At least cooler heads prevailed.

In Mark Muckenfuss’ column in the Inland Press-Enterprise, he said he was doing some research about old Route 66 in Southern California when he uncovered a 1967 newspaper article by Earl E. Buie about Interstate 40 road-construction plans through the Bristol Mountains.

Normally, construction crews would have blasted their way through the hills with dynamite and bulldozers. But the project directors had more intriguing materials in mind.

Nuclear bombs.

No kidding.

According to Buie’s column, “Two nuclear blasts at either end of the proposed cut would be set off, literally lifting an estimated 68 million tons of rock out of the mountain.”

The resultant gash in the ground was expected to be 2 miles long, 300 feet deep and 1,200 feet wide at the top.

The minor annoyance of radioactivity didn’t seem to have bothered the planners, or Buie for that matter. Its potential problems aren’t mentioned in the piece. Perhaps the designers felt such negative aspects would be outweighed by being able to drive the highway at night without needing headlights.

They did expect to save money.

Conventional explosives, Buie reported, would have cost $22 million for the project. Nuclear bombs could do the blasting for $14 million.

Wow, radioactivity and a savings of nearly 60 percent.

You certainly couldn’t accuse these folks of not thinking outside the box.

Such a plan would have given Route 66 travelers more than just a nostalgic glow.

On Friday, the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program of the National Park Service announced its cost-share grant awards for 2007. These grants cover 50 percent of the cost of historic properties’ preservation efforts or programs about Route 66.

John Osterman Gas Station, Peach Springs, Ariz., $28,000 grant. From 1929 until its recent closure, the station served customers on the Mother Road. The Hualapai Indian tribe plans to rehab the building and bring back fuel service.

Wigwam Motel, Holbrook, Ariz., $10,685 grant. This grant for the popular teepee-shaped motel complex will be used for plumbing and concrete base repairs.

Town of Amboy, Calif., $30,000 grant. Funds will be used to develop a preservation plan for select historic buildings in the nearly deserted Mojave Desert town, including Roy’s.

Ariston Cafe, Litchfield, Ill., $13,000 grant. Funds will be used for a new roof and a long-term preservation plan for a restaurant that has operated on Route 66 since 1935.

Sprague Super Service Station, Normal, Ill., $20,000 grant. Built in 1932, this Tudor-style gas station will get a new roof and a condition assessment as part of long-range rehabilitation plans to convert it into a diner, bed-and-breakfast, vistors center and events site.

Curt Teich postcard collection archive, Lake County, Ill., $8,000 grant. Teich had one of the largest collections of Route 66 and other travel-related images. Funds will be used to scan and catalog the collection, which will eventually be made available to the public at the Digital Past site.

Blue Swallow Motel, Tucumcari, N.M., $8,000 grant. The money will be used to repair the historic motel’s windows and distinctive neon that were damaged during a severe storm.

Santo Domingo Trading Post, between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, N.M., $17,000 grant. This trading post was severely damaged a few years ago by fire. However, the Santo Domingo Indian tribe plans to rehab the structure — which remains 85 percent intact — as a trading post or interpretive center.

Triangle Motel, Amarillo, Texas, $26,056 grant. This long-neglected 1940s motel was saved from the wrecking ball by its new owners, who hope to reopen it as a motel again. Funds will be used for emergency stabilization and to form a long-term preservation plan.

Route 66 curriculum development, Central Connecticut State University, $2,775 grant. This project wants to develop a curriculum guide for university audiences and help public schools educate their students in a variety of classes, using Route 66.

For more about the grants and recipients, including photos, see this four-page Acrobat document.

I stumbled upon this report from an Albuquerque television station about Laddie Williams of Augusta, Ga., who’s cycling east across the U.S.A., including Route 66, to raise money for the families of nine firefighters who died in a blaze in Charleston, S.C., in June.

It was the worst loss of life for firefighters since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Williams is a firefighter in addition to being an amateur cyclist.

The Charleston newspaper has a better overview of Williams’ fundraiser.

Here’s the Ride for the Charleston 9 site. Williams has a photo gallery from his journey and a blog that he updates fairly regularly. Information on donating money can be found here.

Route 66 is hosting a caravan of cars on its way to a show in Elk City, Okla.

It’s not just any cars. They’re funeral hearses.

At lot of these car owners showed up Friday in Galena, Kan., according the Joplin (Mo.) Globe.

And here’s a funny anecdote from the story:

Redmond said he has run into opposition from some residents of his town. He said one resident addressed the city government in Bowie about his hearses, wondering why any normal, upstanding resident would own such a car.

“I’m neither normal nor upstanding,” Redmond said.