Images

Archives, Caltrans, District 11, Highways, I-8, Mission Valley, Roads, San Diego, San Diego County, SR-163, US 395, US 80

From the Archives – 1953

Image Leave a comment
1953 aerial view of the Camino Del Rio (later US 80) / US 395 interchange, looking south. Courtesy – Caltrans

San Diego’s Mission Valley has changed quite a bit over the last century. It has gone from farms to condos. Dairys to grocery stores. Dirt roads to major freeways. In 1947, the first iteration of the current State 163 / I-8 interchange was completed as shown here. Left on and offramps were the order of the day. Challenge Dairy’s San Diego headquarters can be seen in the upper left corner of the interchange. Additional changes to the junction took place in 1959, 1978, and 1991. All of these bridges have been replaced but their legacy remains today with the outer ramps on either side of the 8.

Clairemont, District 11, Highways, I-805, Image, Roads, San Diego, San Diego County, SR-52

Featured Image – 10/17/2022

Image Leave a comment
I-805 at State 52

Shown here, I-805 (upper) crosses the 52 freeway (lower) at San Clemente Canyon. Built in 1972, it formed the eastern terminus of the 52 for many years. In 1987, was extended to Convoy St. I-805 also follows the former boundary between the San Diego Mission Lands (east) and San Diego Pueblo Lands (west). This becomes quite evident in the North Park area where Boundary Street runs quite close to the freeway.

District 7, Highways, History, I-5, Image, Los Angeles County, Old Bridge, Roads, Santa Clarita, US 99

Featured Image – 8/21/2022

Image 4 Comments
1929 culvert beneath I-5, at the lower left of the photo. Taken 2022.

Hidden below I-5 just north of Valencia Blvd next to a drainage basin, a bit of US 99 history remains in Santa Clarita, California. A culvert, dating to 1929, has survived through an expressway upgrade in 1949, freeway construction in 1967, bridge replacement construction in 2001, and current widening work in 2022. How much longer it will last is unknown but so far it has withstood the test of time.

US 99 – Pico Canyon Road
County Highway, District 8, Highways, History, Image, Old Bridge, Roads, San Bernardino County, Santa Ana River

Featured Image – 5/31/2022

Image Leave a comment
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.

Further Reading:

Historic Bridges of Southern California
Castaic, Highways, History, I-5, Image, Los Angeles County, Ridge Route, US 99

From the Archives – 1923

Image Leave a comment
1920’s postcard of the Ridge Route near Castaic, CA

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 – Callahan Line Change