consists of Oklahoma Route 66 Association President Rhys Martin, association member Kristy Chance and Route 66 Association of Missouri President Rich Dinkela, who also is a member of the Oklahoma association.
The Sidewalk Highway that goes from Miami to Afton was built in 1922, a few years before U.S. 66 was certified. It was designated to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
The Sidewalk Highway also served as part of an original Ozark Trail that predates Route 66.
(Image of the Sidewalk Highway near Miami, Oklahoma, by gsamx via Flickr)