AARoads Forum

Regional Boards => Pacific Southwest => Topic started by: Max Rockatansky on November 10, 2022, 09:45:06 AM

Title: Unbuilt CA 81
Post by: Max Rockatansky on November 10, 2022, 09:45:06 AM
Here's a corridor I don't think we've ever discussed on this board:

California State Route 81 is a never constructed thirty-one-mile State Highway which was located in the Inland Empire area.  California State Route 81 was defined as part of the 1964 State Highway Renumbering over what had been part of Legislative Route Number 276.  California State Route 81 is presently defined as being routed from Interstate 215 east of Riverside to Interstate 15 south of Devore.  Above the blog cover photo depicts the planned California State Route 81 can be seen as it appeared on the 1970 Division of Highways Map. 

https://www.gribblenation.org/2022/11/paper-highways-california-state-route-81.html?m=1
Title: Re: Unbuilt CA 81
Post by: The Ghostbuster on November 10, 2022, 04:41:36 PM
Do you know what shape or form CA 81 might have been built as? I predict it would either have been a freeway, a parkway, or a boulevard. Also, assuming CA 81 had been built, would it have successfully relieved congestion on existing roads within the vicinity of its corridor?
Title: Re: Unbuilt CA 81
Post by: Max Rockatansky on November 10, 2022, 04:59:19 PM
It was no doubt intended as a freeway considering when it was adopted.  The trouble is that there was never a formal Route adoption for CA 81 which means there isn't a ton to go off as far as what the design may have looked like.
Title: Re: Unbuilt CA 81
Post by: TheStranger on November 11, 2022, 06:51:03 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on November 10, 2022, 04:41:36 PM
Do you know what shape or form CA 81 might have been built as? I predict it would either have been a freeway, a parkway, or a boulevard. Also, assuming CA 81 had been built, would it have successfully relieved congestion on existing roads within the vicinity of its corridor?

My main thought in looking at the planned route: this was designed as a bypass of the Riverside Junction cloverleaf (60/91/395 at the time 81 was planned, now 60/91/215).

With the flyovers there...I can still easily see some sort of alternate as being useful, but not really in current CalTrans planning.
Title: Re: Unbuilt CA 81
Post by: skluth on November 13, 2022, 11:44:10 AM
I don't know if the N-S part of the CA 81 proposal would have been worth the cost though it would have been a nice local thoroughfare for residents from Rialto to Rubidoux. But a freeway or even a well-designed boulevard connecting the SE end of the I-215/CA 60 concurrency to CA 91 near Arlington Avenue would be very useful along with taking traffic off the 14th St/ MLK Blvd corridor. It would also have pulled a fair amount of traffic off the concurrency.