Route 66 in Wellston, Oklahoma, is closed for about a year due to an overpass replacement on nearby Interstate 44, but a shorter detour will be available for regular vehicles. According to Roads & Bridges, the $48 million project that began Tuesday aims to widen a section of the Turner Turnpike (aka I-44) from four … Continue reading Route 66 closes at Wellston for about a year; shorter detour is available for regular vehicles
Category: Highways
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
Section of Route 66 in Wellston to be closed for about a year, starting about Aug. 21
A small but significant section of Route 66 in Wellston, Oklahoma, will be closed for about a year while a bridge is being replaced on the adjacent Turner Turnpike. The road closure will begin about Aug. 21, with detours onto county roads. Joe Echelle of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority during a recent meeting provided details … Continue reading Section of Route 66 in Wellston to be closed for about a year, starting about Aug. 21
State official: “Two to three years of life remaining’ on Singing Road near Tijeras
A New Mexico Department of Transportation official told an Albuquerque television station that only two to three years of life are left for the so-called Singing Road on Route 66 in Tijeras. KRQE-TV told Kimberly Gallegos, a DOT public information officer, the rumble strips on Route 66 designed to play "America the Beautiful" when motorists … Continue reading State official: “Two to three years of life remaining’ on Singing Road near Tijeras
“Impossible Interviews” video series interviews Route 66 itself
Longtime readers probably know of Roberto Rossi, a Route 66 enthusiast in Italy who published "Route 66: An American Myth" (review here) in 2017. Rossi now has started an "Impossible Interviews" series where he interviews Route 66 itself. https://youtu.be/5whmWFwcsVc?si=sR3LwK4Nn8Kb-nIg The ol' highway obviously can't talk, nor is it a sentient being. (Its voice, by the way, … Continue reading “Impossible Interviews” video series interviews Route 66 itself
Compromise leaves 1 mile of endangered Ribbon Road in Oklahoma untouched
A compromise between state and local officials will preserve one mile of the fabled Ribbon Road of original Route 66 in northeast Oklahoma after the county voted recently to grind up the asphalt on the three-mile stretch. KSNF-TV in nearby Joplin, Missouri, reported that Miami Mayor Bless Parker, state Rep. Steve Bashore, Lt. Gov. and … Continue reading Compromise leaves 1 mile of endangered Ribbon Road in Oklahoma untouched
Organization wants a big “Clinton” sign on city’s east side of Route 66
The city council of Clinton, Oklahoma, heard a local organization's proposal of a two-sided big sign to showcase an original section of Route 66 on the city's east side. According to a recent print edition of the Clinton Daily News, Andrew Stone of the West OK Co-op presented its idea to the city council where … Continue reading Organization wants a big “Clinton” sign on city’s east side of Route 66
County decides to grind up Sidewalk Highway asphalt despite pleas from preservationists
Ottawa County, Oklahoma, has decided to grind up the original asphalt and make other significant alterations to the 9-foot-wide "Sidewalk Highway" of original Route 66 between Miami and Afton. The county recently took the action despite pleas from the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and other historic preservationists to keep the century-old "Ribbon Road" intact as … Continue reading County decides to grind up Sidewalk Highway asphalt despite pleas from preservationists
Oklahoma unveils official logo for state’s Route 66 centennial celebrations
The Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission last week unveiled the official logo for the state's Route 66 centennial celebrations during a kickoff event at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City. This inaugural event marks the commencement of a series of celebrations leading up to the iconic Route 66's 100th anniversary in 2026. The ceremony culminated with unveiling of the Oklahoma Route … Continue reading Oklahoma unveils official logo for state’s Route 66 centennial celebrations