Michael F Ballard is the author and administrator of the Southern California Regional Rocks and Roads website, https://socalregion.com, since 1995. I have been studying the geology and highway history throughout southern California for most of my life. I am also the President of the Ridge Route Preservation Organization. Founder of the Historic Highway 99 Association of California, https://historic99.org .
While it is still early in the process, I am considering developing some in-person highway tours of some of the historic routes in Southern California. The basic idea thus far is to have specific stops, most likely in a caravan-style tour. The geology and history of the locations will be covered in addition to other fun facts. Which roadway gets picked depends on how the polling goes.
Vote in our poll and let us know what road you want to see first. Most likely, the first tour will be in August. When may be dependent on weather and other issues.
FasTrak is an interesting thing in California. Instead of one unified system, it is broken up into many different agencies with different rules and transponders. Recently, I posted about the research I had done into Southern California agencies and their requirements. One I hadn’t really looked into, the San Francisco Bay Area, seems to have different rules than most of the agencies down here.
So, I decided to see if I could use a “FasTrak Flex” transponder in lieu of my 91 Express Lanes transponder for vehicles other than my motorcycles, such as my husbands vehicle, and still get the discounted tolls and free travel on the lanes that require the transponder. I should see very soon if I can and if there is any sort of extra cost for having this new account. If it works out, I will cancel my existing account with the 91 Express Lanes and keep the SF Bay area account.
US Highway 6, now known as Sierra Highway, crossed the Santa Clara River near Solemint, California. The bridge it originally used, constructed in 1938, is planned to be replaced in the near future. This bridge is one of the oldest remaining in the Santa Clarita area and is the longest span on former US 6 in California. The bridge has remained almost intact from its original construction. The only changes have been minor to the bridge itself. The highway, however, has changed quite a bit. In 1968, Sierra Highway, then State Route 14, was widened to four lanes. A second bridge for northbound traffic was added, with the original bridge being used for southbound traffic.
Presently, Sierra Highway is six lanes wide at the river crossing. As the bridges were built with a four-lane highway in mind, only a narrow shoulder along both directions exists. This condition is one of the reasons the bridges across the Santa Clara River are being replaced.
In March of 2017, I took a trip to inspect in more detail the bridge and the surrounding area. It was nice to see the bridge again, as it brought back a lot of memories. I used to live near the bridge and crossed it almost daily. It will be sad to see it go as it is one of the last remaining pieces of the old highway. So, please, check it out yourself while you still can. I’m not quite sure when the construction will begin, it may have already.
Main Structure:
Side view, from the northern end. Note the small arches along each span.Southern abutment and wing wall.Between the 1938 and 1968 spans. Quite a difference between the girders.Deck view, looking northerly from the south end.Side view showing the railing, arched spans, and wing wall.
Detailing:
Underside view of the bridge.Closeup of the west side railing from the south end of the bridge.View showing the railing at the expansion joint.Expansion joint that may have moved during an earthquake or from settling.Expansion joint along the bridge deck.Deck drain detail.Remaining section of railroad rail and wire fence embankment protection.
After having done a fair amount of research into how roads in Southern California are tolled and how each agency handles the tolling itself, I decided it was time to add another page to the site. Seeing as how each agency uses FasTrak in a different way and that there are, at least for now, five different agencies, each with their own transponder, in the region, it was time to help clarify some things. Please use the link below to access the new page. I hope the new page helps explain the confusion that is FasTrak.
On May 20, 2017, I am planning a cleanup of my section on I-5 in Grapevine Canyon. Specifically, this is KER-005-6.0/8.0. For those interested in joining, please send us a message to add your name to the list. The plan, thus far, is to meet in Lebec in the morning and carpool to the cleanup site to reduce the number of vehicles along the roadway. Let us know as soon as possible if you are interested in joining us. A partial tour of the remaining sections of US 99 and the Ridge Route in Grapevine Canyon, including Deadman’s Curve, will also be included in the cleanup.
