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Myths about Route 66: #1 Route 66 is essentialy a highway
When I talked about Route 66 to people from different European countries, I was shocked by the myths and inaccurate information I learned during the conversations. Route 66 needs to be discussed much more and so I have decided to explain and even debunk some of these myths. Let's explain the myth #1!
False. Approximately 85% of Route 66 consist of unique stretches of old roads from different periods of operation. Route 66 is unique because it was not usual to expand roads in the US and instead, a new, wider, and more modern route was simply built in many places. Thanks to this generous spatial approach, you can now drive along the original and oftentimes abandoned route from 1926, with stretches from different time periods, all along Route 66. Believe me, it has its charm. My favorite abandoned part is Hooker’s Cut – a largely empty four-lane highway in the middle of a dense forest. With its grassy patches and ravishing greenery, it looks like it’s been taken straight from a post-apocalyptic film.
Only 15% of the entire length of Route 66 is formed by a highway. This is in places where it was not possible to build another road and so the highway completely overlapped Route 66. However, these are short sections where you get on the highway and after a few miles you are back to the historic Route 66.
Due to the growing number of tourists, you will also find that the most damaged parts or sections of low historical value have a new asphalt or concrete surface, but most of the repairs are being done in a similar way as the original road to preserve its character.
