Route 66 Trail Study Sought for Litchfield-to-Mt. Olive Stretch

Montgomery County Board Meeting | May 12, 2026

Article Summary: A Mt. Olive resident has asked the Montgomery County Board to authorize a feasibility study on converting 9.35 miles of Historic Route 66 between Litchfield and Mt. Olive into a recreational trail, but the Development & Personnel Committee told him to seek state input first, the board heard Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

Route 66 Pilot Corridor Key Points:

• John Warga of Mt. Olive presented packets to committee members requesting a county-authorized feasibility study.
• The proposal covers 9.35 miles of Historic Route 66 between Litchfield and Mt. Olive.
• The abandoned right-of-way is the property of the State of Illinois.
• The committee suggested Warga first seek state input; no county action was taken.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY — A stretch of abandoned Historic Route 66 running between Litchfield and Mt. Olive could become a recreational trail — but not before the State of Illinois weighs in.

Development & Personnel Committee Chairman Chad Ruppert reported to the Montgomery County Board on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, that John Warga of Mt. Olive presented packets to committee members requesting the County Board authorize a feasibility study to determine if 9.35 miles of Historic Route 66 between Litchfield and Mt. Olive could be repurposed as a recreational trail.

Ruppert stated the abandoned right-of-way is the property of the State of Illinois, and the committee suggested Warga first seek state input.

The board took no action on the request Tuesday. The item was reported under the Development & Personnel Committee report as an update, and the minutes record no motion, no second and no vote.

The 9.35-mile stretch would connect two of the county’s Route 66 anchor communities. Litchfield sits at the corridor’s northern end in Montgomery County; Mt. Olive lies to the south near the Macoupin County line.

Because the right-of-way belongs to the state rather than the county, any conversion would require the Illinois Department of Transportation or another state agency to act before the county could commit money or staff time to a study. That sequencing is what the committee flagged for Warga.

The Route 66 request is one of several economic development and tourism items the Development & Personnel Committee has handled this spring. At its April 6, 2026, meeting, the committee reviewed and scored 12 Tourism Grant applications, with requests totaling $11,750 against $5,000 in available funding. Scores were then mathematically adjusted for funds available, with award amounts ranging from $625 to $225.

The committee has also been following up with previous Small Biz Grant recipients. Ruppert noted Tuesday that the committee reviewed follow-up letters sent to seven Small Biz Grant recipients who have yet to open. The county is awaiting the finalization of state paperwork that would allow future Small Biz Grant awards.

County Board Administration has applied to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for approval to modify the Phase I grant for $67,606 in additional funds for Small Biz grants, according to the April committee minutes. Documents have also been filed to extend Phase II of the DCEO Energy Transition Grant.