Federal, state and local leaders gathered Thursday to kick off Missouri’s Route 66 Centennial in honor of the iconic highway’s 100th anniversary. The event was hosted in Springfield, which is also considered the birthplace of this historic route. Learn more about the route’s history on the Route 66 Centennial website.
100 years ago, Route 66 was designated as one of the original federal highways, running from Chicago to Santa Monica. Known as America’s “Mother Road”, it helped usher in business expansion, connect rural and urban communities and shape the culture and economy of the time. Today, its legacy lives on with the expansion and improvements along the route’s modern successor: Interstate 44.
While the I-44 corridor has largely replaced Route 66, aside from some remaining historic designations, the interstate still serves as a vital east-west freight corridor across the state and evolves the 100-year-old vision of connecting the growing communities and industries in the region…