Category Archives: US 99

Castaic, Highways, Historic Highway 99 Association of California, History, Los Angeles County, Old Alignment, Ridge Route, Roads, Santa Clarita, SR-126, US 99

Original pavement remaining at Castaic Junction, CA on old US 99

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Castaic Junction, located just north of Six Flags Magic Mountain in the Santa Clarita Valley was an important stop along US 99 and State 126 until the 1980’s. A Standard Oil gas station, one of the largest and busiest at the time, was located here in addition to Tip’s Restaurant. The restaurant was reported to be the last stop for James Dean before he died on September 30, 1955. A Beacon station also existed here at the south side of the junction, though it didn’t last as long as the Standard station. The gas station closed sometime in the 1980’s and the restaurant persisted as the Castaic Junction restaurant a bit longer.

A Brief History of the Roadway Changes

Map of the original version of Castaic Junction before the 1948 widening.
1944 view of Castaic Junction looking southerly. SR-126 enters from the right. Courtesy – Caltrans

The roadway through the junction has also undergone many changes since it was first paved. In 1917, a 15′ concrete slab was laid down. This was widened in 1922 by adding two 2.5′ slabs on either side of the existing concrete. At the time, Castaic Junction was a “wye” intersection, with US 99 making up the east side and State 126 on the south side. The west side was a connector road from SB US 99 to WB 126. In 1931, the 1917/1922 pavement was removed and replaced with a wider two-lane section along the same route. By 1933, an additional lane was added making it a three-lane “suicide lane” setup.

Looking northerly at Castaic Junction in 1948 just after widening. Photo Courtesy – Caltrans

In 1948, yet more changes were made to the junction. US 99 was realigned a bit to the east and made a four-lane expressway. State 126 was also widened, though just at the junction itself. The former west leg of the junction was removed as the Standard Oil gas station was augmented. This configuration lasted until 1964 when I-5 was constructed and the whole intersection was bypassed.

1969 aerial photo showing the 126 Freeway and I-5 Freeway adjacent to the original Castaic Junction. Courtesy – Caltrans

Today, little remains of any of the structures that existed at the junction. A new shopping center and Caltrans maintenance yard occupy the area east of the junction. The original traffic signals were replaced and additional curbs were added.

Surprisingly, the original 1917 wye junction remains nearly completely intact. The west and east legs of the junction are still visible, despite a major realignment, the construction of the Standard Oil gas station in 1948, and its subsequent demolition. How long any of this will last is unknown as development is likely to erase these traces in the near future.

Further Reading:

US 99 – Castaic Junction

Current photos of the intersection

Aerial view of Castaic Junction from May 2022. Black lines denote remaining wye intersection. Courtesy – Google Earth
Looking north toward the west leg of the wye. The slight rise and banking can be seen here to the left.
Looking north along the west leg of the wye intersection. Pavement still visible after all these years.
Southerly view along the west leg of the wye. This is roughly where the east and west legs merged.
South end of the east leg of the wye. The lines of plants are 10 feet apart, making this the 1931 paving, likely the southbound lane.
Highways, Los Angeles County, Old Alignment, Ridge Route, Ridge Route Preservation Organization, US 99

Ridge Route Work Event – May 20, 2023

Event announcement from the Ridge Route Preservation Organization. Please go to their website to sign up and get additional information.

We are planning our first CUTRR – Clean Up The Ridge Route – event to be held on May 20, 2023. The road has suffered through a lot this winter and it needs your help! Our work will concentrate on clearing drains of debris on the northern end between the Tumble Inn and Reservoir Summit. Due to conditions, we won’t be able to go over the entire roadway afterward as we have done in the past. Additionally, lower clearance vehicles are not recommended on the Ridge Route at this time.

Please RSVP so we can get a rough headcount before the event. We look forward to seeing you all out there!

For additional information on our CUTRR events:

CUTRR – Clean Up The Ridge Route

Clothing Requirements:

Please be in sturdy shoes, pants, and shirt. Hats and protective glasses are recommended depending on what work you’ll be performing.

Tools Needed:

Bring whatever tools you have to cut branches and clear debris. Supplies such as picks, shovels, rakes, pruning saws, pole pruners, mattocks, clippers, wheelbarrows, brooms, and other items may also be needed.

Meeting Location:

We will be meeting at the Gorman Carl’s Jr, 49669 Gorman Post Rd, Gorman, CA 93243, at 0800 hrs on May 20, 2023 and will be leaving by 0830 hrs.

Burbank, Caltrans, District 7, Highways, Historic Highway 99 Association of California, History, I-5, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Road Signs, Roads, US 99

Historic Sign Revealed in Los Angeles

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Either through heavy wind, corrosion, or a combination of the two, a section of “greenout” fell off a sign on the eastbound Ventura Freeway (State 134) recently at Victory Blvd. This sign, approaching the Golden State Freeway (I-5) has been there since 1961 when the freeway opened. In 1961, the Golden State Freeway was still US Highway 99. In 1965, the sign was covered over with an overlay for I-5. In early 2023, that overlay (“greenout”) fell off, revealing a portion of the original signage. The left side of the sign has a State 134 EAST sign as 134 proceeded east toward Pasadena via the Golden State Freeway and Colorado St until 1968.

For more information about US 99:

Enjoy it while it lasts!

Sign bridge on eastbound 134 showing the US 99 sign.
US 99 revealed! A State 134 EAST sign remains covered on the left side of the sign.
Highways, Historic Highway 99 Association of California, History, Los Angeles County, Old Alignment, Presentation, Ridge Route, US 99

Ridge Route Alternate Presentation Video

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If you missed my presentation on September 13 on the history of the Ridge Route Alternate, you can see it on YouTube on the Historic Highway 99 Association of California’s channel. Come take a look!

Castaic, Event, I-5, Los Angeles County, Ridge Route, Ridge Route Preservation Organization, Route Fire, Santa Clarita, US 99, Wildfire

Route Fire – Updated 1730

From the Ridge Route Preservation Organization:

Another wildfire has started at the south end of the Ridge Route in Marple Canyon along the 5. This fire, known as the Route Fire, has so far burned 250 acres and is not contained. The fire has burned across the old Ridge Route at the Callahan Line Change location, about 2 miles north of Castaic. Evacuations are underway as far north as Templin Highway. The fire has burned as far north as Martin’s, south of Templin Highway. It is not known if the structure survived.

At this time, I-5 is closed from State 138 to Castaic. The Ridge Route is also closed to through travel from Castaic to State 138 as the gates are closed. Do not use any portion of the Ridge Route as a bypass for I-5 at any time as it is not built for heavy traffic. Big rigs have attempted this in the past and got stuck, blocking others in.

For further information regarding road closures and detours, we strongly recommend Caltrans Quickmap at https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ which has detailed information and updated traffic conditions.

We will post updates, as needed, if the Ridge Route itself or historic structures are damaged or in danger. After the fire is out and things have settled down, we will assess any damage to the roadway and post a report.