Originally, Route 66 ran through the middle of the McCook-Hodgkins Quarry on Joliet Road.  In 1998, the one-mile stretch through the quarry was permanently closed by the State of Illinois Department of Transportation due to cracks forming in the pavement.  The roadway's stability was undermined by the growth and depth of the quarry.

The quarry covers over 600 acres and produces more than 7 million tons of crushed stone per year.

In April 2013, the movie Transformers 4 used the quarry for a scene location.