We’ve now crossed into July. Half the calendar year is past. Things are starting to heat up (finally) weather-wise, here in Southern California, after a cool and dreary June. The March/April/May updates to the highway pages are done, and I’ve had a bit of a respite. With the posting of these headlines, work will comments on the next round of updates to the pages, which will probably be posted around Labor Day. Also commencing will be the writing of scripts for California Highways: Route by Route season 2, where we’re going to start going through the highways route by route. Things are just starting a little slow, as I’m recovering from MOHS surgery right under my eye — which makes wearing glasses and working at my computer a pain. Hopefully, I’ll be back up to speed in a week or two.
The last episode of the first season of the podcast was delayed due to vacations (both Tom’s and mine). Tom explored the Grand Canyon and that area of Neveda and Arizona, which is captured over on the Gribblenation blog. I did some more exploration of the California desert and mountains, having fun on Route 62 (including a visit to the World Famous Crochet Museum), Route 74, Route 86, Route 111, Route 243, and Route 371. We’re recording the last episode tonight, and it should be posted July 4th. Season 2 will have 10 episodes on Route 1, and two on Route 2. Hopefully, the sound quality is getting a bit better. I’m learning as I go on, and I think on some I overprocessed and overcompensated for breaths, creaks, and other bumps (uh) in the night. Episode 1.01 is up to 114 listens over on Spotify, and the most recent episode is at 52. Visit our Spotify for Podcast episodes page, our main podcast site, or use your favorite podcasting app to catch up on our back episodes. We have a 6-part series on the history of the state highway system, and a 4-part series on highway numbering.
What else? We’re back to attending theatre regularly, although I haven’t started writing reviews again. Last night was Into the Woods at the Ahmanson Theatre (an excellent production about a road trip). I’m also going to mention an interesting project from a work colleague of mine: Bob Clemons. Bob is doing a bicycle trip he’s calling “Pier to Pier”, where he is riding from the Santa Monica Pier in California to the Steel Pier in New Jersey, mostly along Route 66. He’s been doing a daily photo/commentary log you can find here. I’m finding it fascinating: both for his love of the road, his love of courthouses, and his love of beer flights.
OK. You should be caught up now. Here are the headlines that I found about California’s highways for June:
Key
[Ħ Historical information | ＄ Paywalls, ＄＄ really obnoxious paywalls, and ∅ other annoying restrictions. I’m no longer going to list the paper names, as I’m including them in the headlines now. Note: For ＄ paywalls, sometimes the only way is incognito mode, grabbing the text before the paywall shows, and pasting into an editor.]
California Highways: Route by Route Podcast
No episodes posted in June. We’re recording episode 1.12 today, on the organizations of the state highway system, and it should be posted on Tuesday, July 4.
Back episodes are available at the Podcast’s forever home, as well as on its Spotify for Podcasters home. The Spotify (nee Anchor.FM) link also has links to the podcast’s page on most major podcasting services.
Highway Headlines
- Onramp on 57 Freeway in San Dimas causing dangerous rollover crashes; residents call on Caltrans to possibly add guardrails (ABC7 Los Angeles). There’s a dangerous onramp on the 57 Freeway in San Dimas that’s reportedly caused multiple vehicles to roll down into a shopping center parking lot down below. According to business owners, nearly a dozen drivers have slid off the northbound onramp from Bonita Avenue and the Arrow Highway, sending their vehicles tumbling down. Surveillance video shared with Eyewitness News captured an SUV sliding off the onramp and rolling over multiple times. It happened around 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
- Damage to Hwy 178 appears to be getting worse, Caltrans gives no estimate for reopening (KGET Bakersfield). Highway 178 has been closed for five days due to road damage and it appears that road cracks have gotten bigger. A fleet of Caltrans engineers and a geologist from Sacramento are assessing the damage to the road. Their report will determine possible solutions and a timeline for repairs. There are some complications with fixing the road. One is the surging Kern River impeding future repairs but a solution for that is already in the works.
- Placer County commissions plan for North Lake Tahoe highway transit improvements (Sierra Sun). Placer County is continuing efforts to address traffic concerns and enhance transit along state routes 89 and 267 in North Lake Tahoe with short-term and long-term improvements. The Placer County Board of Supervisors last week approved a $511,838 contract with Wood Rodgers Inc. to create a strategic implementation and phasing plan to advance implementation along the two corridors, both of which connect Interstate 80 to North Lake Tahoe. The plan will include collaboration with stakeholder groups such as Caltrans, the Town of Truckee, emergency responders, local businesses and residents in the region. The plan will expand on the transportation recommendations provided in the county’s Resort Triangle Transportation Plan that the board approved in October 2020. The RTTP outlined initiatives to reduce traffic, get people out of their cars, encourage alternative commuting options and address congestion.
- Granite wins $29M Highway 1 project (Construction Dive). Granite Construction will be going to the beach this summer after winning a $29 million contract to widen California’s iconic Highway 1 in Santa Cruz. Work includes the construction of four retaining walls, one soldier pile retaining wall and a 650-foot-long box girder pedestrian bridge over Highway 1 at Chanticleer Avenue, according to a Granite news release. The Watsonville, California-based contractor will widen the freeway in both directions from Soquel Avenue in Santa Cruz to 41st Avenue in nearby Capitola, with an additional lane of travel in each direction added to the existing earth median.
- Konocti Corridor Ribbon Cutting Ceremony (Redheaded Blackbelt). The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for the completion of the $85 million first segment of the Konocti Corridor Project on Wednesday, June 7 in Lake County. This project is a cooperative effort funded by Caltrans, the Lake County Area Planning Council (LAPC), and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Located between the communities of Lower Lake and Kelseyville, the new three-mile segment of State Route 29 was widened to a four-lane expressway to improve safety.
- Big Sur Likely to Be Inaccessible From Highway 1 From the South Through the Summer as Cleanup Work Continues (SFist). The southern route into Big Sur on Highway 1 is going to be closed for the next several months, Caltrans says, in an update on the progress of work to clear debris from a major landslide that occurred this past winter. Big Sur residents and much of Northern California is well aware that whenever we have a rainy winter, it’s likely to mean Big Sur will be cut off from civilization for some period of time. The land above and below Highway 1 in the Big Sur area is pretty dynamic in general, with dirt, sand, and rocks that are slowly trying to make their way to the ocean, and Mother Nature frequently having a laugh at the expense of California’s highway engineers who insist on maintaining a road there. This year’s big slide happened at an area called Paul’s Slide — though this was far from the only debris slide this rainy season. A section of Highway 1 here was partly inundated by dirt and debris as far back as January, as California got pummeled by heavy rains. But then Paul’s Slide did what it has done in the past, sliding in a major way in mid-March and completely burying the roadway.
- Marin-Sonoma Narrows construction hits new milestone (Marin I-J). Drivers heading into Marin can expect to see a new look on Highway 101 after Caltrans completes a milestone in its road widening project. Beginning Saturday, the state transportation agency will divert southbound traffic onto new elevated lanes spanning from San Antonio Creek to just north of Atherton Avenue in Novato. The new lanes were constructed as part of the final phase of a decade-long widening project in Marin and Sonoma counties meant to relieve longstanding traffic congestion on the corridor. The estimated $762 million project will add a carpool lane in each direction along 17 miles of Highway 101 between Novato and Petaluma. The section received its “Narrows” nickname because the road contracts from three lanes to two lanes in each direction.
- KCAL News Investigates: Caltrans cuts back on repair efforts as freeway vandalism jumps up 6000% (CBS Los Angeles). 🎥 The head of the Assembly Transportation Committee wants to know why Caltrans has cut the number of electricians needed to make repairs to the vital freeway lights and cameras. David Goldstein reports.
- ＄Overpass for wildlife — first in Northern California — proposed for Highway 101 (Santa Cruz Sentinel/BANG). A sprawling cattle ranch along Highway 101 near the border of Santa Clara and San Benito County could become home to a unique overpass. Not for cars, but for wildlife. In December, the nonprofit Land Trust of Santa Cruz County spent $17 million to buy Rocks Ranch, a 2,600-acre property near San Juan Bautista that developers have eyed in recent years for subdivisions, hotels and other projects. Instead, the group is working on a plan with Caltrans to build a wildlife crossing so that mountain lions, deer, bobcats, badgers, foxes and other animals can traverse four lanes of speeding traffic on Highway 101 without being hit by cars.
- Caltrans completes $85 million Konocti Corridor Project; project is the first phase of a larger safety effort for Lake County travelers (Lake County News). Caltrans and local officials on Wednesday gathered at State Route 29 at Konocti Rock Company Road to celebrate the completion of the $85 million Konocti Corridor project, the first phase of a safety project that will eventually widen an 8-mile section of Route 29. The cost was covered by Caltrans, the Lake Area Planning Council, or Lake APC, and the Federal Highway Administration. “Completing the first phase of the Konocti Corridor Project advances the long term vision for a brighter future for Lake County and all Californians,” said Caltrans District 1 Director Matt Brady. “Our continuing partnership with the Lake Area Planning Council and the Federal Highway Administration has helped make this safety project possible.”
- ∅ Council votes to back I-80 partnership (Davis Enterprise). At Tuesday’s meeting, the Davis City Council authorized City Manager Michael Webb to sign three letters of intent to partner with Caltrans on “possible funding” from the Yolo 80 Managed Lanes Project. Mayor Will Arnold recused himself from the conversation and abstained from voting because he works for Caltrans. Council member Bapu Vaitla represented voices of dissent, punctuated by 21 public commenters, none of whom spoke in favor of adding lanes to the section of Interstate 80 from Kidwell Road near the eastern Solano County boundary through Yolo County to the Sacramento River. The Draft Environmental Impact Report is expected to be released by Caltrans on June 30, where the public can read the proposed mitigation measures.
- ＄＄ The Joe Colla stunt that got I-680 San Jose interchange done: Roadshow (Mercury News (Roadshow)/BANG). Q: I’m an SJSU urban planning master’s student researching the impacts of freeway construction. In Scott Herhold’s October 16, 2013, column on Joe Colla and the “Freeway to Nowhere,” he wrote about a photo of Joe Colla on the unfinished freeway. I’ve been searching the Merc archives, hoping to find the image, and so far, have not found it. A: The photograph ran several days after the story first ran. I’m sure that most people don’t recall this great story. Joe Colla was a San Jose city councilman who railed about the then-unfinished overpass at Highway 101 and Interstate 680 in San Jose. In an amazing stunt, a car was lifted by crane onto the end of the overpass which, at that point, ended abruptly. Colla, who had a fear of heights, joined the car there.
- Caltrans announces lanes opening in North County amid new investments (CBS 8 San Diego). California drivers will soon see new lanes on Interstate 5 as Caltrans prepares to open up an HOV lane from Carlsbad to Oceanside. HOV lanes have been completed with southbound lanes opening June 14 and the northbound section opening two weeks later. These lane openings include four additional miles that connect to SR-78. The additional lanes mean that there are now 13 miles of additional HOV lanes that have recently been completed in this region. Traffic could be reduced for drivers, but more people may carpool or use electric/hybrid vehicles with the new, additional lanes.
- Four Miles of Carpool Lanes to Open This Month on Interstate 5 in North County (Times of San Diego). Caltrans and SANDAG announced Tuesday that four additional miles of carpool lanes will open on Interstate 5 in North County this month. Southbound carpool lanes from state Route 78 in Oceanside to Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad will open at 5 a.m. Wednesday, followed by matching northbound lanes on June 26. Opening of the new lanes completes 13 miles of freeway construction from Lomas Santa Fe Road to Route 78 in coastal North County.
- SD region to receive $260 million for transportation projects – (KUSI). The San Diego region would receive more than $260 million in state transportation funding under a recommendation announced today The funding through Senate Bill will be considered by the California Transportation Commission during its June 29 meeting. Under the recommended funding, the San Diego Association of Governments and Caltrans would receive $140 million for the federal state Route 11/Otay Mesa East Port of Entry project. Local officials said the project would use “state-of-the-art technologies” and “will improve mobility and air quality at the border.”
- ＄ Improving the Drive On Interstate 405 (Engineering News-Record). Challenges abounded on a project to widen and improve a 16-mile section of one of Southern California’s busiest freeways. Despite skeletons, skews and a lawsuit, a design-build team is successfully wrapping up the $2-billion I-405 Improvement Project this year in Orange County. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), in partnership with the California Dept. of Transportation (Caltrans), oversees the project. OCTA worked with nine cities and communities along the corridor, which stretches from Costa Mesa to the Los Angeles County line in the city of Long Beach. Funded in large part by a county half-cent sales tax for transportation enhancements, the sprawling project is intended to reduce commute times by adding a general lane in each direction, and two lanes in each direction between State Route 73 and I-605. OCTA estimates that commute times will be reduced by half for nearly 400,000 daily drivers.
- Public art emerges from the ashes of abandoned San Diego freeway project (KPBS Public Media). At the center of Southcrest Trails Neighborhood Park sits a public art project inspired by the community’s decades-long battle to stop a freeway. The circular plaza was designed by artists Ingram Ober and Marisol Rendón. The husband and wife duo were selected by the city’s Commission for Arts and Culture to develop a public art installation for the park, which opened in 2018. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the California Division of Highways seized 66 acres of property in Southcrest to build Highway 252. It would have been an east-west connector between I-5 and I-805.
- Indianola Undercrossing project (District 1/Twitter). Caltrans and our partners gathered today along #US101 between Eureka and Arcata to break ground on the Indianola Undercrossing project. This safety project is possible thanks to state and local funding as well as decades of community support and advocacy. #HumboldtCounty
- Caltrans breaks ground on undercrossing project to improve safety at Indianola Cutoff (KRCR). Caltrans and Granite Construction broke ground Thursday on a long-anticipated project that aims to make the Indianola Cutoff crossing safer for drivers. The crossing has been the site of countless traffic collisions, many of them fatal, due to the deadly layout it currently has. On January 14, 2020, Stephanie Clymer-Fugate was with a friend when she got the call that her father had passed away in a car crash at the Indianola Cutoff on U.S. Highway 101. “[The deputy on the phone] starts to tell me and I’m breaking down,” Clymer-Fugate recalled the moment.
- A major change is coming to the Bay Bridge (SFGate). The left lane exit from the Bay Bridge to Treasure Island is scheduled to close this Thursday at 7 a.m., and remain shut down for approximately three years, as motorists are redirected to the newly built exit to Yerba Buena Island that opened last month, transportation authorities said. To access the new off-ramp, drivers will need to exit from the right lane, just past the Yerba Buena Island tunnel on the lower deck of the bridge, according to Caltrans, which worked on the project in collaboration with the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, the Bay Area Toll Authority and the Treasure Island Development Authority.
- ＄ Full reopening of CA Hwy 1 to Big Sur still months away (San Luis Obispo Tribune). Caltrans has reopened 4 more miles of the Big Sur stretch of Highway 1, parts of which have been shut down since December, but it will still be “several months” before travelers can drive the full length of the scenic coastline. That means only about 2 miles of the heavily traveled scenic highway remain inaccessible to the public, after several months of winter storms caused landslides. The northbound highway remains closed just south of the entrance to Limekiln State Park, which is itself shuttered for repairs.
- ＄ ‘Pay as you go’ express lane program removes toll evasion penalties on L.A. Freeways (Los Angeles Times). Angelenos driving on the 10 and 110 freeways can now use the express lanes without fear of penalty. Previous fines for using the Metro ExpressLanes system without a FastTrak transponder ranged from $25 for the first violation to more than $300 if a motorist was pulled over by a CHP officer during illegal use of the toll lanes. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority agreed this week to eliminate all fines relating to toll evasion after hearing the results of a pilot program that seeks to relieve congestion on clogged roadways.
- Explore Outdoors: Monterey County’s picturesque Bixby Bridge (KCRA). If you are looking for a picture-perfect spot — along one of California’s most scenic highways — then it is hard to beat the history and beauty behind this spot along California’s rugged coastline. The Bixby Bridge near Big Sur is one of the state’s most photographed bridges, not only for its aesthetic design but also for the jaw-dropping scenery surrounding it. Oh, and don’t forget about the peculiar history of the bridge that was built long before the road to get to it was.
- Input wanted on Golden Gate Bridge District future (The Bay Link Blog). The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District’s Board of Directors recently launched a strategic planning process(link is external) to create a path forward regarding the district’s future activities and finances given changes brought on by the pandemic. District officials said public input is vitally important to this process and the district wants to hear ideas, suggestions and recommendations. The board embarked on this process to prioritize financial and operational commitments that would provide resources and services for the communities it serves, while ensuring the district’s long-term financial sustainability.
- West Marin segments of Highway 1 slated for repairs (Marin I-J). Caltrans is planning a $33.5 million project to repair Highway 1 through western Marin, including cycling and pedestrian safety upgrades. Set to begin next spring and finish in about 13 months, the project will include a variety of improvements along nearly 14 miles from Olema through Point Reyes Station and from Tomales to the county line. The upgrades will include pavement resurfacing and repairs; restriping; culvert replacements to improve drainage; shoulder widening to accommodate cyclists; guardrail, crosswalk and signage upgrades; new signage; and sidewalk and path upgrades to meet disability access standards and improve access to West Marin-Inverness School in Point Reyes Station.
- More of Highway 1 at Big Sur reopens (KSBW). The northern closure of Highway 1 at Big Sur has been moved 4 miles south. Now the closed section of road is 2 miles long. Caltrans announced that the road is now closed from Lucia to Limekin State Park. Limekin is still closed to the public. Crews are working to build back the highway embankment and remove debris from the slide out area below the road. Next, crews will work to install a culvert pipe under the roadway. There is still months of work to do on Paul’s slide. A reopening date will be set sometime in July.
- I-5 traffic: New carpool lanes set to open through Oceanside, Carlsbad (Fox 5 San Diego). Drivers in North County will get some traffic congestion relief this week with the opening of four more miles of carpool lanes on Interstate 5 on Monday, Caltrans announced. The new lanes will open on the northbound side of the highway in Oceanside and Carlsbad, stretching from Palomar Airport Road to the State Route 78 exit. According to Caltrans, this could cut commute time for some drivers by as much as 50% during peak travel hours. The opening of the northbound highway expansion comes about two weeks after four miles of new southbound carpool lanes were opened in the same area, marking the beginning of the end for a $410 million project aimed at adding 13 miles of HOV lanes through North County.
- Four new miles of HOV lanes on I-5 to be completed Monday (ABC 10 San Diego). Caltrans officials announced Sunday that the construction of four remaining new miles of carpool lanes on northbound Interstate 5 between Carlsbad and Oceanside will be completed Monday. The new lanes, between Palomar Airport Road and State Route 78, will connect to the existing nine miles of HOV lanes on I-5 between Lomas Santa Fe Drive and Palomar Airport Road, the agency said.
- Groundbreaking ceremony held for Hwy 99 interchange project (KGET). A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the State Route 99 International Agri-Center Interchange Project on Highway 99 at Commercial Avenue. Officials say the interchange will reduce traffic congestion and wait times on the road, especially during events such as the annual International Ag Expo in Tulare. “The importance here is really about continuing to help with the economic prosperity of the central valley. The 99 plays a critical role,” Diana Gomez, Caltrans District 6 Director said.
- ＄ Golden Gate Bridge tolls, bus and ferry fares to increase July 1 (Press Democrat). The cost of getting into San Francisco is soon going to be more expensive for North Bay commuters, as Golden Gate Bridge tolls and bus and ferry rates are increasing July 1. The rate increases are part of a multiyear toll increase program approved by the Golden Gate Bridge Board of Directors in March 2019, according to a June 12 news release. The Golden Gate Bridge’s toll rates will increase by 25 cents. FasTrak account rates will go up to $8.75; pay-as-you-go rates will be $9; toll invoice rates will go up to $9.75; and carpool rates will rise to $6.75. Multi-axle vehicle toll rates will also increase.
- Help plan the future of Interstate 580 (The Bay Link Blog). The agency wants input from those who live, work, or travel along I-580. An interactive webmap(link is external) is now live and comments are welcome on current issues traveling in the corridor and feedback on new ideas and major projects being considered. The webmap will be available for input through this Friday, June 30. Alameda CTC is leading the I-580 Transit and Multimodal Strategy, which seeks to improve transportation options and outcomes along the I-580 freeway from the Bay Bridge through the Altamont Pass. This study is multimodal in that it explores ways to improve all kinds of travel along and near the corridor, including driving, taking the bus or the train, biking and walking.
- Bay Area bridge tolls could go up to $8.50 if new legislation passes (KTVU). State lawmakers could increase tolls on Bay Area bridges to help transportation agencies experiencing financial struggles. Sen. Scott Wiener on Monday introduced SB 532, the Safe, Clean, and Reliable Public Transportation Emergency Act, which would temporarily raise tolls on the seven state-owned bridges in the Bay Area to $8.50 for five years. That is a $1.50 increase. Wiener said the bill would offer some financial relief for transportation agencies, that would prevent service cuts and improve safety, cleanliness, and reliability.
- Route 156 improvement project pile driving begins July 3 (BenitoLink). The next phase of the San Benito Route 156 Improvement Project will include a pile driving operation which is expected to begin in the vicinity of the neighborhoods near Mission Farms RV Park and the Copperleaf community on Monday, July 3. This pile driving operation will take place Monday through Friday for a two-week period (July 3 through July 17) during the daytime hours from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be no construction activities for the July 4th holiday.
- Caltrans Announces Continued SR-14 Full Closures (SCV News). The California Department of Transportation has scheduled full freeway closures on the northbound and southbound Antelope Valley Freeway / State Route 14 between Technology Drive in Palmdale and Avenue A in Lancaster. The closures are necessary to perform pavement replacement work that will extend the life of the existing lanes by a minimum of 40 years and improve ride quality. Currently, construction work is Monday through Thursday, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. and Friday through Saturday, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. to minimize traffic impacts.
- See photos showing progress of Highway 84 reconstruction project in Woodside (Palo Alto Online). Work continues to fix a portion of roadway along Highway 84 in Woodside that shut down in early March because of a 250-foot landslide during a winter storm. The road is still set to reopen to one-way traffic by the end of July, according to Caltrans’ weekly project update. Current work includes: …
- Portion of Stockton’s Crosstown Freeway dedicated after fallen officer (KXTL Fox 40). On Wednesday, the City of Stockton and Caltrans honored one of Stockton’s fallen officers by dedicating a portion of State Route 4, the Crosstown Freeway, to the Officer Jimmy Arty Inn Memorial Highway. “Jimmy Inn was special,” Stockton Police Officer Association Vice President Jeremiah Skaggs said. “Jimmy Inn represented the heartbeat of not only this department but the City of Stockton as a whole. I see it fitting then that the portion of Highway 4 being named after Jimmy Inn cuts directly through the heart of Stockton.”
- Highway 70 reopening after massive rock slide closure (Oroville Mercury-Register). Highway 70 is finally reopening to through traffic after a winter rockslide massacred a portion of the roadway between Greenville Wye and Jarbo Gap. The winter months weren’t kind to Highway 70 as rock slides and avalanches piled up at different swaths of the road between Butte and Plumas counties. One particularly large one initially closed the highway indefinitely on Jan. 9, 2023. While the slide didn’t cause any reported injuries, the subsequent rainy weather made it difficult for crews to clear the debris from the road, forcing drivers to find alternate routes for months before enough material was removed to allow Caltrans District 2 to hold scheduled guided traffic three times a day.
- ＄＄ Highway Update: Caltrans begins Idyllwild road project and announces a major Highway 74 Improvement in Hemet (Valley News). Beginning next week, Idyllwild and Pine Cove residents will see the beginning of California Department of Transportation efforts to begin work on the $470,000 emergency project to rehabilitate and repave State Route 243 within the boundaries of Mount Jacinto State Park.SEMA Construction of San Diego was awarded the project badly sought by the local residents. Crews will be working on SR-243 from just south of North Circle Drive to just north of Pine Crest Avenue.Construction begins on June 26. Hours of operation will be Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Crews will be paving the roadway and replacing the pavement delineator markers and striping.Motorists can expect one-way traffic control with flagging throughout the construction zone. …
- COG will pay $4 million more for Hwy 156 upgrade (BenitoLink). Because of the exceptionally wet 2022-23 rainy season, costs for the Hwy 156 Improvement Project have increased $13.8 million. Of that amount, the share paid by the Council of San Benito County Governments (COG), the regional transportation agency, will increase by $4.25 million. Though COG directors voiced concerns because they were not included in the decision making process they approved the cost adjustment in a 4-1 vote. COG Director Scott Freels voted “no” on the resolution. According to the June 15 agenda packet, COG’s original share was going to be about $25 million.
- 1st Of 2 Bridge Replacements To Begin On Highway 12 In Sonoma County (Sonoma Valley, CA Patch). Caltrans is set to begin full-time, one-way traffic control on state Highway 12 near Kenwood in Sonoma County starting on Monday, July 10. The one-way traffic control will be in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week for a maximum of 45 days to allow crews to start demolition of the existing 46-foot-wide bridge and construction of the new 55-foot-wide Sonoma Creek Bridge. Caltrans is replacing the bridge because of problems associated with “scour” — a process where fast-flowing water whirlpools around the bridge columns and footings, eroding the creek bed that supports the bridge. The bridge was built in 1922 and widened in 1950 and 1962. Over the years, the structural integrity of a bridge can be strained to the point where replacement is the best solution, Caltrans said.
- California Transportation Commission Approves $74.8 Million for Rail, Active Transportation, EV Charging Projects in Ventura County (Noozhawk). The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has approved $74.8 million from the Solutions for Congested Corridors Program to support construction of four rail, active transportation and electric-vehicle charging projects in Ventura County. The CTC approved the funding at its regular meeting June 28 in Suisun City. The Solutions for Congested Corridors Program (SCCP) is a statewide, competitive program that provides funding to achieve a balanced set of transportation, environmental, and community access improvements to reduce congestion throughout the state. The program was created by the Road Repair Accountability Act of 2017 (SB 1).
- US Highway 101 / State Route 217 Bridge Replacement Projects in Goleta to Begin Next week (The Santa Barbara Independent). Two separate projects to replace the San Jose Creek Bridges on US 101 and State Route 217 near UC Santa Barbara in Goleta are scheduled to begin construction on Wednesday, July 5. State Route 217 Project: The traveling public can expect a full overnight closure of State Route 217 on July 5 and July 6 from 10 pm to 6 am. This closure will allow for the installation of K-rail or protective barrier for highway workers. The following detours will be in place with signage to direct travelers: Northbound SR 217 Detour: Sandspit Road to Moffett Place to James Fowler Road to Fairview Avenue to US Highway 101. Southbound SR 217 Detour: US Highway 101 to Fairview Avenue to James Fowler Road to Moffett Place to Sandspit Road. On Friday, July 7, the full closure will be lifted, and southbound SR 217 will be reduced to one lane before the Sandspit Road exit. This lane reduction will remain in place for the duration of the project. Two lanes will remain open on northbound SR 217.
- Route 66 would become a National Historic Trail under proposal (My Journal Courier). Route 66 would become a National Historic Trail under legislation reintroduced by U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood of Illinois and Grace Napolitano of California. Congressmen Jake LaTurner of Kansas and Joe Neguse of Colorado have joined LaHood and Napolitano as co-sponsors. Route 66 was one of the United States’ original numbered highways. It originally ran 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, California, but was removed from the U.S. highway system in 1985.
Gribblenation Blog (Tom Fearer)
- Former US Route 101 on Y Road near Betabel siding (GN). Y Road is a former segment of US Route 101 in northern San Benito County located near the former Southern Pacific Railroad siding Betabel. Y Road prior to 1932 was where US Route 101 would have crossed southbound over the San Benito River towards San Juan Highway and San Juan Bautista. US Route 101 was realigned to the west along the Prunedale Cutoff which eventually left Y Road out of the State Highway System. Featured as the blog cover is the end Y Road southbound where US Route 101 would have originally crossed the San Benito River. Below is a scan of the 1935 Division of Highways Map of San Benito County which depicts Y Road east of US Route 101 as a spur of Legislative Route Number 2.
- Former California State Route 145 on the Skaggs Crossing Bridge (GN). The Skaggs Crossing Bridge was a former component of California State Route 145 at the San Joaquin River. The Skaggs Crossing Bridge was completed during 1907 as a connection between the communities of Kerman and Madera. The Skaggs Crossing Bridge was added to the State Highway System during 1933 as part of Legislative Route Number 126 and would become part of California State Route 145 during 1948. The Skaggs Crossing Bridge would be removed during 2005 to make way for a new structure over the San Joaquin River. The blog cover photo is the Skaggs Crossing Bridge as it was featured in the 1913 book “The Concrete Bridge.” Below the Skaggs Crossing Bridge can be seen crossing the San Joaquin River as part of Madera Avenue on the 1923 United States Geological Survey Map of Biola.
- California State Route 72 (former US Route 101 between Los Angeles and Anaheim) (GN). California State Route 72 is a State Highway located in the Los Angeles Metro Area and a component of early US Route 101. The Legislative definition of California State Route 72 presently begins at Interstate 605 in Whittier and follows Whittier Boulevard to California State Route 39 near La Habra. Prior to 1953 US Roue 101 followed Whittier Boulevard, Spadra Road (now Harbor Boulevard) and Los Angeles Street (now Anaheim Boulevard) from Los Angeles to Anaheim. The original surface corridor of US Route 101 was repurposed as California State Route 72 during the 1964 State Highway Renumbering. California State Route 72 as originally defined during the 1964 State Highway Renumbering spanned from Interstate 5 in Anaheim to the original California State Route 245 at Downey Road near Los Angeles. Below the current scale of California State Route 72 can be seen contrasted to it’s original size seen on the 1965 Division of Highways Map.
- Former California State Route 214 (former California State Route 18 and US Route 91) (GN). California State Route 214 was created during the 1964 State Highway Renumbering out what had been US Route 91 and California State Route 18 in Los Angeles County and Orange County. California State Route 214 was defined as following Carson Street and Lincoln Avenue from California State Route 19/Lakewood Boulevard east to Interstate 5/Santa Ana Freeway. California State Route 214 was deleted from the State Highway System during 1981.
- Legacy of US Route 466 Part 4: Hoover Dam (GN). Hoover Dam is an arch concrete structure located on the Colorado River in Black Canyon at the Nevada/Arizona state line. Hoover Dam was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Prior to the dedication of Hoover Dam, the structure was already assigned as part of US Route 466 and US Route 93. This blog will examine the history of highway designations over Hoover Dam and serve as the fourth entry on the Legacy of US Route 466 series.
- The first California State Route 245 (GN). The original California State Route 245 was a short lived post-1964 State Route located on Downey Road east of the Los Angeles City Limit. The original California State Route 245 was aligned along Downey Road from the planned California State Route 60 Pomona Freeway south to Interstate 5 and the Santa Ana Freeway. The original California State Route 245 was deleted by way of 1965 Legislative Chapter 1372 but remained an active highway until the opening of the Pomona Freeway.
- The history of US Route 101 in Los Angeles (GN). Since the inception of the US Route System the history of US Route 101 has been significantly tied to the city of Los Angeles. The original surface alignment of US Route 101 was signed in Los Angeles during 1930 following Boyle Avenue, Plesant Avenue, Macy Street, Main Street, Sunset Boulevard, Cahuenga Boulevard and Ventura Boulevard. From 1940 through 1960 US Route 101 in Los Angeles would be shifted gradually to the Hollywood Freeway, Santa Ana Freeway and Ventura Freeway. US Route 101 was truncated from the Mexican Border to Interstate 5 in Los Angeles along the Santa Ana Freeway during 1963. Featured as the blog cover is the Cahuenga Pass Freeway (now Hollywood Freeway) during 1940 approaching Cahuenga Boulevard and Highland Avenue.
