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Author Topic: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway  (Read 16516 times)

coatimundi

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #25 on: December 17, 2016, 03:05:57 PM »

Interestingly enough, whenever there is traffic on the 80 heading back to the Bay from Sacramento, GPS does recommend motorists to get on 160. Maybe that explains the influx of truck traffic, as well as congestion (especially at the intersection where 160 meets CA 12).

160 isn't really a viable route north of 12 and it doesn't see that much traffic as a result. I think most people going through that intersection are headed to Lodi, or just over to I-5, on 12.
Last time I came back from Sacramento, I took 84 all the way and, aside from the stop for the ferry, I thought it was a good alternative. But it would not be for trucks. Neither is 160. Those little river bridges do not tolerate tight turning radii.
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Hiroshi66

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #26 on: December 17, 2016, 03:28:22 PM »


160 isn't really a viable route north of 12 and it doesn't see that much traffic as a result. I think most people going through that intersection are headed to Lodi, or just over to I-5, on 12.
Last time I came back from Sacramento, I took 84 all the way and, aside from the stop for the ferry, I thought it was a good alternative. But it would not be for trucks. Neither is 160. Those little river bridges do not tolerate tight turning radii.

Yes, it is cute and scenic but it is much easier to take the I-80 route - hence why US 40 deviated from the Victory Highway for this final bit of its journey towards the Pacific.
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cahwyguy

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #27 on: December 29, 2016, 01:36:26 PM »

As folks know, I'm currently working on the California Highway page updates, with a hoped-for upload by the 31st. As part of this update, I was given a pointer to the following site on old Oakland: http://teczno.com/old-oakland/ (we were resolving an issue of whether Ashby met Broadway for Route 24). Look at the 1936 overlay on that map. You'll see that US 40 ended at Oakland City Hall, basically where San Pablo meets 14th. That agrees with the earlier discussion about US 40 ending in Oakland prior to the construction of the Bay Bridge.

On my pages, this map led to updates on US 40, US 50, Route 24, and Route 17. Look for them when the upload occurs (I'll do the usual change post).

Daniel
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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #28 on: December 29, 2016, 04:57:29 PM »

...the following site on old Oakland: http://teczno.com/old-oakland/ ...Look at the 1936 overlay on that map...
Also interesting because of US 50's routing, which is different than the 1933 map shown in post #11 in this thread.
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coatimundi

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #29 on: December 29, 2016, 07:10:57 PM »

...the following site on old Oakland: http://teczno.com/old-oakland/ ...Look at the 1936 overlay on that map...
Also interesting because of US 50's routing, which is different than the 1933 map shown in post #11 in this thread.

Yes, thanks for putting tgis together. 50's routing is the first thing that caught my eye. What was going on there?
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NE2

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #30 on: December 30, 2016, 01:08:50 AM »

Yes, thanks for putting tgis together. 50's routing is the first thing that caught my eye. What was going on there?
It's similar to the routing on this 1935 map: http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~247261~5515342 As far as I can tell, all the differences are incorrect on the 1936 map, judging by a 1946 aerial. But it's possible that it was in fact a temporary alignment before the state could build the permanent road.
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pre-1945 Florida route log

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TheStranger

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #31 on: July 24, 2021, 04:08:00 AM »

Was thinking about this topic in light of looking up the Gribblenation post on US 40 in the East bay...

http://www.gribblenation.org/2019/11/the-original-alignment-of-us-route-40.html

This 1930 map offers an intriguing answer to some of the questions posed in the thread:



- While there is some ambiguity over whether it was 101 that went to the Ferry Building as opposed to 40 running down Market Street, this seems to be an era where US 101W/US 101E split did not exist, so the crossing to Oakland from SF had to have been US 40 by this point.

- The bold line marked for the highway routing in Oakland is as follows:
Southbound San Pablo Avenue to Broadway (so past MacArthur Boulevard/what would then become US 50 and is now the connection from I-580 to Route 123) through what is now Frank Ogawa Plaza which is now closed to traffic
Southbound Broadway for 6 blocks
Westbound 11th Street (street is now eastbound only)
Southbound Market Street
Westbound 7th Street to what is now the Everport Container Terminal near Middle Harbor Park
Westbound on ferry

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Chris Sampang

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #32 on: July 24, 2021, 09:00:29 AM »

I seem to recall off the top of my head that the NPS had some solid documentation that 101 was always at Hyde Street Pier.  Either way, I forgot that map also shows the original alignment of 101 on Valencia and Mission in San Francisco.
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TheStranger

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #33 on: July 24, 2021, 11:02:11 AM »

I seem to recall off the top of my head that the NPS had some solid documentation that 101 was always at Hyde Street Pier.  Either way, I forgot that map also shows the original alignment of 101 on Valencia and Mission in San Francisco.

At Valencia and Mission, the expanded sidewalk actually makes it clear how the US 101-era through traffic setup used to be!  I think there was a channelized right turn from SB Valencia to SB Mission until about 3-4 years ago, when that was removed most likely to help assist pedestrian safety in that area.

So would that 1930 map plus the NPS docs you've seen pretty much confirm that 40 originally used Market Street (and by extension, pre-1936 US 50)?  Due to SF restrictions on private car traffic on Market that have been in place for about 3 years now, the only parts of former 40 (50) on Market that are now normally passable by non-taxis/non-buses are between Van Ness and 10th, and between 1st and Steuart.

Also notable that Embarcadero Plaza (originally known as Justin Herman Plaza) basically makes the final portion of US 40 along Market to Embarcadero itself and the Ferry Building entirely impassible to vehicles, but this area might have already been blocked off to vehicles as early as the 1930s - I recall seeing photos of streetcar tracks in that area in the 1940s.
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Chris Sampang

Max Rockatansky

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #34 on: July 24, 2021, 11:11:39 AM »

I seem to recall off the top of my head that the NPS had some solid documentation that 101 was always at Hyde Street Pier.  Either way, I forgot that map also shows the original alignment of 101 on Valencia and Mission in San Francisco.

At Valencia and Mission, the expanded sidewalk actually makes it clear how the US 101-era through traffic setup used to be!  I think there was a channelized right turn from SB Valencia to SB Mission until about 3-4 years ago, when that was removed most likely to help assist pedestrian safety in that area.

So would that 1930 map plus the NPS docs you've seen pretty much confirm that 40 originally used Market Street (and by extension, pre-1936 US 50)?  Due to SF restrictions on private car traffic on Market that have been in place for about 3 years now, the only parts of former 40 (50) on Market that are now normally passable by non-taxis/non-buses are between Van Ness and 10th, and between 1st and Steuart.

Also notable that Embarcadero Plaza (originally known as Justin Herman Plaza) basically makes the final portion of US 40 along Market to Embarcadero itself and the Ferry Building entirely impassible to vehicles, but this area might have already been blocked off to vehicles as early as the 1930s - I recall seeing photos of streetcar tracks in that area in the 1940s.

When I scouted that alignment I noticed it could be replicated southbound but not the other direction.  That seems to be a theme with a lot of old US Routes in California cities; you can only do them in one direction.  I recently experienced the same thing in Santa Barbara (at least until Gutierrez Street. 
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mrsman

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #35 on: July 26, 2021, 07:27:31 PM »

I seem to recall off the top of my head that the NPS had some solid documentation that 101 was always at Hyde Street Pier.  Either way, I forgot that map also shows the original alignment of 101 on Valencia and Mission in San Francisco.

At Valencia and Mission, the expanded sidewalk actually makes it clear how the US 101-era through traffic setup used to be!  I think there was a channelized right turn from SB Valencia to SB Mission until about 3-4 years ago, when that was removed most likely to help assist pedestrian safety in that area.

So would that 1930 map plus the NPS docs you've seen pretty much confirm that 40 originally used Market Street (and by extension, pre-1936 US 50)?  Due to SF restrictions on private car traffic on Market that have been in place for about 3 years now, the only parts of former 40 (50) on Market that are now normally passable by non-taxis/non-buses are between Van Ness and 10th, and between 1st and Steuart.

Also notable that Embarcadero Plaza (originally known as Justin Herman Plaza) basically makes the final portion of US 40 along Market to Embarcadero itself and the Ferry Building entirely impassible to vehicles, but this area might have already been blocked off to vehicles as early as the 1930s - I recall seeing photos of streetcar tracks in that area in the 1940s.

When I scouted that alignment I noticed it could be replicated southbound but not the other direction.  That seems to be a theme with a lot of old US Routes in California cities; you can only do them in one direction.  I recently experienced the same thing in Santa Barbara (at least until Gutierrez Street.

And sometimes not even that.  I could imagine a situation (without being able to think of a specific example) where an original routing turns within a city.  If the original routing was let's say south on A to west on 1st, and conversely east on 1st to north on A.  If A were restricted to one way south and 1st restricted to one way east, you simply cannot follow the orignial routing through town in either direction.  You could have course do partial routings to the corner of A and 1st from both directions.
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bing101

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #36 on: July 26, 2021, 09:15:24 PM »

Was thinking about this topic in light of looking up the Gribblenation post on US 40 in the East bay...

http://www.gribblenation.org/2019/11/the-original-alignment-of-us-route-40.html

This 1930 map offers an intriguing answer to some of the questions posed in the thread:



- While there is some ambiguity over whether it was 101 that went to the Ferry Building as opposed to 40 running down Market Street, this seems to be an era where US 101W/US 101E split did not exist, so the crossing to Oakland from SF had to have been US 40 by this point.

- The bold line marked for the highway routing in Oakland is as follows:
Southbound San Pablo Avenue to Broadway (so past MacArthur Boulevard/what would then become US 50 and is now the connection from I-580 to Route 123) through what is now Frank Ogawa Plaza which is now closed to traffic
Southbound Broadway for 6 blocks
Westbound 11th Street (street is now eastbound only)
Southbound Market Street
Westbound 7th Street to what is now the Everport Container Terminal near Middle Harbor Park
Westbound on ferry
That is interesting that US-40 was in Benicia where that area later became CA-21 and now I-680 is at today in this map. This may be a case where US-40 was in the process of moving its alignment to Vallejo and waiting for approval at the time of the release.
« Last Edit: July 26, 2021, 09:17:48 PM by bing101 »
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Max Rockatansky

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #37 on: July 26, 2021, 09:52:04 PM »

Actually it took until 1932 for US 40 to move out of Benicia and Martinez.  I suspect the Carquinez Bridge being a toll facility had some sort of deal struck with the Lincoln Highway Association that prevented the move earlier:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/11/the-original-alignment-of-us-route-40.html

I seem to recall off the top of my head that the NPS had some solid documentation that 101 was always at Hyde Street Pier.  Either way, I forgot that map also shows the original alignment of 101 on Valencia and Mission in San Francisco.

At Valencia and Mission, the expanded sidewalk actually makes it clear how the US 101-era through traffic setup used to be!  I think there was a channelized right turn from SB Valencia to SB Mission until about 3-4 years ago, when that was removed most likely to help assist pedestrian safety in that area.

So would that 1930 map plus the NPS docs you've seen pretty much confirm that 40 originally used Market Street (and by extension, pre-1936 US 50)?  Due to SF restrictions on private car traffic on Market that have been in place for about 3 years now, the only parts of former 40 (50) on Market that are now normally passable by non-taxis/non-buses are between Van Ness and 10th, and between 1st and Steuart.

Also notable that Embarcadero Plaza (originally known as Justin Herman Plaza) basically makes the final portion of US 40 along Market to Embarcadero itself and the Ferry Building entirely impassible to vehicles, but this area might have already been blocked off to vehicles as early as the 1930s - I recall seeing photos of streetcar tracks in that area in the 1940s.

When I scouted that alignment I noticed it could be replicated southbound but not the other direction.  That seems to be a theme with a lot of old US Routes in California cities; you can only do them in one direction.  I recently experienced the same thing in Santa Barbara (at least until Gutierrez Street.

And sometimes not even that.  I could imagine a situation (without being able to think of a specific example) where an original routing turns within a city.  If the original routing was let's say south on A to west on 1st, and conversely east on 1st to north on A.  If A were restricted to one way south and 1st restricted to one way east, you simply cannot follow the orignial routing through town in either direction.  You could have course do partial routings to the corner of A and 1st from both directions.

Sometimes the through routes are razed or have obstructions put in the say.  The pedestrian mall on San Pablo Avenue in Oakland (US 40) comes to mind along with Broadway in Fresno being hacked up (US 99).
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TheStranger

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #38 on: July 27, 2021, 12:06:13 AM »

Took a driving trip up old 40 from SF to Benicia to Sacramento with a friend on Saturday. Will have photos up soon!

SM-G973U1

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Chris Sampang

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #39 on: July 27, 2021, 09:17:32 PM »

Raw flickr album of my SF-Sacramento Old US 40 trip:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/csampang/albums/72157719602728326

Photos mostly taken by my friend Emmanuel Manasievici who also helped with navigation
« Last Edit: July 28, 2021, 04:49:02 PM by TheStranger »
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Chris Sampang

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #40 on: July 28, 2021, 04:27:51 PM »

Something VERY interesting for this thread: US 40 shown in 1934 on the southern (Route 4!) corridor from Crockett to Martinez?!  Does this mean Franklin Canyon Road is old US 40 too.
https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239594~5511896:Road-Map-of-the-State-of-California


---
Selected photos of SF and Alameda County segment:

West terminus of old US 40/50 in San Francisco, 1936-1950s.  Basically where Bryant and 10th meet up.
DSC_2503c by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

1960s plastic I-80 onramp sign at 5th Street - recent enough to be I-80 alone, but old enough that the backlighting has not worked in years.  Prior to 1956-1958, this onramp carried 40 and 50 itself onto the Bay Bridge.
DSC_2507 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Westbound on 7th Street (former US 40 and possibly US 101E) in the Port of Oakland area, with a view of the SF skyline.
DSC_2511 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr
DSC_2513 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Ancient underpass with mission guardrail on eastbound 7th Street (old US 40 and possibly US 101E).  The I-880 sign is at most 24 years old (as the Cypress replacement was opened that year)
DSC_2524 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

DSC_2525 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

DSC_2526 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

7th Street (old US 40 and likely US 101E) at Mandela Parkway (formerly Cypress Street) (old Route 17 and Business US 50).  In 1934, the Cypress/East 14th corridor was slated to be Route 13, though not sure this was ever signed.  So 40/101E and 17 never intersected here.
DSC_2530 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

11th Street (old US 40 and likely US 101E) eastbound crossing I-980
DSC_2531 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Broadway (old US 40 and likely US 101E) northbound at Frank Ogawa Plaza (former southern extent of San Pablo Avenue), downtown Oakland
DSC_2533 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

San Pablo Avenue (old US 40 and likely US 101E) northbound above the Macarthur Boulevard underpass (originally 38th Street, former US 40, US 50 and possibly US 101E).  At the time 40 used San Pablo Avenue south from this point (pre-Bay Bridge), 50 still ended in Sacramento, so this likely was the 40/101E split during the ferry years.
DSC_2540 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr
DSC_2541 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Route 123 sign along San Pablo Avenue (old US 40 and old Business US 40), Albany
DSC_2549c by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

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Chris Sampang

TheStranger

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #41 on: July 28, 2021, 04:47:25 PM »

Contra Costa County segment

Eastshore Boulevard (1937-1958 US 40) at San Pablo Avenue (old US 40/Business US 40), Richmond
DSC_2555 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Found this cool 2019 El Cerrito Historical Society writeup on the Eastshore Highway:
http://www.elcerritohistoricalsociety.org/forge/forgesummer2019.pdf

City of San Pablo welcome arch
DSC_2559 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Richmond Parkway (built approximately along the planned Route 93 corridor) at San Pablo Avenue, Richmond (near Hilltop Mall).  Note the spelled out I-80/I-580 instead of the shields
DSC_2560c by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Gables Motel, Pinole.  This is the first eastbound Historic US 40 shield!
DSC_2567c by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

San Pablo Avenue at Pinole Valley Road, with old-town lighted street blade.
DSC_2570 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

More mission guardrail
DSC_2571e by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Historic 40 signs in Hercules
DSC_2574 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr
DSC_2576 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

This was likely the old terminus of Route 4 from the 1930s until I-80 was built in the area (could even argue, based on signage, that it is still the terminus in a way)
DSC_2579e by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Overpass in Crockett
DSC_2589 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Carquinez Bridge view
DSC_2591 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Old town Crockett
DSC_2593 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

George Miller Trail terminus.  The trail is former Carquinez Scenic Drive and thus pre-1936 US 40
DSC_2604 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Westbound Carquinez Scenic Drive past the trailhead
DSC_2605 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Ferry Street, Martinez
DSC_2619e by Chris Sampang, on Flickr
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Chris Sampang

TheStranger

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #42 on: July 28, 2021, 05:13:59 PM »

Solano County

Goodyear Road, former Victory Highway and US 40 (and likely later Route 21), Benicia
DSC_2677 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Panorama view west of Lopes Road
DSC_2679c by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Lopes Road approaching Cordelia Road
DSC_2681c by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Historic 40 sign on Cordelia Road
DSC_2683 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

The first of MANY Historic 40 signs on Texas Street east of Pennsylvania, Fairfield
DSC_2705 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Lyon Road, northern Fairfield
DSC_2764 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Cherry Glen Road
DSC_2767 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Old I-80 Sacramento sign with a blank space for a US 40 shield, in Vacaville
DSC_2773c by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

First historic 40 sign entering Vacaville
DSC_2775 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Old town Vacaville
DSC_2784 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Monte Vista Avenue, passing by an ancient liquor store
DSC_2792 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Historic 40 sign at Nut Tree, with no guidance as to how to continue east
DSC_2808 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Weirdly formatted I-505 sign along Orange Drive
DSC_2809 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Midway Road
DSC_2819 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Curve from Midway Road to Porter Road
DSC_2820 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Historic 40 signs on Porter Road in Dixon
DSC_2824 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr
DSC_2825 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Channelization from Porter Road to "Old State Highway" leading towards A Street, Dixon
DSC_2829 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Route 113 and Lincoln Highway signs along 1st Street northbound, Dixon
DSC_2843c by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

One of several Historic 40 signs on 1st Street
DSC_2851 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Milk Farm Road, 1950s pre-freeway routing of US 40
DSC_2863 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Pedrick Road
DSC_2872 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Currey Road northbound
DSC_2872 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Sievers Road eastbound
DSC_2876 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Pedrick Road northbound. From about 1954-1959 this was Alternate US 40 while 40 used the Milk Farm/I-80 corridor to bypass Davis.
DSC_2882 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr
« Last Edit: July 28, 2021, 05:21:49 PM by TheStranger »
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Chris Sampang

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #43 on: July 28, 2021, 05:56:39 PM »

Yolo County

Road 98 at Russell Boulevard, "Catcus Corner".  Note the channelization for traffic that would be using the US 40 eastbound through directoin
DSC_2884 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

First Historic US 40 sign on Russell Boulevard in Davis
DSC_2890e by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Historic 40 sign at the 113 junction.  Prior to the 1950s (Milk Farm Road/etc.) bypass of Davis, this was the US 40/US 99W west junction.  From about 1954-1959 this was the Alternate US 40/US 99W junction.
DSC_2892 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Russell Boulevard bordering the UC Davis campus
DSC_2896 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Russell Boulevard at B Street, where US 40 east/US 99W south (and the Lincoln Highway) made a right turn to go southbound briefly
DSC_2897 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

1st Street at Richards Boulevard, another turn for US 40 (and US 99W) in downtown Davis
DSC_2901 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Richards Subway
DSC_2902 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Olive Drive, old US 40/99W.  I lived on this street from 2004-2007.
DSC_2905 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Road 32A.  I think Joel Windmiller told me back in the mid-2000s that this was still the original US 40/99W pavement
DSC_2913 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Spot where the old Yolo Causeway used to begin:
DSC_2917 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Monument for West Capital Raceway in West Sacramento, which closed in 1979.
DSC_2921 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Blurry closeup of the "Route 880" overpass girder marking.  Today's I-80 crossing over old US 40/99W (West Capitol Avenue)
DSC_2922c by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Capitol Bowl, a vintage bowling alley (and the closest one to downtown Sacramento) that has been significantly refurbished
DSC_2935e by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Old West Capitol Avenue underpass.  Bypassed in the 1950s by what was then the West Sacramento Freeway portion of US 40/99W, now Tower Bridge Gateway.
DSC_2937e by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Tower Bridge Gateway (formerly West Sacramento Freeway until the mid-2000s), West Sacramento
DSC_2938 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Tower Bridge
DSC_2941 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr
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Chris Sampang

TheStranger

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #44 on: July 28, 2021, 06:22:34 PM »

Sacramento (Tower Bridge to Watt Avenue)

Former channelization to N Street, probably was used in the 1960s when Route 16/Route 99 went to Broadway and US 40 went to the P/Q Street pair
DSC_2944 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

The 51+ year old Route 99/Route 70 sign on Capitol Mall that has remained standing.  (Always wondered why a 5 shield wasn't put in place of the now-removed Route 16 shield in that area)
DSC_2946e by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Southbound 1 block on 9th Street towards N
DSC_2949e by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

First Historic 40 sign on N Street at Capitol Park
DSC_2950e by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

2000s sign pointing to Business 80/Route 99/US 50 via 15th Street (former US 99, US 50, and later Route 160).  The Business 80 part is now technically an outdated reference.
DSC_2957e by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

16th Street northbound at Capitol Avenue, US 40 historic sign
DSC_2959e by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Railroad overpass in Alkali Flat
DSC_2971e by Chris Sampang, on Flickr
DSC_2972e by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

First Route 160 sign on North 16th Street, just before the start of the North Sacramento Freeway
DSC_2976 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Button copy BGS for Northgate Boulevard
DSC_2977 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

"Business 80 - Reno" BGS replacing the old "Roseville/Reno" BGS at the Northgate exit
DSC_2978 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Old railroad bridge to the right, I biked across it years ago:
DSC_2979 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Route 160 shield on the North Sacramento Freeway, just past the Northgate ramp
DSC_2982 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Ancient section of Del Paso Boulevard/old US 40 and US 99E, bypassed in the late 1940s by the North Sacramento Freeway
DSC_2985e by Chris Sampang, on Flickr
DSC_2986 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Del Paso Boulevard in North Sacramento.  This segment was Business US 40 in the early-mid 1960s after 40/99E were placed on the freeway
DSC_2988 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Wire frame sculpture of the State Capitol
DSC_2993 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

1940s ice skating rink, Iceland, along Del Paso.  The original building mostly burned down a few years ago but locals banded together to save the rink and keep it operational.
DSC_2994 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Del Paso approaching El Camino Avenue in North Sacramento, where 40 east/99E north would make a turn to the right
DSC_3000 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

First Historic US 40 sign along El Camino eastbound
DSC_3015 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Auburn Boulevard paralleling the Sacramento Regional Transit light rail tracks (which would have been the corridor for the planned I-80 realignment that was canceled in 1979)
DSC_3018 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Historic 40 sign on Auburn Boulevard between Howe and Bell
DSC_3022 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Auburn Boulevard/US 40 monument near the Bell offramp
DSC_3026 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

Old mission guardrail on overpass connecting westbound Auburn Boulevard with westbound Business 80 (both roads are former 40 and 99E)
DSC_3031 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr

2000s era ornamental gate at Fulton/Auburn
DSC_3032 by Chris Sampang, on Flickr
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Chris Sampang

bing101

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #45 on: July 28, 2021, 11:50:54 PM »

Actually it took until 1932 for US 40 to move out of Benicia and Martinez.  I suspect the Carquinez Bridge being a toll facility had some sort of deal struck with the Lincoln Highway Association that prevented the move earlier:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/11/the-original-alignment-of-us-route-40.html

I seem to recall off the top of my head that the NPS had some solid documentation that 101 was always at Hyde Street Pier.  Either way, I forgot that map also shows the original alignment of 101 on Valencia and Mission in San Francisco.

At Valencia and Mission, the expanded sidewalk actually makes it clear how the US 101-era through traffic setup used to be!  I think there was a channelized right turn from SB Valencia to SB Mission until about 3-4 years ago, when that was removed most likely to help assist pedestrian safety in that area.

So would that 1930 map plus the NPS docs you've seen pretty much confirm that 40 originally used Market Street (and by extension, pre-1936 US 50)?  Due to SF restrictions on private car traffic on Market that have been in place for about 3 years now, the only parts of former 40 (50) on Market that are now normally passable by non-taxis/non-buses are between Van Ness and 10th, and between 1st and Steuart.

Also notable that Embarcadero Plaza (originally known as Justin Herman Plaza) basically makes the final portion of US 40 along Market to Embarcadero itself and the Ferry Building entirely impassible to vehicles, but this area might have already been blocked off to vehicles as early as the 1930s - I recall seeing photos of streetcar tracks in that area in the 1940s.

When I scouted that alignment I noticed it could be replicated southbound but not the other direction.  That seems to be a theme with a lot of old US Routes in California cities; you can only do them in one direction.  I recently experienced the same thing in Santa Barbara (at least until Gutierrez Street.





And sometimes not even that.  I could imagine a situation (without being able to think of a specific example) where an original routing turns within a city.  If the original routing was let's say south on A to west on 1st, and conversely east on 1st to north on A.  If A were restricted to one way south and 1st restricted to one way east, you simply cannot follow the orignial routing through town in either direction.  You could have course do partial routings to the corner of A and 1st from both directions.






Sometimes the through routes are razed or have obstructions put in the say.  The pedestrian mall on San Pablo Avenue in Oakland (US 40) comes to mind along with Broadway in Fresno being hacked up (US 99).



Also Lincoln Highway was rerouted from an alignment in Oakland, Tracy to Sacramento which was later US-50,  Bay Area Section, US-99  Now known as (I-580, I-205 and I-5 or CA-99) the previous alignment of Lincoln Highway prior to moving to Yolo, Solano and Contra Costa Counties due to the opening of the Carquinez Bridge.




https://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/map/


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luv2drive

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Re: Highway 40 & the Victory Highway
« Reply #46 on: July 30, 2021, 09:44:41 PM »

I grew up in the quiet town of Walnut Grove, along the Sacramento River. Both 160 and River Road from Walnut Grove to Courtland used to be decent roads next to the river in the summer until the navigation apps started routing persons unfamiliar with the levee roads onto them and driving like snails. Isleton Road runs parallel to 160 from Walnut Grove to the Isleton Bridge, sometimes faster than 160. Ok, I just revealed 1 shortcut.  :-D Before I-5 was finished, there were 2 north south routes to/from Sacramento, Highway 160 or Franklin Blvd, 8 miles east of Walnut Grove.

The old Antioch Bridge 1 time got stuck open in the 1970's, the family was going home from my uncle's place in Pleasant Hill, my father turned the car around on the bridge like everyone else then went back on Highway 4 west to Martinez, then up 680 to 80 to 12 then went through Fairfield and Rio Vista, then turned left at the 4-way stop at 160 and finally got home.

We drove to the bridge once before the new one opened up to traffic, people were allowed to walk on it. Dad was so happy the new bridge opened, he despised the old bridge as I am sure a few others did. I think there are pictures of people on the span somewhere, along with pictures of the old bridge.

Does anyone remember when Highway 4 over Willow Pass used to be a 4-lane freeway then it went to a 2-land road by the Naval Weapons Station, then there was a signal light where the 242 & 4 junction is now? To go to Walnut Creek or Oakland you would turn left onto Highway 24, another 2-lane road (not signed as Highway 242 back then), there was a signal at Olivera Road then widened to 4 lanes at Grant St/Solano Way? Probably mid to late 1970's.

Interestingly enough, whenever there is traffic on the 80 heading back to the Bay from Sacramento, GPS does recommend motorists to get on 160. Maybe that explains the influx of truck traffic, as well as congestion (especially at the intersection where 160 meets CA 12).

160 isn't really a viable route north of 12 and it doesn't see that much traffic as a result. I think most people going through that intersection are headed to Lodi, or just over to I-5, on 12.
Last time I came back from Sacramento, I took 84 all the way and, aside from the stop for the ferry, I thought it was a good alternative. But it would not be for trucks. Neither is 160. Those little river bridges do not tolerate tight turning radii.
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