Underground Tunnel: Odell, IL

Rolling down the streets of the sleepy little town of Odell, IL it is hard to believe that the Route was so busy that it required a tunnel to be constructed. Across the street from St. Paul Catholic Church lies the underground subway.



The traffic along the Route was so congrested at the time, that for the safety of church-goers and schoolchildren, a tunnel was constructed in 1937 for everyone's safe passage.



By 1947, the main road bypassed Odell and the tunnel no longer was needed. The tunnel was then filled in. In 2006, the Route 66 Association of Illinois restored the first few steps and erected a sign detailing the tunnel's importance to the city.

Prelude

As a child, I grew up seeing the "Historic Route 66" signs up around town. I would ask my dad, "What was that?" He would often reply, "Oh, it's just an old road." I never really thought much more of it. Eventually I moved away from the old road. It was out of my sight and thoughts.



But it wasn't until recently, that the interest took shape once again. I had just started at Loyola University and frankly I became a little overwhelmed. I needed to get away. I hopped in the car and drove south. As I breezed past the numerous cornfields that helped to clear my head, I stumbled past the town of Gardner, IL. I knew I was far from home, but then another curious thing happened: I came across a "Historic Route 66" sign. So on a whim, I followed it. It led me through the towns of Odell and Pontiac. My first photo opportunity came by the way of the Odell Standard Oil station. Unfortunately, it was time to go. But that short trip re-sparked an interest in the Old Road. Ever since that day, I try to go down there as often as possible. As a result, I have decided to document my travels and dedicate this blog to the Historic Route 66.