And with the flip of a calendar page, the first month of 2021 is in the books. This year was supposed to be better—and in some ways it is. We have competent leadership again, with scientists and smart people using facts to make decision. But the COVID related impacts continue, and the vaccine rollout is slow. Roadtrips will likely still be day trips, if they happen at all, and they won’t be until the summer at best. Theatre? Although I’ve got a few shows ticketed, I expect them to cancel and reschedule until June or later. The COVID waiting pattern continues…
But our highway workers are essential workers (and thank you to them). Our highway planners can work remotely. As such, the headlines continue unabated. Here are your headlines of various articles and other things posted related to California Highways during January 2021.
[Ħ Historical information | $ Paywalls and ∅ other annoying restrictions: SDUT/San Diego Union Tribune; OCR/Orange County Register; PE/Press Enterprise; LBPT/Long Beach Press Telegram; DB/Daily Breeze; LADN/Los Angeles Daily News; LAT/LA Times; RDI/Ridgecrest Daily Independent; VSG/Visalia Sun Gazette; FB/Fresno Bee; MODBEE/Modesto Bee; SONN/Sonoma News; SJMN/Mercury News; SFC/San Francisco Chronicle; EBT/East Bay Times; SACBEE/Sacramento Bee; SBJ/Sacramento Business Journal; TDT/Tahoe Daily Tribune; MIJ/Marin Independent-Journal; NVR/Napa Valley Register; PD/Press Democrat; AC/Argus Courier; RBDN/Red Bluff Daily News; AD/Yuba Sutter Colusa County Appeal Democrat; NW/Newsweek ]
Highway Headlines
- Historic Patton Depot demolished. The Santa Fe Kite Route Patton Depot on Highland Avenue, just west of Patton State Hospital was recently emolished for safety reasons after it was found to be structurally unsound. According to San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, which owns the building and property, demolition of the building began on Monday, Dec. 14, after the city of San Bernardino issued a demolition permit. Demolition work is expected to continue through the middle of January. The Moorish brick train station, opened by Santa Fe Railroad in 1898 as part of the historic Kite Route, connected several San Bernardino Valley towns and Los Angeles area cities with passenger and freight service.
- SANDAG to Enforce SR-125 Toll Violations for First Time Since Last April. State Route 125 toll violations will begin to be enforced Tuesday for the first time since the San Diego Association of Governments officially waived them last April in light of economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The SANDAG Board of Directors voted late last month to approve the reinstatement of toll violations for the South Bay Expressway. Those tolls, along with the practice of placing vehicle registration holds for nonpayment of violations, had been suspended for the remainder of 2021. FasTrak monthly maintenance fees were also suspended.
- Downey Freeway Fighters Hang NO MORE LANES Banner over 5 Freeway. This morning, freeway fighters hung “NO MORE LANES” banners on a pedestrian overcrossing over the 5 Freeway in the city of Downey. “No more lanes” is a slogan used by the Happy City Coalition, a group that recently formed to oppose Metro and Caltrans’ plan to demolish hundreds of homes to widen the 605 and 5 Freeways. Last summer, Metro project staff announced the demolitions. In October, in response to community concerns, the Metro board directed Metro staff to study less destructive alternatives.
- $/OCR Busy year ahead in Orange County transportation construction. People staying home during the coronavirus pandemic led to emptier streets and freeways and sped-up roadwork schedules in 2020, and that progress will continue in 2021, transportation officials said. The year will start off with completion of a key project for south county drivers: the new Oso Parkway bridge is expected to open this month, said Samuel Johnson, CEO of the Transportation Corridor Agencies, which operate the toll road system including the 73, 133, 241 and 261 routes.
- $/FB Highway 41 deaths lead to construction, closure near Fresno. Changes are coming next week to a stretch of Highway 41 south of Fresno, what officials vow will lead to other improvements along a six-mile stretch of two-lane highway that’s been the site of numerous accidents – many fatal. State Assemblyman Jim Patterson and Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes held a news conference in November with family members of those killed along the highway and members of Facebook group Widen Highway 41 to push for changes. The politicians held another Wednesday with transportation leaders to announce Highway 41 between Excelsior Avenue and Elkhorn Avenue will be permanently designated a no-passing zone.
- San Diego leaders open portion of new West Mission Bay Drive bridge. Crews started work on the new West Mission Bay Bridge in the summer of 2018. And now nearly three years later, the project is halfway finished. With the cutting of ribbon, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Council President Jennifer Campbell unveiled what the new West Mission Bay Bridge looks like. Though the project isn’t completed, motorists will be allowed to drive on the finished portion starting Tuesday evening.
- Dangerous Stretch of Highway 41 Will Change to ‘No Passing Zone’ as Officials Seek Widening. A dangerous two-lane stretch of Highway 41 in south Fresno County will be changed to a no passing zone to help reduce accidents — some fatal —that have long plagued the roadway. To complete the conversion, about six miles of the highway between Elkhorn Avenue and Excelsior Avenue will be shut down from 5 a.m to 5 p.m. on January 12. Workers will replace the current center line with double yellow stripes. Crews will also add reflective markers along the roadway and post “no passing zone” road signs at regular intervals.
- Needles applies for Adopt-A-Highway program for J Street Off-ramp. The Caltrans Adopt-A-Highway program allows businesses, nonprofits, citizens or anyone who wants to adopt a certain part of the road to keep it clean. There are five different types of adoptions that the AAH offers: litter removal, vegetation control, tree and shrub planting, wildflower planting and graffiti removal. During the Needles City Council meeting, a proposal was submitted to apply for the Caltrans AAH Litter Removal program to cover the J Street Eastbound Off-ramp.
- Second diverging diamond planned for South County. South San Joaquin County’s second diverging diamond interchange will be built in Tracy. The $24.8 million project will convert the existing interchange on Interstate 580 at International Parkway into a configuration that mirrors the diverging diamond design that opened in Manteca at Union Road and the 120 Bypass in November. The Manteca interchange is the first diverging diamond in California. A diverging diamond interchange is also planned at Highway 99 and Mitchell Road in Ceres.
- Caltrans Celebrates Completion of Acceleration Lanes Project. Caltrans has recognized the successful completion of the $3.8 million State Route 49 Wolf/Combie Acceleration Lanes Project with a virtual ribbon-cutting video. Because in-person events have been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the department chose this virtual ribbon-cutting event to acknowledge the efforts of its staff, contractor DeSilva Gates Construction of Sacramento and the valuable local partnerships that helped make this project a success. “This is one of several safety improvement projects planned for the Highway 49 corridor,” said Caltrans District 3 Director Amarjeet S. Benipal. “The Wolf/Combie acceleration lane project increases safety for vehicles entering the highway at this intersection and is one of the more than $160 million in improvements completed, in construction or planned for the corridor by state and local agencies.”
- $/AC Some northbound lanes to close on Highway 101 in Petaluma this Thursday. Caltrans will close northbound lanes on Highway 101 in Petaluma between Lakeville Highway and the Corona Overpass from 10 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 14, until 6 a.m., Friday, Jan. 15, to allow work crews to shift northbound traffic onto temporary lanes constructed in the median. The northbound closures will be staggered during the night to accommodate the traffic shift. One northbound lane will always be open. The temporary lanes are standard width and will not reduce freeway capacity. Southbound traffic will not be affected.
- Oso Parkway Bridge Connects Rancho Mission Viejo Drivers. A two-year project to construct the Oso Parkway Bridge was at last realized in South Orange County this week. The new bridge, fully funded by the Transportation Corridor Agencies, improves mobility and connectivity in South Orange County, diverting traffic from congested surface streets and providing improved access to businesses and restaurants in Rancho Mission Viejo, Ladera Ranch, Mission Viejo, and Rancho Santa Margarita, and San Clemente.
- Hwy 101 bridge reconstruction in Los Alamos to start February. Construction crews are set to commence work on a bridge replacement project on Highway 101 in Los Alamos beginning Monday, February 1. The project is set to be completed by summer of 2022. Until then, drivers can expect continuous closures along the route at times during the week but not on the weekends. Drivers headed in both directions can except closures on Hwy 101 at State Route 135 Monday through Friday between 7 pm and 6 am. Ramps will also be closed in both directions between 8 pm and 6 am.
- Caltrans wants feedback on plan to make Big Sur bridges less pretty for safety reasons. As a 21-year member of the Monterey County Planning Commission, Martha Diehl is usually the one presiding over proposed changes to the built environment, weighing the rights of developers, the requirements of the law and the interests of the community. Now, she finds herself an ordinary resident – albeit with a formidable grasp of planning jargon and rules – lodging objections to a construction project in her own neighborhood. Caltrans is planning to spend about $55 million over the next few years to replace what it calls the “nonstandard concrete baluster rails” on six historic bridges in Big Sur. These iconic arches, spanning Malpaso Creek, Granite Canyon, Garrapata Creek, Rocky Creek, Bixby Creek and Big Creek, were built in the 1930s during the Great Depression.
- $/SJMN Plan to reduce East Bay thoroughfare from six to four lanes. Plans are underway to change a portion of one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares from six traffic lanes to four in a bid to make it safer for cyclists. The switch will happen on Hesperian Boulevard between Fairmont Drive near Bayfair Center and Springlake Drive, a little north of Interstate 238. That stretch of road can have as many as 30,000 vehicles passing along it each day, according to the city. The street already has bicycle lanes. But now in the works are plans to upgrade the road, including repaving in some places — and that has prompted city officials to consider long-term ways the street can be reconfigured to make the bike lanes safer.
- Ħ Southern California Regional Rocks and Roads – US 99 – Edom to Calimesa – Part 1. From Thousand Palms to Garnet, old US 99 ran along Varner Road and Garnet Road. This was the original alignment and lasted until the 1940’s when this section was upgraded to an expressway on a new alignment.
- Metro Proposes $73.2M Loan to Caltrans for Overruns on 5 Freeway Widening through Burbank. Next week, the Metro board Construction Committee will consider throwing good money after bad – on a mismanaged freeway widening project through Burbank. There’s a lot to dislike about this $1.3+ billion mega-project. Metro and Caltrans’ I-5 North freeway widening project was announced to be completed in 2017; current projections now anticipate that construction could complete in Winter 2022. Metro and Caltrans have repeatedly lied about the project’s benefits. The project website currently claims it will “reduce congestion… decrease surface street traffic and improve air quality.” No freeway widening project has ever delivered these. These projects worsen congestion, increase car traffic, and pollute air and water – as well as demolishing homes and businesses.
- 👉🏼 Gribblenation Turns 20. The Gribblenation website turned 20 during January. In response to their post on the subject, I noted that they were youngsters; that the California Highways website went back to the mid-1990s. That led me down the rabbit hole to try to find the original posts:
- State Route Numbering – Google Groups. This is a post of the California State Highway list in 1995 — 26 years ago — showing the list last modified in December 1994. Originally, the list was posted somewhat regularly to the USENET group ca.driving . Alas, I could only get the link for this as a print version.
- State Roads. This is a post of the highway list in 1992. It is probably one of the first posts of the list on USENET, before I even started the website.
- California and lack of exit numbering. This post, from October 1996, is notable for two things: First, it has the original address of my pages off Pacificnet (before I bought the cahighways.org domain), and second, it notes that I have a highway page off of my home page. This establishes that the California Highways home page is at least 25 years old, and the posting of the information related to it goes back almost 30 year.
This is a long way of saying: Happy birthday to Gribblenation. Although you might not be the oldest, you’re one of the best sites out there.
- 👉🏼 CT News 2021, Issue 1 | Caltrans. A couple of notable things here. This is a regular publication of Caltrans, designed for employees but publicly available. Topics in this issue include: • Echo Summit bridge replacement project, 2020 • Road trippin’: Truckee to Lassen Volcanic • The acclaim swarms in for District 8 • Caltrans and UC: Partners on the road to durability • What’s shaking in Cholame? Seismic research! • Letters, Health and Safety, Retirements • oh, and a little item titled “On the road(s) with Daniel Faigin“, which is a virtual interview with yours truly about the California Highways website.
- Guest Commentary: It’s time to speak out about state Route 67. I would like to welcome the attention of all my fellow Ramona residents and our friends in the backcountry. It is finally our time to speak directly to Caltrans about the state Route 67 improvement project. For three years your Ramona Community Planning Group has been making the case to SANDAG and Caltrans about expanding SR-67 to four lanes as was originally planned 33 years ago. These organizations have responded with a plan to widen the highway from the intersection of Highland Valley Road/Dye Road in Ramona to Mapleview Street in Lakeside. They have budgeted $21 million for designing the project and creating an environmental impact study.
- Granite Awarded $20 Million Four-Lane Widening Project in California’s Central Valley. Granite (NYSE:GVA) announced that it has been awarded a $20 million contract by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for the State Route 46 4-Lane Widening Project in Lost Hills, California. The contract is anticipated to be included in Granite’s first quarter 2021 backlog.
- $/AD A look at road projects in Yuba-Sutter-Colusa. There’s no shortage of roadwork in the Yuba-Sutter-Colusa region, local and state. Here’s a look at some of the various projects, as reported by local officials: After months of construction work, Gilbert Mohtes-Chan, public information officer for Caltrans District 3, said work on a $37.7 million project to restore nearly 12 lane miles of pavement on State Route 20 between Lytle Road and the Sutter Bypass, widen the shoulders and replace the Wadsworth Canal Bridge will be completed in just a few weeks.
- Planning Group maps course for traffic improvements — local and regional. All signs pointed to traffic safety and improved circulation during the Ramona Community Planning Group’s Jan. 14 special meeting, where the county’s 5 Big Moves and plans to reduce speed on San Diego Country Estates roads were discussed. The drive to implement traffic calming measures in the Estates, one of the county’s largest homeowner’s associations, began soon after 14-year-old Logan Krapf was struck by a pickup truck while skateboarding on Barona Mesa Road about 7:30 p.m. Nov. 24. Logan died at the scene.
- The 91 Express Lanes Annual Report: Keep Moving Forward. OCTA, the owner and manager of the 91 Express Lanes, recently published the 91 Express Lanes Annual Report for 2020 with the theme, “Keep Moving Forward.” In these unprecedented times, the 91 Express Lanes provides unwavering reliability and continues to move forward with current improvements and plans for a future that’s just down the road.
- Ħ Southern California Regional Rocks and Roads – Historic Highway 99 Fundraiser. The Historic Highway 99 Association of California is holding its first fundraiser. This will be for the purchase of 10 24×36 Historic Route 99 signs to be placed in Banning and Beaumont in the future. If you’re interested in learning more and contributing, check out their site.
- Ħ Southern California Regional Rocks and Roads – US 99 – Edom to Calimesa – Part 2. Through the town of Banning, US 99 was first paved with a 16′ concrete slab in 1922, similar to sections east of town. Minor improvements were made a few years later in 1925. Beaumont would get theirs in 1923, albeit a with a 20′ concrete slab. No real changes would take place until early 1940, when a four-lane expressway was constructed between the west side of Banning to the US 60 junction in Beaumont. Remnants of this expressway remain today, mostly visible between Sunset Avenue and Highland Springs Avenue. Generally, the eastbound lanes follow the 1922/23 alignment of US 99..
- SR-67 Highway Improvements Project Virtual Public Scoping Meeting | Facebook. Caltrans is studying potential improvements along 16 miles of State Route 67 (SR-67) between Mapleview Street and Highland Valley/Dye Road in the City of Poway and unincorporated Lakeside communities Ramona in San Diego County, California. The SR-67 Improvements Project will prioritize the safe and efficient movement of people and goods along this critical corridor. People travel SR-67 for different reasons: commuting, reaching recreational destinations, emergency vehicle access, and evacuating during emergencies like wildfires. Caltrans will also consider pedestrian, bicycle, and transit movement and current barriers to wildlife movement along the corridor..
- $/NW California Big Sur Highway 1 Section Collapses Into Ocean After Storm. A portion of highway along the Big Sur coast in California suffered severe damage during this week’s stormy weather. A photo shared on Facebook by the Monterey office of the California Highway Patrol shows mud and debris on the highway near Rat Creek. The image also shows a section of the road has been washed away. The area affected had already been closed.
- A chunk of Highway 1 collapses due to storm. A debris flow from the hillside above Rat Creek on Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast overwhelmed drainage infrastructure, flowed across the highway, and eroded the road resulting in the complete loss of a segment of Highway 1 at that location, according to Caltrans. Rat Creek is located at PM 30.2 and is two miles south of the Esalen Institute. It is about 1 mile south of the origin of the Dolan Fire in the Dolan Canyon area of Big Sur and is within the burn scar area.
- New Electric Vehicle Fast Chargers Now Available Along State Highways in Central California. Electric vehicle (EV) drivers now have more fast-charging options along state highways in Central California — including at the popular Tejon Pass Rest Area near the Los Angeles/Kern County line — with the installation of 22 new EV fast chargers at nine locations by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
- Caltrans aims to finish SR 14 fixes by spring 2022. The California Department of Transportation reported to the North Los Angeles County Transportation Coalition that it is aiming to complete improvements for State Route 14 by spring 2022. The hotspot capacity improvement project would alleviate traffic congestion at bottleneck areas for north and southbound segments along State Route 14.
- Cal Trans begins Hwy 78 upgrades in Escondido. Cal Trans construction crews next week will begin work on a $19 million multimodal project to upgrade about five miles of Hwy 78 between North Broadway and Flora Vista Street in Escondido. This work was originally going to start on Monday, but the heavy rains delayed it. Initial work will improve curb ramps for pedestrian access in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Other work will include vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) traffic signal upgrades, ITS upgrades and a Class III bike route.
- Section of Highway 1 in Big Sur falls into the ocean. One lane of the highway was struck by debris flow and washed away, Caltrans reported. The road continues to erode as debris and water continues to flow down off the Big Sur mountains. According to Big Sur Fire, the section of highway is located at Rat Creek, south of Esalen and north of Big Creek. Caltrans crews will be out at the damaged section of road Friday morning to fully assess the damage.
- Steve Alpert’s Roads. It’s January 30, which means it’s time for another update! No, seriously, I always update my website on 1/30/21. I have stuffed my California page chock full of US 101, old US 101, and CA 1, and you’ll find assorted other goodies along the way. Click on through and let me know if you like it! (And if I got anything wrong. But I try. I really try.).
- Ranchero Road widening project receives $16 million in funding. The Ranchero Road Widening Project recently received about $16 million in state funding, with construction expected to begin this summer. The funding was part of more than $571 million in funds the California Transportation Commission allocated to various projects to improve routes throughout California, Caltrans District 8 said Friday. “Expanding access to safe walkways, bicycle routes and convenient transit options, in addition to maintaining our highways, advances the state’s efforts to address climate change and improve the quality of life for all Californians,” Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin said in a statement.
- SLO County CA gets electronic signs on Hwy 101 and Hwy 46 | San Luis Obispo Tribune. San Luis Obispo County drivers will soon see two new electronic signs and other traffic-monitoring improvements along local highways. On Friday, Caltrans announced that $3 million in state funding will go toward installing electronic message boards, closed circuit television cameras and traffic loop detectors (sensors in the ground that can monitor traffic flow) on both Highway 101 and Highway 46. On Highway 101, the new features will be installed at points beginning north of Reservoir Canyon Road at the foot of the Cuesta Grade up to the Paso Robles railroad bridge at the north end of town, Caltrans said, including a new changeable message sign facing southbound traffic just north of the San Anselmo Road southbound off-ramp in Atascadero.
- Highway 101 and SR-135 Bridge Repair in Los Alamos. A project to reconstruct the bridges on US Highway 101 at the Interchange with State Route 135 in Los Alamos will begin on Monday, Feb. 1. Motorists will encounter lane closures on US 101 at State Route 135 in both directions Monday through Friday during the overnight hours from 7 pm until 6 am and ramp closures in both directions between 8 pm until 6 am. One-way reversing traffic control will take place on State Route 135 between Main Street and San Antonio Boulevard Monday through Friday from 8 am until 4 pm and during the overnight hours from 8 pm until 6 am.
- Board seeks universal speed limit on Highway 395 to improve safety. The Lassen County Board of Supervisors opted to send a letter in support of a universal speed limit on Highway 395. In a letter unanimously approved by the board this week the supervisors reached out to Dave Moore, Caltrans District 2 Director. “On behalf of the Lassen County Board of Supervisors, I write to urge Caltrans to support any legislative or regulatory changes to adopt a universal speed limit of 65 miles per hour for both heavy trucks and passenger vehicles along the section of US highway 395 from Hallelujah Junction to the State Route 36 junction in Lassen County,” began the letter.
- Improvements on Avenue J coming. The City Council unanimously awarded an approximately $5.3 million public works construction project to Valencia-based C.A. Rasmussen for improvements along Avenue J from 25th to 20th streets west. The Phase I local streets are part of the corridor improvements for State Route 138 (State Route 14) funded in part by Measure R “highway equity” funds intended to improve and enhance the interchanges at avenues J, K, G, L and M.
- January 2021 Update – Ridge Route Preservation Organization. With the recent closures of most of the mountain passes due to heavy snow, we were stunned to find out that people had been traversing the old Ridge Route to bypass those closures. Not only did people in regular vehicles do this, but at least three large tractor-trailers also had done so. These three trucks became stuck just north of Kelly’s Halfway Inn. We will have to assess what damage was done to the roadway as soon as possible but this is very bad news for the roadway. There are at least four sections of the roadway which are extremely delicate as they are partially undermined or otherwise eroded. Other issues can be damage to the remaining curbing along the roadway, broken paving, increased slide potential, and loss of historic artifacts. Large vehicles traveling this roadway during or after a winter storm can severely damage the paving. Travel over the roadway itself during these conditions can also be dangerous due to ice and mud..
- Central Stockton Road Diet – City of Stockton. To broaden the City’s bicycling network and encourage more to join our bicycling communities, the City is introducing the Central Stockton Road Diet Project. The plan includes placing new markings and stripes and creating Class II bike lanes on several streets in central Stockton. Plans for bike lanes are proposed for three sections of roadway: …
- Southern California Regional Rocks and Roads – Highway 99 Q & A Meeting. [Michael Ballard] will be hosting an online meeting next month to discuss Highway 99 in Southern California. It will be open to questions about the highway, its history, the Ridge Route, the Highway 99 Association of California, and depending on time – connecting highways like US 6. If you’d like to submit a question, use the form below and we’ll do our best to answer them in the meeting. This is your chance to meet the author of this site and learn more about California’s Main Street! The meeting will be hosted on Zoom on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Registration will be required. Use [this link] to register.
Gribblenation Blog (Tom Fearer)
- Western California State Route 16. The western segment of California State Route 16 is a largely scenic corridor which follows Cache Creek for much of it’s alignment. Present California State Route 16 (“CA 16”) is a 82 mile State Highway which exists in two segments. Segment one of CA 16 is routed between CA 20 east to Interstate 5 (“I-5) near Woodland. Segment two of CA 16 exists from US Route 50 (“US 50”) near Perkins east to CA 49 near Drytown. The focus of this blog will be on the western segment of CA 16.
- The rogue G28-1 California State Highway Spades. In this short blog we look at the somewhat rare but not unheard of rouge (sic) G28-1 California State Highway Spades. [Ed – I think Tom meant rogue]
- US Route 50 in West Sacramento and Sacramento (hidden Interstate 305). US Route 50 (“US 50”) between Interstate 80 (“I-80”) in West Sacramento east to the California State Route 51/California State Route 99 (“CA 51/CA 99”) interchange in Sacramento presently carries a hidden designation of Interstate 305. This segment of US 50 is a significant historic corridor which once parts of; US 40, US 99W, and I-80.
- Former US Route 99 in the Chowchilla Area. Within the City of Chowchilla and much of the immediate area much of what was former US Route 99 can be found in the multiple alignments. Chowchilla is located in western Madera County, California near the Chowchilla River.
- Legend of the Ridge Route; a history of crossing the mountains between the Los Angeles Basin and San Joaquin Valley from wagon trails to Interstates. When the original iteration of the Legend of the Ridge Route blog was published it did not include the 1912-1916 California Highway Bulletins and 1924-1967 California Highways & Public Works. That now has changed and the relevant articles and maps have been added to Chapters 1-3. While the title of this blog cites the Old Ridge Route it is just part of a much larger story of transportation between Los Angeles and San Joaquin Valley. Contained within said blog below is the history of; El Camino Viejo, The Stockton-Los Angeles Road, Old Ridge Route/US Route 99, Ridge Route Alternate/US Route 99 and the Grapevine Grade/Interstate 5 between the Los Angeles-San Joaquin Valley corridor.
- Former US Route 99 on 16th Street in Merced. The City of Merced is the Merced County Seat and presently one of the fastest growing communities in California. Present day California State Route 99 traverses Merced via a freeway through downtown whereas US Route 99 originally could be found on 16th Street.
- Former US Route 99 on Atwater Boulevard in the City of Atwater. The City of Atwater is located Merced County and presently part of one of the fastest growing micropolitian areas in California. Present day California State Route 99 traverses Atway via a freeway through whereas US Route 99 originally could be found on Atwater Boulevard.
- Former US Route 99 in the City of Turlock. Former US Route 99 in Turlock of Stanislaus County, California traditionally was aligned on Golden State Boulevard. The history of US Route 99 in Turlock contains numerous highway upgrade delays which put it far behind cities of similar size in San Joaquin Valley. Indeed, even the modern California State Route 99 freeway bypass in Turlock came late enough that it was never part of US Route 99.
- Former US Route 101 from San Lucas to San Ardo. San Lucas and San Ardo both are located in Salians Valley of southern Monterey County along the eastern bank of the Salinas River. Former US Route 101 before the present freeway was constructed was carried via Cattleman Road.
- Former US Route 101 in Bradley. Bradley is located in Salians (sic) Valley of southern Monterey County along the eastern bank of the Salinas River. Former US Route 101 before the present freeway was constructed was carried via Bradley Road. [Ed: I think Tom means “Salinas“]
- Former US Route 101 in San Miguel. San Miguel is located on the western bank of the Salinas River in Salinas Valley of northern San Luis Obispo County. Former US Route 101 before the present freeway was constructed was carried via Mission Street.
- Former California State Route 198 at the bottom of Lake Kaweah. East of Lemon Cove of Tulare County one can find several old alignments of California State Route 198 at the bottom of the Lake Kaweah Reservoir. In particularly dry years these early alignments of California State Route 198 can be accessed as hiking trails.
- Former California State Route 24 through the Kennedy Tunnel and Old Tunnel Road. Near the eastern City Limit of Oakland high in the Berkeley Hills one can be find the ruins of the Kennedy Tunnel at the intersection of Old Tunnel Road and Skyline Boulevard. The Kennedy Tunnel opened in 1903 and was the first semi-modern automotive corridor which crossed the Alameda County-Contra Costa County Line. The Kennedy Tunnel even saw service briefly as part of California State Route 24 before the first two bores of the Caldecott Tunnel opened in 1937.