After Exit 621, Interstate 5 north leaves Glenn County and enters Tehama County (and leaves Caltrans District 3 and enters Caltrans District 2). This section of Interstate 5, from the county line north to Exit 631 (Corning Road), was built in 1966. Photo taken 03/31/05.
About six miles north of the Glenn-Tehama County Line is the first Tehama County interchange along Interstate 5 north. The next exit along Interstate 5 north is Exit 628, Liberal Avenue to Old U.S. 99W north into the city of Corning. A welcome sign for visitors to Corning is visible behind the guide sign. Also becoming clearly visible for the first time is massive Mount Shasta, which will remain visible along Interstate 5 north for miles to come. Photo taken 03/31/05.
Northbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 628, Liberal Avenue east to U.S. 99W north to Corning, the "Olive City." Photo taken 03/31/05.
The next exit along Interstate 5 north is Exit 630, South Avenue. Use South Avenue east to California 99 near Vina. Photo taken 03/31/05.
At Exit 630, use South Avenue east to Tehama County Route A-8/South Avenue east to Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area. The park is located at the Sacramento River crossing along South Avenue. Photo taken 03/31/05.
Northbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 630, South Avenue. Gas and food are available at this interchange. To the city of Corning, continue north one more exit. Photo taken 03/31/05.
The next exit along Interstate 5 north is Exit 631, Junction Tehama County Route A-9/Corning Road east to Corning and west to Flournoy and Paskenta. At Paskenta, the signed county route ends, and two national forest highways continue into the Mendocino National Forest: Round Valley Road and Toomes Camp Road. Photo taken 03/31/05.
Use Exit 631 to the Corning Visitors Center and Mendocino National Forest Ranger Station. An auxiliary Tehama County Route A-9 shield is posted below the tourist information sign. The city of Corning was incorporated in 1907 and was home to 6,741 people as of the 2000 Census. The Bell Carter Olive Company is based in Corning, and its ripe olive cannery give the city its nickname of the "Olive City." Photo taken 03/31/05.
Northbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 631, Junction Tehama County Route A-9/Corning Road east to Corning and west to Flournoy and Paskenta. This is the main city of Corning exit, and all motorist services are available both at the Interstate 5 interchange and also in downtown Corning. At this point, U.S. 99W will diverge from Interstate 5. The two routes have closely paralleled each other from Woodland to Corning, with the old U.S. highway serving as a frontage road or as the business loop. From here, Old U.S. 99W briefly follows Tehama County Route A-9 east to Corning, then turns north on its own alignment through Richfield and Proberta. At Proberta, U.S. 99W merges onto Tehama County Route A-8 north toward Red Bluff, the seat of Tehama County. Photo taken 03/31/05.
The next exit along Interstate 5 north is Exit 632, Rest Area. The section of Interstate 5 from Exit 631 (Corning Road) north to Exit 647 (South Main Street/Business 5) was built in 1965. Photo taken 03/31/05.
Northbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 633, Finnell Avenue east to Old U.S. 99W and the town of Richfield. Photo taken 03/31/05.
This mileage sign along Interstate 5 north provides the distance to Red Bluff (seat of Tehama County, 13 miles) and Redding (seat of Shasta County, 43 miles). Photo taken 03/31/05.
Interstate 5 crosses Thomes Creek, which drains from Mendocino National Forest toward the Sacramento River. The view of the creek looks east. Photo taken 03/31/05.
Two volcanic mountains are visible from Interstate 5: Mount Shasta, which lies directly north of here, and Mount Lassen, which can be seen to the northeast (as seen here from the freeway). Photo taken 03/31/05.
The next exit along Interstate 5 north is Exit 636, Junction Tehama County Route A-11/Gyle Road west to Rancho Tehama and Flournoy and east to Tehama and Los Molinos. In Tehama, county route A-11 ends at county route A-8, and county route A-8 then proceeds across the Sacramento River to meet California 99 near Los Molinos. Photo taken 03/31/05.
A single Tehama County Route A-11 standalone trailblazer is posted prior to the Exit 636 offramp. Photo taken 03/31/05.
Northbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 636, Junction Tehama County Route A-11/Gyle Road east to Tehama and Los Molinos. Mount Shasta is visible in this photo sheathed entirely in white to the right of the mini-van. Photo taken 03/31/05.
The next exit along Interstate 5 north is Exit 642, Flores Avenue east to Proberta, La Flores, and Gerber. All three of these towns are located along Old U.S. 99W, which has strayed away from Interstate 5 between Corning and Red Bluff. Photo taken 03/31/05.
Northbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 642, Flores Avenue east to Proberta, La Flores, and Gerber. Photo taken 03/31/05.
This Interstate 5 reassurance shield, along with dominating Mount Shasta in the background, make for a great scene along northbound after the Proberta interchange (Exit 642). Photo taken 03/31/05.
A mileage sign provides the distance to Red Bluff (four miles) and Redding (34 miles). After this mileage sign, Interstate 5 will almost arbitrarily increase to three northbound lanes. At this location is the proposed yet unconstructed connection for a future California 99 freeway merge, should California 99 ever be built as a freeway this far north. This merge point would be somewhere near Manor Lane (south of the Riverside Avenue overpass and north of the Flores Avenue interchange) based on the spot where two-lane asphalt roadway changes to three-lane concrete roadway. It is not clear if a California 99 freeway will ever be constructed this far north. Photo taken 03/31/05.
As Mount Shasta comes closer into view, northbound Interstate 5 carries three northbound lanes and enters the Red Bluff metropolitan area. Red Bluff sits at the crossroads of Interstate 5, Tehama County Route A-8 (Old U.S. 99W), California 99 (Old U.S. 99E), and California 36. The next three exits all serve the city of Red Bluff: Exit 647, Junction Business Loop I-5, Tehama County Route A-8, and Old U.S. 99W (Main Street); Exit 649, Junction California 36 (Antelope Boulevard/Historic U.S. 99E) west to downtown Red Bluff and east to California 99 south; and Exit 650, Adobe Road. There is no access to Exit 651, Junction Business Loop I-5/U.S. 99 (Main Street) south from northbound Interstate 5. Photo taken 03/31/05.
The next exit along Interstate 5 north is Exit 647, Junction Business Loop I-5, Tehama County Route A-8, and Old U.S. 99W (Main Street). The city of Red Bluff is the seat of Tehama County, with a population of 13,147 people as of the 2000 Census and 7.6 square miles of area. The average elevation is 350 feet above sea level, and Red Bluff is one of the northernmost cities of the enormous Central Valley, which is more commonly referred to as the Sacramento Valley this far north. Redding is considered to be the northernmost city in the Central Valley, although foothill terrain separates Red Bluff and Redding. Additional people live in unincorporated areas around Red Bluff, adding to the total population of the area. All motorist services are available in Red Bluff. Photo taken 03/31/05.
Business Loop I-5 is signed with a traditional "Route 5 Business Next Right" auxiliary sign. The next interchange connects to Business Loop I-5/Main Street north into Red Bluff and Tehama County Route A-8 (South Main Street/Old U.S. 99W) south to Proberta. The business route and county route are cosigned into downtown Red Bluff. Photo taken 03/31/05.
To the Red Bluff Municipal Airport, use Business Loop I-5/Old U.S. 99W/Tehama County Route A-8 (Main Street) north to Luther Road. Follow Luther Road west to Airport Boulevard south, which leads to the airport terminals. Photo taken 03/31/05.
Northbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 647, Junction Business Loop I-5, Tehama County Route A-8, and Old U.S. 99W (Main Street) into the city of Red Bluff. The right lane comes to an end after Exit 647, and Interstate 5 will again become four lanes (two in each direction). Photo taken 03/31/05.
Interstate 5 passes under Business Loop I-5/U.S. 99W (Main Street) under this first bridge, then passes under the railroad, and finally passes under Diamond Avenue. Onramps to northbound come from both Main Street/U.S. 99W and Diamond Avenue, but there is no direct access to Diamond Avenue. Photo taken 03/31/05.
The next exit along Interstate 5 north is Exit 649, Junction California 36/Antelope Boulevard to downtown Red Bluff and to California 99 south. This interchange serves central Red Bluff. The Interstate 5 bypass around Red Bluff was built in 1964-1965 (from Exit 647 to Exit 651). Photo taken 03/31/05.
After crossing the Sacramento River, this sign advises that California 36 travels east to Lake Almanor and Susanville, where it ends at its junction with U.S. 395. Photo taken 03/31/05.
California 36 east connects to California 99 south, which reaches its northern terminus at its junction with California 36 a few miles east of this interchange. There is no direct connection between Interstate 5 and California 99 at the northern end of the Central Valley, although there are provisions for a freeway connection south of Red Bluff as evidenced by the six-lane section of Interstate 5. Photo taken 03/31/05.
To the east, California 36 connects to California 89 north into Lassen National Park; California 89 north to California 44 is closed through the park during winter months. The national park portion of this sign should be brown rather than green in color. Although no signs mention it, California 36 also travels west toward the coast. It winds through the Coast Range before ending on U.S. 101 near Alton and Hydesville. Photo taken 03/31/05.
Northbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 649, Junction California 36 (Antelope Boulevard) to California 99 south. This is a partial cloverleaf. Note that these new overhead signs do not include the exit number, but the gore point sign shows the exit number. Now the northbound Interstate 5 signage uses Portland as a control point, with Redding as the destination city. Photo taken 03/31/05.
An empty sign gantry sits on the California 36/Antelope Boulevard overpass. It is not clear what sign used to reside here, but it was probably for the next interchange (Exit 650 to Adobe Road). Photo taken 03/31/05.
Interstate 5 again crosses over the Sacramento River. The river takes a bend to pass through Red Bluff (hence crossing Interstate 5 twice since downtown Red Bluff is west of Interstate 5), then turns northeast. We'll see the river again near Anderson just south of Redding. The river view looks northeast toward Lassen National Park. Photos taken 03/31/05.
The next exit along Interstate 5 north is Exit 650, Adobe Road. Use Adobe Road west to Business Loop I-5/U.S. 99 (Main Street) and northern Red Bluff. There is no access to Exit 651, which directly connects to North Main Street. Photo taken 03/31/05.
The next exit along Interstate 5 is Exit 652, Wilcox Golf Road, one-half mile. Interstate 5 from Exit 651 north to the Shasta County Line was built in 1963. Photo taken 01/20/03.
Northbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 652, Wilcox Golf Road. Note how the landscape now features trees and rolling hills as opposed to the predominant agriculture of the Central Valley. Photo taken 03/31/05.
This unusual gore point signage along northbound for Exit 652 (Wilcox Golf Road) is worth a photo because the exit number was tagged onto an existing "exit" gore point sign. Photo taken 01/20/03.
The next exit along Interstate 5 is Exit 653, Jellys Ferry Road. Photo taken 03/31/05.
Here is another view of the odd exit number gore point signs in use along this section of Interstate 5, this time at Exit 653, Jellys Ferry Road. Photo taken 03/31/05.
The next exit along Interstate 5 north is Exit 656, Rest Area. This rest area was closed at the time this photo was taken. Photo taken 03/31/05.
A mileage sign provides the distance to Cottonwood (10 miles), Anderson (14 miles), and Redding (23 miles). Photo taken 03/31/05.
Northbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 656, Rest Area. This rest area was closed at the time this photo was taken. Photo taken 03/31/05.
The main north-south power transmission corridor splinters a bit this far north. Two 230kV and one 138kV power lines cross Interstate 5 here; the Path 66 500kV power lines, which have remained hidden to the west of Interstate 5, will eventually cross over the freeway on its own alignment. Path 15, the major north-south power lines that are 500kV, do not intersect Interstate 5 again. Instead, they remain well east of Interstate 5, and they will eventually interconnect with the power line system in Oregon. Photo taken 03/31/05.
The next exit along Interstate 5 north is Exit 657, Auction Yard Road/Hooker Creek Road (three-quarters of a mile). Photo taken 03/31/05.
Northbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 657, Auction Yard Road and Hooker Creek Road. Use Auction Yard Road north to follow alongside Interstate 5 as a frontage road; turn left to Hooker Creek Road west to rural northern Tehama County ranches and homes. Photo taken 03/31/05.
The next exit along Interstate 5 north is Exit 659, Sunset Hills Drive (formerly Snively Road), one mile. Snively Road actually parallels Interstate 5 for a stretch from here north to Lake California Drive/Tehama County Route A-5. Mount Shasta again dominates the northbound view. Photo taken 03/31/05.
A Taco Bell billboard vies with Mount Shasta for motorists' attention as Interstate 5 continues north. The parallel highway on the east side of Interstate 5 is Auction Yard Road. Photo taken 03/31/05.
After the gore point for Exit 659, the next exit is a weigh station (Exit 660). Photo taken 03/31/05.
All trucks must exit into the weigh station during hours of operation. Photo taken 03/31/05.
Prior to the weigh station, this mileage sign provides the distance to Cottonwood (four miles) and Weed (Junction U.S. 97, 88 miles). Curiously absent is Redding, which is still the northbound control city. Photo taken 03/31/05.
The next exit along Interstate 5 north is Exit 662, Junction Tehama County Route A-5 (Bowman Road) west and A-17/(Former) Business Loop I-5/U.S. 99 (Main Street) north to Cottonwood. This is the main route into Cottonwood. Naturally, the business route is not signed from the freeway on the new sign, but it was signed along northbound as recently as 1999, according to Jerry Mullady. It may be decommissioned now that it is unsigned from northbound Interstate 5. The loop returns to the Interstate at Exit 665, but only "Historic U.S. 99" shields are present along the length of the route. Tehama County Route A-5 leads southwest to meet California 36 west of Red Bluff. Photo taken 03/31/05.
This is the first of two standalone trailblazer shields for Tehama County Route A-17 along Interstate 5 north prior to Exit 662 into Cottonwood. County Route A-17 extends north from Interstate 5, following Old U.S. 99 and Business Loop I-5. The county route then crosses Cottonwood Creek (which serves as the Tehama-Shasta County Line) into Cottonwood, and turns east along Balls Ferry Road and Ash Creek Road to Shasta County Route A-16/Dersch Road. County Route A-16 eventually connects to California 44 east of Redding; California 44 in turn travels east toward Lassen Volcanic National Park and Susanville. Photo taken 03/31/05.
Northbound Interstate 5 reaches Exit 662, Tehama County Route A-5 (Bowman Road) west and A-17 (U.S. 99/Main Street/Business 5) north. Unmentioned on either county shield trailblazer, Tehama County Route A-5 extends west from this interchange along Bowman Road to California 36 west toward the coast. Photo taken 03/31/05.
A second standalone trailblazer shield for Tehama County Route A-17 is posted just prior to the gore point for Exit 662 along Interstate 5 north. The Tehama-Shasta County Line lies just north of this interchange. Photo taken 03/31/05.
The next exit along Interstate 5 north is Exit 664, Gas Point Road west and Balls Ferry Road east to Shasta County Route A-17 east. Photo taken 03/31/05.
This view shows Interstate 5 about to cross Cottonwood Creek, which is the county line between Tehama and Shasta Counties. The older two-lane bridge, which is Old U.S. 99 (now Business Loop I-5 and County Route A-17) can be seen to the east from the freeway. Photo taken 03/31/05.
Interstate 5 leaves Tehama County and enters Shasta County at the midpoint of the Cottonwood Creek bridge. The original Interstate 5 bridge over Cottonwood Creek was replaced in 1998. Photo taken 03/31/05.
