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, ...
After a slow early spring for Electric Route 66, the 2024 travel season is now upon us and a major event for Route 66 is coming this weekend! Our own Sparky Sparky Boom Car on a rare out-of-town excursion to the Fun Run in 2023 The 35th Annual Route 66 Fun Run is happening May 3-5 and Electric Route 66 will be there as usual, along with a large expected contingent of other EV drivers from Arizona and elsewhere. Along with 800+ registrants of all vehicle types for this two day cruise and car show, the EV portion of festivities this year will be headed up by Drive Electric Arizona . Electric Route 66 will be representing the Route 66 EVA with our main car, The Blue Spirit. Hundreds of cars line the street at the start of the Fun Run in Seligman This fundraiser for the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona has grown immense over the decades, and after shuttering for two years due to covid it has come back strong. The town of Seligman fills up with attendees beginni...
After a very lengthy hiatus, the Electric Route 66 Dashcam is back with our longest video ever! Endee, New Mexico, 2022 Back in 2022, we traveled Route 66 westbound from Glenrio at the Texas/New Mexico border, through Endee, NM and into San Jon, NM. Two years ago, the dispensary at Glenrio had not yet been built, and the 1931 wooden bridge west of Endee was still open, with construction underway on a new bridge next to it. Then about 7 months later in 2023, a flash flood destroyed the almost-complete new bridge and damaged the old one as well, leading to its closure. Glenrio, Texas, 2023 Recently, a new path next to the old bridge has been graded and opened so that drivers can travel this section of Route 66 as a through route once again. The bridge bypass goes down into the wash, making it passable but only during good weather. The old bridge will likely remain closed to drivers forever, and a new replacement bridge will be constructed in the future. To capt...
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