Today's dashcam video upload comes from the lovely Route 66 state of Oklahoma. We traveled here in October 2021, and several times we forgot to record our car's dashcam as we went! But we did remember to catch a section featuring the William H. Murray Bridge.
Crossing the William H. Murray Bridge, also known as Pony Bridge, westbound
This famous Route 66 bridge crosses the Canadian River a few miles west of El Reno, OK. It's often called the Pony Bridge, because it boasts a whopping 38 pairs of camelback pony trusses. Now part of US Highway 281, it was completed in 1933 and opened the following year as part of a new alignment of US 66, bypassing the towns of Calumet and Geary on the original, unpaved, 1926 alignment of Route 66.
The 1933 alignment of Route 66 west of El Reno, OK
A view from the west end of Pony Bridge
This bridge was Oklahoma Federal Aid Project No. 164-H
We didn't have a ton of time to get back home from Oklahoma on this trip, so we stayed on the 1933 alignment for this drive, which is mostly a straight line and pretty close to Interstate 40. But it's still a nice drive on a lot of vintage 1930s concrete pavement, and I-40 is mostly out of sight, so I uploaded the full 10 minutes of the 7-mile drive, with nothing sped up or cut out. It is embedded below, or you can view it directly on YouTube by following this link, for more sizing options.
This drive ends with a minute-long crossing of the Pony Bridge. Rather than a video filled with roadside activity, this one is more of a relaxing, idyllic cruise in real-time for a lazy Sunday. And the drive across the bridge, with its pony trusses scooting by from 4 different angles at once, is kind of mesmerizing. I hope you enjoy it! If you wish to drive the original bridge yourself, you will have to hurry: this bridge is scheduled to be closed around June 2022 for a major reconstruction project lasting 2 years. The famous pony trusses will remain on the sides of the reconstructed bridge, but the old roadway will be replaced with a new, wider structure.
Looking east on an overcast October day. The pony trusses seem to stretch on forever.
As many Route 66 travelers will know, there has been a long-term closure of a section of Route 66 in the eastern Mojave Desert in California. Due to the abundance of questions about this area on Route 66 Facebook groups, I decided to write up a summary of what is signed for travelers on the affected roads. Our October trip to the Road Runner's Retreat provided the opportunity to photograph all of the road signs that have been placed to deter travelers from the closed area. Two segments of Route 66 between Needles and Amboy have been closed for a couple of years, and there is no timetable for reopening. Many bridges were washed out in flood conditions and San Bernardino County has not finished repairing them all, as they are an enormous county without a lot of funds. After having a chance to photograph all of the signs, the source of travelers' confusion becomes clear: the signs are a jumble of contradictory and often wrong information. I will try to lay it all out here, ...
It's been pretty quiet here at Electric Route 66, but coming up soon are two (count 'em!) events that will likely be just the beginning of a very busy road-tripping season. If you are in the vicinity of Kingman, Arizona, we'd love to see there! Drive Electric Earth Day On April 29, Kingman will be hosting their second Drive Electric Earth Day event at the Powerhouse Visitor Center. Hosted by the Historic Electric Vehicle Foundation , EV owners will bring their cars for display, and to answer questions from the public about owning and driving electric. It looks like it will be a small gathering this year, but the Powerhouse is a busy place: in addition to the Arizona Route 66 Museum, visitor information and gift shops, the Route 66 EV Museum will be open to all for free. The Powerhouse Visitor Center is Kingman's biggest Route 66 attraction. Last year's Drive Electric Earth Day in Kingman had a great turnout for a first event. If you have a plug-in vehicle and ...
Coming up this weekend in southern California is a host of activities surrounding the Electric Vehicle Association's annual meeting, and Electric Route 66 will be there, as we were last year. Please join us if you are able! Like last year, this year's meeting will be held at the headquarters of Aptera, the innovative company that is in the final stages of readying their 3-wheeled, solar-powered EV for production. We have a reservation for an Aptera and we're rooting for their success. We're eager to see the progress they have made since last year. Get a closeup look at Aptera's vehicles this weekend! EVA membership is required to attend the EVA meeting. If you're not a member you can join today at MyEVA.org - a yearly membership is just $55 and goes to support education and electrification efforts nationally and through dozens of local chapters in the US and Canada, including the chapter we belong to, the Route 66 EVA . How can you resist a view like this? ...
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