The markers are white badges bearing the route designation and customized with town names along the Mother Road’s Oklahoma span.
Emily Long with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation said the new markers are a celebration of Route 66’s history in some of the places it’s shaped the most.
“We kind of looked for locations where Route 66 really runs through the center of town, where they can kind of bring up that history of that town a little bit,” Long said.
Since work started Monday, crews have completed pavement markers at a dozen spots in and around Tulsa. But the 50 planned locations span the state, and more communities can apply for fresh markers if they’re willing to provide funding.
The $341,000 cost of the planned markers is funded largely by a Department of Commerce grant and a contribution from ODOT.
Long said ODOT anticipates more Route 66 pilgrims than usual this year as the road celebrates its centennial.
“So we're really excited to really highlight the importance of Route 66 for Oklahoma and the nation,” she said.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
