California

[kendancy66]

I always enjoy the western view of Newport Beach and the Pacific Ocean, that CA-73 shows at top of the hillside on a clear day

[bing101]

Highway Heaven does a tour on PCH.

[bing101]

Here is a cool drive from 1994 from Irvine to Indio

[KEK Inc.]

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5774902,-122.3602355,3a,28.6y,7.26h,90.22t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sWFew8fgzer1WRz4iiaOclg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DWFew8fgzer1WRz4iiaOclg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D63.755016%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

I knew the exit gore signs were going vanilla MUTCD in California, but they're shifting from their famous 'EXIT ONLY' plaques too?

[jrouse]

Yes, FHWA recently asked Caltrans to make changes to the EXIT ONLY plaques to be in compliance with the MUTCD requirements.  I am not sure what led to this request, but I can tell you that the FHWA California division's MUTCD lead is a big stickler for conformance with the national MUTCD. 

[roadfro]

Also a random observation: This sign has a "TO" that doesn't seem entirely necessary.

I'm guessing the TO is meant to imply that one gets to Eureka by following SR 44 west then transitioning to SR 299 in downtown Redding. Even still, the "TO" is not needed, although if desired it should probably have "TO 299 west".

[sparker]

Also a random observation: This sign has a "TO" that doesn't seem entirely necessary.

I'm guessing the TO is meant to imply that one gets to Eureka by following SR 44 west then transitioning to SR 299 in downtown Redding. Even still, the "TO" is not needed, although if desired it should probably have "TO 299 west".

That is a bit weird -- the first time I've seen the "TO" prefix applied to a city on a BGS rather than a route number.  Wonder what D2 was thinking when they fabricated the sign?  I agree that a referential "TO WEST CA 299" should have been posted on the exit sign(s), and that an "EAST" notation should be applied to the pull-through advance notice of the CA 299 exit.  The 44/299 reconfiguration occurred several years ago; this indicates that D2 remains up in the air regarding how to handle the logistics of the situation. 

[jakeroot]

Wonder what D2 was thinking when they fabricated the sign?

I would guess they were so focused on a national MUTCD-spec EXIT ONLY plaque that they screwed something else up in the process.

"Hey Bill, did you get the Exit Only plaque to national standards"
"Yeah mate, looks good"
"Cool. Rest of the sign?"
"Probably good. Spent most of my time on the plaque since it takes up a third of the sign"

[sparker]

Wonder what D2 was thinking when they fabricated the sign?

I would guess they were so focused on a national MUTCD-spec EXIT ONLY plaque that they screwed something else up in the process.

"Hey Bill, did you get the Exit Only plaque to national standards"
"Yeah mate, looks good"
"Cool. Rest of the sign?"
"Probably good. Spent most of my time on the plaque since it takes up a third of the sign"

Knowing people who are or who have worked for Caltrans (and DOH before that), that exchange is probably more accurate than one might think.  When a supervisor (or a memo from "upstairs") is weighing heavily on the work, whatever aspect of the work cited in the memo that is being drilled up one's ass is front & center; everything else can be a little off, as long as it's not really critical (like the CA 44 trailblazer signs pictured, which are technically accurate but don't convey all the relevant info).  It may get corrected in a few years; then again, it might sit untouched until the sign ages out -- depending upon if down the line someone in D2 gets a bug up their nether regions about such things.   

[mrsman]

Is the above sign a change of the control city from Lassen Nat'l Park to Susanville?

Is there any guidance to Downtown Redding?  It seems like this would be the best way to reach Downtown from I-5 NB.

[sparker]

Is the above sign a change of the control city from Lassen Nat'l Park to Susanville?

Is there any guidance to Downtown Redding?  It seems like this would be the best way to reach Downtown from I-5 NB.

D2 decided to make CA 36, which intersects NB I-5 at Red Bluff, the favored route to Lassen Park (the BGS' there reflect that), while CA 44 was deemed a quicker way to get to Susanville because of the slog along the north shore of Lake Almanor on CA 36.  In reality, with the additional mileage north to Redding, the CA 44 route is pretty much a wash compared with CA 36.  Also, by favoring CA 36,the main tourist attraction in those parts (Lassen) got about 20 minutes cut off the drive for the heavier traffic flow coming north from the Bay Area and Sacramento.  To Caltrans, that's a "win-win" (although Susanville folks might disagree).

[Max Rockatansky]

Is the above sign a change of the control city from Lassen Nat'l Park to Susanville?

Is there any guidance to Downtown Redding?  It seems like this would be the best way to reach Downtown from I-5 NB.

D2 decided to make CA 36, which intersects NB I-5 at Red Bluff, the favored route to Lassen Park (the BGS' there reflect that), while CA 44 was deemed a quicker way to get to Susanville because of the slog along the north shore of Lake Almanor on CA 36.  In reality, with the additional mileage north to Redding, the CA 44 route is pretty much a wash compared with CA 36.  Also, by favoring CA 36,the main tourist attraction in those parts (Lassen) got about 20 minutes cut off the drive for the heavier traffic flow coming north from the Bay Area and Sacramento.  To Caltrans, that's a "win-win" (although Susanville folks might disagree).

The amusing thing is most people take 44 to Lassen because of Lake Manzanita.  36 is usually slow even on holidays weekends to 89.  I would argue 44 is better constructed of the two routes also.  36 has a couple very old grad still in use in the vicinity of Mineral.

[sparker]

Is the above sign a change of the control city from Lassen Nat'l Park to Susanville?

Is there any guidance to Downtown Redding?  It seems like this would be the best way to reach Downtown from I-5 NB.

D2 decided to make CA 36, which intersects NB I-5 at Red Bluff, the favored route to Lassen Park (the BGS' there reflect that), while CA 44 was deemed a quicker way to get to Susanville because of the slog along the north shore of Lake Almanor on CA 36.  In reality, with the additional mileage north to Redding, the CA 44 route is pretty much a wash compared with CA 36.  Also, by favoring CA 36,the main tourist attraction in those parts (Lassen) got about 20 minutes cut off the drive for the heavier traffic flow coming north from the Bay Area and Sacramento.  To Caltrans, that's a "win-win" (although Susanville folks might disagree).

The amusing thing is most people take 44 to Lassen because of Lake Manzanita.  36 is usually slow even on holidays weekends to 89.  I would argue 44 is better constructed of the two routes also.  36 has a couple very old grad still in use in the vicinity of Mineral.

CA 44 is considerably newer than 36; the alignment is functionally constructed as a 2-lane expressway.  However, it gets a lot of use as a shortcut to Reno from the PNW for traffic who prefer to stay on I-5 as long as possible.  Quite a bit of that exits onto CA 89 at Mt. Shasta City; with the revamped signage (if indeed the BGS modifications extend to SB as well), one may see some "stragglers" who missed the 89 turn simply turn east at Redding.     

[stevashe]

Is the above sign a change of the control city from Lassen Nat'l Park to Susanville?

Is there any guidance to Downtown Redding?  It seems like this would be the best way to reach Downtown from I-5 NB.

D2 decided to make CA 36, which intersects NB I-5 at Red Bluff, the favored route to Lassen Park (the BGS' there reflect that), while CA 44 was deemed a quicker way to get to Susanville because of the slog along the north shore of Lake Almanor on CA 36.  In reality, with the additional mileage north to Redding, the CA 44 route is pretty much a wash compared with CA 36.  Also, by favoring CA 36,the main tourist attraction in those parts (Lassen) got about 20 minutes cut off the drive for the heavier traffic flow coming north from the Bay Area and Sacramento.  To Caltrans, that's a "win-win" (although Susanville folks might disagree).

The amusing thing is most people take 44 to Lassen because of Lake Manzanita.  36 is usually slow even on holidays weekends to 89.  I would argue 44 is better constructed of the two routes also.  36 has a couple very old grad still in use in the vicinity of Mineral.

CA 44 is considerably newer than 36; the alignment is functionally constructed as a 2-lane expressway.  However, it gets a lot of use as a shortcut to Reno from the PNW for traffic who prefer to stay on I-5 as long as possible.  Quite a bit of that exits onto CA 89 at Mt. Shasta City; with the revamped signage (if indeed the BGS modifications extend to SB as well), one may see some "stragglers" who missed the 89 turn simply turn east at Redding.     

The fastest route to Susanville from points south in the Central Valley is actually to take CA 32 out of Chico, though that road is very windy and closed in the winter so I would agree with not signing that as the way to get there.

I do question signing CA 44 over CA 36 though, that "slog" on the North shore of Lake Almanor is only about a mile of 30 mph speed limit through Chester, and the road even helpfully widens to four lanes through town so you won't get stuck behind turning traffic. Plus, CA 44 adds quite a bit of extra mileage, so the travel time ends up being about 20 minutes longer according to Google maps. I was just in the area for a couple weeks and drove both highways and this sounds about right from my experience.
However, right now there is a big realignment project happening on CA 36 over Fredonyer Pass between Westwood and the 44/36 junction with about 20-30 minute delays, so CA 44 is probably faster currently. Here's a bunch of photos I got of that project while driving through it: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmQXkNgo

As for Lassen, the advance sign still mentions the park, as well as a new brown sign at the split down the exit ramp for CA 44 west/east, so it's still covered here.

Also Re: Max Rockatansky, there has been some work on 36 around Mineral, most recently a realignment project that Caltrans did this spring on the east side of Morgan summit, which I got a couple photos of (you'll have to excuse my dirty windshield). There was also a less recent realignment about 5 miles west of Mineral that can be seen under construction on Google's imagery: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.3468515,-121.6931231,1010m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en. These projects, along with the Fredonyer Pass realignment, bring 36 up to a much more modern standard.

[sparker]

^^^^^^^^^^^
While there are sporadic closures on CA 32 between CA 36/89 and Chico during high-wind and/or fire danger periods, it is decidedly not subject to annual winter closure.  As far as preferential signage treatment for both Lassen Park and Susanville is concerned, most Caltrans districts attempt to equalize the traffic flow among separate facilities serving largely common points (here, Lassen via its north/44 and south/36 entrances); if AADT figures show skewing toward one route or another, they'll expedite signage over the lesser-utilized corridor,all else being more or less the same.  But the fact that there are currently multiple realignment and/or repaving projects ongoing along CA 36 might be prompting at least a temporal deemphasis on that route; if the Freedonyer realignment (long overdue, IMO!) is particularly disrupting, D2 may simply be attempting to redirect through Susanville traffic over CA 44, since at least the eastern end of that route is new enough to withstand additional traffic flow -- and after the various 36 rebuilds are completed, given funding availability shifting construction to 44 (the portion near the county A21 junction certainly needs additional passing lanes!)  would be the likely follow-up.  Then "Susanville" can get a green patch subbing "Lassen NP" until that road has been upgraded.  Caltrans has done this sort of thing before, especially in regards to NP's and other tourist destinations.  Fortunately, Lassen's entrances are close by the E-W lateral highways, so the manipulation of traffic flow among the "uphill" access routes is relatively straightforward.  True, Manzanita Lake is a camping attraction of its own independent of cross-park "touristry" -- but as a stand-alone destination, it's marginal compared with the park's throughput traffic during the open season.  Nevertheless that whole area has been a recreational destination for much of the last century; I remember first using CA 44 in the early '60's as a kid when the road seemed to duck around every tree between Redding and Lassen!  When I first drove the newer section east of CA 89 in the mid-70's, it was like night & day compared with the original segment -- almost like half of a 4-lane expressway!  Hard to believe that most of that road sits around 6K foot elevation!  That segment of 44 is one of my favorite roads in the state.

[gonealookin]

The weather was cooperative, even the smoke cleared for most of the time, and we have a new bridge on US 50 just east of Echo Summit.  It will be opening tomorrow, 9/27, with one lane traffic at times for a few weeks while the project is finished.  The full closure of US 50 will have lasted about 10 days.





(Caltrans photos; more here)

[kkt]

Very nice!  Fast work, Caltrans!

[Max Rockatansky]

That opens the door to taking US 50 during what I have in mind for Veterans Day. 

[andy3175]

Archived article about the background of Sepulevda Tunnel in the LA Times:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-feb-05-me-surround5_-story.html

Francisco Sepulveda became wealthy as one of the founding inhabitants of the Pueblo de Los Angeles in 1781. But his offspring had difficulty continuing in his path.

These days, his namesake Sepulveda Boulevard is Los Angeles' longest city street. And motorists trying to travel its length find that isn't easy to do either.

Stretching 40 miles between Long Beach and the San Fernando Valley's Mission Hills, Sepulveda Boulevard also is considered the longest street in the county.

The above archived article was linked in this morning's daily headlines newsletter from the LA Times. The newsletter noted:

On Sept. 27, 1930, a procession of cars, horses and wagons marked the opening of the Sepulveda Boulevard tunnel, five years before the roadway itself was completed to provide a direct link between the San Fernando Valley and the Westside.

In 1980, reporter Bob Pool wrote about the boulevard, which stretches 40 miles between Long Beach and Mission Hills, and the man for whom it was named: Francisco Sepulveda.

"As it meanders from the mountains toward the sea and from leafy suburbs through the region's most robust industrial area, it also passes through some of the most diverse sections of the county. In a way, the roadway is a perfect tribute to Sepulveda."

[Max Rockatansky]

I recently finished up a trip to the northernmost counties in California.  That being the case I took the opportunity to cut some new photo albums for the Gribblenation blog series.  The existing articles will updated in the next couple months and there will be a lot of new ones as well.  The albums can be viewed at these links below:

I-5 from CA 151 to US 97
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRtmd4g

US 97 and CA 265 in Weed
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRtbNpH

Sign County Route A28
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRtakZJ

CA 3 Montage-Yreka
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRt9yKf

CA 263
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRtaau7

US 199
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRt4q11

CA 197
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRteXxF

CA 169 West
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRsPDQy

Douglas Memorial Bridge (Old US 101 over the Klamath River)
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRsP4je

Newton B. Drury Parkway (Old US 101)
https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/bRaUuC

CA 200
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRsLkL8

CA 255
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRsKyc7

CA 211
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRsKqrj

CA 283 Rio Dell Bridge (Old US 101)
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRr6UD1

CA 254 Avenue of the Giants (Old US 101)
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRr6rDj

US 101 Richardson Grove
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRr4YwT

CA 271 (Old US 101)
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRr4xFf

CA 222
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRrokNJ

CA 175
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRrnWha

CA 281
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRqZwX2

CA 53
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRqZiya

CA 16 West
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRqXvX5

US 50/FHWA I-305
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRqUy2r

[nexus73]

"Montage" should be "Montague".  The only reason I even know about that place is due to KOBI-TV listing this location as one where a TV translator is. 

For humor, how about being a cop in Weed, so if you were, you could tell people that you were the Weed Police...LOL!  Someone should take a pix of their badge to put it on an album and use it as the name of their musical group.

For a scenic drive on a highway in great shape, try SR 96.  It has been driven by me one time and was I ever surprised by seeing both of those aforementioned qualities being present in abundance. 

Rick

[Max Rockatansky]

I can attest to CA 96 being an underrated gem, I drove the whole thing about a decade ago.  96 was my back up plan if something went wrong with US 199 this past weekend.  299 looked like a complete mess on the QuickMap. 

[sparker]

I can attest to CA 96 being an underrated gem, I drove the whole thing about a decade ago.  96 was my back up plan if something went wrong with US 199 this past weekend.  299 looked like a complete mess on the QuickMap. 

Fully in agreement here.  Back in 2014 I traveled from San Jose to Ashland, OR for a lecture series at Southern Oregon University; to mix things up a bit (and to clinch CA 96) I overnighted in Arcata, then headed east on 299 and then north/east on 96, with the last leg on I-5 over Siskiyou.  First time on 96 north of 169; one of the more enjoyable journeys in far north CA I've had lately.  There was a bit of repaving going on then up by Horse Creek, but otherwise the road was in good shape.  BTW, this was the same trip I saw the CA 211 trailblazer NB on US 101 at the Ferndale exit, mentioned in the "Lost Coast" thread. 

[andy3175]

The Port of San Diego is conducting a study to address needs along southern Harbor Drive between Barrio Logan and National City to improve circulation, reduce truck traffic from nearby residential streets, and increase safety.

https://www.portofsandiego.org/harbordrivestudy

A list of possible projects is found here, including dedicated truck lanes from the port to the freeway network and a bridge at Vesta Street:

https://pantheonstorage.blob.core.windows.net/waterfront-development/Harbor-Drive-proposed-projects-and-map.pdf

[kkt]

I recently finished up a trip to the northernmost counties in California.  That being the case I took the opportunity to cut some new photo albums for the Gribblenation blog series.  The existing articles will updated in the next couple months and there will be a lot of new ones as well.

Did you drive through the drive-through tree In Leggett?