Published on : Friday, April 5, 2019
Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell toured the historic highway on Tuesday. The state’s new administration aims to increase tourism by promoting Oklahoma’s scenic beauty and international interest in the Mother Road.
To quote Pinnell, “We’re going to own it. We’re going all in. And we’re going to make a lot of money on it.”
Tourism has the potential for growth as Oklahoma’s third largest industry, after oil and gas and aerospace, Pinnell said. He will host a convention in December to come up with plans for improving signage along the route and improve tourism in all towns.
“Tourism is the front door for economic development,” Pinnell said. “It’s the front door for everything else that we want to do in Oklahoma.”
Route 66 was decommissioned as a U.S. highway in 1985. It covered more than 2,400 miles (3,800 kilometers) connecting Chicago to Los Angeles and passed through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.
Officials are looking at ways to improve tourist attractions along the road, such as the Brookshire Motel. The building dates back to the 1940s, listed as one of Oklahoma’s Most Endangered Places. The motel has been closed since 2017 as a result of multiple code violations, but the city hopes to find a new owner willing to invest in the building’s renovation, said Ken Busby, executive director and CEO of the Route 66 Alliance. It is an organization that promotes the historic highway nationwide.
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