From east Tulsa to west Tulsa, 29 historical markers are going up over the next few weeks at points of interest along Route 66.
The signs are one of the last projects left from a 2005 master plan for the highway. Tulsa Route 66 Commission Chair Rhys Martin said the markers will teach Tulsans a little bit more about their city and hopefully draw in a few more tourists as well.
"If you can get them to stop and learn a little bit about Cyrus Avery or McIntyre Field or any of these things that tie into the city directly via Route 66 one way or the other, it would encourage them to stay overnight or spend more time here than maybe they were originally planning," Martin said.
Sign locations are on both alignments of Route 66 and include Rose Bowl, the Blue Dome District, Whittier Square and Crystal City.
"One of my favorite markers is the one that’s going to be near Admiral and Sheridan, which talks about McIntyre Field, which predates the Tulsa Municipal Airport and just talks a lot about Tulsa’s early transportation history, which is tied to Route 66 but isn’t a direct — you know, people wouldn’t normally think about something like that when they think about Route 66 history," Martin said. "So, it’s a good opportunity to celebrate more of Tulsa than just the road itself."
Martin said he’s pleased with Tulsa’s focus on enhancing the Mother Road.
"We’re continuing to improve signage and get the shields down on the pavement throughout the city. The neon sign grant is receiving a lot of applications and positive news. I like the direction we’re going, and I just want to see it continue," Martin said.
The $111,000 project is paid for out of $15 million for Route 66 projects included in the Vision 2025 sales tax.
