Albuquerque eyes Route 66 upgrades in ‘forgotten’ part

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – New Mexico’s largest city is upgrading its portion of the historic Route 66 Highway.
KRQE-TV reports that officials in Albuquerque want to see improvements to a barren stretch of Route 66 in an area that some complain is a forgotten part of the city.
City officials are eyeing a $2.3 million plan that would add medians, landscaping, and lighting along the Mother Road west of downtown. Albuquerque has the largest part of Route 66 in an urban area.
Earlier this year, Gallup announced a plan to upgrade its Route 66 streetlights to LED lights. Cities in Oklahoma have also embarked on Route 66 facelifts.
Decommissioned as a U.S. highway in 1985, Route 66 went through eight states, connecting tourists with friendly diners and motor lodges in small towns.