US 6 / US 395 – Fish Springs / Poverty Hills

Basin and Range – Owens Valley

6_small

Fish Springs / Poverty Hills

Looking south toward one of the “pullouts” along the 1920 paving.
1916 concrete and newer overlay.
1920 concrete and newer asphalt overlay.

In 1916, work began on the only section of concrete paving laid in the Owens Valley. It was constructed through here from Division Creek to Fish Springs and was completed in 1920. Portions remain today, mostly buried by asphalt south of Aberdeen Station Road. A short section in the Poverty Hills remains fully exposed to this day. It demonstrates an early idea in paving. When money was limited, paving was laid only where it needed to be. In this case, only one lane was paved with pullouts every 1/4 mile. This is similar to the Plank Road across the Algondones Dunes on old US 80 in the Imperial Valley. It was bypassed by the current alignment, south of Tinemaha Reservoir in 1936.

Fish Springs Road just north of US 6/395
South end Fish Springs Road just north of US 6/395
Looking south along Fish Springs Road toward the Poverty Hills.
Looking south along Fish Springs Road toward the Poverty Hills.
Sierra Nevada Mountains from Fish Springs.
Sierra Nevada Mountains from Fish Springs.
Elk grazing in the reserve to the east of current US 395 near Fish Springs.
Elk grazing in the reserve to the east of current US 395 near Fish Springs.

US 6 bypassed Fish Springs in 1958. White striping and old signs can be found along this alignment. The new alignment was built to expressway standards but is only two lanes wide. In 2002, US 395 was widened to a four lane expressway from the Poverty Hills north to Big Pine. The original side is now the northbound lanes.

Go East on US 6 / North US 395 to Bishop

Go West on US 6 / North US 395 to Mojave

Return to US 6 Introduction

Your Resource For Highways, Geology, Railroads, History, Bicycling, And More Throughout Southern California Since 1995.