Evolution of Route 66 in Springfield, IL
Monday, March 3rd, 2008A few days ago, a couple of messages were posted by me and others on the Route 66 Yahoo Group concerning incorrect signage of Historic Route 66 through Springfield, Illinois, along with questions about the changes in routing that occurred in 1930 and 1932 in Springfield and on the alignment south to Staunton. Some of this information comes from research done by “Road Scholar” Carl Johnson.
U.S. Highway 66 was created along with all of the other original U.S. numbered highways when the first map was approved by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO). As in all states, the U.S. routes in Illinois were placed on existing state public highways. Originally, 66 followed State Bond Issue (SBI) Route 4 from Chicago to the McKinley Bridge over the Mississippi River in Venice, Illinois. In 1930, the alignment was moved away from SBI 4 from Springfield to Staunton, following SBI 126 from Springfield to Litchfield, and SBI 16 from Litchfield to Staunton.
Prior to 1918, the State’s role in road building was to help county and township highway departments with design and planning of roads and bridges and to administer the State Aid and Federal Aid programs. In 1918, the voters of Illinois ratified “An Act in relation to the construction by the State of Illinois of a State-wide system of durable hard-surfaced roads upon public highways of the State and the provision of means for the payment of the cost therof by the issue of bonds of the State of Illinois.” The law would come to be known as the $60 Million Highway Act, and it was the first legislation to authorize direct “construction by the State of Illinois,” rather than simply providing funding and design aid to local highway departments. (more…)
