Abandoned Route 66

Henry St. at Pine St., Normal, IL
Phone:

East < GO > West

There is a short dead end piece of the 1926 roadbed left east of where Henry St. just before you curve unto Pine St. shortly after you enter Normal. This section of the Mother Road was abandoned in the mid-1990s when Towanda Avenue was extend north across Shelbourne Rd.

GPS: 40.519102, -88.968200

The extension of Towanda Avenue included a bridge just south of Shelbourne that crossed over some railroad tracks . For some unknown reason, probably money, the bridge isn't long enough to cross old 66, so City 66 was realigned to Henry St. You can see the west end of the bridge at the east side of Old 66 in this photo. They saved the pavement on the south side of the bridge but on the north side it looks like the old pavement has been torn out between the bridge and where 66 now turns west onto Shelbourne Rd.

Photo(s): 2015