California

[Max Rockatansky]

CA 14 has decent scenery and is a very useful route to the Poppy Reserver

Which incidentally is on the old alignment of CA 138 on Lancaster Road.

Now, which strip of road is that? Around what point?

A long time ago Joel found a CA 48 postmile on "Lancaster Road" but I've been unable to locate it since and I don't think it was removed, so I'm assuming I just picked the wrong old alignment.

From 245th Street West from Neenach all the way into Lancaster.  The alignment switched to D Street crica 1955/1956:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/05/california-state-route-138.html?m=1

Thanks (though minor pedantry: Avenue D, not D St). Looks like that wobbles through Fairmont and comes out as Avenue I. I'll add that to my list to investigate; maybe it's still there.

Indeed it does, I actually drove it tracking the route of El Camino Viejo and the Stockton-Los Angeles Road this past year.

[Max Rockatansky]

More Los Angeles area highway stuff from from this weekend.  Suffice to say I'll be filling in more of the Southern California feature gaps on Gribblenation this week.


Hollywood Freeway (CA 170/US 101/CA 2)

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmDN8NGK


The original US 66 west terminus at 7th and Broadway

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmDN8Uxr


Arroyo Seco Parkway (Current CA 110/Old US 66/6/99 and CA 11)

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmDNaQbv


CA 134/Ventura Freeway

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmDNccGk

[Max Rockatansky]

I-5 over the Grapevine Grade northbound had a shut down due to a hazwaste spill:

https://abc30.com/traffic/nb-5-jammed-for-miles-in-castaic-after-hazmat-spill/5319150/

I had planned on taking 33 home but didn't stick to the plan.  Luckily San Francisquito Canyon didn't have any traffic. 

[ClassicHasClass]

You got stuck in that? Ugly business. It's been all over the radio this afternoon.

[Max Rockatansky]

You got stuck in that? Ugly business. It's been all over the radio this afternoon.

Nope, saw it before it was too late and bailed in Castaic.  Ended up taking San Francisquito Canyon Road and Munz Ranch to Antelope Valley.  It was a ghost town in Grapevine when I got there for dinner. 

[roadman65]

Is CA 111 the original US 99 along the Salton Sea or is CA 86 along the west bank of the below sea level lake?

I know in Palm Springs CA 111 is part of US 99 along with old US 60 and 70, but CA 86 is built to better standards along its alignment where CA 111 is only two lanes for most part, so I wonder if CA 86 is the old 99.

[Max Rockatansky]

Apparently there wasn't a crash associated with the Grapevine closure of I-5, it was just a tanker leak:

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019/05/27/memorial-day-monday-tanker-crash-closes-all-lanes-of-i-5-near-castaic/amp/

I'd be curious to find out if anyone tried to make it up the Old Ridge Route to get around the closure.  The closure gate near Lebrie Summit was open just a couple months back. 

[sparker]

Is CA 111 the original US 99 along the Salton Sea or is CA 86 along the west bank of the below sea level lake?

I know in Palm Springs CA 111 is part of US 99 along with old US 60 and 70, but CA 86 is built to better standards along its alignment where CA 111 is only two lanes for most part, so I wonder if CA 86 is the old 99.

Absolutely correct; CA 86 was and is the original route of US 99, along with the short section of CA 111 south of the southern CA 86 terminus to the Mexican border (pre-'64, that section was co-signed as US 99 and SSR 111).   Also -- and this is an ironic coincidence -- pre-renumbering, a short section of the divided US 99 et. al facility along the (former) SP tracks in the south part of Indio was signed for four highways:  three US routes (60, 70, 99) and one state route (111).  The first time I saw one of those shield assemblies as a kid, it reminded me of the Pasadena Freeway from the 4-level interchange NE to the N. Figueroa/Ave. 26 exit -- also with 3 US routes (6, 66, 99) and SSR 11.  11 in L.A. and 111 in Indio with similar multiplexes -- who'da thunk it?   

[Occidental Tourist]

Is CA 111 the original US 99 along the Salton Sea or is CA 86 along the west bank of the below sea level lake?

I know in Palm Springs CA 111 is part of US 99 along with old US 60 and 70, but CA 86 is built to better standards along its alignment where CA 111 is only two lanes for most part, so I wonder if CA 86 is the old 99.

111 in Palm Springs was never a part of US 60/70/99.  The highway version of US 60/70/99 always stayed north of the railroad tracks and followed the Whitewater routing. Basically the current I-10 routing from the 111 junction near Cabazon to the Jefferson Street exit in Indio is the old US 60/70/99 routing.  From there it followed what is now Indio Blvd to Harrison St.  99 went south on Harrison Street to pickup what is now the 86 routing along the west shore of the Salton Sea. 

Until the more direct route east of Dillon Road was built, US 60/70 continued southeast to 66th Ave in Mecca, then turned east and took Box Canyon to pick up the current routing to Chiriaco Summit.

There might have been a brief concurrency between 111 and US 60/70 or 60/70/99 through Indio, Coachella and Mecca, but that would have been it.  West of Indio, 111 was a separate routing.

[sparker]

^^^^^^^^^^
I believe I was misunderstood regarding my comment about the multiplex.  West of Indio, SSR 111 was indeed a separate route (LRN 187); until '64, it was cosigned with SSR 74 to the split at La Quinta.  The multiplex occurred between the north junction of SSR 111 (and the eastern signed terminus of SSR 74) in Indio and Dillon Road, where US 60/70 turned east (on LRN 64), crossing the RR tracks (which were northeast of US 60/70/99 in central Indio; the facility crossed the tracks on an overpass north of town and stayed north of the tracks all the way to Colton!  The multiplex, part of LRN 26, was only a few miles, and was indeed signed with reassurance assemblies with all four shields. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Picked up a couple more routes and highway related things on my way out of the Los Angeles Area this weekend.

2nd Street and 3rd Street Tunnels:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmDNMKRm

-  The 2nd Street Tunnel is the one that is always in movies and part of the old "Boomer will live" internet meme.  I particularly like the design of the 2nd Street Tunnel over 3rd Street.  Either way its interesting to read the back story on how much Bunker Hill was lowered in the 20th Century.


Mulholland Drive from Cahuenga Boulevard west to the Sepulveda Boulevard Tunnel:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmDQREx5

-  I wanted to take an alternate route that wasn't a freeway west towards Sherman Oaks.  I think my wife got more of a kick out of Mulholland than I did given all the tour buses were out in force.  I wanted to see the new I-405 bridge and at least climb the grade above the Sepulveda Boulevard Tunnel.


Sepulveda Bouelvard Tunnel

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmDQRFGq

-  Just for kicks I backed tracked to Old CA 7 in Sepulveda Pass to drive through the tunnel.  Sepulveda Boulevard is surprisingly still an efficient way to drive as an alternate (at least it felt like it) way to get into Sherman Oaks over I-405.


CA 27 south of US 101

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmDR2nwr

-  I took CA 27 south of US 101 through Topganga Canyon to the coast and CA 1.  Topganga Canyon was packed with festival goers but the last couple miles dropping the coast made the drive worth it.


CA 23

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmDR4mSy

-  I've been waiting for awhile to clinch CA 23 and it didn't disappoint.  The portion of CA 23 on Decker Canyon Road, Mulholland Highway and Westlake Boulevard in particular was a fun as hell drive up on some really narrow grades.  CA 23 north from CA 1 to Mulholland Highway in particular had some very severe fire damage from last year.  North of CA 118 the route of CA 23 through Grimes Canyon was also very worthwhile, this was definitely my favorite of the weekend.

CA 126 east to Santa Clarita

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmDR4sZH

-  I ended up taking CA 126 from Fillmore into Santa Clarita to hook up with San Francisquito Road to avoid the closures on I-5 and CA 14 (found out that was a thing today).  Nothing really all that special, but I did note the route is substantially prettier headed eastbound given the coast mountains get higher closer to Santa Clarita.  There was also several abandoned bridges and road deck alongside CA 126 that pre-date the expressway that I never noticed before.

[sparker]

^^^^^^^^^
Trust me on this -- Sepulveda Blvd. over the Santa Monica Mountains through the tunnel is anything but efficient between 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays (NB) and 5:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. (SB).  Since I-405 was opened to I-5 in late '63, the old SSR 7 was re-discovered quite early on by frustrated commuters.  One of my old college buddies lived up the hill in Sherman Oaks; his back balcony overlooked 405 -- and sections of Sepulveda on the north side of the tunnel could be seen as well -- and back circa '69-'70, both were packed to the brim during commute hours.  The spillover extended east to Beverly Glen and Coldwater Canyon as well. 

Wholeheartedly agree about CA 23/Grimes Canyon -- one of my favorite mountain drives in SoCal.  Also -- if you have yet to do so, give Soledad Canyon between Santa Clarita and Acton a shot sometime -- it tracks the old SP (now Metrolink w/UP trackage rights) through the canyon, including tunnels -- and is also the location of much of the old but classic TV movie Duel -- aka Spielberg's directorial debut for a standalone work. 

[nexus73]

To see a movie showing Bunker Hill before it was no longer a hill, watch "The Exiles".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exiles_(film)

Mulholland Drive you say?  Then we have "Mulholland Falls"...LOL!  I love that movie.  "There are no falls in Mullholland!" says the mobster as he is being carried along in a 1948 Buick Roadmaster convertible by some LA detectives.  They chuckle. 

27, Topanga Canyon Highway, is a gorgeous if curvy route.  My first time on it was 1974.  During the 2013 trip, my friend and I took 1 to 27 to Olympic as we wended our way to Burbank, where we stayed at the Safari Motel. Their Googie sign is spectacular.  That kind of routing beat being on the freeways, which were packed solid.  In a way, LA traffic from 2013 reminded me of what I do when going to any sort of fast food place.  If the driveup is clogged, go inside and maybe one will find an easier time getting an order in.  Should the parking lot be filled and the driveup is not, then I will go that way! 

Burbank's surface streets were amazingly calm compared to the freeways around that city. 

Rick

[sparker]

In a way, LA traffic from 2013 reminded me of what I do when going to any sort of fast food place.  If the driveup is clogged, go inside and maybe one will find an easier time getting an order in.  Should the parking lot be filled and the driveup is not, then I will go that way!

You have just described the insiders' method of dealing with In-N-Out!   

Burbank's surface streets were amazingly calm compared to the freeways around that city. 

Rick

Except for Olive Ave./Barham Blvd. down by Warner Bros., Burbank is generally free of major traffic annoyances.  If you're ever down there, try Finocchio's Italian restaurant (w/attached deli) on Magnolia a few blocks east of Hollywood Way.  Very reasonably priced -- and great -- food, served in a cafeteria-line style manner.  One of my "must" stops when in town.   

[Max Rockatansky]

The real trick to In'n'Out is to go at 10 AM when they "unofficially" open.

Speaking of surface streets, I spent a large amount of time this past weekend on Colorado between I-5 and Pasadena.  I'm always surprised how little traffic there really on Colorado, but then again CA 134 is immediately to the north.  I'm starting to feel that spending so much time in Chicago recently has really skewed my perspective on had the Los Angeles area is to drive in during rush hour...really nothing seems quite as terrible as the Kennedy Expressway.  Either it way it feels weird to drive roads like I-405, the Hollywood Freeway or even Sepulveda Boulevard like they aren't a big deal.

Regarding Soledad Canyon, I've done parts of it before but never the whole thing in one shot.  Some of the early state highway history associated with Soledad Canyon is definitely interesting for sure. 

[mrsman]

2nd Street tunnel used to be the best way from Downtown to surface streets to the west and northwest like Beverly and Glendale.  The bike lane has significantly reduced capacity.  Imo a bike lane would fit better on 1st Street, which is wider.

Nexus 5X

[Max Rockatansky]

2nd Street tunnel used to be the best way from Downtown to surface streets to the west and northwest like Beverly and Glendale.  The bike lane has significantly reduced capacity.  Imo a bike lane would fit better on 1st Street, which is wider.

Nexus 5X

I suspect it has a lot to do with 1st Street having to climb over part of Bunker Hill. 

[sparker]

The real trick to In'n'Out is to go at 10 AM when they "unofficially" open.

Speaking of surface streets, I spent a large amount of time this past weekend on Colorado between I-5 and Pasadena.  I'm always surprised how little traffic there really on Colorado, but then again CA 134 is immediately to the north.  I'm starting to feel that spending so much time in Chicago recently has really skewed my perspective on had the Los Angeles area is to drive in during rush hour...really nothing seems quite as terrible as the Kennedy Expressway.  Either it way it feels weird to drive roads like I-405, the Hollywood Freeway or even Sepulveda Boulevard like they aren't a big deal.

Regarding Soledad Canyon, I've done parts of it before but never the whole thing in one shot.  Some of the early state highway history associated with Soledad Canyon is definitely interesting for sure. 

Never have "jonesed" for a burger that early; generally still in breakfast mode.  Re Colorado St. -- lotsa personal memories:  my grandfather had his last barber shop on that street right at the top of the little hill between Glendale and Eagle Rock, and the original Bob's Big Boy was in Glendale, at 900 East Colorado St. (a building next door was their corporate HQ until the late '50's).  It was a drive-in/"carhop" restaurant (besides the usual inside dining).  Bob Wian started the restaurant back in the late '30's; my late uncle was one of his original line cooks!

Definitely Colorado St. is a piece of history -- and never has seemed to be overrun with traffic -- gets a little overflow coming off CA 2 heading east toward Pasadena during the afternoon commute, but it never seemed enough to cause serious problems. 

[mrsman]

The 134 freeway through Glendale sits in a bit of a sweet spot traffic-wise.  With regards to the am commute most of the eastbound the Ventura freeway traffic will merge South onto 101 or 5 towards downtown LA so the part that remains on the 134 generally move at a reasonable pace.  And as far as the westbound traffic on the foothill freeway most of those people are heading towards Pasadena so the traffic begins to open up once past the to 210/134 interchange.  And of course we can see the opposite phenomenon in the p.m. commute.  Traffic westbound doesn't really come to a standstill until passing by the Burbank studios, eastbound it doesn't come to a standstill until about Orange Grove.  if traffic on the 134 is generally content and you won't see too many people leaving the freeway and attempting to use Colorado Street.  Thus, Colorado Street does not get overrun with traffic through Glendale.


Nexus 5X

[sparker]

The 134 freeway through Glendale sits in a bit of a sweet spot traffic-wise.  With regards to the am commute most of the eastbound the Ventura freeway traffic will merge South onto 101 or 5 towards downtown LA so the part that remains on the 134 generally move at a reasonable pace.  And as far as the westbound traffic on the foothill freeway most of those people are heading towards Pasadena so the traffic begins to open up once past the to 210/134 interchange.  And of course we can see the opposite phenomenon in the p.m. commute.  Traffic westbound doesn't really come to a standstill until passing by the Burbank studios, eastbound it doesn't come to a standstill until about Orange Grove.  if traffic on the 134 is generally content and you won't see too many people leaving the freeway and attempting to use Colorado Street.  Thus, Colorado Street does not get overrun with traffic through Glendale.


Nexus 5X

Since one of the favored commute routes to Pasadena is CA 2 NB to CA 134 EB, the latter does regularly back up somewhat over the Eagle Rock hillside segment and over the Arroyo Seco bridge -- but the latter can be attributed to the perennial afternoon congestion on EB I-210 in east Pasadena where it sheds lanes down from 7 to 4.  But usually, even at peak (5 p.m., give or take), EB 134's still moving, albeit at about 30-35mph (it's like Colorado Blvd. minus the signals!).  Still, that's a hell of a lot better than most outbound freeways in the area.  But the last time I was on Colorado Blvd. during that time of day (circa 2011), there was a bit more traffic east of Eagle Rock Blvd. than I had anticipated -- but that segment of Colorado has turned into a subregional "restaurant row" -- a lot of the traffic was pulling off into the parking lots or just looking for street parking, which in itself did tend to slow things down.  My guess is that in that regard Eagle Rock is pulling away some business from Old Town Pasadena east across the bridge (also centered on Colorado)-- where parking is either distant or ultra-expensive!     

[SoCal Kid]

Apparently there wasn't a crash associated with the Grapevine closure of I-5, it was just a tanker leak:

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019/05/27/memorial-day-monday-tanker-crash-closes-all-lanes-of-i-5-near-castaic/amp/

I'd be curious to find out if anyone tried to make it up the Old Ridge Route to get around the closure.  The closure gate near Lebrie Summit was open just a couple months back.

Some madlad was driving their minivan on the hill beside I-5 in that clip. Must've really been in a hurry! 

[Max Rockatansky]

Apparently there wasn't a crash associated with the Grapevine closure of I-5, it was just a tanker leak:

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019/05/27/memorial-day-monday-tanker-crash-closes-all-lanes-of-i-5-near-castaic/amp/

I'd be curious to find out if anyone tried to make it up the Old Ridge Route to get around the closure.  The closure gate near Lebrie Summit was open just a couple months back.

Some madlad was driving their minivan on the hill beside I-5 in that clip. Must've really been in a hurry! 

I wouldn't (and didn't) want to be stuck there for 3 plus hours like those other folks were  Interestingly you couldn't get past the spill anyways from that dirt road.  It accesses an paved turn around just below that radio tower that heads back to the southbound lanes.  I'm still not sure if taking the Old Ridge Route up to Templin Highway would have gotten you north of that spill, it looks like it would have been really close.

[sparker]

Apparently there wasn't a crash associated with the Grapevine closure of I-5, it was just a tanker leak:

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019/05/27/memorial-day-monday-tanker-crash-closes-all-lanes-of-i-5-near-castaic/amp/

I'd be curious to find out if anyone tried to make it up the Old Ridge Route to get around the closure.  The closure gate near Lebrie Summit was open just a couple months back.

Some madlad was driving their minivan on the hill beside I-5 in that clip. Must've really been in a hurry! 

I wouldn't (and didn't) want to be stuck there for 3 plus hours like those other folks were  Interestingly you couldn't get past the spill anyways from that dirt road.  It accesses an paved turn around just below that radio tower that heads back to the southbound lanes.  I'm still not sure if taking the Old Ridge Route up to Templin Highway would have gotten you north of that spill, it looks like it would have been really close.

At least if one accessed the SB lanes, if one knew the terrain & alternate corridors (San Francisquito, Bouquet Canyon, etc.) either N2/CA 138 or the long way around via Tehachapi could be a way to avoid sitting in the NB 5 lanes twiddling one's thumbs for three or more hours!  Ask Max about that!  Even if such an alternate adds 90-100 minutes to the overall trip, it is (at least to my POV) vastly superior to sitting still in traffic! 

[Max Rockatansky]

Apparently there wasn't a crash associated with the Grapevine closure of I-5, it was just a tanker leak:

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019/05/27/memorial-day-monday-tanker-crash-closes-all-lanes-of-i-5-near-castaic/amp/

I'd be curious to find out if anyone tried to make it up the Old Ridge Route to get around the closure.  The closure gate near Lebrie Summit was open just a couple months back.

Some madlad was driving their minivan on the hill beside I-5 in that clip. Must've really been in a hurry! 

I wouldn't (and didn't) want to be stuck there for 3 plus hours like those other folks were  Interestingly you couldn't get past the spill anyways from that dirt road.  It accesses an paved turn around just below that radio tower that heads back to the southbound lanes.  I'm still not sure if taking the Old Ridge Route up to Templin Highway would have gotten you north of that spill, it looks like it would have been really close.

At least if one accessed the SB lanes, if one knew the terrain & alternate corridors (San Francisquito, Bouquet Canyon, etc.) either N2/CA 138 or the long way around via Tehachapi could be a way to avoid sitting in the NB 5 lanes twiddling one's thumbs for three or more hours!  Ask Max about that!  Even if such an alternate adds 90-100 minutes to the overall trip, it is (at least to my POV) vastly superior to sitting still in traffic!

My bail out route was up San Francisquito Canyon Road north to N2 on Elizabeth Lake Road.  I noticed there was about 20 cars trying to use N2 so I bailed out on Munz Ranch Road and took the original alignment of CA 138 by way the State Poppy Reserve.  Most cars were emerging from Three Points Road, it was pretty satisfying to blow by the giant line by way of CA 138.  I even took Gorman Post Road since at the time I wasn't sure where the closure on I-5.  I figured if it was really bad I could head out via Frazier Mountain Park if need be. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Had a family oriented graduation weekend out in Monterey County.  That being the case I decided on some driving interesting alternates to the main line highways:

Pre-1932 US 101 on the San Juan Grade.  We did a feature on this road awhile back on Gribblenation, it's essentially a miniature Ridge Route:

https://flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/sets/72157708993454276

Panoche Road which is part of J1 and was briefly signed by the ACSC as CA 180 before the 1940s.  Unfortunately the ford of Panoche Creek was over a foot deep on the dirt segment which meant back tracking to J1 on Little Panoche Road:

https://flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/sets/72157709002251272