An Underground Crossing
The Ladd School Subway
Civic leaders welcomed Route 66 through Pontiac in 1926 as a boon for business. However, parents were concerned about their children crossing this “dangerous speedway.” As a solution, the State Highway Commission excavated a tunnel under the road. Students crossed beneath the busy road to reach school until 1945, when a new Route 66 alignment bypassed the city.
Instead of a center island, the State Highway Commission constructed a safer “subway” under the road. When traffic was diverted to a new Route 66 alignment in 1945, the tunnel entrances were sealed.
Serving Travelers
The Indian Inn on the corner of Ladd and Livingston (near here) offered travelers food, fuel, and lodging.
Ladd School Petition
Route 4 and 66 were rerouted to Ladd Street in 1926, bringing speeding traffic past Ladd School (located at the present site of the First Baptist Church). Concerned parents signed a petition and demanded a center island “Refuge for Safety” be constructed in front of the school.
“We believe this situation should be remedied as far as possible and this menace to the safety and lives of our people, especially our school children, reduced to a minimum…” - October 1926 petition to Pontiac City Council.
Civic leaders welcomed Route 66 through Pontiac in 1926 as a boon for business. However, parents were concerned about their children crossing this “dangerous speedway.” As a solution, the State Highway Commission excavated a tunnel under the road. Students crossed beneath the busy road to reach school until 1945, when a new Route 66 alignment bypassed the city.
Instead of a center island, the State Highway Commission constructed a safer “subway” under the road. When traffic was diverted to a new Route 66 alignment in 1945, the tunnel entrances were sealed.
Serving Travelers
The Indian Inn on the corner of Ladd and Livingston (near here) offered travelers food, fuel, and lodging.
Ladd School Petition
Route 4 and 66 were rerouted to Ladd Street in 1926, bringing speeding traffic past Ladd School (located at the present site of the First Baptist Church). Concerned parents signed a petition and demanded a center island “Refuge for Safety” be constructed in front of the school.
“We believe this situation should be remedied as far as possible and this menace to the safety and lives of our people, especially our school children, reduced to a minimum…” - October 1926 petition to Pontiac City Council.
