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Regional Boards => Pacific Southwest => Topic started by: Alex on August 28, 2010, 12:19:44 AM

Title: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Alex on August 28, 2010, 12:19:44 AM
Governor gets bill to give Claremont part of Route 66

QuoteBy Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com The Sacramento Bee
Published: Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 4A
Last Modified: Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010 - 8:11 am



Route 66 was California's most famous highway in the the 1930s and 1940s, bringing hundreds of thousands of newcomers to Southern California from other states.

By and by, east-west traffic shifted a couple of miles south to Interstate 10, and State Route 66, as it was redesignated, became a local artery for the Inland Empire east of Los Angeles.

Nevertheless, vestiges of the old Route 66 remain, and the cities that lie along its route want to capitalize on its fame.

One by one, those cities have petitioned the state to turn over their portions of Route 66 — also called Foothill Boulevard — to local control so they can be incorporated into local development plans.

Rialto and Fontana have already taken control of their shares. On Wednesday, the state Senate gave final approval to a bill that would cede another portion to Claremont.

The measure, Senate Bill 993 by Sen. Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar, was sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger by a 35-0 vote.




County looking to replace Route 66 bridges (http://www.desertdispatch.com/news/replace-9028-bridges-county.html)

Board of Supervisors applying for $52 million grant for project
August 11, 2010 4:33 PM
By JESSICA CEJNAR, staff writer

Quote
The county is pursuing a $52 million federal stimulus grant to replace 130 bridges on a stretch of National Trails Highway – part of historic Route 66 – between Daggett and Needles.

The bridges the county hopes to replace were built between 1929 to 1931 and are made of wood. County officials hope to replace them with bridges made from timber kits and would be designed similar to the original bridges. The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved the application to the California Transportation Commission for the grant.

County officials will know by September if its grant application was approved.

There is $600 million available to local governments through the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriation Act of 2010. According to Andy Silva, spokesman for First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, if the county doesn't receive the full $52 million, it will use the money it does receive to fix bridges between Amboy and Cadiz, which need to be replaced the most.

The kits the county expects to use for to replace these bridges are approved by the California Department of Transportation, are easy to put together and are historically accurate.

"The attraction of Route 66 is its history,"  he said. "You don't want it to look like any other roadway."

The stretch of Route 66 between Daggett and Needles is often used by the California Highway Patrol when Interstate 40 is closed.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: agentsteel53 on August 30, 2010, 10:12:53 PM
what the Hell, we suddenly have the money to replace bridges on old 66?  What's next, we'll replace the culverts on Chuckwalla Valley Road?  Or the abandoned section of 101 with a redwood tree growing out of the deck???
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Mikeroburst on August 31, 2010, 08:28:18 PM
Apparently all other transportation issues in the state have been solved...

Have some of the bridges on old 66 there been replaced before? A lot of the smaller bridges over washes on the Ludlow-Goffs segment have late 40s-early 50s dates carved into them.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Quillz on September 01, 2010, 12:20:06 AM
With all the states that at one point had US 66 now trying to bring it back historically, makes you wonder why AASHTO can't just revive the routing altogether.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Alps on September 01, 2010, 08:26:02 PM
Quote from: Quillz on September 01, 2010, 12:20:06 AM
With all the states that at one point had US 66 now trying to bring it back historically, makes you wonder why AASHTO can't just revive the routing altogether.
Ownership's still a bitch.  States wouldn't want to take back new segments of road.  66 would keep leaving the highway and getting back on, sometimes at random points, or else just stay on the highway for long periods of time.  Your best chance to have US 66 back would be from Oklahoma City to at least St. Louis, if not still to Chicago.  But then who wants to pay for signage?
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: deathtopumpkins on September 01, 2010, 08:37:54 PM
Quote from: AlpsROADS on September 01, 2010, 08:26:02 PM
But then who wants to pay for signage?

Obviously the respective state DOTs are quite happy to pay for signage, considering all the "HISTORIC ROUTE 66" signs going up everywhere.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: bugo on September 01, 2010, 10:08:01 PM
Quote from: AlpsROADS on September 01, 2010, 08:26:02 PM
Ownership's still a bitch.  States wouldn't want to take back new segments of road.  66 would keep leaving the highway and getting back on, sometimes at random points, or else just stay on the highway for long periods of time.  Your best chance to have US 66 back would be from Oklahoma City to at least St. Louis, if not still to Chicago.  But then who wants to pay for signage?

The only part of 66 that could be practically brought back is the OK/KS/MO 66 stretch from El Reno, OK to Joplin, MO.  Or you could even route along the MO 96 stretch of old 66 and extend it to Springfield. 
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: TheStranger on September 02, 2010, 11:05:16 AM
Quote from: AlpsROADS on September 01, 2010, 08:26:02 PM

Ownership's still a bitch.  States wouldn't want to take back new segments of road.

Of course, if signage was based on navigation rather than maintenance...well, that's kinda the whole Historic 66 thing to begin with, isn't it?


Quote from: AlpsROADS on September 01, 2010, 08:26:02 PM
66 would keep leaving the highway and getting back on, sometimes at random points, or else just stay on the highway for long periods of time.

Not exactly different from say US 52 in Minnesota, or US 85/87 in Colorado and Wyoming... ;)

Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Bickendan on September 04, 2010, 01:56:34 AM
Quote from: AlpsROADS on September 01, 2010, 08:26:02 PM
Quote from: Quillz on September 01, 2010, 12:20:06 AM
With all the states that at one point had US 66 now trying to bring it back historically, makes you wonder why AASHTO can't just revive the routing altogether.
Ownership's still a bitch.  States wouldn't want to take back new segments of road.  66 would keep leaving the highway and getting back on, sometimes at random points, or else just stay on the highway for long periods of time.  Your best chance to have US 66 back would be from Oklahoma City to at least St. Louis, if not still to Chicago.  But then who wants to pay for signage?
State shouldn't have to take back segments of road -- have the city maintain it, but the signs go up.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: TheStranger on September 05, 2010, 02:34:46 AM
Quote from: Bickendan on September 04, 2010, 01:56:34 AM
State shouldn't have to take back segments of road -- have the city maintain it, but the signs go up.

Hey, after all, Route 66 _historic_ has overheads for it in places!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/desertgirl51/2095570272/

Of course, not all states simply have route navigation emphasized over route signage being tied to maintenance - California in particular has to put in exceptions in legislative route definitions for those situations in which a signed route is not maintained by CalTrans.  (Which defeats the purpose of signing a road in the first place!)
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Quillz on September 07, 2010, 05:11:01 PM
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on September 01, 2010, 08:37:54 PM
Quote from: AlpsROADS on September 01, 2010, 08:26:02 PM
But then who wants to pay for signage?

Obviously the respective state DOTs are quite happy to pay for signage, considering all the "HISTORIC ROUTE 66" signs going up everywhere.
Exactly. CA is full of historic US 66 and 99 signs.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: TheStranger on September 18, 2010, 02:16:15 PM
Quote from: Quillz on September 07, 2010, 05:11:01 PM
Exactly. CA is full of historic US 66 and 99 signs.

I don't think Historic 99 gets as much signage as historic 66 - though there is a surprising lack of historic 66 signs per capita on Santa Monica Boulevard.

I haven't been on the old 66A alignment (Colorado Blvd and Figueroa St) through Eagle Rock to know if that area has 66 signs, though much of Foothill Boulevard/Alosta Avenue/Huntington Drive/Colorado Place/Colorado Boulevard between Pasadena and San Bernardino has them (albeit, not at the frequency of a well-signed state-maintained arterial).

Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Scott5114 on September 22, 2010, 04:43:06 AM
Quote from: TheStranger on September 18, 2010, 02:16:15 PM
I haven't been on the old 66A alignment (Colorado Blvd and Figueroa St) through Eagle Rock to know if that area has 66 signs, though much of Foothill Boulevard/Alosta Avenue/Huntington Drive/Colorado Place/Colorado Boulevard between Pasadena and San Bernardino has them (albeit, not at the frequency of a well-signed state-maintained arterial).

Well, that sounds like something you need to...Figuerout.

(I am shameless)

Karma -7
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: andy3175 on January 07, 2016, 11:29:13 PM
Effort to identify more segments of Historic US 66 (National Trails Highway) in Southern California, this time in the Cajon Pass area... I have not attempted to drive this myself, although I've seen several other old alignments of US 66 elsewhere in California.

http://www.vvdailypress.com/article/20160104/NEWS/160109986

http://www.backroadswest.com/blog/forgotten-path-route-66/

QuoteThere is a forgotten road in the Cajon Pass that was originally a wagon toll road built in 1861 and, later, was used by many early Route 66 travelers. There are no signs to point out this historic road or to tell you about its connection to the Mother Road but there is still evidence of where it once existed.

Early automobile travelers used this steep, narrow and hazardous road as a short cut when traveling Route 66 (although it was never used as an alignment for Route 66). Unlike old segments of 66 in the upper Cajon Pass, sections of this road can still be traveled on today.

Our trip begins at the Summit Inn located at the Cajon Summit and ends next to the truck scales located halfway through the Cajon Pass. Half of the trip is on dirt road with the other half on pavement and it can be traveled in either direction. ...

As you leave Summit Inn, turn right onto the frontage road and head south. The pavement ends in half a mile but this short distance of pavement was the alignment of Route 66. The alignment then turned right, crossed the northbound lanes of I-15 and continued down the middle of I-15.

For our trip, continue on the dirt road (when the pavement ends) as it makes a quick left and then heads south. You will quickly see how rough the road is. At a 90-degree left turn there's a great viewpoint of the Cajon Pass on the right. ...

Past the viewpoint, the road twists and turns and a road intersection is reached. Turn right here to pass through the obvious road cut. This road cut was originally dug for the Brown Toll Road and probably hand excavated in 1861, which is when the American Civil War started. (Read more about this historical road on our website.) ...

Continue steeply down the old road south as it crosses four railroad tracks. Beyond the tracks, you might spot faint patches of pavement from the original road build in 1914. Turn right onto Highway 138. Here, the new highway was built on top of the old road. Just before 138 turns into four lanes, the old road veered off to the left. We will see the other side of that road in a moment.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: emory on January 18, 2016, 07:36:14 PM
Quote from: TheStranger on September 18, 2010, 02:16:15 PM
Quote from: Quillz on September 07, 2010, 05:11:01 PM
Exactly. CA is full of historic US 66 and 99 signs.

I don't think Historic 99 gets as much signage as historic 66 - though there is a surprising lack of historic 66 signs per capita on Santa Monica Boulevard.

I haven't been on the old 66A alignment (Colorado Blvd and Figueroa St) through Eagle Rock to know if that area has 66 signs, though much of Foothill Boulevard/Alosta Avenue/Huntington Drive/Colorado Place/Colorado Boulevard between Pasadena and San Bernardino has them (albeit, not at the frequency of a well-signed state-maintained arterial).

There are signs on the US 66 Alt alignment, as well as the original US 66 alignment down Broadway.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: andy3175 on February 02, 2016, 09:57:43 AM
Proposal to create three national monuments in the Mojave Desert, including one that follows the US 66 corridor:

Advocate site: http://www.wildlandsconservancy.org/conservation_mojave.html

QuoteThe monument would preserve the most pristine, undeveloped remaining stretch of historic Route 66, the Mother Road, which is arguably the most famous highway in America - perhaps in the world. Created in 1926 as part of the nation's first system of federal highways, Route 66 became popular as the shortest, best-weather route across the country. Linking Chicago to Santa Monica, it helped transform America into the automobile-oriented society it is today. Through literature (John Steinbeck), film, television and song, it became an international icon. In 2008, the World Monuments Fund designated Route 66, along with such world heritage sites as Machu Picchu and Shanghai, as a threatened resource on their Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites. The March 2009 Smithsonian Magazine recognizes Route 66 as one of the "15 Must-See Endangered Cultural Treasures."

Article: http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Mojave-Desert-areas-on-verge-of-protection-under-6795729.php

Map from San Francisco Chronicle article:

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/west/mojave_desert_proposed_natl_monuments.jpg)

QuoteDrive mile upon mile through California's Mojave Desert, and you still can see the unspoiled vistas of one of the largest intact ecosystems in the continental United States.

Along Route 66 stretch the same empty valleys and distant mountains that Oklahoma farmers escaping the Dust Bowl saw in their migration west. In the vast swathes of scrub land, scientists are finding new plant species at a rate rivaling that in the Amazon. Ancient creosote bushes, like one 11,700 years old that miraculously survived in an off-road vehicle playground, live here in soils scientists only now realize are one of the planet's great carbon sinks. ...

Within days, President Obama is expected to invoke the Antiquities Act, at Feinstein's request, to create three national monuments preserving 1,380,350 acres of these lands, including a long stretch of Route 66. Republicans oppose the designation as executive overreach; they have proposed the same three monuments, but would open the Route 66 area to mining. ...

The Mojave Trails designation would protect 105 miles of the most pristine extant section of Route 66 and link Joshua Tree National Park with the Mojave National Preserve.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Desert Man on February 03, 2016, 12:15:01 AM
Yes...let's save more open spaces of the California Desert! The old route 66 comes under the protection of a future national monument. Us 66 is part of my Californian and American heritage.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: kendancy66 on February 03, 2016, 10:06:47 PM
Excellent idea.  Should have been done already
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: SimMoonXP on February 13, 2016, 12:21:33 AM
Great map, Andy Field! It would be sure more adventure for adding new proposed monuments in Mojave Desert area in someday in the future as when the time is right!
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Quillz on February 13, 2016, 12:32:56 AM
So, was the act actually passed?
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Desert Man on February 13, 2016, 04:19:16 PM
Quote from: Quillz on February 13, 2016, 12:32:56 AM
So, was the act actually passed?

The LA Times had an article about the act officially passed and 3 new national monuments will be created (Google search for more news articles).
http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-monuments-20160212-story.html
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: andy3175 on February 14, 2016, 11:06:26 PM
Yup, here is the official proclamation for Mojave Trails National Monument, which encompasses the US 66 route. Still looking for official monument boundary maps.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/02/12/presidential-proclamation-establishment-mojave-trails-national-monument

QuoteThe Mojave Trails area has been a critical travel corridor for millennia, linking the Pacific Coast to the deserts of the southwest and beyond.  The Mojave Indian Trail is the earliest known travel route passing through the Mojave Trails area, used by Native Americans for thousands of years and by early Spanish explorers and traders.  In 1829, Mexican explorer Antonio Armijo pioneered the Old Spanish Trail through this area.  Evidence of the trail, now designated a National Historic Trail, can still be found at Afton Canyon.

By the end of the 19th century, transcontinental rail travel had changed the American West in profound ways.  In 1882, Southern Pacific constructed a railroad route from Barstow to Needles.  In addition to the major rail stops established at Needles and Barstow, several smaller towns and rail stops were established along this stretch, including the alphabetically named Amboy, Bristol, Cadiz, Danby, Essex, Fenner, and Goffs. These towns remain, some as inhabited hamlets and others as abandoned ghost towns, and some historical artifacts from the original rail line still exist, including original rail ties and track and later improvements of communications poles, insulators, and wires.

A modest dirt road -- an original trackside component of the railroad project -- would later become the most famous highway in America.  In 1911, in the infancy of the automobile era, the County of San Bernardino paved the first stretch of that road from Barstow to Needles.  The next year, this stretch became part of the National Old Trails Road, which extended more than 3,000 miles from New York, New York, to Los Angeles, California, and connected the American coasts by pavement for the first time.  In 1926, the road was officially designated as U.S. Highway 66, a designation soon known around the world as Route 66.  During the 1930s, Route 66 became an important route for migrants escaping economic hardships of the Great Depression and droughts in the Central plains.  As the national economy rebounded following World War II, Americans took to the highways in unprecedented numbers.  The road became an American icon, earning the nickname the "Main Street of America" and inspiring popular culture through music, literature, and film.

The popularity of Route 66, however, hastened its downfall; increasing traffic quickly exceeded its two-lane capacity.  In 1985, Route 66 was officially decommissioned, leaving behind a powerful albeit fragmented narrative history of America's automobile culture of the first half of the 20th century and its legacy of related commerce and architecture.  The Mojave Trails area contains the longest remaining undeveloped stretch of Route 66, offering spectacular and serene desert vistas and a glimpse into what travelers experienced during the peak of the route's popularity in the mid-20th century.  Today, the ghost towns along this stretch of Route 66 are a visual legacy of how the automobile shaped the American landscape.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: AndyMax25 on November 12, 2016, 12:03:11 AM
City of Santa Monica has posted historic Route 66 signs along Santa Monica Blvd and Lincoln Blvd. Here is a photo with an end tab at the original official end at Olympic. This where US66 ended at US101A. After decommissioning, this intersection was the junction of SR1 and SR2.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fuploads.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F20161112%2F12a1dfde022994d321fcb640af57e68a.jpg&hash=107ce5267ff6df2f79453dc919d9970b10338d38)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fuploads.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F20161112%2Fdb2990b6db29cdcbd061633118774cbb.png&hash=4801152fc0664e083871b4d36d025cee37022d1a)
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Max Rockatansky on November 12, 2016, 04:42:25 PM
Sure posted it high enough...unfortunately I bet someone will try to still steal it sooner or later. 
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: andy3175 on November 13, 2016, 12:16:37 AM
Quote from: AndyMax25 on November 12, 2016, 12:03:11 AM
City of Santa Monica has posted historic Route 66 signs along Santa Monica Blvd and Lincoln Blvd. Here is a photo with an end tab at the original official end at Olympic. This where US66 ended at US101A.

Great! Glad to see the endpoint of Historic US 66 signed at Lincoln and Olympic. I'll bet you had something to do with its placement. This is more accurate than the "End of Trail" sign on Santa Monica Pier, since US 66 itself never extended onto the Pier itself.

(https://www.aaroads.com/california/images066/santa_monica_pier_13.jpg)
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: english si on November 13, 2016, 04:33:21 AM
And, while on the route,
(https://s15.postimg.org/ileyjx3rv/2015_09_22_15_10_57.jpg)
and the nearby (much better) touristy sign, was never the end.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Max Rockatansky on November 13, 2016, 09:05:39 AM
Personally I always Olympic was always good point to end 66 at, it was actually kind of strange it got extended west of Los Angeles to begin with.  It probably made more sense when the terminus was at US 101A but even CA 1 isn't half bad considering the stature in roadgeekdom it tends to hold.  It's pretty much just the fandom of the route that put it to the Santa Monica Pier...it never would have made sense to have a sudden swing on Colorado Avenue like that just to get the actual ocean on the route.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: NE2 on November 13, 2016, 12:36:38 PM
Does anyone know the exact date US 66 was extended to Santa Monica? Until the McClure Tunnel opened on February 1, 1936, SR 3/US 101A stayed on Lincoln and hit the coast at Santa Monica Canyon (West Channel Road). So if US 66 was designated before this, it likely ended at Santa Monica and Lincoln.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Max Rockatansky on November 13, 2016, 12:55:10 PM
Quote from: NE2 on November 13, 2016, 12:36:38 PM
Does anyone know the exact date US 66 was extended to Santa Monica? Until the McClure Tunnel opened on February 1, 1936, SR 3/US 101A stayed on Lincoln and hit the coast at Santa Monica Canyon (West Channel Road). So if US 66 was designated before this, it likely ended at Santa Monica and Lincoln.

Cahighways.org has the change being approved on June, 17th 1935 with it becoming effective on on January 1st, 1936:

http://www.cahighways.org/065-072.html

For the sake of relevancy here is the direct quote from site:

PROPOSED EXTENSION OF US 66 DISTRICT 711 TO SANTA MONICA

"Beginning at the intersection of North Broadway and Sunset Boulevard, the junction of US 66, US 99, and US 101, in the City of Los Angeles; thence, northwesterly over Sunset Boulevard (State Highway Route 2) and US 101 to Santa Monica Boulevard; thence, westerly over Santa Monica Boulevard (a city street) to Myra Avenue, the junction of State Highway 162 [LRN 162] and Sign Route (2) [Route 2]; thence, continuing westerly over Santa Monica Boulevard (State Highway Route 162 [LRN 162]) and Sign Route (2) [Route 2] through the Cities of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills to the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Lincoln Boulevard, in the City of Santa Monica; thence, southerly along Lincoln Boulevard to the terminus at Pennsylvania Avenue, a total distance of approximately 13.00 miles.

Remember, in 1935, Olympic Boulevard had been approved as LRN 173, but had not been constructed. This road was later marked as Route 26. If, however one was to draw a line from Pennsylvania Ave. to the junction of LRN 162 (Route 2 and US 66) with LRN 60 (Route 1 and US 101A) at Lincoln Blvd., the points would match. The highway department obviously used Pennsylvania Ave. as the point of reference since Olympic Blvd. did not yet exist."

So it looks like US 66 just went to where Olympic was going to be at....so much for a temporary measure. 
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: NE2 on November 13, 2016, 01:31:19 PM
Oh nice...I had forgotten about that. I wonder if US 66 had a temporary signed end at Santa Monica and Lincoln until the tunnel opened.

It's interesting that US 66 ended at Broadway and Sunset. A 1934 map (http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~247303~5515362?qvq=q%3Apub_title%3D%22California%2BHighway%2BTransportation%2BSurvey%2C%2B1934.%22%3Bsort%3ADate%3Blc%3ARUMSEY~8~1&mi=38&trs=85) shows that Broadway was not all state-maintained, while the 1934 official shows a zigzagging route to the west to reach Figueroa (it's proposed in 1936). I think the 1934 official shows some alignments as 'unimproved' that were not actually maintained.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: AndyMax25 on November 15, 2016, 02:11:30 PM
Quote from: andy3175 on November 13, 2016, 12:16:37 AM
Quote from: AndyMax25 on November 12, 2016, 12:03:11 AM
City of Santa Monica has posted historic Route 66 signs along Santa Monica Blvd and Lincoln Blvd. Here is a photo with an end tab at the original official end at Olympic. This where US66 ended at US101A.

Great! Glad to see the endpoint of Historic US 66 signed at Lincoln and Olympic. I'll bet you had something to do with its placement. This is more accurate than the "End of Trail" sign on Santa Monica Pier, since US 66 itself never extended onto the Pier itself.

(https://www.aaroads.com/california/images066/santa_monica_pier_13.jpg)

Yes, we finally got these up in time to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the route coming to Santa Monica. We will be adding a begin tab along the NB side of Lincoln and arrow tabs at Santa Monica Blvd and Lincoln.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: The Ghostbuster on November 15, 2016, 05:53:28 PM
If I remember correctly, California was the first state to decommission its portion of US 66. The eastern end of the highway was not retracted until the late 1970's, and the whole shebang was decommissioned in 1985.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: english si on November 16, 2016, 10:09:47 AM
It would be great if the signs on the pier weren't so awful - get some US shields!

With the signed route now not beginning/ending at the Ocean, it means the pier is on the route, and this OTT British Pub sign (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@34.0144656,-118.4975827,3a,49y,74h,85.71t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sTLJjVlWUFvTioBJZGoYG7w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656) isn't the first bit of Americana on the route (the OTT nature of it being very American).
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: emory on November 16, 2016, 01:05:45 PM
Quote from: english si on November 16, 2016, 10:09:47 AM
It would be great if the signs on the pier weren't so awful - get some US shields!

They have US shields! On literally everything else on that pier!
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Max Rockatansky on November 16, 2016, 10:00:14 PM
Quote from: emory on November 16, 2016, 01:05:45 PM
Quote from: english si on November 16, 2016, 10:09:47 AM
It would be great if the signs on the pier weren't so awful - get some US shields!

They have US shields! On literally everything else on that pier!

There is a whole glass display in the middle of the pier that has some in it and around the general area.  Granted they are for show...it would be great if they could get a real sign and it put behind some sort of display glass.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: english si on November 17, 2016, 12:34:16 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on November 16, 2016, 10:00:14 PMThere is a whole glass display in the middle of the pier that has some in it and around the general area.  Granted they are for show...it would be great if they could get a real sign and it put behind some sort of display glass.
The terrible sign is far more prominent. And, as you say, the display case is more show than reality.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Max Rockatansky on December 02, 2016, 09:18:31 PM
Not to revive a dead thread...but I finally found my picture of the CA 66 shield I was referring to when it was actually still posted:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1255.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fhh630%2FMadMaxRockatansky73%2F66CA_zpsyziwpqrw.jpg&hash=f0c4c3b17b163b1ba36c827ebb9a4505aaae1b49)
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: capt.ron on January 10, 2017, 02:19:30 PM
I have a question for those that know their US 66 history: What year did the 4 lane (at the time) section of US 66/91 open up between Barstow and Victorville? Some are saying 1958, or 1959 or 1964. Of course, that section became I-15 not much later.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: NE2 on January 10, 2017, 03:40:16 PM
Quote from: capt.ron on January 10, 2017, 02:19:30 PM
I have a question for those that know their US 66 history: What year did the 4 lane (at the time) section of US 66/91 open up between Barstow and Victorville? Some are saying 1958, or 1959 or 1964. Of course, that section became I-15 not much later.
December 13, 1958:
http://archive.org/stream/cavol3738liforniahighwa195859calirich#page/n431/mode/2up/search/victorville
http://archive.org/stream/cavol3738liforniahighwa195859calirich#page/n535/mode/2up/search/victorville
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: coatimundi on January 10, 2017, 06:17:21 PM
Quote from: capt.ron on January 10, 2017, 02:19:30 PM
I have a question for those that know their US 66 history: What year did the 4 lane (at the time) section of US 66/91 open up between Barstow and Victorville? Some are saying 1958, or 1959 or 1964. Of course, that section became I-15 not much later.

I'm not clear on it from your question, but I want to make sure there's the understanding that this section that opened in 1958 between Barstow and Victorville was new ROW. It opened as 4-lane divided. It wasn't just newly divided on existing ROW like the section south of Victorville was. There was also a period just before that where the Victorville bypass section was constructed up to the railroad and Mojave River, but it stopped there, at an interchange with the existing 66.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: capt.ron on January 11, 2017, 02:26:04 PM
Quote from: coatimundi on January 10, 2017, 06:17:21 PM
Quote from: capt.ron on January 10, 2017, 02:19:30 PM
I have a question for those that know their US 66 history: What year did the 4 lane (at the time) section of US 66/91 open up between Barstow and Victorville? Some are saying 1958, or 1959 or 1964. Of course, that section became I-15 not much later.

I'm not clear on it from your question, but I want to make sure there's the understanding that this section that opened in 1958 between Barstow and Victorville was new ROW. It opened as 4-lane divided. It wasn't just newly divided on existing ROW like the section south of Victorville was. There was also a period just before that where the Victorville bypass section was constructed up to the railroad and Mojave River, but it stopped there, at an interchange with the existing 66.
Yeah, that's what I was asking. I know the old alignment veered northwest (and then north, north-northeast) towards Oro Grande and  Helendale and was decommissioned. I was just trying to pinpoint the year in which it opened.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Desert Man on November 23, 2017, 11:25:08 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 30, 2010, 10:12:53 PM
what the Hell, we suddenly have the money to replace bridges on old 66?  What's next, we'll replace the culverts on Chuckwalla Valley Road?  Or the abandoned section of 101 with a redwood tree growing out of the deck???

I've driven on Chuckawalla Valley road to a place called...Hell (and back)...I believe it was former US 60/70. Also I been to another "hell": Anza, the proposed "incorporated town" of 3,000 people on SR 371. And my travels on old route 66 in Fontana and San Bernardino which are served by I-10, Victorville, Barstow, even in lil' Amboy and Needles is like a trip back in time to before I-15 or I-40.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Max Rockatansky on November 23, 2017, 11:28:41 PM
Quote from: Desert Man on November 23, 2017, 11:25:08 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 30, 2010, 10:12:53 PM
what the Hell, we suddenly have the money to replace bridges on old 66?  What's next, we'll replace the culverts on Chuckwalla Valley Road?  Or the abandoned section of 101 with a redwood tree growing out of the deck???

I've driven on Chuckawalla Valley road to a place called...Hell (and back)...I believe it was former US 60/70. Also I been to another "hell": Anza, the proposed "incorporated town" of 3,000 people on SR 371. And my travels on old route 66 in Fontana and San Bernardino which are served by I-10, Victorville, Barstow, even in lil' Amboy and Needles is like a trip back in time to before I-15 or I-40.

Hell is long buried under I-10, Chuckwalla Valley Road is still around but closed nowadays:

https://flic.kr/s/aHskUEtdfH
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: paulthemapguy on March 13, 2018, 02:18:33 PM
So are there no CA 66 shields left in the field?  I'm looking on GSV for one and I can't find any.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Max Rockatansky on March 13, 2018, 03:16:50 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on March 13, 2018, 02:18:33 PM
So are there no CA 66 shields left in the field?  I'm looking on GSV for one and I can't find any.

They were all removed a couple years back.  Word was they were very popular for signage theft. 
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: NE2 on March 15, 2018, 04:30:40 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on March 13, 2018, 02:18:33 PM
So are there no CA 66 shields left in the field?  I'm looking on GSV for one and I can't find any.
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.1029346,-117.5358651,3a,75y,42.16h,91.98t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sPZrrvfWA-ZIyrtkJ-bg_Xw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: sparker on March 16, 2018, 01:38:46 AM
I believe Rancho Cucamonga and Upland have yet to request relinquishment of CA 66/Foothill Blvd, leaving the segments through those cities under Caltrans parvenu (sans signage except for the BGS's on I-15 as shown.  The last time I was through there on that route was in the summer of 2012; the only CA 66 signs remaining were at the Euclid Ave./CA 83 intersection -- and the WB signage was in the form of -- unusual for CA -- a "unisign" with the 66 and 83 shields on one black-background sign with directional banners printed below.  Otherwise, I don't recall seeing any standalone CA 66 signs in District 8 (D7/L.A. County never erected any; even at the CA 210/previous CA 30 Foothill Blvd. interchange in San Dimas).   

I'm wondering if the "unisign" mentioned above still exists?  When I was living in D8 (2004-12) it always seemed like there was one or another "oddball" sign in various places (including the reassurance shield for CA 259!) that wouldn't have existed in another district -- although some of them didn't stay up for long.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: andy3175 on March 17, 2018, 01:10:45 AM
Quote from: sparker on March 16, 2018, 01:38:46 AM
I believe Rancho Cucamonga and Upland have yet to request relinquishment of CA 66/Foothill Blvd, leaving the segments through those cities under Caltrans parvenu (sans signage except for the BGS's on I-15 as shown.  The last time I was through there on that route was in the summer of 2012; the only CA 66 signs remaining were at the Euclid Ave./CA 83 intersection -- and the WB signage was in the form of -- unusual for CA -- a "unisign" with the 66 and 83 shields on one black-background sign with directional banners printed below.  Otherwise, I don't recall seeing any standalone CA 66 signs in District 8 (D7/L.A. County never erected any; even at the CA 210/previous CA 30 Foothill Blvd. interchange in San Dimas).   

I'm wondering if the "unisign" mentioned above still exists?  When I was living in D8 (2004-12) it always seemed like there was one or another "oddball" sign in various places (including the reassurance shield for CA 259!) that wouldn't have existed in another district -- although some of them didn't stay up for long.

(https://www.aaroads.com/california/images066/ca-066_eb_at_ca-083_05.jpg)

This was at that intersection in 2010. I don't know if it's still there or not.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: emory on March 17, 2018, 08:08:50 PM
Quote from: andy3175 on March 17, 2018, 01:10:45 AM
Quote from: sparker on March 16, 2018, 01:38:46 AM
I believe Rancho Cucamonga and Upland have yet to request relinquishment of CA 66/Foothill Blvd, leaving the segments through those cities under Caltrans parvenu (sans signage except for the BGS's on I-15 as shown.  The last time I was through there on that route was in the summer of 2012; the only CA 66 signs remaining were at the Euclid Ave./CA 83 intersection -- and the WB signage was in the form of -- unusual for CA -- a "unisign" with the 66 and 83 shields on one black-background sign with directional banners printed below.  Otherwise, I don't recall seeing any standalone CA 66 signs in District 8 (D7/L.A. County never erected any; even at the CA 210/previous CA 30 Foothill Blvd. interchange in San Dimas).   

I'm wondering if the "unisign" mentioned above still exists?  When I was living in D8 (2004-12) it always seemed like there was one or another "oddball" sign in various places (including the reassurance shield for CA 259!) that wouldn't have existed in another district -- although some of them didn't stay up for long.

(https://www.aaroads.com/california/images066/ca-066_eb_at_ca-083_05.jpg)

This was at that intersection in 2010. I don't know if it's still there or not.

I don't think it is. That segment of CA 83 north of I-10 was deleted.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: mrsman on March 21, 2018, 05:33:51 PM
Quote from: emory on March 17, 2018, 08:08:50 PM
Quote from: andy3175 on March 17, 2018, 01:10:45 AM
Quote from: sparker on March 16, 2018, 01:38:46 AM
I believe Rancho Cucamonga and Upland have yet to request relinquishment of CA 66/Foothill Blvd, leaving the segments through those cities under Caltrans parvenu (sans signage except for the BGS's on I-15 as shown.  The last time I was through there on that route was in the summer of 2012; the only CA 66 signs remaining were at the Euclid Ave./CA 83 intersection -- and the WB signage was in the form of -- unusual for CA -- a "unisign" with the 66 and 83 shields on one black-background sign with directional banners printed below.  Otherwise, I don't recall seeing any standalone CA 66 signs in District 8 (D7/L.A. County never erected any; even at the CA 210/previous CA 30 Foothill Blvd. interchange in San Dimas).   

I'm wondering if the "unisign" mentioned above still exists?  When I was living in D8 (2004-12) it always seemed like there was one or another "oddball" sign in various places (including the reassurance shield for CA 259!) that wouldn't have existed in another district -- although some of them didn't stay up for long.

(https://www.aaroads.com/california/images066/ca-066_eb_at_ca-083_05.jpg)

This was at that intersection in 2010. I don't know if it's still there or not.

I don't think it is. That segment of CA 83 north of I-10 was deleted.

As of May 2017, the sign is still on GSV.

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.106882,-117.6517326,3a,75y,78.46h,92.92t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3K0i-hVYEQtq4IiRCGIK5g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: pderocco on March 23, 2018, 04:09:43 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 13, 2018, 03:16:50 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on March 13, 2018, 02:18:33 PM
So are there no CA 66 shields left in the field?  I'm looking on GSV for one and I can't find any.

They were all removed a couple years back.  Word was they were very popular for signage theft.

That was dumb. If they didn't care if they stayed up, why didn't they just wait for people to steal them all?
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Max Rockatansky on March 23, 2018, 08:59:13 AM
Incidentally what's everyone's over/under if a CA 66 shield ended up on eBay?  My guess is that that someone would want at least $1,000 on a BIN to start things off.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: paulthemapguy on March 23, 2018, 10:06:04 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 23, 2018, 08:59:13 AM
Incidentally what's everyone's over/under if a CA 66 shield ended up on eBay?  My guess is that that someone would want at least $1,000 on a BIN to start things off.

Why wouldn't people just commission a new CA-66 shield to be fabricated by a supplier?  That ought to run you well under $1000 lol.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: Max Rockatansky on March 23, 2018, 11:05:34 AM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on March 23, 2018, 10:06:04 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 23, 2018, 08:59:13 AM
Incidentally what's everyone's over/under if a CA 66 shield ended up on eBay?  My guess is that that someone would want at least $1,000 on a BIN to start things off.

Why wouldn't people just commission a new CA-66 shield to be fabricated by a supplier?  That ought to run you well under $1000 lol.

I'm not saying I'd pay it but would be hard to find anyone outside of Jake who would do it correctly.  Pretty much all those shields (aside from the BGS pictured earlier) were likely reflective paint with vinyl numbers.  The modern fully vinyl shields have a completely different look and feel which what you are likely to get from a DOT contractor. 
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: djsekani on April 15, 2018, 12:49:41 AM
Quote from: andy3175 on March 17, 2018, 01:10:45 AM
Quote from: sparker on March 16, 2018, 01:38:46 AM
I believe Rancho Cucamonga and Upland have yet to request relinquishment of CA 66/Foothill Blvd, leaving the segments through those cities under Caltrans parvenu (sans signage except for the BGS's on I-15 as shown.  The last time I was through there on that route was in the summer of 2012; the only CA 66 signs remaining were at the Euclid Ave./CA 83 intersection -- and the WB signage was in the form of -- unusual for CA -- a "unisign" with the 66 and 83 shields on one black-background sign with directional banners printed below.  Otherwise, I don't recall seeing any standalone CA 66 signs in District 8 (D7/L.A. County never erected any; even at the CA 210/previous CA 30 Foothill Blvd. interchange in San Dimas).   

I'm wondering if the "unisign" mentioned above still exists?  When I was living in D8 (2004-12) it always seemed like there was one or another "oddball" sign in various places (including the reassurance shield for CA 259!) that wouldn't have existed in another district -- although some of them didn't stay up for long.

(https://www.aaroads.com/california/images066/ca-066_eb_at_ca-083_05.jpg)

This was at that intersection in 2010. I don't know if it's still there or not.

I was working in that area last December, I can confirm that it was still there.
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: sparker on April 15, 2018, 01:40:55 AM
Quote from: djsekani on April 15, 2018, 12:49:41 AM
Quote from: andy3175 on March 17, 2018, 01:10:45 AM
Quote from: sparker on March 16, 2018, 01:38:46 AM
I believe Rancho Cucamonga and Upland have yet to request relinquishment of CA 66/Foothill Blvd, leaving the segments through those cities under Caltrans parvenu (sans signage except for the BGS's on I-15 as shown.  The last time I was through there on that route was in the summer of 2012; the only CA 66 signs remaining were at the Euclid Ave./CA 83 intersection -- and the WB signage was in the form of -- unusual for CA -- a "unisign" with the 66 and 83 shields on one black-background sign with directional banners printed below.  Otherwise, I don't recall seeing any standalone CA 66 signs in District 8 (D7/L.A. County never erected any; even at the CA 210/previous CA 30 Foothill Blvd. interchange in San Dimas).   

I'm wondering if the "unisign" mentioned above still exists?  When I was living in D8 (2004-12) it always seemed like there was one or another "oddball" sign in various places (including the reassurance shield for CA 259!) that wouldn't have existed in another district -- although some of them didn't stay up for long.

(https://www.aaroads.com/california/images066/ca-066_eb_at_ca-083_05.jpg)

This was at that intersection in 2010. I don't know if it's still there or not.

I was working in that area last December, I can confirm that it was still there.

That's an EB sign on old CA 66 (my old bank was right on that particular corner behind the camera); my question would be if the similar WB sign array was still in place, particularly since CA 83 is now truncated, with I-10 (about a mile and a half to the south) being the southern terminus.  I don't recall anything similar on Euclid (old 83) -- on which CA 83 signage was historically sporadic at best.  Caltrans in general, and D8 in particular, have over the years demonstrated diminishing interest in signing surface facilities in metro areas and have been trying to relinquish as much surface mileage as they can slough off on the cities and counties. 
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: TheStranger on July 09, 2021, 02:45:46 PM
Draft environmental impact report being prepared (as of April) for the section of Route 66 near Amboy that needs bridge replacements due to multiple washouts:

https://cms.sbcounty.gov/Portals/50/10%20Bridges.pdf?ver=2021-04-08-131900-290
Title: Re: U.S. 66 in California
Post by: sparker on July 09, 2021, 05:01:14 PM
Quote from: TheStranger on July 09, 2021, 02:45:46 PM
Draft environmental impact report being prepared (as of April) for the section of Route 66 near Amboy that needs bridge replacements due to multiple washouts:

https://cms.sbcounty.gov/Portals/50/10%20Bridges.pdf?ver=2021-04-08-131900-290

Looks like they're going to replace the bridges using actual railing rather than the usual K-rail sides, which frankly look pretty fugly, particularly on a historical route such as this one.  According to the citation within the report, they're using "ST-75" 3-beam railing; pix of which can be found at this site:
https://dot.ca.gov/programs/research-innovation-system-information/roadside-safety-research-group/type-st-75-post-and-beam-bridge-rail

It would probably be too much to ask that the railing be "aged" so it appears era-appropriate; with the sandstorms and even monsoons that come through the area regularly, it'll get pretty weathered before long!