Bannered Routes of U.S. Route 66 - Springfield, IL Business Loop

Springfield, IL Business Loop

U.S. Route 66 Business was the old alignment of U.S. Route 66 through Springfield, Illinois, United States after the bypass along Adlai Stevenson Drive and Dirksen Parkway opened ca. 1939. It was originally designated U.S. Route 66 City, and changed to a business route ca. 1960. In the early 1960s a one-way pair was added; after that it came from the south on 6th Street and split into 6th and 5th Streets, turning east on Myrtle and Spruce Streets to reach 9th Street. It used 9th Street into Peoria Road to end at Dirksen Parkway north of Springfield. When US 66 was removed from Springfield ca. 1979, Interstate 55 Business was designated not on what had been US 66 but on former US 66 Business through downtown. This is now also marked as Historic US 66.