1912 / 1933 Greenspot Road bridge over the Santa Ana River
The Greenspot Road bridge, locally known as the “Erector Set Bridge” has an interesting history. It was originally built in 1912 located near Victorville at the Mojave Narrows. In 1932, the bridge was dismantled and replaced with a wider span for US Highway 66. In 1933, San Bernardino County purchased a portion of the span and rebuilt it over the Santa Ana River between Mentone and Highland. The bridge remained in general use until 2015 when it was bypassed by a new bridge to the west. Today, the bridge is a part of a bicycle trail along the Santa Ana River.
To get to the bridge, use either the 5th St / Greenspot Road exit on State 210 (Exit 83) from the west or via State 38 (Mill Creek Road) and Garnet St from the east.
In 1936, US 60 was realigned between Moreno Valley and Beaumont. This realignment took the highway off of the Jackrabbit Trail and put it on a new alignment through the Badlands. This is the same alignment State 60 follows today.
This photo from 1935 shows the immense cuts and fills that were necessary for even the two-lane version of the roadway. In 1956, the roadway was widened to a four-lane expressway, further deepening some of these cuts. Work is currently underway to make this section six-lanes, with the outer lanes being truck-climbing lanes.
On July 6, 2021 at 6 pm, I will be giving a presentation for the Historic Highway 99 Association of California on the history of US 99 through the San Gorgonio Pass. The route will be covered from Thousand Palms to Calimesa. Photos of the route, new and old, as well as maps showing the various alignments will be shown. Come join us!
“Crossroads Interchange” in 1958. Courtesy – Caltrans
This photo shows the I-10 / I-215 interchange in San Bernardino, California as it existed in 1958. At the time, those numbers didn’t quite exist. Back then, this was the junction of US 70, US 91, US 99, US 395, and State 18. The view is looking south along what is now I-215 with the Santa Ana River bridges in the foreground. The bridge to the left was US 99 until the 1930’s. The two bridges to the right are still around, though widened.
Through the town of Banning, US 99 was first paved with a 16′ concrete slab in 1922, similar to sections east of town. Minor improvements were made a few years later in 1925. Beaumont would get theirs in 1923, albeit a with a 20′ concrete slab. No real changes would take place until early 1940, when a four-lane expressway was constructed between the west side of Banning to the US 60 junction in Beaumont. Remnants of this expressway remain today, mostly visible between Sunset Avenue and Highland Springs Avenue. Generally, the eastbound lanes follow the 1922/23 alignment of US 99.
East end of Banning at Hathaway St with a mystery culvert in the foreground.
Culvert, possibly 1920’s, along Ramsey St near Hathaway St, looking easterly.
Original Auto Club sign in Banning at Ramsey St / 2nd St, since removed.
In mid-1955, construction began on the first section of freeway through the pass. This first section would bypass the two-lane roadway through central Banning, eliminating the last major bottleneck in the region. It was constructed between 22nd St and the east end of Banning. On May 21, 1956, the eastbound lanes of the freeway opened. The westbound lanes finally opened July 3, 1956.
1950’s postcard showing the old western Banning exit and signage. This was located just east of the 22nd St interchange.
1961 USGS map showing the Banning Freeway
1961 USGS map of Beaumont.
In August 1962, the freeway was extended to bypass Beaumont as well. The freeway was modified again in 1972, when it was widened to eight-lanes and the former eastbound Ramsey St exit near 22nd St was eliminated.
1962 signage at the west end of 6th St, since replaced. The sign on the left formerly had US 60 until it was overlaid by a State 60 shield. The overlay on the right covers a US 70 and US 99 shields.
1962 Signage on I-10 at the 60 split, since replaced. The sign to the left still had a visible US 60 shield under the overlay until late 2020.
Beaumont to Calimesa San Timoteo Canyon to Sandalwood Dr
West of Beaumont, the original alignment of US 99 gets a bit tougher to follow as the construction of I-10 has removed many sections and broken up the continuity.
Desert Lawn Dr
Starting just west of the 10/60 interchange, a short section of original alignment can be followed on Desert Lawn Dr. In 1919, the roadway was graded from Calimesa to Beaumont. Starting in late 1924, the roadway was finally paved with a 20′ wide concrete slab. Improvements were made at the crossings of San Timoteo Creek in 1930 and 1939. In 1950, what is now Desert Lawn Dr from San Timoteo Canyon Road east became the eastbound/southbound side of the US 99 expressway. Finally in 1965, the new I-10 freeway was built, obliterating both the old expressway and many sections of original alignment. Desert Lawn Dr essentially became a frontage road.
1930 culvert under Desert Lawn Dr, This was augmented
1939 Middle Fork San Timoteo Creek bridge with original wooden railing and curbing.
Date stamp on the Middle Fork San Timoteo Creek bridge.
Roberts Rd / Cooper Dr
Roberts Road west of Cherry Valley Blvd to near Singleton Rd follows the 1925 alignment of US 99. This section has the last intact and fully exposed concrete from that era. Its days seem to be numbered as well, as a major development adjacent threatens to realign and bury this concrete. For now, it remains as a window to US 99’s past. This section was bypassed by an alignment now buried by I-10 in 1937, which was subsequently upgraded to an expressway in 1950.
Sections like this need to be saved, if possible. This is where the Historic Highway 99 Association of California can come in. If you’d like to join that effort and work to save what is left of old US 99, check them out at https://historic99.org.
Looking toward Cherry Valley Blvd along Roberts Road.
Date stamp on Roberts Road from May 9, 1925.
On Cooper Dr looking easterly toward Roberts Road. This was used as a driveway until somewhat recently. The alignment merges back into I-10 at this point.
Looking toward I-10 on Cooper Dr.
1953 USGS map showing the area around Roberts Road from Brookside Ave to Singleton Rd. I-10 roughly follows the expressway shown.
Calimesa Blvd Cherry Valley Blvd to Live Oak Canyon Rd
Between Cherry Valley Blvd and Live Oak Canyon Road, the old alignment of US 99 follows Calimesa Blvd. The sections from just north of El Casco Creek to Sandalwood Dr, with the exception of the area around Singleton Rd, are all that remain of the westbound/northbound side of the 1950 expressway. Impressively, from Chandler Ave to Sandalwood Dr, long sections of 1950 metal guardrail still remain along the west/south side of the roadway.
Along Calimesa Blvd between Cherry Valley Blvd and Singleton Rd.
1937 side of the El Casco Creek Bridge. This was widened in 1950. I-10 is now carried over the structure.
1937 date stomp on the bridge/culvert across El Casco Creek.
Calimesa Calimesa Blvd
1953 USGS map showing the Calimesa area.
1953 USGS map showing the south end of Calimesa.
1967 USGS map showing the new I-10 freeway and changes to the alignment.
1967 USGS map showing the south end of Calimesa.
Calimesa marks the boundary between Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The main road, Calimesa Blvd, follows the original alignment of US 99 with little deviation most of the way to Live Oak Canyon Rd. In 1951, the town was bypassed by a new expressway, which diverged from the original alignment Myrtlewood Dr and Wildwood Canyon Rd. In 1965, the expressway was reconstructed as the I-10 freeway, and the Calimesa bypass was shifted east to Sandalwood Dr. The freeway was also shifted slightly south, converting the former NB/WB lanes of the US 99 expressway to a frontage road. Many remnants of the expressway are still visible today in the form of small culverts crossing an adjacent drainage ditch. At Yucaipa Creek, an original 1920’s bridge/culvert complete with railing is still intact.
Original wooden and concrete railing at Yucaipa Creek.
North side of the Yucaipa Creek bridge.
Further north/west, a small section of the 1925 concrete is still visible on the right side of the roadway where the roadway was realigned slightly at a curve.
1925 concrete adjacent to Calimesa Blvd approaching Live Oak Canyon Rd.
