Route 66 Scenic Byway Gets Big Boost
by Elmo Baca, Director New Mexico MainStreet
A major federal grant promises to impact New Mexico's legendary Route
66 corridor in 1997 and 1998. Long-awaited funds for enhancement of Route
66 have been awarded by the Federal Highway Administration through the New
Mexico Department of Transportation (DOT) to the New Mexico MainStreet program
of the Economic Development Department. The unique partnership of federal
and state agencies hopes to work directly with Route 66 communities along
both the pre-1937 alignment and the modern corridor to create projects designed
to enhance the public's experience of the Mother Road. The $324,000 federal
grant is provided through the Intermodal Surface Transportation Enhancement
Act of 1992, better known as ISTEA, under the program guidelines of the
Scenic Byway program. New Mexico's historic Route 66 is perhaps the
state's longest (over 300 miles) and best known scenic byway, designated
as a federal and state byway in February, 1994. Many fans of Route 66 nationally
and internationally will also claim that New Mexico possesses some of the
most compelling, scenic, and dramatic stretches of the famed highway, offering
travelers a quintessential motoring experience. Project funds are designated
for three major areas of activity: signage, community tourist information
and scenic byway management. At least ten New Mexico communities will benefit
from the federal grant. For several years, Route 66 activists in New
Mexico (spearheaded by the New Mexico Route 66 Association) have worked
hard to improve directional signage to the authentic highway for motorists.
Major progress was |
made within the past two years when highway markers were installed by the
New Mexico Department of Transportation along the statewide corridor. The
familiar brown-and-white shield signs, which conform to national standards,
are now visible in several New Mexico towns, and are especially prominent
along Albuquerque's Central Avenue. A major goal of the scenic byway
grant is to provide better directional signage from the I-40 and I-25 interstate
highways to Route 66. In addition, the Route 66 Scenic Byway project will
sponsor a statewide competition to develop a New Mexico Scenic Byway "logo"
sign which will be installed along all of the states scenic byways. Announcements
of the logo sign contest are forthcoming. The Route 66 Scenic Byway
grant will also support tourist information projects in ten communities
along the corridor. Federal funds will support local Route 66 brochures
highlighting landmarks and scenic attractions. Also, seven communities (Gallup,
Grants, Laguna Pueblo, Moriarty, Santa Rosa, Tucumcari and Bernalillo) have
been designated to receive financial support for the creation of semi-permanent
exhibits on the legacy of Route 66 in their vicinity. The federal funds
will also finance a statewide Route 66 cultural and events brochure highlighting
cultural attractions such as the new Cultural Corridors art projects and
community special events. The third major feature of the Route 66 Scenic
Byway grant is technical assistance provided to corridor communities. "Route
66 Corridor Management Workshops" will be offered as intensive three-hour
workshops designed to help communities manage corridor issues such as land
use, billboards, tourism and historic preservation. The Route 66 Scenic
Byway project, began in July, will be completed by December, 1998. For more
information, contact the New Mexico MainStreet program at (505) 827-0200. |
Thanks to Julia King and Tom Coffin for these photos
of the new monument in Tucumcari, complete with the Cadillac fin piece.
This piece was still unfinished during the dedication ceremonies on May
17. No longer the headless statue, you will probably agree that it was worth
the wait. Be sure to drive by and see it the next time you're passing through
Tucumcari. The concrete cast design is 36 feet long, 12 feet wide and stands
15 feet high. The work by artist Coffin (far right) was
commissioned by the State of New Mexico Highway and Transportation Department,
the New Mexico Arts Commission and the City of Tucumcari, New Mexico. "It
has been a year long project," writes Julia, "and one of the most
incredible experiences of either of our lives."
Sue Bohannan Mann |
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