Historian Says Truck Traffic Driving Away Tourists On Route 66

(CBS) -- An historian and guardian of Route 66 says the historic mother road to the pacific shore is getting swamped by trucks using a massive logistic center in tiny Elwood Illinois, reports WBBM's John Cody.

Author and historian John Weiss says the trucks using the CenterPoint logistics facility are swamping Route 53 and thus discouraging tourists from exploring the original Route 66 which overlapped 53.

"Nowadays, you drive down there, the small town is still there but you don't even notice it because you have so many trucks weaving around," Weiss said.

Weis also says the heavy truck traffic is discouraging film crews scouting for scenic location shots.

"There is so much noise and congestion, that is not what they are trying to film to go back to their country and show," he said.

Weiss argues truck traffic south down Route 53 is reducing Route 66 tourism through Joliet, Elwood and Wilmington -- a traffic situation he suggests won't be corrected until there is some sort of direct link from the logistic terminal in Elwood with the nearby Interstate.