News:

Thanks to everyone for the feedback on what errors you encountered from the forum database changes made in Fall 2023. Let us know if you discover anymore.

Main Menu

CA 103 (Terminal Island Freeway) - still signed north of CA 1 (PCH)

Started by M3100, June 22, 2020, 12:09:43 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

M3100

I saw an older topic on this route/segment (dated 2014) and after getting the warning in red, elected to make a new thread vs. appending the old one.

Wikipedia notes the CA 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) to Willow segment as 'CA 103U' with U = Unrelinquished, though I don't know if that information is the most current.

I did not see any CA 103 shields en route, just at the end points.

I drove this route on 6/20/20; here are some pics from south to north:
1. Sign at junction with Ocean/Seaside Fwy on Terminal Island.


2. New Dock northbound onramp; no mention of CA 103.


3. Offramp for CA 47 at Henry Ford Ave; both BGSs almost completely boarded over.


4. Onramp from PCH CA 1


5. Southbound entrance from Willow St.  UP (Salt Lake Route) RR truss bridge is in the background


DTComposer

I think I lot of this signage may change/update with the completion of the Desmond Bridge project - most of the signage seems to be the same as it was when I still lived there (~5 years ago). That said, picture 3 is intriguing, as it looks like the signage considers the Henry Ford/Pier A ramp "Exit 5" for CA-47, even though CA-47 itself is what takes that ramp.

The entire Terminal Island Freeway corridor (from the Seaside Freeway to Willow Street) had been part of CA-47, which on paper was to continue north to I-10. I say "corridor" because from what I can tell the TI Freeway itself (which I think was a City of Long Beach project from the late '40s) was not going to be Caltrans' ultimate routing (their maps from the early 60s show the route as the dotted lines, meaning the final route wasn't yet adopted).

In the early '80s the entire CA-47 corridor was shifted west to the Alameda Street corridor, so CA-103 was assigned to the orphaned TI Freeway, but only to CA-1. I imagine Caltrans wanted to hold onto that part since it was still receiving the brunt of the truck traffic from the port and naval base; they didn't need the part from CA-1 to Willow, but Long Beach wasn't ready to take it over, hence the "U" designation.

Since 2014 or so the plan has been to de-freeway the portion between CA-1 and Willow - basically removing one side of the freeway, putting both directions on the remaining side, and turning the rest into a greenbelt. I don't think there's been any significant movement on that in the last few years.

mrsman

Quote from: DTComposer on June 22, 2020, 01:07:56 AM
I think I lot of this signage may change/update with the completion of the Desmond Bridge project - most of the signage seems to be the same as it was when I still lived there (~5 years ago). That said, picture 3 is intriguing, as it looks like the signage considers the Henry Ford/Pier A ramp "Exit 5" for CA-47, even though CA-47 itself is what takes that ramp.

The entire Terminal Island Freeway corridor (from the Seaside Freeway to Willow Street) had been part of CA-47, which on paper was to continue north to I-10. I say "corridor" because from what I can tell the TI Freeway itself (which I think was a City of Long Beach project from the late '40s) was not going to be Caltrans' ultimate routing (their maps from the early 60s show the route as the dotted lines, meaning the final route wasn't yet adopted).

In the early '80s the entire CA-47 corridor was shifted west to the Alameda Street corridor, so CA-103 was assigned to the orphaned TI Freeway, but only to CA-1. I imagine Caltrans wanted to hold onto that part since it was still receiving the brunt of the truck traffic from the port and naval base; they didn't need the part from CA-1 to Willow, but Long Beach wasn't ready to take it over, hence the "U" designation.

Since 2014 or so the plan has been to de-freeway the portion between CA-1 and Willow - basically removing one side of the freeway, putting both directions on the remaining side, and turning the rest into a greenbelt. I don't think there's been any significant movement on that in the last few years.

I believe the layout of the highways in TI is needlessly confusing.  part of the problem is that certain routes, namely I-710 and CA-47, change directions.  There should be one E-W highway, CA-47, from San Pedro to Downtown LB.  I-710 should either end at the CA-47 ramps or whatever point the freeway ramps end toward the Queen Mary.  The N-S TI Fwy should be CA-103 from the island to at least PCH.  The CA-47 along surface streets does not need to be signed, but bettter signage along the "TO ALAMDEA STREET" would be wonderful there.

sparker

Quote from: mrsman on June 22, 2020, 08:07:18 AM
Quote from: DTComposer on June 22, 2020, 01:07:56 AM
I think I lot of this signage may change/update with the completion of the Desmond Bridge project - most of the signage seems to be the same as it was when I still lived there (~5 years ago). That said, picture 3 is intriguing, as it looks like the signage considers the Henry Ford/Pier A ramp "Exit 5" for CA-47, even though CA-47 itself is what takes that ramp.

The entire Terminal Island Freeway corridor (from the Seaside Freeway to Willow Street) had been part of CA-47, which on paper was to continue north to I-10. I say "corridor" because from what I can tell the TI Freeway itself (which I think was a City of Long Beach project from the late '40s) was not going to be Caltrans' ultimate routing (their maps from the early 60s show the route as the dotted lines, meaning the final route wasn't yet adopted).

In the early '80s the entire CA-47 corridor was shifted west to the Alameda Street corridor, so CA-103 was assigned to the orphaned TI Freeway, but only to CA-1. I imagine Caltrans wanted to hold onto that part since it was still receiving the brunt of the truck traffic from the port and naval base; they didn't need the part from CA-1 to Willow, but Long Beach wasn't ready to take it over, hence the "U" designation.

Since 2014 or so the plan has been to de-freeway the portion between CA-1 and Willow - basically removing one side of the freeway, putting both directions on the remaining side, and turning the rest into a greenbelt. I don't think there's been any significant movement on that in the last few years.

I believe the layout of the highways in TI is needlessly confusing.  part of the problem is that certain routes, namely I-710 and CA-47, change directions.  There should be one E-W highway, CA-47, from San Pedro to Downtown LB.  I-710 should either end at the CA-47 ramps or whatever point the freeway ramps end toward the Queen Mary.  The N-S TI Fwy should be CA-103 from the island to at least PCH.  The CA-47 along surface streets does not need to be signed, but bettter signage along the "TO ALAMDEA STREET" would be wonderful there.

Interestingly, the Alameda freight rail corridor trench between the major east-of-downtown railyards (UP & BNSF) and the harbor area (it surfaces directly under the CA 91 overpass) construction project was considered part of the CA 47 corridor; all projects let contained a CA 47 reference.  Not coincidentally, the signed portion of CA 47 along the reconstructed Alameda Ave. commences southward from where the trench ends.   There are extensive transloading facilities (rail-truck and vice-versa) centered around where the signed CA 47 and CA 91 cross; trucks loaded at the ports of L.A. and Long Beach bring cargo north to these facilities (ostensibly via CA 47/Alameda), since the railroads have declined to expand their port-area yard facilities due to "green" regulations limiting particle output from diesel locomotives (the Port of L.A., which operates most trackage around the northern/western perimeter of the channel, actually commissioned some "hybrid" diesel rebuilds that operate on rechargeable battery cells -- just like a Prius!).  But accommodation of truck traffic from the port to the transload points is the entire purpose of the CA 47 surface-road project.  And those trucks are subject to "greening" in the next 10 years; eventually, all-fossil-fuel transport modes will be banned from the port region altogether. 

cahwyguy

I'm now going through AAroads in preparation for the next round of updates. The mystery of Route 103 touches upon one of the weirder pieces of the state highway system: LRN 231. Here's what I will have on the Route 47 page; you can see the referenced map on the current Route 710 page:

In 1933, the route from "Long Beach via Atlantic Boulevard to [LRN 26] near Monterey Park" was added to the state highway system. In 1935, it was added to the highway code as LRN 167, with the same routing. Note the starting point of the route is not the Port of Los Angeles -- it is Pacific Coast Highway (US 101A, US 6) in the city of Long Beach. This is what would eventually become Route 710.

In 1949, Chapter 1261 defined LRN 231 as

    "[LRN 165] in San Pedro to [LRN 167] in Long Beach, via the mainland portion of Long Beach Outer Harbor and Terminal Island, subject to the following conditions:

    1. Except as provided in paragraph number 2, no expenditure shall be made from state highway funds for the acquisition of rights of way for or construction, improvement, or maintenance of said highway until the following conditions have been met:

        (a) The Federal Government shall have made available all funds necessary for the construction of said route, other than funds provided under paragraph 2.

        (b) The Federal Government and the Cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach shall have granted a sufficient and adequate right of way without cost to the State of California for that portion of said route traversing lands owned or controlled by each of them.

        (c) The authorized representatives of the Cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the appropriate agency of the Federal Government shall have approved the proposed alignment and the proposed location of all major structures on the route submitted by the State Department of Public Works.

    2. Any city or county may contribute to, and the California Highway Commission may allocate monies from the State Highway Fund for the improvement of portions of [LRN 231] on the mainland when such improvement is found necessary to complete and integrated system of freeways between San Pedro, Long Beach, and the Civic Center in the City of Los Angeles.

    3. If funds from sources other than state highway funds have not been made available for the construction on all portions of said [LRN 231] that are not on the mainland prior to January 15, 1953, said [LRN 231] shall on that date cease to be a state highway and this section shall have no further force or effect. "

This is a reference to the fact that the Terminal Island Freeway was not part of the state highway system before 1964. The segment from Seaside Blvd to Willow St. (3.1 mi) was designed by the State Division of Highways and constructed under State and US Navy contracts, and financed by the US Navy and Federal Aid Funds for $12 million. The State Division of Highways was reimbursed in full for its services. At one point, this was called the "Seaside Freeway".

In 1957, Chapter 1911 extended the origin of LRN 167 to [LRN 165] (Harbor Freeway): "[LRN 165] in San Pedro Long Beach to Huntington Drive via Long Beach" . This seemed to absorb the former LRN 231, and created the routing for future Route 7/I-710 to San Pedro instead of Long Beach. But as one can see from the map, the routing wasn't quite the current routing yet.

In 1958, Chapter 74 added the San Pedro-Terminal Island Bridge to LRN 167: "[LRN 165] in San Pedro to Huntington Drive via Long Beach, and including a bridge with at least four lanes from San Pedro at or near Boschke Slough to Terminal Island"
By 1960, the routing in the port had assumed the current approach running to Route 47 (portions of which were LRN 167 across the Vincent Thomas Bridge).

Setting aside the Seaside Freeway portion, this was LRN 270 between Seaside Blvd (Route 47/Route 103 junction) and the future I-10 (LRN 173). The LRN 167 portion (between Long Beach and San Pedro) was a 1957 extension of LRN 167; the LRN 270 portion was defined in 1959. There is a possibility the portion along Seaside was LRN 231 between 1949 and 1953, before the Federal Government actually constructed the route. No maps confirm this.

Route 47 was realigned in 1983 to create Route 103; the new alignment did not exist in the highway system before 1983.

Here's the LRN 231 mystery: LRN 231 does not show on any pre-1963 state highway maps, although Seaside is shown, and the freeway that would eventually become Route 103 is shown without an LRN. By the 1958 map, LRN 167 is shown as extended to LRN 165, but not along Seaside Blvd. However, in the 1959 map, LRN 167 is partially along Seaside, and by 1960, it is along Seaside. This may have been what became LRN 167 (and later Route 47 and Route 710), or it could have been Route 103.
Daniel - California Highway Guy ● Highway Site: http://www.cahighways.org/ ●  Blog: http://blog.cahighways.org/ ● Podcast (CA Route by Route): http://caroutebyroute.org/ ● Follow California Highways on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cahighways

RZF

Today I decided to clinch CA-103. I always knew of it as a freeway for all of its length, but it's never a freeway that gains notoriety for anything. And frankly, I saw why first hand. The route seems to be in rough shape, with the asphalt (also not typical of a freeway) in desperate need for a repave. One would think that with all of the large truck traffic that CalTrans would make an effort to make the road as smooth as possible. Also, the exits did not have any exit numbers. All of this paled in comparison to neighboring CA-47, which is well signed and is a very smooth ride. Any thoughts on this?

Occidental Tourist

#6
Quote from: RZF on July 14, 2021, 11:55:52 PM
Today I decided to clinch CA-103. I always knew of it as a freeway for all of its length, but it's never a freeway that gains notoriety for anything. And frankly, I saw why first hand. The route seems to be in rough shape, with the asphalt (also not typical of a freeway) in desperate need for a repave. One would think that with all of the large truck traffic that CalTrans would make an effort to make the road as smooth as possible. Also, the exits did not have any exit numbers. All of this paled in comparison to neighboring CA-47, which is well signed and is a very smooth ride. Any thoughts on this?

It gained notoriety for being featured in several movies, including the infamous freeway chase scene in To Live And Die In LA, where, for some unexplained reason, they ran the cars on the opposite sides of the freeway.  More recently it was in Being John Malkovich (as the New Jersey Turnpike) and The Island.

Along with the 710 stub in Alhambra and the freeway portion of Shoreline Drive in Long Beach, the Terminal Island Freeway seems to be a favorite location for film, TV, and advertising shoots where a freeway is part of the scene.


mrsman

^^^^^

Given its location, its an "orphan" freeway, so closing it would not have repercussions on the rest of the freeway system.  So it is used for filiming and probably can substitute for a road scene on any freeway in the country.

ClassicHasClass

CA 47 plays that role as well, right next door (Terminator 2, Inception, ...).  :popcorn:

DTComposer

Quote from: Occidental Tourist on July 15, 2021, 01:08:54 AM
the freeway portion of Shoreline Drive in Long Beach, the Terminal Island Freeway seems to be a favorite location for film, TV, and advertising shoots where a freeway is part of the scene.

Having lived on Ocean Boulevard for 8 years and using Shoreline as my main access to I-710, I can attest that Shoreline was closed down at least a couple times a month for filming. (it's also a portion of the track for the Long Beach Grand Prix)

Max Rockatansky

#10
Confirming 103 is very much field sign after driving it yesterday.  The locally maintained portion north of 1 to Willows Street is beat to shit and reminded me of some freeways I've driven in Jalisco:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/6Z82jW

That said, what a weird combination heading southbound onto Terminal Island.  The switch over to CA 47 and the sudden westerly direction on the Vincent Thomas Bridge is bizarre.  I get it that 47 is built nowhere to planned scale but the whole situation is really confusing from a signage stand point.  It seems like it would be simpler to redefine the Vincent Thomas Bridge as CA 710, extend CA 103 to Terminal Island and truncated CA 47 to the unbuilt portion.

Bickendan

Yabut South Pasadena will say 'no' to any 710 extension, north or south! :bigass:

;)

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: Bickendan on January 03, 2022, 10:31:57 PM
Yabut South Pasadena will say 'no' to any 710 extension, north or south! :bigass:

;)

I was running under the assumption that California State Route 710 didn't have the taint of the "Interstate"  brand.  :rolleyes:

TheStranger

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 03, 2022, 10:44:53 PM
Quote from: Bickendan on January 03, 2022, 10:31:57 PM
Yabut South Pasadena will say 'no' to any 710 extension, north or south! :bigass:

;)

I was running under the assumption that California State Route 710 didn't have the taint of the "Interstate"  brand.  :rolleyes:

Funny enough, I recall the South Pasadena (tunnel) plans at times referred to that portion as state route (not Interstate) 710.

For what it's worth, some of the numbering history in Terminal Island dates back to the post-1964 Route 11/Route 7 era:

- Route 47 between I-710 and I-110 was originally part of Route 7.  Per Cahighways Route 7 page:

QuoteAs defined in 1963, Route 47 ran from "Route 7 (now I-710) at Terminal Island to Route 10." at this time, Route 7 (I-710) curved W along Seaside Parkway (a later change to Route 7 turned it to the E at the Shoemaker Bridge, but a later route change brought Route 710 back west for the Gerald Desmond Bridge). A proposed alignment of Route 47 was supposed to split off just north of the drawbridge from Terminal Island.

In 1965, Chapter 1372 added the portion from Route 11 (present-day I-110) to Route 7 (present-day I-710), making the route "Route 11 in San Pedro to Route 10 via the Vincent Thomas Bridge." Note that the reference to Route 7 (Route 710) refers to where that route meets Route 47 at Henry Ford Avenue. The portion of Seaside E of Henry Ford, as well as Ocean Avenue and Harbor Scenic Drive N to Route 1 is part of Route 7 (current Route 710). A 1965 planning map shows Route 47 as freeway its entire length. There were later proposals that extended the Terminal Island Freeway as Route 47 north from its end at Willow Street rather than north of the drawbridge. See the pre-1964 history section for more information on the Vincent Thomas Bridge.

So the south end of 7 and the south end of 710 has changed based on the above, with 47 also being affected thusly:
https://www.cahighways.org/ROUTE710.html

- 1963-1964: Today's Route 47 was Route 7 between 11 (now 110) and the current 103/47/710 junction

- 1965-1982: Route 7 was defined to end at Route 1 in Long Beach, so the portion of freeway from Long Beach to the 103/47/710 junction was part of 47.

- 1982-1984: Route 7 restored to the section of freeway east of 103 and south of Long Beach, while 103 created along former 47 north of Henry Ford Avenue.  47 codified specifically to use Henry Ford (towards the Alameda Street corridor that is part of the unadopted freeway alignment to downtown LA that never got built).

- 1984: I-710 established along what was Route 7.  Not sure if the following text from the Route 710 definition was added in 1982 (when it was Route 7) or in 1984 during the Interstate changeover, but it covers the portion of freeway between 47/103 and Long Beach:

Quote
The route also includes that portion of the freeway between Route 1 and the northern end of Harbor Scenic Drive, that portion of Harbor Scenic Drive to Ocean Boulevard, that portion of Ocean Boulevard west of its intersection with Harbor Scenic Drive to its junction with Seaside Boulevard, and that portion of Seaside Boulevard from the junction with Ocean Boulevard to Route 47.


---

This photo from the collection is a great illustration of the numbering/routing mess on Terminal Island.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/51795681228/in/album-72177720295683843/

47 south along the Terminal Island Freeway approaching the Pier S exit...with a very awkward "710 NORTH Downtown" pullthrough on the gantry squeezed next to the 47 SOUTH San Pedro signage!  IIRC, the movement to get to 710 north requires using a diamond interchange with no flyovers at this time.

Based on the 1964-1982 route definitions, this theoretically would have been Route 47 intersecting itself; the 1982 restoration of 7 to Terminal Island helped prevent that sort of situation from being signed in the field.
Chris Sampang

NE2

Quote from: TheStranger on January 05, 2022, 02:00:13 AM
- 1965-1982: Route 7 was defined to end at Route 1 in Long Beach, so the portion of freeway from Long Beach to the 103/47/710 junction was part of 47.
That freeway was not 47 or any other state route.
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

TheStranger

Quote from: NE2 on January 06, 2022, 11:11:35 AM
Quote from: TheStranger on January 05, 2022, 02:00:13 AM
- 1965-1982: Route 7 was defined to end at Route 1 in Long Beach, so the portion of freeway from Long Beach to the 103/47/710 junction was part of 47.
That freeway was not 47 or any other state route.

From Cahighways:

QuoteIn 1963, Route 7 was defined as "from Route 11 [Present-Day Route 110] in San Pedro to Route 210 in Pasadena via Long Beach and including a bridge, with at least four lanes, from San Pedro at or near Boschke Slough to Terminal Island."  In 1965 the southern end was truncated by Chapter 1372, transferring the San Pedro portion and bridge to Route 47. 

The map image of the route from the I-710 page denotes that section of freeway from 47/710 to 710/1 as being part of 47 from 1964-1982:

https://www.cahighways.org/maps/710-seg1.jpg

Chris Sampang

NE2

Quote from: TheStranger on January 06, 2022, 11:48:41 AM
Quote from: NE2 on January 06, 2022, 11:11:35 AM
Quote from: TheStranger on January 05, 2022, 02:00:13 AM
- 1965-1982: Route 7 was defined to end at Route 1 in Long Beach, so the portion of freeway from Long Beach to the 103/47/710 junction was part of 47.
That freeway was not 47 or any other state route.

From Cahighways:

QuoteIn 1963, Route 7 was defined as "from Route 11 [Present-Day Route 110] in San Pedro to Route 210 in Pasadena via Long Beach and including a bridge, with at least four lanes, from San Pedro at or near Boschke Slough to Terminal Island."  In 1965 the southern end was truncated by Chapter 1372, transferring the San Pedro portion and bridge to Route 47. 

The map image of the route from the I-710 page denotes that section of freeway from 47/710 to 710/1 as being part of 47 from 1964-1982:

That's incorrect. Check the horse's mouth:
https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239521~5511847:-Verso--State-Highway-Map,-Californ
https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239496~5511831:-Verso--California-State-Highways,-
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

cahwyguy

Quote from: NE2 on January 08, 2022, 02:03:45 PM
From Cahighways:

QuoteIn 1963, Route 7 was defined as "from Route 11 [Present-Day Route 110] in San Pedro to Route 210 in Pasadena via Long Beach and including a bridge, with at least four lanes, from San Pedro at or near Boschke Slough to Terminal Island."  In 1965 the southern end was truncated by Chapter 1372, transferring the San Pedro portion and bridge to Route 47. 

The map image of the route from the I-710 page denotes that section of freeway from 47/710 to 710/1 as being part of 47 from 1964-1982:

That's incorrect. Check the horse's mouth:
https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239521~5511847:-Verso--State-Highway-Map,-Californ
https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239496~5511831:-Verso--California-State-Highways,-


Can you be a bit more precise than "That's incorrect", so I can fix my pages. The definitions I have came from the legislative definitions; the map is showing the changes from the legislative definitions. There's more detail on the Route 103 pages, which I believe may also be on the Route 710 page (but I can check). So please take a look at my Route 710 page and let me know what corrections are needed.
Daniel - California Highway Guy ● Highway Site: http://www.cahighways.org/ ●  Blog: http://blog.cahighways.org/ ● Podcast (CA Route by Route): http://caroutebyroute.org/ ● Follow California Highways on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cahighways

NE2

The definition for 47 never included the part of 7 south of 1.
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

cahwyguy

Quote from: NE2 on January 09, 2022, 03:00:02 AM
The definition for 47 never included the part of 7 south of 1.

Thanks for the specificity. I now see the problem (which is primarily in the map, which was a misinterpretation of what I had in the text). The 1963 definition of Route 7 did include the portion from Route 1 to Route 11. In 1965, the portion from Route 11 to Henry Ford was transferred from Route 7 to Route 47 by changing the start of Route 47 from Route 7 to Route 11. Route 7 was changed to start at Route 1, implicitly removing the portion of former Route 7 from Route 47 to Route 1 from the State Highway System. This was added back in 1982, as I noted "In 1982, Chapter 914 extended the definition [of Route 7] to include that portion of the freeway between Route 1 and the northern end of Harbor Scenic Drive, that portion of Harbor Scenic Drive to Ocean Boulevard, that portion of Ocean Boulevard west of its intersection with Harbor Scenic Drive to its junction with Seaside Boulevard, and that portion of Seaside Boulevard from the junction with Ocean Boulevard to Route 47". In 1984, Route 7 became Route 710.

I'll make sure the text is clear on this (that won't be updated until the next round of update, probably the end of February); however, I'll edit the map presently and get that updated. Depending on how Tom included the map here, it will be automatically corrected ... so for future generations ... the error was that the map for Route 710 said that the portion of Route 710 from Route 1 S to Route 47 was transferred to Route 47 in 1965 -- that statement was incorrect.

As always: I want my pages to be correct, so if you find errors, please let me know and I'll fix them. I make no claim they are perfect -- we're all human and make mistakes.

Thanks,

Daniel
Daniel - California Highway Guy ● Highway Site: http://www.cahighways.org/ ●  Blog: http://blog.cahighways.org/ ● Podcast (CA Route by Route): http://caroutebyroute.org/ ● Follow California Highways on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cahighways

Max Rockatansky

Daniel, as an aside I plan on doing 103 and 47 probably in February in blog form.  My grander ambition is to hopefully find some documentation for the TI Freeway as it was constructed before it became a state highway (which likely is in the CHPW).  I was planning on a blog for each given that I think it would add some clarity to the 47/103 field situation (most sites do them together I've noticed).

cahwyguy

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 09, 2022, 10:30:26 AM
Daniel, as an aside I plan on doing 103 and 47 probably in February in blog form.  My grander ambition is to hopefully find some documentation for the TI Freeway as it was constructed before it became a state highway (which likely is in the CHPW).  I was planning on a blog for each given that I think it would add some clarity to the 47/103 field situation (most sites do them together I've noticed).

As I've noted before, what is more interesting is the LRN situation and all the various conditions that have been in that area (such as the post 1965 "financial plan"). LRN 231 as defined in 1949 is a real interesting oddity, especially as I noted earlier:

Quote
In 1933, the route from "Long Beach via Atlantic Boulevard to [LRN 26] near Monterey Park" was added to the state highway system. In 1935, it was added to the highway code as LRN 167, with the same routing. Note the starting point of the route is not the Port of Los Angeles -- it is Pacific Coast Highway (US 101A, US 6) in the city of Long Beach. This is what would eventually become Route 710.

In 1949, Chapter 1261 defined LRN 231 as

    "[LRN 165] in San Pedro to [LRN 167] in Long Beach, via the mainland portion of Long Beach Outer Harbor and Terminal Island, subject to the following conditions:

    1. Except as provided in paragraph number 2, no expenditure shall be made from state highway funds for the acquisition of rights of way for or construction, improvement, or maintenance of said highway until the following conditions have been met:

        (a) The Federal Government shall have made available all funds necessary for the construction of said route, other than funds provided under paragraph 2.

        (b) The Federal Government and the Cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach shall have granted a sufficient and adequate right of way without cost to the State of California for that portion of said route traversing lands owned or controlled by each of them.

        (c) The authorized representatives of the Cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the appropriate agency of the Federal Government shall have approved the proposed alignment and the proposed location of all major structures on the route submitted by the State Department of Public Works.

    2. Any city or county may contribute to, and the California Highway Commission may allocate monies from the State Highway Fund for the improvement of portions of [LRN 231] on the mainland when such improvement is found necessary to complete and integrated system of freeways between San Pedro, Long Beach, and the Civic Center in the City of Los Angeles.

    3. If funds from sources other than state highway funds have not been made available for the construction on all portions of said [LRN 231] that are not on the mainland prior to January 15, 1953, said [LRN 231] shall on that date cease to be a state highway and this section shall have no further force or effect. "

This is a reference to the fact that the Terminal Island Freeway was not part of the state highway system before 1964. The segment from Seaside Blvd to Willow St. (3.1 mi) was designed by the State Division of Highways and constructed under State and US Navy contracts, and financed by the US Navy and Federal Aid Funds for $12 million. The State Division of Highways was reimbursed in full for its services. At one point, this was called the "Seaside Freeway".

In 1957, Chapter 1911 extended the origin of LRN 167 to [LRN 165] (Harbor Freeway): "[LRN 165] in San Pedro Long Beach to Huntington Drive via Long Beach" . This seemed to absorb the former LRN 231, and created the routing for future Route 7/I-710 to San Pedro instead of Long Beach. But as one can see from the map, the routing wasn't quite the current routing yet.

In 1958, Chapter 74 added the San Pedro-Terminal Island Bridge to LRN 167: "[LRN 165] in San Pedro to Huntington Drive via Long Beach, and including a bridge with at least four lanes from San Pedro at or near Boschke Slough to Terminal Island"
By 1960, the routing in the port had assumed the current approach running to Route 47 (portions of which were LRN 167 across the Vincent Thomas Bridge).

Setting aside the Seaside Freeway portion, this was LRN 270 between Seaside Blvd (Route 47/Route 103 junction) and the future I-10 (LRN 173). The LRN 167 portion (between Long Beach and San Pedro) was a 1957 extension of LRN 167; the LRN 270 portion was defined in 1959. There is a possibility the portion along Seaside was LRN 231 between 1949 and 1953, before the Federal Government actually constructed the route. No maps confirm this.

Route 47 was realigned in 1983 to create Route 103; the new alignment did not exist in the highway system before 1983.

Here's the LRN 231 mystery: LRN 231 does not show on any pre-1963 state highway maps, although Seaside is shown, and the freeway that would eventually become Route 103 is shown without an LRN. By the 1958 map, LRN 167 is shown as extended to LRN 165, but not along Seaside Blvd. However, in the 1959 map, LRN 167 is partially along Seaside, and by 1960, it is along Seaside. This may have been what became LRN 167 (and later Route 47 and Route 710), or it could have been Route 103.
Daniel - California Highway Guy ● Highway Site: http://www.cahighways.org/ ●  Blog: http://blog.cahighways.org/ ● Podcast (CA Route by Route): http://caroutebyroute.org/ ● Follow California Highways on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cahighways

NE2

More on Legislative Route 231:
Quote from: 1949 c. 1261If funds from sources other than state highway funds have not been made available for the construction of all portions of said Route 231 that are not on the mainland prior to January 15, 1953, said Route 231 shall on that date cease to be a state highway and this section shall have no further force or effect.

Why wasn't it on maps before 1953? I don't know. But it was deleted in 1953, with no route on the corridor until 1957's extension of LR 167 (which was initially on the mainland, not Terminal Island).
Quote from: 1956 Report to the California Toll Bridge Authority on a Proposed Toll Highway Crossing of Los Angeles Harbor from San Pedro to Terminal IslandThe Act also provided that if funds had not been made avail able for the portions of Route 231 on Terminal Island by January 15, 1953, then the route should cease to be a State Highway on that date. Such funds were not made available; hence, Route 231 ceased to be a State Highway on that date.

Quote from: March-April 1952 CH&PWThe Terminal Island Freeway, 3.1 miles in length, extending from Seaside Boulevard on Terminal Island to Willow Street, was constructed by the State Division of Highways at the request of the Navy as a federal access road for the Navy. This freeway, while on the Los Angeles Metropolitan Freeway System, is not on the State Highway System, and no state money was utilized either in its design, right-of-way acquisition, or construction. This freeway was financed by federal funds and Navy funds, the total expense being about $14,000,000.
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

Max Rockatansky

So the follow up question I have would be was the Navy and Bureau of Public Roads maintaining the Terminal Island Freeway initially or was it Long Beach?  I assume it was transferred to Long Beach at some point but I don't know my Naval installation history in the area too well yet.  Sounds like LRN 231 is solved though reading all the above.

cahwyguy

Quote from: NE2 on January 09, 2022, 01:19:47 PM
More on Legislative Route 231:
Quote from: 1949 c. 1261If funds from sources other than state highway funds have not been made available for the construction of all portions of said Route 231 that are not on the mainland prior to January 15, 1953, said Route 231 shall on that date cease to be a state highway and this section shall have no further force or effect.

Why wasn't it on maps before 1953? I don't know. But it was deleted in 1953, with no route on the corridor until 1957's extension of LR 167 (which was initially on the mainland, not Terminal Island).
Quote from: 1956 Report to the California Toll Bridge Authority on a Proposed Toll Highway Crossing of Los Angeles Harbor from San Pedro to Terminal IslandThe Act also provided that if funds had not been made avail able for the portions of Route 231 on Terminal Island by January 15, 1953, then the route should cease to be a State Highway on that date. Such funds were not made available; hence, Route 231 ceased to be a State Highway on that date.

Quote from: March-April 1952 CH&PWThe Terminal Island Freeway, 3.1 miles in length, extending from Seaside Boulevard on Terminal Island to Willow Street, was constructed by the State Division of Highways at the request of the Navy as a federal access road for the Navy. This freeway, while on the Los Angeles Metropolitan Freeway System, is not on the State Highway System, and no state money was utilized either in its design, right-of-way acquisition, or construction. This freeway was financed by federal funds and Navy funds, the total expense being about $14,000,000.

However, the Terminal Island Freeway does not fit the definition of LRN 231. LRN 231 was defined as "  "[LRN 165] in San Pedro to [LRN 167] in Long Beach, via the mainland portion of Long Beach Outer Harbor and Terminal Island". LRN 165 was Route 11 (now I-110). LRN 167 was Route 7 (now I-710). So this route, if anything was Seaside Blvd, future Route 47. But the TI Freeway ran, as you noted from Seaside Blvd to Willow Street -- which is Route 103, and does not fit the definition of LRN 231. It looks like the LRN 231 portion was subsumed into the extension of LRN 167 in 1957 that changed the start of LRN 167 from Long Beach to LRN 165 in San Pedro.

So where was LRN 231? It doesn't fit the routing of Route 103.

And (although I think we know the answer to this) was there any LRN for what became Route 103? There may not have been until Route 103 was defined in 1984 (it was part of Route 47 before then, although the TI Freeway portion of the route does not fit LRN 270, which was the Industrial Freeway)

Daniel - California Highway Guy ● Highway Site: http://www.cahighways.org/ ●  Blog: http://blog.cahighways.org/ ● Podcast (CA Route by Route): http://caroutebyroute.org/ ● Follow California Highways on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cahighways



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.