Funds for Route 66 towns may be at risk

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Route 66, the historic American roadway that linked Chicago to the West Coast, soon may be dropped from a National Park Service preservation program, which would end years of efforts aimed at reviving old tourist spots in struggling towns.

A federal law authorizing the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program is set to expire in two years, and some lawmakers are working to save the program or get Congress to designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail. That designation would set aside preservation funds annually.

The deadline, first reported by The Herald-News in Joliet, Ill., also has Route 66 enthusiasts and preservation advocates scrambling to make sure the program or an alternative is maintained for the “Mother Road.”

The program is credited with helping bring back to life forgotten landmarks along the route, many in disrepair because of sharply lower Route 66 traffic. Development of the interstate highway system after World War II diverted motorists away from Route 66 and economically hurt communities along the road.

A bipartisan bill in Congress to designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail, sponsored by Rep. Darin LaHood, an Illinois Republican, is supported by 12 other members of Congress from Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and California.

New Mexico has the longest stretch of Route 66 passing through urban communities, but state Tourism Secretary Rebecca Latham said she did not know whether the program would have an adverse impact on the state if it is not eventually refunded.

MARK BOSTER/LOS ANGELES TIMES Signs indicating the old route in Barstow reminds motorists of Route 66, “America’s Highway.” As the number of tourists attracted by the historic roadway dwindle, merchants along the route must find new ways to attract visitors.