Since it was first established in 1926, Route 66—the 2,451-mile stretch of highway that extends from northeast Illinois to southwest California—has been woven into American folklore. Yesterday, Missouri’s highway department announced that its portion of the iconic roadway will soon feature the nation’s first solar road panels for public use. The fact that both Route 66 and Missouri are to be the first to carry America into a new frontier is symbolic. When the Interstate Highway System was authorized in 1956, Missouri signed the first contracts for converting roads into highways, with Route 66 the first one to receive the upgrade. “It’s only appropriate that the rebirth of the nation’s interstate system begin at its birthplace,” said Stephen Miller of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission (MoDot) in a statement.
The announcement is part of Missouri’s Road to Tomorrow Initiative, geared toward integrating modern technology into the state’s transportation system (other plans include truck platooning, which connects commercial vehicles through wireless technology, allowing them to follow one another at close distances for better fuel economy through wind resistance). The solar panels were developed by Solar Roadways, an Idaho-based start-up. MoDot intends to begin with a trial phase, using the 20-by-12-foot panels to cover sidewalks at rest areas off Route 66. In addition to producing renewable energy, the solar panels feature LED lights to create bright lines and signage without paint; these lights are expected to improve conditions for nighttime driving as well. Each solar panel is hexagonal in design and can be replaced without affecting other panels, allowing for easy road repair.
Missouri isn’t the first place to line its roads with solar panels. Earlier this year, the French government announced plans to cover 621 miles of roads with solar panels over the next five years. In Missouri, though, the goal is to have the first solar panels in place by the end of 2016.
