Apparently an eastbound Interstate 44 bridge over the Gasconade River in Missouri was damaged during a truck accident on April 15, and one lane has been closed since until repairs are made, according to the Waynesville Daily Guide. Repairs aren't scheduled to begin until May 1 at the earliest.

Obviously, that kind of lane closure will slow traffic to a crawl. So highway officials recommend this:

The bridge is located at mile marker 143, just west of the Laclede-Pulaski county line.

Balmer said she encourages people who need to drive between Lebanon and the Waynesville-St. Robert area to consider using the old Route 66 road south of the interstate until repairs are finished.

“We’re really thankful they’re repairing it, but I would recommend for people to take the outer roads to avoid congestion on the interstate,” Balmer said.

Those who take Route 66 over the Gasconade will be treated with this sight:

The photo, by the way, comes from David Backin's swell site about historic bridges on Route 66 in Illinois, Kansas and Missouri. 

MonstersandCritics.com has the dibs on what music will be on the upcoming "Cars" soundtrack. We've previously given a few details about who's performing on it, including score composer Randy Newman, James Taylor and Sheryl Crow. Below is the full track listing:

• "Real Gone," Sheryl Crow
• "Route 66," Chuck Berry
• "Life Is a Highway," Rascal Flatts
• "Behind the Clouds," Brad Paisley
• "Our Town," James Taylor
• "Sh-Boom," The Chords
• "Route 66," John Mayer
• "Find Yourself," Brad Paisley
• "Opening Race" (score)
• "McQueen`s Lost" (score)
• "My Heart Would Know," Hank Williams
• "Bessie" (score)
• "Dirt Is Different" (score)
• "New Road" (score)
• "Tractor Tipping" (score)
• "McQueen and Sally" (score)
• "Goodbye" (score)
• "Pre-Race Pageantry" (score)
• "The Piston Cup" (score)
• "The Big Race" (score)

I'm all over a soundtrack that has both Chuck Berry and Hank Williams.

The CD will be in stores June 6, three days before the movie opens wide.

The Geezer Riders from Japan had an unexpected layover in Kingman, Ariz., when one of them had a problem with the ignition key in one of the motorcycles. But the mishap allowed them to take in the sights and sounds of Kingman a bit more, including lunch at Mr. D'z. The story is in the Mainichi Daily News of Japan.

It took more than two months, but Scripps Howard News Service picked up the excellent retrospective and forward-looking article about Route 66 by Albuquerque Journal reporter Erik Siemers.

If you're a relatively new reader to this site, it's recommended reading.

EBay has the Route 66 Drive-In in Weatherford, Okla., with a "Buy It Now" price of $195,000.

Unlike others drive-in theaters on the road, this one's been operating and seems to have been maintained fairly well.

I received an e-mail from the Uptown Development Group in Oklahoma City, which seeks to renovate property that includes the old Tower Theater at 425 NW 23rd, an alignment of Route 66.

The group, which bought the property in February, seeks assistance from the Oklahoma Historical Society and the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program in its efforts.

The group has this to say about the property it acquired:

The property, on the original Route 66, is nestled between the historically preserved neighborhoods of Heritage Hills, Jefferson Park and the Paseo Arts District. The group plans on renovating the property under the guidance of Oklahoma Historical Society and the National Parks Service, into a thriving arts and entertainment destination. The property, built in 1926, includes 8,000 square feet of retail space on NW 23^rd, 8,000 ft of office space, 50,000 ft of parking and the 8,000-ft theater which was built in 1937.

The Uptown Development Group's mission is to restore a portion of historic NW 23rd, a blighted urban area with 40 years of decline, in to a thriving entertainment and retail district. Restoring and renting the historic theater, retail spaces and offices will anchor the NW 23rd corridor, providing a catalyst for future growth in the area.

The Tower Theatre, built in 1937, originally was a 1,500-seat, ornate auditorium had a complete working stage, pipe organ, and billowing, scarlet waterfall stage curtains. It was also one of the first suburban theaters in Oklahoma City and one of the largest suburban theaters in the region. In the early '60s the theatre was given a deluxe renovation — 70mm, rocking chair seats, very plush and very comfortable. Roadshow attractions were the staple, with "Sound of Music" running at the Tower on a reserved seat basis for almost two years. "The Sand Pebbles" and "Cleopatra" also played at the Tower during those roadshow-reserved seat days.

If anyone has memories about the Tower Theater and shares the group's enthusiasm about having it renovated, e-mail it at info@okctower.com . Letters must be sent in by Thursday, as the group faces a Friday deadline for assistance applications.