On September 13, 2022, I will be giving a Zoom presentation for the Historic Highway 99 Association of California on the Ridge Route Alternate between Castaic and Tejon Pass. Come join the Association for the presentation! See the link below for details and to learn how to sign up.
Category Archives: Ridge Route
Ridge Route Presentation Video
If you missed the presentation on May 17, you can view it on the Historic Highway 99 Association of California’s YouTube channel at:
Additional prior meetings can be viewed at:
Ridge Route Presentation
Join the Historic Highway 99 Association of California on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at 6 pm for a presentation on the Historic Ridge Route by Michael F Ballard. The road will be covered from Castaic to Gorman. Learn about the current status of the roadway and the Ridge Route Preservation Organization that is working to reopen the roadway.
Please register for the presentation using the link below:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvcuGsqzstGtJ2q0PNZ7FmvnNqAWeSNTKc
From the Archives – 1923
The Ridge Route on US 99 between Castaic and Gorman was a very twisty roadway when it first opened. All told, there was about 39,600 degrees of curvature over the approximately 30-mile route, enough to go in 110 circles. The state gradually worked to alleviate this headache by straightening curves whenever possible. Some curves were merely daylighted where others were completely bypassed. In the case of the Callahan Line Change, as shown in the postcard above, the road was shifted to change eight sharp curves into one gentle curve. The work here was completed in 1926. In 1933, the roadway would by bypassed altogether by the Ridge Route Alternate.
Ridge Route Meeting
The Ridge Route Preservation Organization is holding an online meeting on Thursday, January 20 at 6 pm. They are trying out something new this year and are starting to hold more regular meetings, albeit online via Zoom, to help keep everyone updated on the roadway, give presentations on various aspects of the history of the road or special features, and give time to share stories about the roadway.
For the January meeting, Michael Ballard will be sharing photos from the last two trips over the roadway showing the current state of the Ridge Route and giving an update on the status of upcoming events. Come join us on Thursday, January 20 at 6 pm!
To register, please use the link below:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtde-pqTwiH9TT3Z5xjxm-nQPIO_qrZhRl