Q: Dennis Musolff shared his thoughts \u2013 and disappointment \u2013 on the state of Route 66 as California celebrates the centennial of the \u201cMother Road\u201d this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Route 66 this year,\u00a0it is disappointing to see that one of its most legendary stretches in the Mojave Desert remains a broken promise,\u201d said Musolff, who lives in Harbor City, in Los Angeles County.<\/p>\n
The National Trails Highway from Amboy to Highway 40 \u201chas been plagued by bridge closures for nearly a decade. While the state and local tourism boards are busy promoting the \u2018nostalgia\u2019 of the Mother Road, local drivers and travelers are met with \u2018Road Closed\u2019 signs and lengthy detours,\u201d Musolff said. \u201cIt seems incredible that in 2026, the government cannot manage the repair of a simple two-lane blacktop road. We are told the delays are due to bidding issues and funding gaps, yet the 100-year milestone was no surprise \u2014 it has been on the calendar for a century.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/RPE-L-TRAFFIC-0706_83fbb5.jpg\")
An eroded bridge along Route 66 in San Bernardino County seen here in October 2014. The bridge was forced to close because of heavy rain in September that caused damage to the bridge. (Staff file photo by Stan Lim\/The Press-Entperprise\/SCNG)<\/p>\n
The onetime main artery from Chicago to Los Angeles was designated in November 1926 as one of the nation\u2019s original numbered highways.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf California wants to honor the legacy of Route 66, it should do so by making it drivable again,\u201d Musolff said. \u201cNostalgia is great, but a functional road is better. It is time for San Bernardino County and the state to stop the bureaucratic foot-dragging and finish these bridge replacements before the bicentennial arrives.\u201d<\/p>\n
A: We shared Musolff\u2019s comments with San Bernardino County\u2019s Public Works Department and asked for an update on the repairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe appreciate the continued interest and passion from residents, travelers, and Route 66 enthusiasts regarding the ongoing restoration efforts along this historic corridor,\u201d said Amy Ledbetter, communications officer at the department. \u201d Route 66 is a cornerstone of our county\u2019s history, identity, and community pride, and we recognize how meaningful this roadway is\u201d for Southern California residents as well as international travelers.<\/p>\n
Ledbetter noted significant challenges to restoring the remote desert corridor.<\/p>\n
The Route 66\/National Trails Highway Bridge Replacement Project spans 130 miles \u201cand involves repairing and replacing dozens of aging wooden bridges \u2026,\u201d Ledbetter said. There are 63 bridge structures of 133 that are \u201cactive county projects,\u201d and two have already been repaired, she said.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/SBS-L-LANDIS-COL-0512-01_262379052.jpg\")
The 2020 view of an original 1930 bridge on Route 66 in the Cajon Pass, just south of Cleghorn Road. This portion of Route 66 in the Cajon Pass is one of the most intact sections in Southern California, note the 15 Freeway on the hillside above. (Courtesy by Mark Landis)<\/p>\n
As part of the effort, the county is replacing aging timber bridge structures with new concrete bridges designed to improve durability, safety and structural reliability, Ledbetter said.<\/p>\n
Construction is being completed in phases as funding becomes available.<\/p>\n
Each project requires environmental review, engineering design, permitting, and coordination with multiple agencies before construction can begin. It\u2019s a long process and the county is actively advancing multiple bridge projects simultaneously, Ledbetter said. The county is pursuing state and federal grants and securing outside funding which she said is critical to the long-term rehabilitation effort.<\/p>\n
Latest status updates on repair projects:<\/p>\n
\u2022 19 bridges between Cadiz and Essex: Design is underway and approximately 35% complete. Environmental clearance is anticipated in spring 2028, with final design expected later that year. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2029.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Bridge 85, next to Cadiz Road: Required environmental permits are expected to be cleared by the end of 2026. Final design is underway and scheduled for completion by year-end. Construction should begin in 2027.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Three bridges between Amboy and Kelbaker Road: Design is about 35% complete. The environmental document is expected to be signed in spring, with final design by fall 2027. Construction is expected to begin in 2028.<\/p>\n
\u2022 30 bridges along the corridor (27 bridges between Newberry Springs and Amboy\/three bridges on Goffs Road and Mountain Springs): These projects are at about 35% design completion. Environmental review is anticipated to be done in spring, with final design expected by the end of 2027. Construction will occur in phases throughout 2028, depending on funding.<\/p>\n
\u2022 10 bridges between Amboy and Kelbaker Road: Under construction and should be done by spring.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Dola and Lanzit bridges between Amboy and Kelbaker Road: Successfully replaced and completed in 2025.<\/p>\n
Current corridor status:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Amboy to Kelbaker Road: Open<\/p>\n
\u2022 Kelbaker Road to Essex: Closed<\/p>\n
\u2022 Essex to Mountain Springs Road: Closed<\/p>\n
\u2022 Goffs Road and Essex Road between Highway 40 and Route 66: Closed to through traffic.<\/p>\n
Do you commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions about driving, freeways, toll roads or parking? If so, write or call On the Road and we\u2019ll try to answer your questions. Please include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write\u00a0ontheroad@scng.com<\/a>\u00a0or call 951-368-9995.\u00a0Note that we may use material from letters or phone calls in future columns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Q: Dennis Musolff shared his thoughts \u2013 and disappointment \u2013 on the state of Route 66 as California…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":380713,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8,3159,418,4064,100,153928,33106,5518,136,1967],"class_list":["post-380712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-driving","tag-history","tag-local-history","tag-news","tag-on-the-road","tag-pop-culture","tag-san-bernardino-county","tag-top-stories","tag-transportation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=380712"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380712\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/380713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=380712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=380712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=380712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}