EZ UPDATES

For readers of the EZ 66 Guide for Travelers, I have provided free online updates to help keep your Route 66 experience as current as possible. As you might imagine, Route 66 is constantly undergoing changes, some good, others not so. Businesses open and close, roads are re-routed and street names change.

Please check back here just before your trip for the latest info. Entries are dated as to when they were added.

If you wish to purchase your own copy of the EZ Guide, please go here.

EZ 66 readers have been helpful in keeping me keep the guidebook updated in between my own road trips, so if you discover something that needs to be addressed while on your journey, please let me know!

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GASCONADE BRIDGE REMINDER on Nov 20, 2021 at 12:07:23 am [Print]
MO page-17: You can now drive old 66 between exit 145 and exit 140 east of Lebanon. A new outer road
bridge has been opened, bypassing the closed and endangered 1923 Gasconade river bridge. You do NOT
have to "JOIN I-40 WEST or EAST anymore. There is a side road that will let you get closer to the old
bridge.

UPDATE AS OF 2023: The MO 66 Assoc now has ownership of the bridge and intends to preserve it. You can no longer walk the old bridge due to safety concerns for now.

ROLLA AND MARSHFIELD MO on Oct 26, 2021 at 6:13:24 pm [Print]
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE MAY 30 UPDATES FOR ROLLA, AND JUNE 23 FOR MARSHFIELD. SOME CONFUSING CHANGES IN the route.

UPDATE: as of 12-6, GOOGLE still does not accurately depict the new road configurations east of Marshfield.

singing hwy update nm page-11 on Aug 02, 2021 at 4:25:59 pm [Print]
UPDATE 6-30-22: Reports are that it is very hard to find and much shorter.

The "singing hwy" that plays America the beautiful when you drive on is harder to find now.

This is on NM page-11 between Albuquerque and Tijeras (eastbound only),

As of last week the singing road WAS still working, although the SIGN IS GONE and no further maintenance will be done to preserve it. Someday it will be silent.

In the meantime, it is on Route 66/HWY 333 between mile marker 4 and 5, eastbound only. Drive (safely!!!) 45 mph and a little more to the right. If you need to u turn and try again BE CAREFUL!

OK page-18 on Aug 02, 2021 at 3:55:31 pm [Print]
Good news! The rebuilt Captain Creek bridge on 66B ( original 66) west of Wellston Oklahoma is open.
The original metal trusses were saved and installed on the new structure.

So now you can follow the WB or EB directions thru town.

OK PAGE-20 typo alert! on Jul 22, 2021 at 5:56:25 pm [Print]
EB (eastbound) the I-44 exit mentioned at the end of the EB box should be EXIT 128B. just make sure you are getting on I-44 headed EAST.

BUMPY ROADS on Jul 19, 2021 at 4:20:52 pm [Print]
Still advised summer 2022

With all the rain and heat and rain...etc along much of 66, be aware of potholes and patches, and also sharp bumps at concrete road joints (often buried under asphalt). The latter can jolt a muscle car or motorbike unexpectedly.

DEACDE OF WHEELS BAXTER SPRINGS KS on Jul 19, 2021 at 4:14:14 pm [Print]
AS REPORTED IN "ROUTE 66 NEWS":

The Decades of Wheels complex in downtown Baxter Springs, Kansas, has been placed on the market with a Wichita real-estate firm for $5 million, barely two years after it opened.

“The hotel will remain open until sold but the rest of it will remain closed,” a Facebook post stated.

Update: drove thru earlier in April 2022..an electric sign said the Hotel WAS open and has 25 rooms.

WESTERN OKLAHOMA SIGNS on Jul 13, 2021 at 3:52:28 pm [Print]
Good news and not so good news about the Historic 66 sign situation west of El Reno to Sayre, OK (which i traveled the other day.)

There is now sign a great new directing you to turn right (WB) from BL 40 west on El Reno onto Old 66 at the Ft Reno turn!(UPDATE: STOLEN! I reported this in March of 2022)

Also, FINALLY, they have posted a sign telling you to turn left (WB) from Spur 281 onto Old 66 (headed to descend "Bridgeport Hill"). Previously, there was NO such sign, and my directions had to say "Turn LEFT (at the house!" LOL

Thank you very much, ODOT!

Unfortunately, many of the undesired signs that were recently posted to direct travelers onto I-40 (and NOT old 66) remain.

The Hwy Dept HAS cooperated and removed many of these.their hearts were in the right place and we are grateful.

But there's really no need for H-66 signs on I-40, as the former 4-lane 66 has been completely obliterated. And despite the H-66 sign directing you onto the I-40 bypass around Sayre, this bypass was NEVER 66!

IF you are on an interstate anywhere thru-out Oklahoma (with the exception of the OKC area)then you are MISSING a great stretch of 66!

So please, unless you are in a big hurry, IGNORE ANY HISTORIC 66 SIGN THAT LEAD YOU ONTO THE INTERSTATE.

Also, in my drive eastbound between Sayre and Clinton, I noticed there are NO Historic 66 signs directing you to the meany turns needed to cross and recross I-40. Only in the bigger towns do such signs currently exist. This may be a jurisdictional issue. Good thing you've got the EZ 66 Guide!

CATOOSA OK OK PG-9 on Jul 09, 2021 at 11:21:00 pm [Print]
FOLLOW THE EZ 66 DIRECTIONS AND NOT THE OK 66 OR HISTORIC 66 SIGNS TO STAY ON OLD 66 THRU CATOOSA AND INTO TULSA.

Barstow Motels on Jul 06, 2021 at 6:13:37 pm [Print]
If you have any experience with motels in Barstow this year, please let me know. Especially the Route 66 Motel.