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Author Topic: CA 65 South Segment  (Read 3735 times)

Max Rockatansky

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CA 65 South Segment
« on: December 01, 2017, 07:57:59 PM »

The fourth route of the day was the south segment of CA 65 from 99 north to 198.  Looks like a new expressway south of 190 is being built near Porterville:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/Sm18W8
« Last Edit: May 30, 2020, 10:36:54 AM by Max Rockatansky »
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Max Rockatansky

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Re: CA 65 South Segment
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2017, 07:46:01 PM »

Completed a road blog on CA 65, lots of alignment shifts in the mid-20th century...especially when the Divisions of Highways got nutty about building a 99 alternate to Sacramento.

http://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2017/12/california-state-route-65-south-segment.html
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pderocco

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Re: CA 65 South Segment
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2017, 01:33:33 AM »

The fourth route of the day was the south segment of CA 65 from 99 north to 198.  Looks like a new expressway south of 190 is being built near Porterville:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/Sm18W8

They're only going a few miles, down to the first curve. South of there, traffic is tolerable and there is plenty of passing zone until you get into the foothills south of CA-155 where visibility is poor due to vertical curves. If they care about traffic on 65, that would be the part to fourlane.
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Max Rockatansky

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Re: CA 65 South Segment
« Reply #3 on: December 11, 2017, 11:44:12 PM »

The fourth route of the day was the south segment of CA 65 from 99 north to 198.  Looks like a new expressway south of 190 is being built near Porterville:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/Sm18W8

They're only going a few miles, down to the first curve. South of there, traffic is tolerable and there is plenty of passing zone until you get into the foothills south of CA-155 where visibility is poor due to vertical curves. If they care about traffic on 65, that would be the part to fourlane.

Personally I always thought it was way worse on 65 north of Lindsay to CA 198 given it has a ton of traffic from Tulare, Exeter, and even Visalia.  The Foothills section was something I always found as a decent way to sneak above the Tule Fog in a pinch.
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sparker

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Re: CA 65 South Segment
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2017, 02:34:29 AM »

The fourth route of the day was the south segment of CA 65 from 99 north to 198.  Looks like a new expressway south of 190 is being built near Porterville:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/Sm18W8

They're only going a few miles, down to the first curve. South of there, traffic is tolerable and there is plenty of passing zone until you get into the foothills south of CA-155 where visibility is poor due to vertical curves. If they care about traffic on 65, that would be the part to fourlane.

Personally I always thought it was way worse on 65 north of Lindsay to CA 198 given it has a ton of traffic from Tulare, Exeter, and even Visalia.  The Foothills section was something I always found as a decent way to sneak above the Tule Fog in a pinch.

Back in 1997, when spring flooding closed down CA 99 between Delano and Tulare (lots of little creeks that suddenly became raging torrents! -- with only culverts or short bridges along the older freeway segment), CA 65 was the alternative in the Valley.  I-5 was sporadically closed during that time, primarily around Lost Hills, where overflow from the old lake inundated the vicinity.  L.A.-NorCal trucks were advised to use US 101 if possible and completely avoid the Valley.  My normal route took me over CA 58 and then north; I ended up using CA 65 all the way to CA 198 -- but even that was closed west of Visalia, so up 63 and back over 201 was the order of the day.  I had plenty of company -- more semi-trucks than I've ever seen on those 2-lane roads -- but it wasn't like trucks needing to access Fresno or the towns north of there had much of a choice.  Runoff control north of the Kings River is more straightforward and largely confined to physically defined riverbeds; the closed section of 99 south of there featured small waterways that simply spread out into the adjoining fields, creating temporary ponds and lakes.  If and when 99 undergoes improvement, that situation is one of the first things that will need to be addressed. 
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Max Rockatansky

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Re: CA 65 South Segment
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2017, 07:58:14 AM »

The fourth route of the day was the south segment of CA 65 from 99 north to 198.  Looks like a new expressway south of 190 is being built near Porterville:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/Sm18W8

They're only going a few miles, down to the first curve. South of there, traffic is tolerable and there is plenty of passing zone until you get into the foothills south of CA-155 where visibility is poor due to vertical curves. If they care about traffic on 65, that would be the part to fourlane.

Personally I always thought it was way worse on 65 north of Lindsay to CA 198 given it has a ton of traffic from Tulare, Exeter, and even Visalia.  The Foothills section was something I always found as a decent way to sneak above the Tule Fog in a pinch.

Back in 1997, when spring flooding closed down CA 99 between Delano and Tulare (lots of little creeks that suddenly became raging torrents! -- with only culverts or short bridges along the older freeway segment), CA 65 was the alternative in the Valley.  I-5 was sporadically closed during that time, primarily around Lost Hills, where overflow from the old lake inundated the vicinity.  L.A.-NorCal trucks were advised to use US 101 if possible and completely avoid the Valley.  My normal route took me over CA 58 and then north; I ended up using CA 65 all the way to CA 198 -- but even that was closed west of Visalia, so up 63 and back over 201 was the order of the day.  I had plenty of company -- more semi-trucks than I've ever seen on those 2-lane roads -- but it wasn't like trucks needing to access Fresno or the towns north of there had much of a choice.  Runoff control north of the Kings River is more straightforward and largely confined to physically defined riverbeds; the closed section of 99 south of there featured small waterways that simply spread out into the adjoining fields, creating temporary ponds and lakes.  If and when 99 undergoes improvement, that situation is one of the first things that will need to be addressed.

Those floods in 1997 are still pretty infamous around the Fresno Area.  I want to say 59 and 269 were the only Caltrans roadways in the immediate area that had major locations on them.  Yosemite National Park actually posts flood makers in Yosemite Valley showing how deep the waters got.  My understanding was that Tulare Lake actually temporarily reformed back in 1997 meaning that probably a good portion of 41 was likely under water.  Weird to consider really how much of the infrastructure would be in trouble without up river impoundments. 
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Max Rockatansky

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Re: CA 65 South Segment
« Reply #6 on: March 07, 2020, 09:44:41 PM »

Took a visit out to the old alignment of CA 65 this morning in Kern and Tulare Counties:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmLQT6e2

CA 65 originally began at US 99 in Famoso took the following alignment to Lindsay:

-  Famoso-Porterville Highway (County Route J35 beginning at Richgrove) north to Avenue 56 (Sign County Route 22).
-  Avenue 56 to Road 236 (County Route J29) in Ducor.
-  Road 236 and Orange Belt Drive to Porterville.
-  Main Street through Porterville.
-  Orange Belt Drive to Lindsay.
-  Mirage Avenue and Hermosa Street to modern CA 65.

Notably much of the abandoned Southern Pacific/Union Pacific line which was next to CA 65 can be fully explored.  Most of the tracks are pulled but there is an almost fully intact grade along with bridging structures.  Part of Famoso-Porterville Highway ended up being part of the first CA 211 before it was relinquished and CA 155 absorbed what the State owned on Graces Highway. 
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Max Rockatansky

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Re: CA 65 South Segment
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2020, 03:24:25 PM »

Earlier this month I sought out the original alignment of CA 65 from Famoso north to Lindsay.  Much of the original alignment of CA 65 still exists largely intact as; Famoso-Porterville Highway, Sign County Route J35, Sign County Route J22, and Sign County Route J29.  The original alignment of CA 65 is a Rail Fan's dream as it follows the abandoned alignment of the Southern Pacific's East Side Line (AKA Stockton-Tulare Railroad) which features; recently abandoned grades, trestles, and other infrastructure.  The original alignment of CA 65 even has some elements of the historic 1850s Stockton-Los Angeles Road by way of Tule River Station.  If you're sick of constant negative headlines why not take a detour onto one of California's more forgotten Old State Highways?

https://www.gribblenation.org/2020/03/old-california-state-route-65-on-famoso.html
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sparker

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Re: CA 65 South Segment
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2020, 04:23:07 AM »

Earlier this month I sought out the original alignment of CA 65 from Famoso north to Lindsay.  Much of the original alignment of CA 65 still exists largely intact as; Famoso-Porterville Highway, Sign County Route J35, Sign County Route J22, and Sign County Route J29.  The original alignment of CA 65 is a Rail Fan's dream as it follows the abandoned alignment of the Southern Pacific's East Side Line (AKA Stockton-Tulare Railroad) which features; recently abandoned grades, trestles, and other infrastructure.  The original alignment of CA 65 even has some elements of the historic 1850s Stockton-Los Angeles Road by way of Tule River Station.  If you're sick of constant negative headlines why not take a detour onto one of California's more forgotten Old State Highways?

https://www.gribblenation.org/2020/03/old-california-state-route-65-on-famoso.html

Parts of the old East Side SP line (aka the "Orange Picker" for its principal service until recently) remain in service, currently operated by SJVR (San Joaquin Valley Railroad), a short line; most of the in-service trackage is between Porterville and Fresno -- and still counts citrus as one of its major reasons for existence.  For through-train watching, though, nothing beats CA 43 from Shafter up to north of Corcoran; it directly parallels the BNSF main line, also used by Amtrak's San Joaquin service, plus a shitload of container trains out of or heading for the Port of Richmond, as well as a sizeable chunk of TOFC (trailers on flat cars; the old "piggyback" mode).  Generally about 10-15 trains per direction per day.  The main UP/former SP line paralleling CA 99 used to feature more overall volume, with quite a few lumber trains out of Oregon -- but the post-2007 housing slowdown has cut that down considerably;  N-S UP trains are mostly "manifest" (mixed cargo) with some container transfer between SoCal, Bay area, and Northwest ports/terminals.  And if one heads north, multi-county road J7 between Merced and Stockton also parallels the northern reaches of the BNSF Richmond line -- but with many more short local trains out of Stockton picking up agricultural products from lineside facilities.  For sheer variety and volume, BNSF is hard to beat -- and you get several Amtrak trains per day thrown into the mix as well! ;-)
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Max Rockatansky

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Re: CA 65 South Segment
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2020, 08:12:02 AM »

Earlier this month I sought out the original alignment of CA 65 from Famoso north to Lindsay.  Much of the original alignment of CA 65 still exists largely intact as; Famoso-Porterville Highway, Sign County Route J35, Sign County Route J22, and Sign County Route J29.  The original alignment of CA 65 is a Rail Fan's dream as it follows the abandoned alignment of the Southern Pacific's East Side Line (AKA Stockton-Tulare Railroad) which features; recently abandoned grades, trestles, and other infrastructure.  The original alignment of CA 65 even has some elements of the historic 1850s Stockton-Los Angeles Road by way of Tule River Station.  If you're sick of constant negative headlines why not take a detour onto one of California's more forgotten Old State Highways?

https://www.gribblenation.org/2020/03/old-california-state-route-65-on-famoso.html

Parts of the old East Side SP line (aka the "Orange Picker" for its principal service until recently) remain in service, currently operated by SJVR (San Joaquin Valley Railroad), a short line; most of the in-service trackage is between Porterville and Fresno -- and still counts citrus as one of its major reasons for existence.  For through-train watching, though, nothing beats CA 43 from Shafter up to north of Corcoran; it directly parallels the BNSF main line, also used by Amtrak's San Joaquin service, plus a shitload of container trains out of or heading for the Port of Richmond, as well as a sizeable chunk of TOFC (trailers on flat cars; the old "piggyback" mode).  Generally about 10-15 trains per direction per day.  The main UP/former SP line paralleling CA 99 used to feature more overall volume, with quite a few lumber trains out of Oregon -- but the post-2007 housing slowdown has cut that down considerably;  N-S UP trains are mostly "manifest" (mixed cargo) with some container transfer between SoCal, Bay area, and Northwest ports/terminals.  And if one heads north, multi-county road J7 between Merced and Stockton also parallels the northern reaches of the BNSF Richmond line -- but with many more short local trains out of Stockton picking up agricultural products from lineside facilities.  For sheer variety and volume, BNSF is hard to beat -- and you get several Amtrak trains per day thrown into the mix as well! ;-)

J7 even has the Castle Air Museum to even add more vehicular variety.  The amount of machinery on display on such a small highway really is a lot of fun
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don1991

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Re: CA 65 South Segment
« Reply #10 on: May 30, 2020, 02:47:19 AM »

The fourth route of the day was the south segment of CA 65 from 99 north to 198.  Looks like a new expressway south of 190 is being built near Porterville:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/Sm18W8

They're only going a few miles, down to the first curve. South of there, traffic is tolerable and there is plenty of passing zone until you get into the foothills south of CA-155 where visibility is poor due to vertical curves. If they care about traffic on 65, that would be the part to fourlane.

Actually Caltrans and Tulare County are fully committed to the Terra Bella Expressway from the 190 Freeway south to the Tulare / Kern County line.  The issue - as much of California road building is - is money.  This is why it only goes as far south as Ave 124, which was Phase I.  Kern County at least plans passing lanes for its stretch of CA-65 unless it comes into a windfall of money.  Right now, its priorities are finishing the CA-58 Centennial Freeway, adding truck climbing lanes to parts of CA-58 in the mountainous sections around Tehachapi, and finishing the CA-14 Freeman Gulch sections to make CA-14 a full 4-lane freeway or expressway.
« Last Edit: May 31, 2020, 06:59:24 PM by don1991 »
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