🛣 Changes to the California Highway Website covering Sept – Oct 2023

[cahwyguy]

Here's something to be thankful for: The updates to the California Highways pages covering September and October are done. As an additional reminder, a new episode of California Highways: Route by Route covering Route 1 in Santa Barbara and Ventura county dropped early list week. There's a link in this post.

Changelog Post: https://cahighways.org/wordpress/?p=16620
Direct Changelog: https://www.cahighways.org/chg2023.html#2023-10

Daniel

[Quillz]

Really, relinquishment of CA-203? I do hope the spades continue to be maintained, like is supposed to happen with relinquishment.

[gonealookin]

Really, relinquishment of CA-203? I do hope the spades continue to be maintained, like is supposed to happen with relinquishment.

For many years the Town of Mammoth Lakes has had ambitions to redo that 4-lane boulevard portion through the main commercial district, making it more pedestrian and bicycle friendly with a road diet concept.

The problem was always funding those improvements.  They must have found that money (maybe American Rescue Plan?) and requested the relinquishment.

It still leaves about the first 3/4 mile of SR 203 from US 395 to the town limit line which will remain in the state highway system.

[Max Rockatansky]

Wouldn't count on the those 203 shields remaining in place.  They are pretty sparsely signed as currently configured.  They would likely be yanked during a road diet and not replaced.

[Quillz]

Really, relinquishment of CA-203? I do hope the spades continue to be maintained, like is supposed to happen with relinquishment.

For many years the Town of Mammoth Lakes has had ambitions to redo that 4-lane boulevard portion through the main commercial district, making it more pedestrian and bicycle friendly with a road diet concept.

The problem was always funding those improvements.  They must have found that money (maybe American Rescue Plan?) and requested the relinquishment.

It still leaves about the first 3/4 mile of SR 203 from US 395 to the town limit line which will remain in the state highway system.

I was just there and was glad to see it's already quite good. Dedicated walking lanes off to the sides of the road (as opposed to normal sidewalks) and buses every 20 minutes.

[gonealookin]

I would say Mammoth Lakes is a perfect place for a road diet.  Anybody who drives through there on the existing SR 203 is going to the Mammoth Ski Area or Devils Postpile or one of the other trailheads.  It's a dead-end road.  Some huge percentage of those drivers are going to stop in the town for a restaurant meal, or groceries, or a hotel night.  Putting a road diet on there isn't obstructing any long-distance through driving.

Another aspect, which I can testify to from living in a snowy mountain town all these years:  It's not a bad idea to redesign the right of way to create some additional short-term snow storage space.  There are times when the stuff is falling faster than it can be plowed and hauled away.  If you have some areas where you can create some giant piles that makes it easier to keep the thoroughfare clear until you can get enough scoopers and dump trucks to take it to your distant dump site, that will help traffic flow a lot in extreme conditions.

[Occidental Tourist]

So, if they rebuild Highway 39 back to CA-2, the soonest construction would begin would be the second half of 2029?

[Quillz]

So, if they rebuild Highway 39 back to CA-2, the soonest construction would begin would be the second half of 2029?

Is this actually going to happen, or has CA-39's completion gone the way of rebuilding TX-87 at this point? It's not been open in my lifetime, it was last drivable in 1978. Supposedly in 2003 it was briefly opened for some fire trucks.

Still not sure what is going on with this one. There are plenty of valid reasons to reopen it. A big one is the huge time savings for those going to and from Wrightwood/Mt. High from the LA area.

[cahwyguy]

So, if they rebuild Highway 39 back to CA-2, the soonest construction would begin would be the second half of 2029?

Is this actually going to happen, or has CA-39's completion gone the way of rebuilding TX-87 at this point? It's not been open in my lifetime, it was last drivable in 1978. Supposedly in 2003 it was briefly opened for some fire trucks.

Still not sure what is going on with this one. There are plenty of valid reasons to reopen it. A big one is the huge time savings for those going to and from Wrightwood/Mt. High from the LA area.

To put this into context for folks that didn't read the changelog, this refers to the following October long-lead item SHOPP amendment:

(1e) #1. 07-LA-39 40/44.4. PPNO 07-5381; ProjID 0718000117; EA 34770. Route 39 Near Falling Springs, from 1.8 miles north of Crystal Lake Road to Route 2. Rehabilitate and reopen a 4.4 mile segment of Route 39. Note: Completion of PA&ED is being delayed by difficulties surveying the terrain due to slides and storm damage, additional alternatives being considered, additional time needed for environmental reviews, additional permitting needs, and additional required studies.  Delay all other phases to allow for more time to complete PA&ED. No changes to allocation, but change FY to FY29-30.

You can also find the entry in the Long Lead SHOPP list at https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/financial-programming/documents/2022shopplongleadlistingapprovedprojects-oct-ctc-2023-v10ally.pdf

Right now, all that has been programmed (funding) is the PA&ED phase - which is just the environmental work, and that is FY29-30. If you look at the long-lead SHOPP page, you'll see there has been no funding for subsequent phases (design, r/w aquisition, construction). However, the SHOPP page doesn't make clear whether that FY value is for just the funded page or the overall (in the resolution that amends the item to the SHOPP, it normally gives FY per phase). So I think FY29-30 at minimum, but I'd add 5 years to get to CONST completion. I'll be happy if it is sooner.