Category Archives: Riverside

California, District 8, Highways, Old Alignment, Riverside, Riverside County, Roads

Old concrete near Riverside, CA

January 1, 2016 Michael F Ballard Leave a comment

In the Belltown area of Riverside, CA, I found a rather interesting concrete roadway on 24th St. It appears to be a part of a former alignment of either Rubidoux Blvd, Market Street, or combination of the two. It dates to August 1931 and is in very good shape. What I found most interesting was the curve at Avalon St, which seemed to suggest its former importance as a Riverside to Colton roadway.

Looking westerly toward Avalon St on 24th St.

Why this roadway was built and when it was bypassed may remain a mystery for some time, however, it does show that you can still find old treasures like this in Southern California.

UPDATED 2021:

According the the magazine, California Highways and Public Works January-February 1948, Crestmore Road, as it was called then, was realigned under a Federal Aid contract. The construction began March 19, 1947 and was completed August 25, 1947. This work only involved the segment in Riverside County and the new alignment was paved with concrete.

Highways, Old Bridge, Pacific Electric, Riverside, Riverside County, Roads

Victoria Bridge in Riverside, CA

February 11, 2015 Michael F Ballard Leave a comment

Side view showing the multiple arch span.

Built in 1928, the Victoria Bridge crosses the Tequesquite Arroyo in style. This bridge was built to carry streetcars on Victoria Avenue across the arroyo as well as auto and horse carriage traffic. It is a rare example in Southern California of an arch bridge of this magnitude crossing a generally dry location. The deck and railing were restored in the early 2000’s to their original 1920’s appearance.

USGS map showing the area around the bridge. Bridge itself is located just north of Victoria Hill near the center left of the map.

Victoria Avenue in the Riverside area itself is a rather beautiful roadway to travel. It was constructed in the early 1900’s as such a roadway and retains most of the original features today, south of this bridge. Quite a few miles of the roadway are comprised of a two-lane divided roadway surrounded by orange groves. These orange groves comprise some of the last remaining groves in Southern California. It is significant as the Riverside area was home to the original orange groves that were planted in the late 1800’s in Southern California.

Deck view with the restored railing and lighting.

History, Jurupa, Metrolink, Railroads, Rivers, Riverside, Riverside County, Santa Ana River, Union Pacific

Los Angeles And Salt Lake Railroad – Santa Ana River Bridge

May 1, 2014 Michael F Ballard Leave a comment

In the Jurupa area of Riverside, there is a really neat old railroad bridge. Built in 1904, it was a part of the former San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad, a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad. This bridge is fairly unique in Southern California in that it is a concrete arch design instead of the usual steel truss type. As it is also a single-track bridge, increasing traffic may warrant an additional span.