Today, myself and three others cleaned my portion of I-8 and the western US 80 adopted sections. Temperatures were a bit warmer than planned, but still not that bad. A bit more of a breeze would have helped though. We all met at 9 am at Laguna Summit and started with cleaning I-8. There ended up being a bit more trash than I expected, which is ok for a first cleanup. We managed to fill six large bags with trash and left the highway quite clean. US 80, however, was much easier. What little was there only filled one bag halfway. I do with to thank the volunteers for coming out. It was quite helpful and made the cleanup go fairly smoothly. I do plan another cleanup in a couple of months, this one will include I-8 and both sections of US 80 (Laguna Summit and Jacumba). Temperatures should be nicer by then as well.
On October 8, I am planning another highway cleanup. This one will be in eastern San Diego County and cover two sections of highway, I-8 at Laguna Summit (Sunrise Highway) and US 80. My section of I-8 runs from the summit to two miles east with about 1/2 of it able to be cleaned. The section of US 80 runs from just below Laguna Summit to two miles east as well. Both roadways should be a fairly easy cleanup. The plan, thus far, is to meet at I-8 and Sunrise Highway / Old Highway 80 at 9 am. Safety equipment, such as hard hats and vests will be supplied. There will be a safety meeting for all the volunteers as well before the cleanup begins. Bring plenty of water and snacks as we will be out there a while. Only those 18 and over can volunteer. Please RSVP as so I can get an idea of how many to expect. So, come on out and help clean some of our counties roadways.
While no dates are set as yet. I am planning to do two more tours in the next couple of months. The first tour will be in early October and will cover US 80 from San Diego to Ocotillo, unless temperatures are predicted above 90 F. After that, the next tour, sometime in early November, will cover US 99 from Newhall Pass to Grapevine. The accessible portion of the Ridge Route will also be covered, depending on the weather. Dates will be set in the next couple of weeks.
In the late 1940’s, plans were being drawn for improvements to US 80 in San Diego County. The highway, as it was then, had changed little since its last upgrade between 1928 and 1932. While much of the highway was on a better alignment than before, the section between Alpine and Descanso still needed more work done. This part of the roadway still had sharp curves and steep grades. The combination of these conditions, including increasing traffic, made it rather treacherous at times.
Portion of the highway plans showing the realignment between Willows and Ellis. Courtesy – Caltrans
In 1950, the first phase of improvements were made to this segment of highway. Beginning near the present-day West Willows interchange, a new alignment was constructed. This new alignment had a shallower grade than the original alignment. It was also a lot straighter. It followed eastbound I-8 until near East Willows. At the present-day East Willows interchange, the alignments met again. From there, the old alignment was straightened quite a bit. Portions of this new alignment are still in use as the westbound lanes of I-8.
Detail view of the tunnel location. West portal is located at the arrow. Courtesy – Caltrans
Aerial photo of Deadman’s Curve near Viejas, CA. Note the provisions built for the tunnel on the west (left) side of the large curve. Courtesy – Caltrans
At the large curve, known as “Dead Man’s Curve”, the 1950 improvements ended. It was at that curve, however, that a tunnel was planned to be constructed. The tunnel was a part of an additional phase of improvements that were never constructed. It would have been about 800 feet long and two lanes wide. I have not found any drawings of what the tunnel may have looked like. Most likely, however, it would have had a stone-faced portal, similar to other tunnels constructed around that time. Grading for the tunnel was partially done on the west side, though nothing was done on the east end.
Looking toward the western tunnel portal site. The barren rock to the left of the cut is all that remains of the tunnel work.
Looking west along westbound I-8 toward the 1950 road cuts (at right).
Plans for the Sweetwater River Bridge near Los Terrinitos. Note the proposed alignments on either side of the bridge. Courtesy – Caltrans
East of the tunnel, the alignment would have taken a different course. Instead of following the original alignment, a new one would be built, similar to the I-8 alignment, but rejoining US 80 near Los Terrinitos. There, a new bridge was constructed over the Sweetwater River bridge, bypassing the original 1917 bridge to the south. East of Descanso, another realignment was planned, though no provisions for this ever got past the planning stage. This bridge, along with the improvements to the west, were planned to be a part of an eventual US 80 expressway or freeway alignment. All of these plans were put on hold as other projects in the region.
Original layout showing the tunnel and bridges between East Willows and Descanso Junction. These were never built. Courtesy – Caltrans
When plans shifted from upgrading US 80 to the construction of a brand new freeway, the tunnel plan was scrapped. Instead of a tunnel, a deep cut would be dug into the mountain, allowing for a more even grade across the area. The alignment chosen also reduced the number of river crossings from three to one. The freeway alignment also bypassed the section of US 80 through Guatay. In doing so, it had to cross Pine Valley creek at a rather deep section. The valley was bridged using a new method called “Segmental Balanced Cantilever”, which resulted in the highest bridge on the Interstate system at 450 feet above the floor of the canyon.
Plans for I-8 between West Willows and State 79 (Descanso). Completed in 1970. Courtesy – Caltrans
Detailed plans for the tunnel area showing the old alignment in relation to the present freeway. Courtesy – Caltrans
Today, little remains of the tunnel’s planned location. Only vestiges of the old alignment can be seen around the large cut where the tunnel was planned. A vista point was constructed within the cut as well, at the edge of which a portion of the original alignment can be seen. I-8 also utilizes a portion of the 1950’s alignment. From near Viejas Creek to just west of East Willows, the two outermost lanes of I-8 eastbound mostly use the 1950’s concrete, with portions replaced and a new lane added to the left. From East Willows to near the Vista Point, westbound I-8 follows the 1950’s alignment, while not using the paving as it does to the west, it does follow the grade. You can see this in the road cuts as the style of cut is different between each side of the freeway.
Following US 80 and its history across the mountains east of San Diego is fascinating. As technology progressed, each alignment became better and easier to travel. Unlike many other highways in California, US 80 didn’t go through an expressway phase. It went from a two lane highway to a four lane freeway on a new alignment. In doing so, the brief period when the original alignment was to be upgraded brought some interesting ideas. The tunnel, as well as some of the extra bridges planned, were a part of those ideas. They would be lost to time if it weren’t for a few bits of information on roadway plans from that era. In time, I may uncover yet more mysteries and unbuilt sections of the highway still unknown.
