Category Archives: Caltrans

District 6, District 8, District 9, Earthquake, Geology, Highways, Inyo County, Kern County, San Bernardino County, Searles Lake, SR-178, USGS

Earthquake UPDATES – Mw 7.1 near Ridgecrest

Well, that was strong! I felt it here in San Diego. First time I felt my building sway and it shook for a while. USGS is now reporting the quake as a Mw 7.1, which is 11 times larger than the one yesterday. This, assuming a larger one doesn’t happen, has also been deemed the “main shock” and the 6.4 was the “fore shock”. USGS and Caltech are a bit slow right now. If you felt this one, please let USGS know once their servers are not slow or not working. They need your help!

From Caltrans and CHP, damage reports are coming in of rockfalls on 178 in Poison Canyon, a sinkhole on 178 near the Trona Pinnacles turnoff, and buckling up to 4 feet as well as large cracks in other areas. Do not drive fast through any of the earthquake affected areas. Also be aware that rockfalls will be likely in all the local mountain ranges, so be careful. State 127 near Ibex Pass is covered with rocks, and that is a fair distance away from the epicenter.

http://scedc.caltech.edu/recent/
Working map of all earthquakes in California and Nevada by Caltech. Links to USGS as well on the page.

USGS site now working!
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ci38457511/executive

District 8, Highways, Image, Old Alignment, Riverside County, US 60, US 70

Featured Image – 3/30/2019

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Old US 60 / 70 in Chuckwalla Valley between Desert Center and Blythe.

District 6, Grapevine Canyon, Highways, History, I-5, Image, Kern County, Old Alignment, Ridge Route, US 99

Featured Image – 12/11/2018

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Original paving in Grapevine Canyon

This is a section of abandoned roadway, paved in 1919, within Grapevine Canyon, near PM 8.0 on the east side of the canyon. This section was bypassed in 1933 by a newer alignment of US 99.

District 9, Highways, Inyo County, KLR 650, Motorcycle, Roads, US 6

US 6 on US 6

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In mid-October, I went on a road trip, part of which covered a section of US 6. It was the first time I had taken US 6 on a motorcycle, let alone my US 6 plated one. I felt it was a good opportunity to take a photo.

Caltrans, District 6, Highways, Old Alignment, Roads, Tulare County, US 99

US 99 – Tipton to Tulare

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In doing some research recently, I found an original section of US 99 from Tipton to Tulare. It had been a while since I looked at maps of this section, as most of my research has concentrated between Los Angeles and Bakersfield. The map below shows the alignment of US 99 in 1926.

Portion of 1926 Division of Highways map showing former alignment of US 99 between Tipton and Tulare.

Until 1931, US 99, and by extension Legislative Route 4, went on the west side of the Southern Pacific tracks from current Ave 164 north of Tipton to Bardsley Ave in Tulare, following Tulare County Road 112. This section was most likely paved with a 20′ concrete slab around 1917.

1928 USGS map showing the original alignment of US 99 at its crossing at Ave 164.
A short section of the original concrete at the southern connection to the current alignment is also visible just north of the canal crossing on the left side of the railroad tracks. Current State 99 is at center. Ave 164 runs to the right.

The roadway also retains three original bridges.  The two North Branch Tule River bridges (46C-0004 and 46C-0010 respectively) are from 1917 and retain their original pipe railing. Two other bridges, Elk Bayou and Bates Slough are also original, with the former dating to 1916. The telltale cracking of asphalt over concrete is also visible near the northern North Branch Tule River bridge to near Ave 184 at Octol.

The realignment in 1931 eliminated two railroad crossings without the use of bridges at the tracks. The new road was also built a little higher to help ease flooding problems that were common in the Central Valley. Today, some of the bridges built at that time still remain, albeit widened or otherwise modified.

For further information see – US 99 – Tipton