Route 66 to be restored for its 100th anniversary
Photo Foundry Co from Pixabay
The Mother Road is to get some much-needed love, a century after it was first built.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity have pledged to spend $6.6 million on new signage, monuments, museums, service areas and rest stops along the iconic route. A significant portion of the spend will be on boosting infrastructure for electric vehicle charging, so that more eco-friendly road trips can take place on the historic highway.
"The millions of dollars the State is investing in local tourism promotion and enhancing the historic Route 66 will do wonders for Illinois' tourism industry while boosting local economies and promoting the future of travel,” says DCEO Director Kristin A. Richards.
In Oklahoma a National Scenic Byways grant of $1 million will be used to upgrade a stretch of the road to make it safer for all road users, including cyclists.
Route 66 was once a crucial part of America’s federal highway system, created in 1926 and was completed in 1938. It became known as the Main Street of America as it linked Chicago on the East Coast with Los Angeles, 2,400 miles to the west.
Today, with a network of multi-lane Interstates criss-crossing the country Route 66 is no longer a vital artery for America. Instead it’s a throwback to a less hectic time and a bucket list road trip for Detourists from all over the world. These upgrades can only make this great American Journey even better as it approaches its 100th annivesary.
Driving can be thirsty work, but this sensational service station on Route 66 will satisfy even the most dehydrated driver.