Don't anticipate the primitive La Bajada Hill alignment of Route 66 southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, to be reopened to off-roaders or hikers anytime soon. A pueblo group recently accused the U.S. Bureau of Land Management of not doing enough to protect sacred sites in the Caja del Rio Plateau area (aka La Bajada) … Continue reading Desecration of petroglyphs probably means La Bajada access won’t be reopened anytime soon
Category: Highways
California Historic Route 66 Association to celebrate its historic byway on Feb. 12
The California Historic Route 66 Association will hold a Route 66 Byway celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 12 at the historic El Garces in Needles, California. Attendees include Atlanta, Illinois, tourism director Whitney Ortiz as well as authors and photographers. Area car clubs are planning to attend, and free tours of El … Continue reading California Historic Route 66 Association to celebrate its historic byway on Feb. 12
U.S. House committee holds hearing on Route 66 National Historic Trail bill
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) testified Wednesday before a U.S. House Natural Resources Committee hearing about his proposed Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Act. LaHood was joined by Casey Claypool, executive director of the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, who also testified in support of the bill, which is H.R. 3600. The bill, introduced in … Continue reading U.S. House committee holds hearing on Route 66 National Historic Trail bill
Renovations of Route 66’s Sidewalk Highway in Oklahoma to begin in 2023
A long-awaited renovation of a 9-foot-wide, century-old section of Route 66 -- better known as the Sidewalk Highway -- in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, is slated to begin sometime in 2023. According to KSNF-TV, the project is in the planning stage: “What we got is a 1920 Federal Highway which is now a national trail, and … Continue reading Renovations of Route 66’s Sidewalk Highway in Oklahoma to begin in 2023
California nearly used atomic bombs to help bypass Route 66 in California
California highway planners seriously considered the use of nearly two dozen atomic bombs to level a mountain range so a new alignment of Interstate 40 could be built through the Mojave Desert and thus bypass Route 66. Newsmen and other observers watch a cloud of dust emerge in the distance several seconds after an underground … Continue reading California nearly used atomic bombs to help bypass Route 66 in California
New Route 66 National Historic Trail bill introduced in Congress
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) on Friday introduced the Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, with U.S. Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.) as the co-sponsor. The bill is so new, it hadn't yet been added to the database of the Congress' bill-search website as of Friday evening. The Route … Continue reading New Route 66 National Historic Trail bill introduced in Congress
New signs on Old Route 66 near Arcadia commemorate National Register designation
Last month, Oklahoma County erected signs that marked a semi-obscure section of historic Route 66 roadbed near Arcadia, Oklahoma, and commemorated its designation to the National Register of Historic Places. Shellee Graham, who lives on the road with her husband, Route 66 researcher Jim Ross, posted a series of photos of the sign being installed: … Continue reading New signs on Old Route 66 near Arcadia commemorate National Register designation
A new exhibit in Atlanta showcases an original section of Route 66
A new outdoor exhibit in Atlanta, Illinois, offers drivers a chance to cruise down a 1924 section of highway that became the original Route 66 two years later. The quarter-mile section gives drivers a taste of what it was like to drive old Route 66 nearly a century ago. That section was part of Illinois … Continue reading A new exhibit in Atlanta showcases an original section of Route 66
Scenic byway organization seeks money from infrastructure bill for Route 66
The Springfield News-Leader recently published an excellent feature article about Missouri Route 66 recently earning an All-American Road designation and its possible effects. The article contains interviews with the principals at Gay Parita Station, Route 66 Food Truck Park, Birthplace of Route 66 Festival, Rockwood Motor Court and the Route 66 Association of Missouri. But … Continue reading Scenic byway organization seeks money from infrastructure bill for Route 66
Sapulpa planning a new access road to Ozark Trail alignment of Route 66
The city of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, is planning to build an extension of an existing highway later this spring so motorists can more easily access the old Ozark Trail alignment of Route 66 west of town. The Sapulpa Times detailed upcoming work regarding Proposition 1, one of a series of bond projects approved by voters in … Continue reading Sapulpa planning a new access road to Ozark Trail alignment of Route 66