Old US-101 Routing?

[CentralCAroadgeek]

I'm curious about how US-101 was routed before any of the freeway sections were built.

Here's all I know (from south to north)
-San Juan Grade Rd. (Salinas to San Juan Bautista)
-San Juan Hwy (San Juan Bautista to near current US-101/CA-129 intersection)
-[CA-82]Monterey Hwy (Gilroy to Downtown San Jose)
-[CA-82]San Carlos St., Montgomery St./Autumn St. (San Jose)
-[CA-82]The Alameda (San Jose to Santa Clara)
-[CA-82]El Camino Real (Santa Clara to Daly City)

You can contribute your knowledge of old Hwy 101 in California in this thread. Hope this helps!

[roadman65]

How was it routes in Los Angeles before its freeways were built would be interesting to see on a map.

.

[Quillz]

Ventura Blvd. through the SF Valley.

[blawp]

Anyone have any old US 101 shield pictures along Ventura Blvd? Did 101 also follow Agoura Rd? What about Thousand Oaks Blvd?

[JustDrive]

Alta Street in Gonzales
Front Street in Soledad
El Camino Real in Greenfield
Broadway and 1st Street in King City
Cattlemen Road between Wild Horse Road (exit 278) and San Ardo
Bradley Road in Bradley
Mission Street in San Miguel
I suspect Monterey Road between San Miguel and Paso Robles
Spring Street in Paso Robles
Either Theater Drive or Ramada Drive between Paso and Templeton
Main Street in Templeton
El Camino Real between Atascadero and Santa Margarita
Monterey Street and Higuera Street in San Luis Obispo
Shell Beach Road/Price Street in Pismo Beach

[DTComposer]

-[CA-82]Monterey Hwy (Gilroy to Downtown San Jose)
-[CA-82]San Carlos St., Montgomery St./Autumn St. (San Jose)
-[CA-82]The Alameda (San Jose to Santa Clara)
-[CA-82]El Camino Real (Santa Clara to Daly City)

That is the current routing of CA-82, but the US-101 routing stayed on Monterey Highway, then to Market Street, then left on Santa Clara Street, then continuing onto The Alameda. I assumed the CA-82 routing was to detour traffic away from the center of downtown.

In southern Monterey County, Cattleman Road and Bradley Road are both former alignments.

Did 101 also follow Agoura Rd? What about Thousand Oaks Blvd?

It followed portions of those current streets. For example, it followed Thousand Oaks Boulevard in downtown Thousand Oaks, but joined what is the current alignment via an road that is under the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall.

In Los Angeles/Orange County, north to south:
-Ventura Boulevard
-Cahuenga Boulevard
-Hollywood Boulevard
-Sunset Boulevard
-Macy Street
-Boyle Avenue
-Whittier Boulevard
-Harbor Boulevard (was Spadra Road)
-La Palma Parkway/Anaheim Boulevard (was Los Angeles Street)
-Manchester Avenue
-Main Street
-First Street
-El Camino Real
-Laguna Road/San Juan Road (now under I-5)
-Camino Capistrano
-Coast Highway/El Camino Real

You can use satellite view and/or Historical Aerials to see remnants of these alignments, say by the old-growth trees along the routes, the wider-than-what-seems-necessary-today intersections, etc. For example, the curved corner lot at Whittier and Harbor Boulevards in La Habra which looks like a mini-park was the curve joining the two roads when that was US-101.

[nexus73]

Thank you DT for the list of streets that was US 101's original route.  It could be a while before I get down to SoCal but when I do I hope to take that route as well as the PCH (the original Alternate US 101) to make a loop trip to see if anything interesting turns up. 

Rick

[TheStranger]

I have a thread somewhere from a year or two ago on this topic:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?;topic=2364.0

[CentralCAroadgeek]

I have a thread somewhere from a year or two ago on this topic:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?;topic=2364.0

I've read that, it's pretty interesting. Makes the path through the LA Basin more thorough. Though I'd like to correct that US-101 used to go through San Juan Grade Rd., instead of Espinosa Rd.

[Mark68]

-[CA-82]Monterey Hwy (Gilroy to Downtown San Jose)
-[CA-82]San Carlos St., Montgomery St./Autumn St. (San Jose)
-[CA-82]The Alameda (San Jose to Santa Clara)
-[CA-82]El Camino Real (Santa Clara to Daly City)

That is the current routing of CA-82, but the US-101 routing stayed on Monterey Highway, then to Market Street, then left on Santa Clara Street, then continuing onto The Alameda. I assumed the CA-82 routing was to detour traffic away from the center of downtown.

In southern Monterey County, Cattleman Road and Bradley Road are both former alignments.

Did 101 also follow Agoura Rd? What about Thousand Oaks Blvd?

It followed portions of those current streets. For example, it followed Thousand Oaks Boulevard in downtown Thousand Oaks, but joined what is the current alignment via an road that is under the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall.

In Los Angeles/Orange County, north to south:
-Ventura Boulevard
-Cahuenga Boulevard
-Hollywood Boulevard
-Sunset Boulevard
-Macy Street
-Boyle Avenue
-Whittier Boulevard
-Harbor Boulevard (was Spadra Road)
-La Palma Parkway/Anaheim Boulevard (was Los Angeles Street)
-Manchester Avenue
-Main Street
-First Street
-El Camino Real
-Laguna Road/San Juan Road (now under I-5)
-Camino Capistrano
-Coast Highway/El Camino Real

You can use satellite view and/or Historical Aerials to see remnants of these alignments, say by the old-growth trees along the routes, the wider-than-what-seems-necessary-today intersections, etc. For example, the curved corner lot at Whittier and Harbor Boulevards in La Habra which looks like a mini-park was the curve joining the two roads when that was US-101.

I'm thinking that the old alignment of El Camino Real southeast of Red Hill Ave in Tustin/Irvine is actually under I-5 until Trabuco Rd emerges at Culver Dr. Trabuco then disappears in the old MCAS El Toro, then continues now on the Irvine/Lake Forest border (where Irvine Blvd becomes Trabuco Pkwy).

I just wonder if there was a transition from Trabuco to Muirlands Blvd via El Toro Rd (and thence to Cabot Rd via La Paz Rd, then to Camino Capistrano via Crown Valley Pkwy), or did it follow Trabuco to Marguerite Pkwy, then to Camino Capistrano via Avery Pkwy (under I-5)?

I think from there, it's pretty clear to San Diego County. Camino Capistrano to Doheny Park Rd then Coast Hwy in Dana Point, then El Camino Real in San Clemente to Christianitos Rd, then under I-5 to San Onofre, then the western frontage road, which is known as Old Hwy 101 as far as San Onofre State Beach.

[DTComposer]

I'm thinking that the old alignment of El Camino Real southeast of Red Hill Ave in Tustin/Irvine is actually under I-5 until Trabuco Rd emerges at Culver Dr.

Correct, but at the time it was called Laguna Road. The current alignment of I-5 from Culver Drive to La Paz road is the historical state highway alignment, all the way back to at least 1920 (i.e., even pre US-101). If I have time I will scan the Auto Club map verifying this, but you can also look at:
http://www.cosmos-monitor.com/ca/map1936/insets/la-vicinity.html

I just wonder if there was a transition from Trabuco to Muirlands Blvd via El Toro Rd (and thence to Cabot Rd via La Paz Rd, then to Camino Capistrano via Crown Valley Pkwy), or did it follow Trabuco to Marguerite Pkwy, then to Camino Capistrano via Avery Pkwy (under I-5)?

If you're asking if Trabuco was the old US-101 alignment, the answer is no. Trabuco did continue through before the construction of MCAS El Toro, and it ended at El Toro Road, but it was not the State Highway route, nor was it US-101. From there, El Toro Road ran southwest to the State Highway. Muirlands Boulevard, Marguerite Parkway and Avery Parkway were not constructed until well after the freeway.

US-101 did run along Cabot, then transitioned to Camino Capistrano via a crossing over the railroad that is no longer there. It was just south of current Los Oso Parkway; Historical Aerials can show you this.
http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials.php?scale=1.45536523877384E-5&lat=33.5769692271599&lon=-117.673564816574&year=1946

[kendancy66]

I'm thinking that the old alignment of El Camino Real southeast of Red Hill Ave in Tustin/Irvine is actually under I-5 until Trabuco Rd emerges at Culver Dr.

Correct, but at the time it was called Laguna Road. The current alignment of I-5 from Culver Drive to La Paz road is the historical state highway alignment, all the way back to at least 1920 (i.e., even pre US-101). If I have time I will scan the Auto Club map verifying this, but you can also look at:
http://www.cosmos-monitor.com/ca/map1936/insets/la-vicinity.html

I just wonder if there was a transition from Trabuco to Muirlands Blvd via El Toro Rd (and thence to Cabot Rd via La Paz Rd, then to Camino Capistrano via Crown Valley Pkwy), or did it follow Trabuco to Marguerite Pkwy, then to Camino Capistrano via Avery Pkwy (under I-5)?

If you're asking if Trabuco was the old US-101 alignment, the answer is no. Trabuco did continue through before the construction of MCAS El Toro, and it ended at El Toro Road, but it was not the State Highway route, nor was it US-101. From there, El Toro Road ran southwest to the State Highway. Muirlands Boulevard, Marguerite Parkway and Avery Parkway were not constructed until well after the freeway.

US-101 did run along Cabot, then transitioned to Camino Capistrano via a crossing over the railroad that is no longer there. It was just south of current Los Oso Parkway; Historical Aerials can show you this.
http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials.php?scale=1.45536523877384E-5&lat=33.5769692271599&lon=-117.673564816574&year=1946

I live near Cabot Rd.  The north end begins right at the I-5 South off ramp, so it makes sense that north of there US-101 would be under current I-5.  I wonder if it is possible that Avenida de La Carlotta could be a surviving part of Laguna Road?  It run parallel to I-5 just to the west from Lake Forest south to Los Alisos Blvd.  Like Cabot,  it also starts from an off ramp of I-5 (The Lake Forest exit from I-5 south)

[DTComposer]

I wonder if it is possible that Avenida de La Carlotta could be a surviving part of Laguna Road?  It run parallel to I-5 just to the west from Lake Forest south to Los Alisos Blvd.  Like Cabot,  it also starts from an off ramp of I-5 (The Lake Forest exit from I-5 south)

It doesn't look like it; for the section between Lake Forest Drive and El Toro Road, the original alignment seems to be under the current northbound lanes of I-5.

However, what may be a small portion of original alignment, with some original concrete remnants undernetah, is the Aliso Creek Bikeway between Georgia Sue and Carol Lane:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=92672&ll=33.605864,-117.693974&spn=0.001877,0.002449&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&hnear=San+Clemente,+California+92672&gl=us&t=h&deg=180&z=19

[andy3175]

We have an article that describes in detail the various historic routes of US 101 in greater LA:

https://www.aaroads.com/california/us-101hd_ca.html

Someday I will add pics of the old alignments through LA.

Regards,
Andy

[andy3175]

Exhuming an old threat, it is noteworthy that a section of Whittier Boulevard (part of California 72) is undergoing a repaving currently, if for no other reason than to confirm that this section of Old U.S. 101 (in Whittier) remains within the state highway system:

http://www.whittierdailynews.com/general-news/20141107/caltrans-starts-whittier-boulevard-repaving-project

Caltrans, the state agency that manages state highways, has started repaving a 4-mile stretch of Whittier Boulevard between the east city limits and Five Points, according to a city news release.

Work began Tuesday and is expected to continue to late January 2015, with interruptions for the holidays, said the release. Whittier Boulevard is a designated state highway, Route 72. The project also includes re striping the road from Five Points to the west city limits.

The $1.4 million project is being paid for with state money, according to a Caltrans spokeswoman. The work will require road closures at night, but no day closures.

Work has started at the east city limits and will generally proceed west. The California Highway Patrol will handle public safety and traffic control.

[mrsman]

We have an article that describes in detail the various historic routes of US 101 in greater LA:

https://www.aaroads.com/california/us-101hd_ca.html

Someday I will add pics of the old alignments through LA.

Regards,
Andy

This was an excellent article.  But it leads me to an interesting observation.

According to this website:  http://www.usends.com/60-69/066/066.html

from 1926-1939, US 66 terminated in Downtown LA at the corner of Broadway and 7th Street.  US 66  ran on Broadway from Downtown LA towards Pasadena, for its long journey to Chicago.  But the implication is that the terminus was at 7th Street, because 7th Street was the alignment for US 101 at the time.  IIRC, the routing was along Whittier Blvd (so this was after the routing left Beverly Blvd), but used Soto Street to connect to 7th Street before the 6th Street bridge was completed.  US 101 went over the 7th St bridge and continued through Downtown until Vermont Ave, and then headed north to Sunset. 

So apparently, before Pleasant and Boyle were used as a N-S connection from Whittier to Brooklyn/Macy/Sunset, that connection was actually along Vermont Ave.

I beleive that the 7th/Vermont routing was probably relatively short-lived, (which is why it wasn't mentioned in the article) but it is interesting because it was around at the time when US 66 ended in Downtown LA.

[Jardine]

And as I am fond of noting, one span of the original Santa Ynez River bridge at Buellton is still in use in western Iowa.  It was 'recycled' in the early 50's and has been on Harrison county road F14 over Willow Creek, longer now than it was in California.

Until recently there were 4 spans (of 7) in this area.  If anyone knows what became of the other 3 'lost' spans of the original 101 bridge at Buellton, I'd be thrilled if it was posted here!!!

[emory]

Exhuming an old threat, it is noteworthy that a section of Whittier Boulevard (part of California 72) is undergoing a repaving currently, if for no other reason than to confirm that this section of Old U.S. 101 (in Whittier) remains within the state highway system:

http://www.whittierdailynews.com/general-news/20141107/caltrans-starts-whittier-boulevard-repaving-project

Caltrans, the state agency that manages state highways, has started repaving a 4-mile stretch of Whittier Boulevard between the east city limits and Five Points, according to a city news release.

Work began Tuesday and is expected to continue to late January 2015, with interruptions for the holidays, said the release. Whittier Boulevard is a designated state highway, Route 72. The project also includes re striping the road from Five Points to the west city limits.

The $1.4 million project is being paid for with state money, according to a Caltrans spokeswoman. The work will require road closures at night, but no day closures.

Work has started at the east city limits and will generally proceed west. The California Highway Patrol will handle public safety and traffic control.

Yup. Whittier Boulevard is still under state maintenance from I-605 to Harbor Boulevard (old US 101/CA 72). It switches from CA 72 to CA 39 at Beach Blvd.

We have an article that describes in detail the various historic routes of US 101 in greater LA:

https://www.aaroads.com/california/us-101hd_ca.html

Someday I will add pics of the old alignments through LA.

Regards,
Andy

This was an excellent article.  But it leads me to an interesting observation.

According to this website:  http://www.usends.com/60-69/066/066.html

from 1926-1939, US 66 terminated in Downtown LA at the corner of Broadway and 7th Street.  US 66  ran on Broadway from Downtown LA towards Pasadena, for its long journey to Chicago.  But the implication is that the terminus was at 7th Street, because 7th Street was the alignment for US 101 at the time.  IIRC, the routing was along Whittier Blvd (so this was after the routing left Beverly Blvd), but used Soto Street to connect to 7th Street before the 6th Street bridge was completed.  US 101 went over the 7th St bridge and continued through Downtown until Vermont Ave, and then headed north to Sunset. 

So apparently, before Pleasant and Boyle were used as a N-S connection from Whittier to Brooklyn/Macy/Sunset, that connection was actually along Vermont Ave.

I beleive that the 7th/Vermont routing was probably relatively short-lived, (which is why it wasn't mentioned in the article) but it is interesting because it was around at the time when US 66 ended in Downtown LA.

The original US 66 western terminus on 7th street is also a tourist attraction. https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0452036,-118.2533881,3a,36.9y,241.29h,93.21t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sJRFrNKGWXcp2FFwAhlWEWQ!2e0

[andy3175]

The original US 66 western terminus on 7th street is also a tourist attraction. https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0452036,-118.2533881,3a,36.9y,241.29h,93.21t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sJRFrNKGWXcp2FFwAhlWEWQ!2e0

Too bad the Google Maps link doesn't clearly show the text below the "roadside attraction" name. Is this posted because of this intersection's role as the original terminal point for US 66, when it came into downtown via Broadway and ended at old US 101 at 7th Street?

[NE2]

Too bad the Google Maps link doesn't clearly show the text below the "roadside attraction" name.

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMD382_Los_Angeles_Terminus_of_Route_66_Los_Angeles_CA

[hm insulators]

I'm thinking that the old alignment of El Camino Real southeast of Red Hill Ave in Tustin/Irvine is actually under I-5 until Trabuco Rd emerges at Culver Dr.

Correct, but at the time it was called Laguna Road. The current alignment of I-5 from Culver Drive to La Paz road is the historical state highway alignment, all the way back to at least 1920 (i.e., even pre US-101). If I have time I will scan the Auto Club map verifying this, but you can also look at:
http://www.cosmos-monitor.com/ca/map1936/insets/la-vicinity.html

I just wonder if there was a transition from Trabuco to Muirlands Blvd via El Toro Rd (and thence to Cabot Rd via La Paz Rd, then to Camino Capistrano via Crown Valley Pkwy), or did it follow Trabuco to Marguerite Pkwy, then to Camino Capistrano via Avery Pkwy (under I-5)?

If you're asking if Trabuco was the old US-101 alignment, the answer is no. Trabuco did continue through before the construction of MCAS El Toro, and it ended at El Toro Road, but it was not the State Highway route, nor was it US-101. From there, El Toro Road ran southwest to the State Highway. Muirlands Boulevard, Marguerite Parkway and Avery Parkway were not constructed until well after the freeway.

US-101 did run along Cabot, then transitioned to Camino Capistrano via a crossing over the railroad that is no longer there. It was just south of current Los Oso Parkway; Historical Aerials can show you this.
http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials.php?scale=1.45536523877384E-5&lat=33.5769692271599&lon=-117.673564816574&year=1946

I live near Cabot Rd.  The north end begins right at the I-5 South off ramp, so it makes sense that north of there US-101 would be under current I-5.  I wonder if it is possible that Avenida de La Carlotta could be a surviving part of Laguna Road?  It run parallel to I-5 just to the west from Lake Forest south to Los Alisos Blvd.  Like Cabot,  it also starts from an off ramp of I-5 (The Lake Forest exit from I-5 south)

I've wondered that myself.


Inserted complete original post from kendancy66, to fix broken quoting. --Roadfro

[DTComposer]

I'm thinking that the old alignment of El Camino Real southeast of Red Hill Ave in Tustin/Irvine is actually under I-5 until Trabuco Rd emerges at Culver Dr.

Correct, but at the time it was called Laguna Road. The current alignment of I-5 from Culver Drive to La Paz road is the historical state highway alignment, all the way back to at least 1920 (i.e., even pre US-101). If I have time I will scan the Auto Club map verifying this, but you can also look at:
http://www.cosmos-monitor.com/ca/map1936/insets/la-vicinity.html

I just wonder if there was a transition from Trabuco to Muirlands Blvd via El Toro Rd (and thence to Cabot Rd via La Paz Rd, then to Camino Capistrano via Crown Valley Pkwy), or did it follow Trabuco to Marguerite Pkwy, then to Camino Capistrano via Avery Pkwy (under I-5)?

If you're asking if Trabuco was the old US-101 alignment, the answer is no. Trabuco did continue through before the construction of MCAS El Toro, and it ended at El Toro Road, but it was not the State Highway route, nor was it US-101. From there, El Toro Road ran southwest to the State Highway. Muirlands Boulevard, Marguerite Parkway and Avery Parkway were not constructed until well after the freeway.

US-101 did run along Cabot, then transitioned to Camino Capistrano via a crossing over the railroad that is no longer there. It was just south of current Los Oso Parkway; Historical Aerials can show you this.
http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials.php?scale=1.45536523877384E-5&lat=33.5769692271599&lon=-117.673564816574&year=1946

I live near Cabot Rd.  The north end begins right at the I-5 South off ramp, so it makes sense that north of there US-101 would be under current I-5.  I wonder if it is possible that Avenida de La Carlotta could be a surviving part of Laguna Road?  It run parallel to I-5 just to the west from Lake Forest south to Los Alisos Blvd.  Like Cabot,  it also starts from an off ramp of I-5 (The Lake Forest exit from I-5 south)

I've wondered that myself.


Inserted complete original post from kendancy66, to fix broken quoting. --Roadfro

I couldn't say with 100% conviction, but my guess is no - the Historic Aerials photos make it appear like it was built as a frontage road during the widening projects in the 70s and 80s. The original roadway seems to be mostly under the current southbound lanes of I-5.

[jander]

https://flic.kr/p/bkPagb

https://flic.kr/p/byGtMF

I hate Flickr now. Click through and get the full sized pictures.


1930's US Tourist Map SoCal Version by returnoftheyeti, on Flickr

[Caboosey]

Here is some more for you. I have a whole collection of old photos and maps from 1910's to present of Hwy 101 in San Luis Obispo County.

Templeton, California in 1955:



Pismo Beach, California in 1957:


Pismo Beach, California in 1961:




1967 map of San Luis Obispo County:

[Caboosey]

Also forgot to mention about this website is also excellent resource of old roadside places, old maps, and current photos of the old Hwy 101:
http://www.historic101.com/