California 14
Routing
California 14, a major north-south corridor connecting metropolitan Los Angeles with the Eastern Sierra, was formerly part of transcontinental U.S. 6. When U.S. 6 was truncated in 1964, with its western terminus moved to the city of Bishop in the Eastern Sierra, the remaining segment between Sylmar and Inyokern was recommissioned as California 14. Originally following the historic U.S. route, California 14 is now largely routed onto a freeway alignment, bypassing Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster, and Rosamond. Old U.S. 6, the Sierra Highway, is signed with brown, historic U.S. 6 route shields. The rest of the modern California 14 highway is a busy two to four lane expressway, passing through the center of the community of Mojave near its midpoint in Kern County.
History
Key opening dates of California 14 freeway and expressway sections:
- Interstate 5 to California 126 – December, 12, 1974
- California 126 to Lost Canyon Road – July 19, 1972 (widened September 10, 1998)
- Lost Canyon Road to Sand Canyon Road – Circa 1963 (widened September 10, 1998)
- Sand Canyon Road to Escondido Road – Circa 1963 (widened February 18, 2000)
- Escondido Road to Ward Road – Circa 1963
- Ward Road to Mountain Springs Road – June 25, 1965
- Mountain Springs Road to Avenue Q – November 1, 1966
- Avenue Q to Avenue I – November 3, 1972
- Avenue I to Rosamond Boulevard August 28, 1968
- Rosamond Boulevard to Silver Queen Road – July 25, 1972
- Silver Queen Road to South Mojave Overhead – May 1, 1990
- South Mojave Overhead to South Junction Old California 58 – Circa 1946 (widened May 1, 1990)
- South Junction Old California 58 to North Junction Old California 58 – Circa 1946 (widened July 24, 1985)
- North Junction Old California 58 to Randsburg Cutoff – Circa 1947
- Randsburg Cutoff to About 2 Miles South of Cantil Wash – Circa 1947 (widened October 31, 1994)
- 2 Miles South of Cantil Wash to Cantil Wash – Circa 1947 (widened February 28, 1980)
- Cantil Wash to 5 Miles North of Red Rock Canyon Bridge – Circa 1959
- 5 Miles North of Red Rock Canyon Bridge to Junction California 178 West – Circa 1947 (widened January 29, 1968)
- Junction California 178 West to 1.5 Mile North of Junction California 178 East – Circa 1947
- 1.5 Mile North of Junction California 178 East to US-395 Separation – Circa 1947 (widened May 2, 1994)
Many thanks to C.J. Moon for his assistance in providing this historical chronology.
Highway Guides
| Scenes Pertaining to California 14 |
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| Historic U.S. 6 and California 14U/Sierra Highway north |
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California 14U is an unrelinquished segment of former U.S. 6 between Newhall Pass and Via Princessa in Santa Clarita. Signs for the route are posted on northbound between California 126/Newhall Avenue and Friendly Valley Parkway. This segment of highway runs through a deep rock cut that remains the custody of Caltrans rather than the city of Santa Clarita. This reassurance shield photo was taken along northbound U.S. 6/California 14U after the Newhall Avenue (former San Fernando Road/U.S. 99) intersection in Santa Clarita. Photo taken 12/20/09. |
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As of 2009, California 14U is one of two suffixed California state routes. The other is California 86S, which connects Interstate 10 with California 86 in the vicinity of Indio. Photo taken 12/20/09. |
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The next signalized intersection along California 14U north is with Dockweiler Drive. Another California 14U reassurance shield is posted here. Photos taken 12/20/09. |
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Northbound California 14U (U.S. 6) meets Golden Valley Road at this intersection. Photo taken 12/20/09. |
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Soon thereafter, the next signalized intersection along northbound California 14U (U.S. 6)/Sierra Highway is with Friendly Valley Parkway. The final reassurance shield for California 14U is posted here. The interchange with Via Princessa is visible at the bottom of this hill; California 14U is presumed to end at this point based on Caltrans records of the unlikely state route. Photo taken 12/20/09. |
| Historic U.S. 6 and California 14U/Sierra Highway south |
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