Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell was among the dignitaries on hand Tuesday for the dedication of "Route 66 Rising."
The sculpture features a gray highway shield with "Tulsa" emblazoned at the top and "66" in light blue numbers rising out of the ground, surrounded by gold and blue rings. It was paid for with $682,000 out of $15 million in Vision 2025 funding earmarked for Route 66 projects.
Pinnell said the highway is an asset Oklahoma must take full advantage of.
"This is a great resource. It’s an economic development engine in the City of Tulsa, and I really hope that what Tulsa is showing is showing the rest of the state how to do Route 66," Pinnell said.
The 30-foot-tall, 70-foot-wide sculpture sits inside the Avery Traffic Circle at Admiral and Mingo, on the original alignment of the Mother Road.
"It’s actually where Cyrus Avery’s tourist court was located with cabins that folks could stay in as they were traveling down Route 66 and also get serviced up and get gas," said Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum.
Avery is considered the Father of Route 66 and lived in Tulsa as it was being planned. His granddaughter, Joy, also attended the dedication and read from her poem "66."
"Revere the past, nurture the present, dream the future. Together as family with concrete running through our veins, protect, promote, preserve 66," Joy Avery said.
New Mexican artist Eric Garcia’s sculpture was complteted late last year and was to be dedicated May 20, but severe weather delayed the ceremony.
