City Installs Oklahoma’s First Musical Road on Route 66 Featuring Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land”
In further celebration and preparation for the Route 66 Centennial, the City of Tulsa has installed the first musical road in the state of Oklahoma on the Southwest Boulevard Bridge, which runs parallel to the Cyrus Avery Memorial Bridge, an important landmark in Tulsa’s history as the Capital of Route 66.
Now, when drivers head east toward Downtown at 35 miles per hour, the song “This Land is Your Land” by Oklahoma native Woodie Guthrie will play.
“Route 66 is an iconic piece of Tulsa’s identity and what sets our city apart is that we not only honor The Mother Road, but also continue to bring it to life,” Mayor Nichols said. “As we approach the centennial, this new musical road reflects who we are as a city – a place where everyone belongs and where every voice helps shape our story. I’m grateful to everyone who helped make this vision a reality and for bringing a new attraction home to the capital of Route 66.”
A musical road is a stretch of road engineered to produce specific musical notes when vehicles pass over it at a certain speed. This effect is achieved by creating grooves, or rumble strips, into the pavement at varying intervals. When a vehicle’s tires hit these grooves, vibrations generate sound waves that translate into a recognizable melody inside the car. There are musical roads installed all around the world, including along stretches of Route 66.
“This project is a powerful example of how Oklahoma continues to lead the way in honoring and reimagining the legacy of Route 66”, Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell said. “By blending innovation and tradition, Tulsa’s musical road will give travelers a one-of-a-kind experience that celebrates the spirit of the Mother Road while drawing visitors from across the country and around the world as we approach this historic centennial.”
With Oklahoma’s rich music history and culture, there were plenty of songs by Oklahoma artists to choose from. Musical roads work best when a song is globally well-known, identifiable from any point in the song, and recognizable to multiple generations – essentially, a song that is enduring.
“Route 66 is a living symbol of opportunity, connection, and the spirit that built Tulsa into what it is today,” said Christian Bengel, District 6 City Councilor and Chair of the Tulsa Route 66 Commission. “As both a proud supporter of every corner of our city and someone deeply committed to preserving and celebrating the legacy of Route 66, I’m honored to welcome the musical road to Tulsa. Being the only city to host this unique experience is a testament to our innovation and our respect for history. This project brings people together in a way that is memorable and unmistakably Tulsa.”
No song has endured quite like Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.” Named one of Rolling Stone’s “Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,” “This Land is Your Land” has been covered by music legends and icons like Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie and the Boston Pops, and Peter, Paul, and Mary, to name a few. Performed at presidential inaugurations and elementary schools across the U.S., “This Land is Your Land” is Guthrie’s most famous song.
“This project brings Woody Guthrie’s voice back to the road that shaped so much of his story. ‘This Land Is Your Land’ is more than a song; it is a reflection of who we are and who we strive to be,” says Cady Shaw, Senior Director of the Woody Guthrie Center. “To hear it along Route 66 in Oklahoma connects our state’s history, our musical legacy, and our shared future in a powerful and accessible way.”
Inspired by his travels across the United States, including along Route 66, Woody Guthrie wrote “This Land Is Your Land” in 1940 while living in New York City. Born in Okemah, Oklahoma, Guthrie witnessed firsthand the hardships and hopes of people on the move during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. He wrote this song as both a celebration of the country’s natural beauty and a reflection on who has access to its promise. While often sung as a simple patriotic tune, the song carries a deeper message about fairness, belonging, and shared responsibility.
Guthrie believed music could bring people together and spark social change and “This Land Is Your Land” remains one of his most enduring works, continuing to resonate with new generations. Placed along Route 66, the song now connects Oklahoma’s musical heritage to the historic road that carried so many stories like Guthrie’s.
Tulsa’s musical road ties into a national Route 66 Centennial certified project to dedicate a musical road in each of the eight states that Route 66 traverses. The project is part of official Route 66 Centennial celebrations and initiatives recognized by the Federal Route 66 Centennial Commission.
Spearheaded by the City of Tulsa Planning Office and Public Works Department, the project was made possible because of a $90,000 grant from the Oklahoma Route 66 Revitalization Grant Program and the City of Tulsa.
