Route 66 Pedestrian Tunnels
Traffic along U.S. Route 66 could be heavy at times. To allow residents and school students to safely move from one side of the Mother Road to the other, some towns installed pedestrian tunnels, underpasses or subways. Included below are five that Route 66 travelers may encounter during their road trips!
The Odell, Illlinois Pedestrian TunnelA tunnel was built in Odell to safely cross St. Paul Catholic Church goers and school children underneath busy Route 66. In later years, Route 66 was moved to the west and the tunnel was no longer required, and was filled in. The site is at the corner of South West Street and West Hamilton Street in Odell, Illinois. |
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An Underground Crossing ... the Ladd School Subway in Pontiac, IllinoisParents in Pontiac were concerned about traffic levels on Route 66 in front of the Ladd School. Subsequently, the State Highway Commission excavated a tunnel under the road. Students crossed under the busy road to reach school until 1945, when a new Route 66 alignment bypassed the city, and the underground crossing was sealed. |
Chelsea, Oklahoma Route 66 Pedestrian UnderpassThe tunnel dates to a time when four-lane Route 66 was so busy that locals built a tunnel so pedestrians could cross under the highway safely. Today, it can still be walked through, at Walnut Street and West 6th Street in Chelsea. Get your kicks UNDER Route 66! |
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Chelsea Route 66 Underpass - entrance |
Route 66 Underpass Mural - interior |
Route 66 Pedestrian Tunnel in El Reno, OklahomaLocated at 617 South Rock Island Avenue (Route 66), is a pedestrian tunnel. Built by the WPA in 1936, the tunnel provided safe passage for children to get to an elementary school on the west side of Route 66. |
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Route 66 Pedestrian Tunnel in Sayre, OklahomaLocated at the intersection of Elm Street and Route 66 (N 4th Street), this tunnel was built by the WPA in 1939. Today, it is equipped with tornado-safe doors and doubles as a severe weather shelter. |
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