Route 66

The $675,000 federal grant was withdrawn due to changing priorities for the DOT.

As drivers prepare for a cruise down Route 66 during next year's centennial, a trail extension in southern McLean County will get bicyclists one step closer to a continuous safe path between Bloomington and St. Louis just beside the Mother Road.

The Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau has received a $150,000 state tourism grant to further restore Sprague’s Super Service in Normal ahead of Route 66's 100th anniversary next year.

The iconic Route 66 will hit the century mark next year. Before it became the "Mother Road," it was Illinois Route 4. And on it was a rest spot for those early motorists on the south side of Bloomington.

The annual Red Carpet Corridor Festival has activities at communities along Route 66 from Joliet to Bloomington-Normal.

The Department of Justice released guidance that state and local governments must create fully accessible websites and social media presences to avoid lawsuits related to the American with Disabilities Act.

Bloomington native Melissa Chrisman moved back to her hometown to lead the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Planning for the Route 66 Centennial in 2026 is her biggest project so far.

The Town of Normal authorized a contract with Ravenswood Studio to fabricate a “Farm to Healthy Me” exhibit on the second floor of the museum during Monday’s council meeting.

Melissa Chrisman succeeds Crystal Howard, who led Bloomington-Normal tourism for two decades. Chrisman will join the agency in February, as preparations ramp up for the Route 66 centennial.

The federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity [RAISE] grant program has approved $675,000 to plan and design the final nine miles of the 47-mile trail.