Is Route 66 dangerous?

Is Route 66 still dangerous? Stretches along the original Route 66 have been realigned over the years, and about 85 percent of the original U.S. 66 highway is still driveable, per The Route-66. Most of the road is paved, making it safer to travel on than it has been in the past.



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Route 66's popularity led to its downfall, with traffic swelling beyond its two-lane capacity. In 1956, legislation created the Interstate System, and over the course of three decades, five separate interstates bypassed segment after segment of Route 66.

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Of the original 2,448 miles that made up Route 66, about 80-85% is still drivable.

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You need around three weeks to complete Route 66. There is no perfect time to drive Route 66. Due to its sheer size, you're likely to experience some adverse weather conditions, whatever the month.

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Migration and tourism shaped towns along Route 66 even before the road was officially established in 1926. But the Interstate Highway System decimated many of these communities when it circumvented Route 66 in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Today, many sections of Route 66 are completely gone.

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Portions of the road have now been designated as National Scenic Byways or as “Historic Route 66” in several states including Arizona, New Mexico, Illinois, and Missouri. Vintage Shell gas station (left) built in 1926 on Route 66 in Mount Olive, Illinois (photo taken between 1980 and 2006).

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Avery is remembered as The Father of Route 66. To further the popularity of Route 66, John Steinbeck proclaimed Route 66 the Mother Road in his 1939 book The Grapes of Wrath. Like Route 40 and the National Road, Route 66 has shared the title The Main Street of America.

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20 Facts About Route 66
  • Route 66 was built as an efficient way to get from Chicago to Los Angeles. ...
  • The “Father of Route 66” was an Oklahoma businessman. ...
  • In 1928, promoters held a foot race across Route 66. ...
  • The New Deal helped finish Route 66. ...
  • The Great Depression spurred thousands to head west along Route 66.


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