(June 15 - WASHINGTON, D.C) At about 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Savings Time) (9 a m. CDST), this morning, the U. S. Department of Transportation announced that Illinois’ Historic Lincoln Highway has been officially designated as a National Scenic Byway.

The announcement will come at a Capitol Hill ceremony attended by members of the Illinois U. S Congressional delegation and representatives of the Lincoln Highway Coalition (LHC), an umbrella group composed of tourism, economic development, historical and community groups which had first proposed the highway for Scenic Byway designation in August, 1999.

LHC Chairman Ray Keller, DeKalb (Illinois) City Planner, accepted the designation from Deputy U. S. Secretary of Transportation Mortimer Downey on behalf of the volunteer-based Coalition and the forty (40) Illinois County (8) and municipal (32) executives whose unanimous support was necessary for the proposal to be successful. Also representing the sponsors at the ceremony will be: Bonnie Heimbach of the Northern Illinois Tourism Development Office; Bob Lukens, Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB); Ross Ament, Heritage Corridor CVB; Sue Vos and Jennifer Paxinos of the Aurora Convention and Tourism Council; and Amy Trimble, Blackhawk Waterways CVB.

 Upon receiving official notification, Keller said, ‘This is a tremendous victory for Northern Illinois and shows what a committed group of volunteers backed by their public officials can accomplish when they are united, He expressed the groups particular appreciation for the strong support of U. S House Speaker J Dennis Hastert (R-l4th), through whose Congressional district the new Scenic Byway will pass On its 1789 mile route from Lynwood (Indiana State Line) to Fulton (Mississippi River) in Illinois

 The National Scenic Byways Program is a federal government program administered by the U S Department of Transportation (USDOT) and recognizes highways that are outstanding examples of the history, beauty culture and recreational experiences that our nation offers both domestic arid international travelers.

The Lincoln Highway won Byway designation based on its historical significance. First proposed in 1913, the Lincoln Highway was America’s first transcontinental transportation system designed for use by autos, motorcycles and trucks Conceived and promoted by a voluntary membership organization, the Lincoln Highway Association (LHA), the route stretched 3389 miles from Times Square in New York to Lincoln Park in San Francisco The LHA became the premier group in the early 20th Century ~Good Roads Movement,” ~which sought to persuade government at all levels to take up the task of building a national highway system of paved roads The Lincoln Highway was~ a model for, and forerunner of today’s modem American Interstate Highway and intermodal transportation systems

The Scenic Byways program provides for federal grant funding for projects to preserve and promote tourism visitation to designated byways. Initially, byway designation win immediately result in statewide, national and international recognition of the Lincoln Highway in Illinois as a tourist destination through the byway marketing efforts of the National Scenic Byways Program. Byway status will allow Lincoln Highway communities to join together to maximize the economic benefits afforded by historic heritage tourism, which helps support community businesses, promotes travel industry employment and generates additional revenue from state and local sales taxes and fees paid by in-state, out—of-state and international travelers.

The Coalition plans on conducting a series of “Ribbon Tying” ceremonies later this summer to celebrate the newly designated Lincoln Highway National Scenic Byway. Mare information is available from the Lincoln Highway Coalition’s Byway Education Committee: Mr. Randall Lowman, Economic Development Coordinator, Village of New Lenox, Illinois. Tele (815) 485 —6452