All posts by Michael F Ballard

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 .
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

2 Comments

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.
Wildflowers

Wildflower Hotline

Aside

All these showers can bring lots of flowers. For the last 40 years, there has been a telephone hotline to find out what the status is of the wildflower bloom and where to see it.

Find out more at the Theodore Payne Foundation‘s website
or
call (818) 768-1802 ext 7.

https://theodorepayne.org/learn/wildflower-hotline/

Caltrans, District 7, Highways, I-5, Ridge Route, Roads, Snow, The Grapevine, Travel

I-5 Grapevine / Ridge Route Conditions

1 Comment
Near Cherry Canyon on “The Grapevine”

I-5 between Santa Clarita and the San Joaquin Valley over Tejon Pass is known as “The Grapevine” and formerly known as “The Ridge Route”. It is an important corridor in California and has been so since 1915. Travel over the route can be quite treacherous in winter due to both rain and snow. Mudslides, rockfalls, and ice can all wreak havoc on travel. Collisions can mar traffic for miles. Caltrans, CHP, and the County of Los Angeles work together to ensure safe travel over the route. Sometimes this can result in a full closure of the pass.

To stay up-to-date on current conditions, we recommend the following sites:

Weather Forecasts from the National Weather Service:

Be safe out there and always use caution during winter months when traveling the “Grapevine”.

STATS:

Highest elevation – 4144′ at Tejon Pass

Normal Closure Points:

  • SOUTHBOUND at Grapevine (Exit 215)
  • NORTHBOUND at Castaic – Lake Hughes Road (Exit 176B)

ALTERNATE ROUTES:

If the 5 is closed, alternate adjacent routes such as Lake Hughes Road are not advisable as they may be in worse condition or be heavily congested. Depending on closures, the best alternative to I-5 is via State 14 (Antelope Valley Freeway) and State 58 over Tehachapi Pass. In times of heavy snow, your only option may well be US 101 to State 46 in Paso Robles. Check with Caltrans and CHP prior to travel to make sure these roads are open. DO NOT ALWAYS TRUST GOOGLE. It can lead you down bad or otherwise unsuitable roadways. In January 2021, multiple people including three big rigs were trapped on the Old Ridge Route during a snowstorm when they attempted to bypass a closed I-5. We don’t want you to end up on the news. Always be safe and always use caution on unfamiliar roads.

SPECIAL NOTE:

The Old Ridge Route (Ridge Route Road / 8N04) is NEVER an alternate to I-5 under any conditions and is not suitable for heavy traffic nor is it open to through traffic. It is closed to through travel from Castaic to Gorman (State 138).

California, Event, Snow, Southern California

Road Conditions

3 Comments
Winter over the Ridge Route in Lebec. Courtesy – Caltrans

Important Road Conditions Links:

For local roadways, there are additional resources available on this site on our Southern California Highway Resources page.

Winter in southern California can be quite an adventure at times. Some storms leave few routes open out of the Los Angeles area to points north and northeast. Some of these storms can really hamper travel out of the area.

In late December 2019, a storm closed State 33, I-5, State 14, State 138, I-15 (in two sections), and many other roads in the region. What road is open? When will it open? Are chains required? All of these questions and more can be easily answered through Caltrans, the State Highway department. They have a really good phone app and website – Quickmap – which gives all this information in an easy format. Caltrans Quickmap has numerous layers that can be added such as traffic speeds, CHP Incident Reports (collisions, hazards, fire information), road closures, snowplow locations, lane closures, CMS messages, and more.

In addition to Quickmap, all the Caltrans traffic cameras are available online at Caltrans Video, some of which are streaming live. I strongly recommend these links to get you where you need to go. Another page, also from Caltrans, covers ALL their available data – Caltrans Commercial Wholesale Web Portal . I use Quickmap quite often even just for basic traffic needs.