On October 8, I am planning another highway cleanup. This one will be in eastern San Diego County and cover two sections of highway, I-8 at Laguna Summit (Sunrise Highway) and US 80. My section of I-8 runs from the summit to two miles east with about 1/2 of it able to be cleaned. The section of US 80 runs from just below Laguna Summit to two miles east as well. Both roadways should be a fairly easy cleanup. The plan, thus far, is to meet at I-8 and Sunrise Highway / Old Highway 80 at 9 am. Safety equipment, such as hard hats and vests will be supplied. There will be a safety meeting for all the volunteers as well before the cleanup begins. Bring plenty of water and snacks as we will be out there a while. Only those 18 and over can volunteer. Please RSVP as so I can get an idea of how many to expect. So, come on out and help clean some of our counties roadways.
All posts by Michael F Ballard
New section of Adopt-A-Highway now signed!
I’m not quite sure when the sign went up, but it was most likely in the last few weeks. My newest section of Adopt-A-Highway, here in San Diego County, is finally signed.
Now that it is signed and I have a permit in hand, it is time for a cleanup. Unless temperatures exceed 85 F, I am planning a cleanup of the adopted sections of I-8 and US 80 in the area on October 8, 2017. If you’re interested in joining, let us know!
Help designate US 99 in Bakersfield as historic!
There is a group in Bakersfield trying to get historic route signs posted on the original alignment of US 99 through the Bakersfield area. They could use your support. Check out the site below for more information.
What is a “C-Monument”?
Roadways and their rights-of-way are marked in various ways. Originally, roadway rights-of-way were poorly marked, and as a result, changed quite a bit. These changes made travel sometimes rather confusing as the roadway path may have changed before the map the traveler used changed. This sort of problem also cost the State quite a bit of money as they had to not only correct the problem, but also deal with the potential land costs of a new alignment.
Starting in 1914, the California Highway Commission came up with a plan to mark the right-of-way in a more permanent manner. Their solution – a “C-Monument”. While not the official name, which is simply “survey monument” or “right of way monument”, it aptly describes the marker. These monuments would be placed at the edge of the right-of-way at intervals along tangents (straightaways) and at curve points (BC and EC or Beginning of Curve and End of Curve). Optimally, these monuments would project about one foot above the ground with the C facing the roadway. The C stood for California, as in the California Highway Commission. At the top of the monument, a copper plug was placed to help guide surveyors. Per the January 1949 Division of Highways Standard Specifications manual, “Monuments shall be set firmly and vertically in the ground to a depth of at least three feet.”
The C-monument was actively placed and used for many years, though when it finally was out of use seemed to vary between districts. In San Diego County in District 11, for example, they were used along freeways constructed in the mid to late 1950’s. Los Angeles County, within District 7, seemed to stop using them sometime in the late 1930’s. Today, the monuments that remain are still valid survey monuments. While not placed anymore, Caltrans, as well as local agencies, still use them. As such, please do not disturb or collect them if they are still in place. Finding them along a roadway also doesn’t automatically make it an old State Highway. Some counties also used these monuments as they were a part of the standard plans for any project that involved state or federal dollars, such as Del Dios Highway between Lake Hodges and Rancho Santa Fe in San Diego County.
Finding these monuments is actually quite simple. Typically, roadway rights-of-way ranged anywhere from 100′ to more than 300′. Find a curve in the roadway you are looking at and look for one on either side of the roadway about 50 to 150′ away from the centerline of the roadway. In mountainous areas, the uphill one tends to be easier to spot than the downhill side. Fence lines, power lines, and other similar features can be used to indicate the right-of-way edge. As they can still be used today as survey monuments, some are marked with paddles or other objects to make a surveyors job easier when locating them. Placer County uses a white “R/W” paddle. Caltrans District 9, at least in Inyo County, uses orange poles as location markers.
Related Links:
Image of the Week – 8/27/2017
