The other half of the Route 66 Twin Bridges that once stood near Catoosa, Oklahoma, will be torn down starting sometime next year. KJRH-TV in nearby Tulsa reported the Oklahoma Department of Transportation awarded a $7.2 million contract to replace the 1956 bridge on eastbound Route 66. The bridge replacement project is expected to begin … Continue reading Remaining bridge over Bird Creek near Catoosa will be torn down
Category: Bridges
Ida Red General Store in Tulsa is selling a Route 66 snow globe
Ida Red General Store, specializing in Oklahoma-made gifts, is selling a handpainted, Route 66-themed snow globe featuring several Route 66 landmarks in the Sooner State. Rhys Martin, president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association who helped get clearances for the creation, showed the snow globe in a video: The landmarks I spotted in the snow … Continue reading Ida Red General Store in Tulsa is selling a Route 66 snow globe
Floodwaters inundate Route 66 village of Devils Elbow
Floodwaters have inundated the old Route 66 village of Devils Elbow, Missouri, for a second time this decade. Jax Welborn, a Route 66 advocate who lives nearby, posted these shocking photos of floodwaters from the swollen Big Piney River soaking numerous structures there, including the closed Elbow Inn and the historic bridge. The flooding has … Continue reading Floodwaters inundate Route 66 village of Devils Elbow
New video series spotlights Route 66 revitalization efforts in Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce recently launched a new video series that touts the agency's efforts to revitalize Route 66 before the highway's centennial in 2026. In late 2023, the agency launched the Route 66 grants program, allowing communities to apply for funding for municipalities, nonprofits and government entities on Route 66. To date, 24 projects have … Continue reading New video series spotlights Route 66 revitalization efforts in Oklahoma
Bridge for Old Route 66 between Glenrio and San Jon won’t be ready by 2026, but path is passable
There is good news and bad news about traveling Old Route 66 between Glenrio and San Jon in New Mexico. The bad news is a new bridge that would replace another span destroyed by flash flooding in May 2023 won't be finished by Route 66's centennial in 2026. The good news is county road workers … Continue reading Bridge for Old Route 66 between Glenrio and San Jon won’t be ready by 2026, but path is passable
Rainbow Bridge near Baxter Springs in line for funding to repaint it
One way or another, it appears the Marsh Arch Bridge, aka Rainbow Bridge, on old Route 66 near Baxter Springs, Kansas, will be repainted before the highway's centennial in 2026. According to the Galena Sentinel-Times, Gearhead Curios owner Aaron Perry and Machelle Smith of the Route 66 Association of Kansas recently approached the Cherokee County … Continue reading Rainbow Bridge near Baxter Springs in line for funding to repaint it
New Oklahoma Route 66 grants go to Blue Whale improvements, giant dinosaur, neon projects
The Oklahoma Route 66 Commission announced more than $6.6 million in grants, including improvements to the Blue Whale in Catoosa, a 66-foot dinosaur in Tulsa and multiple neon-sign initiatives. The grants, initially reported by the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, cover 13 Route 66-related projects in the Sooner State. More about the grants can be found … Continue reading New Oklahoma Route 66 grants go to Blue Whale improvements, giant dinosaur, neon projects
Hydro wins $496,000 state grant to build Welcome to Hydro Route 66 Experience
The Hydro Chamber of Commerce of Hydro, Oklahoma, announced the village had received a $496,000 grant from the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission to build a "Welcome to Hydro Route 66 Experience." It will be built at the four-way stop at Route 66 and Highway 58, the north-south road leading into Hydro, and yards off … Continue reading Hydro wins $496,000 state grant to build Welcome to Hydro Route 66 Experience
Construction project west of Pony Bridge will close Route 66 for a few months starting Sept. 9
Less than a half-year after the Pony Bridge near Bridgeport, Oklahoma, reopened to traffic, Route 66 will be closed for up to five months due to another bridge project. The Town of Bridgeport stated on Facebook a replacement project for the so-called Tower Bridge just west of the Pony Bridge will begin on Sept. 9. … Continue reading Construction project west of Pony Bridge will close Route 66 for a few months starting Sept. 9
New video details the changes on Route 66 between 2007 and 2024
Route 66 enthusiast Mike Curtis, aka 2 Lane Traveler on YouTube, recently created a 20-minute video detailing the changes on the Mother Road from 2007 to 2024. The video thumbnail comes with a provocative question: "Thriving or dying?" (Spoiler alert: Definitely not dying; Curtis asserts the old road is simply changing.) https://youtu.be/qpNoshXr-bY?si=_dsqhgfTLccLQgKs The video is … Continue reading New video details the changes on Route 66 between 2007 and 2024