U.S. Route 66 in Illinois Totally Explained

Everything about U S Route 66 In Illinois totally explained

U.S. Route 66 in Illinois connected St. Louis, Missouri and Chicago, Illinois. U.S. Route 66 had previously been Illinois Route 4 and the road has now been largely replaced with Interstate 55. Parts of the road still carry traffic and six separate portions of the roadbed have been listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

History

Construction on the U.S. Route 66, known as the Mother Road, began in 1926 and eventually the 2,448 mile highway would cross through eight states on its way from Chicago to Santa Monica, California. In Illinois, and the Midwest in general, the construction of U.S. Route 66 was important to the economies of small, rural towns, which saw a burst of activity when the road finally passed through.
In 1916 the Federal Aid Post Road Act, known as the Shackleford Bill, passed Congress and appropriated $75 million to be distributed to the states over the next five years. The funding was provided on an ongoing basis, over the period of five years, and the law made the federal government and active partner in road building for the first time.

North of Auburn

A section of Illinois Route 4 north of Auburn, and south of Springfield, which was also part of the original span of U.S. 66 when it was designated was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 6, 1998.
   Two communities south of Bloomington are also closely affiliated with the road. In Funks Grove, Illinois, settled by the Funk family in 1891, pure "maple sirup" is made. McLean, Illinois is home to the famous Dixie Travel Plaza, a truckstop that was established as the Dixie Truckers Home in 1928. This section of U.S. 66 was commissioned in 1926. The road segment travels from the northeast to the southwest and begins in the southeast corner of Odell Township in Livingston County and ends in the northwest corner of Chenoa Township in McLean County. U.S. Route 66 passes through Odell, Esmen, Pontiac, Eppards Point, and Pike Townships, on its stretch from Cayuga to Chenoa. The road is paralleled on its east by the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and on its west by Interstate 55. Portions of the northbound and southbound lanes carry still carry traffic, in spots where one of the sections is still in use the other section is abandoned but extant.
   The roadbed in this area had two periods of construction, the original period, in 1926 and a second period, in 1945. The 1945 roadbed remains. In addition, several structures along the segment of road are included in the listing on the National Register. Contributing structures to the listing include one bridge, one overpass and four concrete box culverts. The three span, continuous steel multibeam bridge, in the northbound lanes, dates to 1950 and features concrete balusters and top rails. The box culverts were built as part of the 1926 road's foundation and range in width from five to nine feet. There are also four non-historic bridges, constructed in the 1970s and 1980s located along this stretch of U.S. Route 66. Examples of extant filling stations along Route 66 in Illinois can be found in varying states of disrepair, and a few have been fully restored. Large companies, such as Johnson's, or the Steak n' Shake chain which began in Normal, Illinois and was based on the pioneering idea of curbside service at your car, enjoyed success alongside what were mostly "mom and pop" eateries dotting the Mother Road.
   Some locations along Route 66 in Illinois became known for their cuisine, one example is the state capital, Springfield. Springfield has long had an affiliation with food. The corn dog on a stick was invented in the city under the name "Cozy Dog," although there's some debate to the actual origin of the popular snack. The Cozy Dog Drive-In has been a Springfield Route 66 staple since 1950. The first U.S. drive-thru window is still in operation in Springfield, along Route 66, at the Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop. The longest-running restaurant along the entire stretch of U.S. Route 66, nationwide, is the Ariston Cafe in Litchfield. The Ariston is an excellent example of the type of mom and pop operation that flourished along 66 in Illinois.

Bridges

Nearly all bridges along Old Route 66 in Illinois are constructed from concrete, this is the case with very few exceptions. They are simple, lack ornamentation and all of their major components, abutments, piers, floor beams, decks, stringers, and railings were constructed from concrete. The only ornamentation is found in the railings, which sometimes contained balusters. Between 1926–1940 most of the Route 66 bridges in Illinois were built as two lane bridges. Later incarnations of bridges, built after 1940 were paired with two lanes going in each direction.

Significance

U.S. Route 66 has come to stand for the collective, American tourist experience and holds a special place in American popular culture. There is a certain nostalgic appeal to Route 66 that's associated with the thrill of the open road which has contributed to its popularity. Looking at the historic roadway through Illinois from a different perspective it reveals a unique history which tells the story of movement across the prairie and road building across the same terrain. Study of the highway in Illinois also reveals the evolution of the interstate highway system and the growing popularity of automobiles. The 436 mile stretch of road was declared a scenic byway on September 22, 2005 by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

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