Watch out for closures and traffic delays in downtown Springfield starting early Thursday morning and going through Saturday. Several roads will be closed for the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival, August 10 and 11.
Below is a comprehensive list of the closures, provided by the city of Springfield. Information signs are in place on primary routes. Barricades will be in place at several downtown intersections by Thursday.
3-4 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 9
The tuning fork locations along Jefferson Avenue between McDaniel Street and Olive Street will close early Thursday morning. SPD will begin identifying illegally parked vehicles for tow by 5 a.m.
2 a.m., Friday, Aug. 10
- Park Central Square
- Jefferson Avenue and Phelps Street
- St. Louis Street from the Springfield Convention & Visitors Center to Jefferson Avenue
- Kimbrough Avenue from Trafficway to McDaniel Street
9 a.m., Friday, Aug. 10
- St. Louis Street and Jefferson Avenue
- Jefferson Avenue and Olive Street
- St. Louis Street and Benton Avenue (including the Discovery Center exits)
- St. Louis Street and Kimbrough Avenue (westbound traffic on Kimbrough at Sherwin-Williams)
1:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 10
- St. Louis Street and Kimbrough Avenue (eastbound and westbound)
- St. Louis Street and AT&T driveway
- Park Central West and Patton Avenue
- Boonville Avenue and Park Central North/Olive
- South Avenue and Park Central South/McDaniel
- Park Central East and Robberson Avenue
The Springfield Police Department will provide traffic direction and control for the staging of Friday’s Birthplace of Route 66 Parade route starting at 3 p.m. The below locations will reopen after the conclusion of the parade at 7 p.m.
3 p.m., Friday, Aug. 10
- Kansas Expressway and Olive Avenue
- College Street and Nettleton Avenue
- College Street and Fort Avenue (north side)
- College Street and New Avenue (south side)
- College Street and Broadway Avenue
- College Street and 9th Avenue (south side)
- College Street and Missouri Avenue (south side)
- College Street and 8th Avenue
- College Street and Douglas Avenue (south side)
Officers will then provide traffic direction and control along the route of the parade for the duration of the event. Public Works staff and volunteers will assist the SPD with traffic control by manning and/or monitoring the barricades.
The parade will travel east on College to Park Central Square at which point the two rows of cars will split and “zipper” around the square and re-join into two rows at Park Central East. The route will continue along Park Central East onto St. Louis Street, past Kimbrough and the grandstand to National Avenue. The parade will terminate at National and St. Louis, with participants being directed in columns of two into the open southbound lanes onto National Avenue.
5:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 10
- Kansas Expressway and College Street
- Grant Avenue and College Street
- Hayden Avenue and College Street
- Main Avenue and College Street
- Market Avenue and College Street
- Campbell Avenue and McDaniel Street
- College Street and Campbell Avenue/Park Central West
- St. Louis Street and Hampton Avenue
- St. Louis Street and Florence Avenue
6 p.m., Friday, Aug. 10
- Grant Avenue and McDaniel Street
- Grant Avenue and Walnut Street
- Grant Avenue and Tampa Street
- Kimbrough Avenue and Trafficway
- Kimbrough Avenue and McDaniel Street
- Kimbrough Avenue and Walnut Street
- St. Louis Street and JQH Parkway
- St. Louis Street and McCallister
- Holiday Inn Express driveway and St. Louis Street
- Walgreens driveway and St. Louis Street
- Steak n Shake driveway and St. Louis Street
- St. Louis Street and National
- Trafficway and National Avenue.
