US 99 – Weigh Station and Expressway

Virtual Tour of old US 99
Santa Clarita Valley

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Castaic Junction Weigh Station

Old weigh station along US 99. Photo Courtesy - Michael Guerin
Old weigh station along US 99. Photo Courtesy – Michael Guerin
Pre-1929 alignment merging with the expressway just north of Rye Canyon Road. This marks the northern end of the old Santa Clara River alignment.
Pre-1929 alignment merging with the expressway just north of Rye Canyon Road. This marks the northern end of the old Santa Clara River alignment.
Expressway section of US 99 south of Castaic Junction.
Expressway section of US 99 south of Castaic Junction.
Adjacent to the former truck weigh station. Note the painted recesses in the curbing.
Adjacent to the former truck weigh station. Note the painted recesses in the curbing.
1948 Culvert at the former San Francisquito Creek crossing.
1948 Culvert at the former San Francisquito Creek crossing.
Weigh stations along I-5 and US 99. Lower road is US 99 with the Santa Clara River at the bottom of the image.
Weigh stations in 2000 along I-5 and US 99. Lower road is US 99 with the Santa Clara River at the bottom of the image. Courtesy – Caltrans.

This section of highway was first paved in 1917 with a 15 foot wide concrete roadway. In 1922, it was widened to 20 feet. The collapse of the St Francis Dam on March 12, 1928 brought a change to this section of US 99 in addition to the Santa Clara River crossing. San Francisquito Creek formerly crossed US 99 just north of the weigh station. The flood caused by the dam diverted the stream to the south, creating a new channel. It also washed out a three span through-girder bridge built in 1916 to cross the creek. This was replaced with a small culvert.

In 1932, this section was widened to three lanes. In May 1949, it was widened further to a four-lane expressway. The weigh station was replaced in 1964 when this section of I-5 was built. The oleander in the center divider can be found along much of 99 and a few modern freeways. It served two purposes. One was to eliminate the glare from opposing headlights and the other was to create a barrier between traffic lanes. It remains as one of the few sections still intact of the 1940’s upgrade.

Go North on US 99 / West SR-126 to Bakersfield / Ventura

Go South on US 99 / East SR-126 to Los Angeles

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