Proposed US Route 64 to Morro Bay

[Max Rockatansky]

During June 1933 the California Division of Highways proposed an extension of US Route 64 from Raton, New Mexico west to Morro Bay, California.  The proposed routing of US Route 64 required a lengthy multiplex of US Route 66 and generally was not met favorably with the American Association of State Highway Officials.  A compromise was eventually reached during October 1933 which led to the creation of US Route 466.  This blog will examine the brief history of the proposed extension of US Route 64 to Morro Bay, California and how it evolved to become US Route 466. 

https://www.gribblenation.org/2023/08/paper-highways-us-route-64-to-morro-bay.html

[cl94]

That corridor being a US Route seems insane in this day and age. East of Bakersfield, sure, but all the way west to Morro Bay? Never mind that part of it was dirt.

[Max Rockatansky]

Rocky Canyon sure makes for an interesting hike though.  It might be passable now on a mountain bike based off I last saw it.

[RZF]

I wonder if this could've led to increased development in SLO County in the mid-21st century. The valleys along the CA-58/US-101/CA-1 corridors could have easily handled a westward move from NM, AZ, and the San Joaquin Valley.

[Max Rockatansky]

I wonder if this could've led to increased development in SLO County in the mid-21st century. The valleys along the CA-58/US-101/CA-1 corridors could have easily handled a westward move from NM, AZ, and the San Joaquin Valley.

I doubt it.  US 466 saw plenty of development during its lifespan west of Barstow.  Much of modern 58 east of Bakersfield to Tehachapi Pass was under development during the early 1960s.  The new highway between Paso Robles and Shandon opened in 1959.  What ended up hurting post-1964 CA 58 was it being added as a chargeable corridor between Bakersfield-Barstow in 1968. 

[The Ghostbuster]

Personally, I would renumber existing US 160 west of Teec Nos Pos and all of AZ 64 as an extension of US 64. Even then, it would be quite a chore to get US 64 to Morro Bay. Maybe the Barstow, CA-to-Kingman, AZ should have been decommissioned and the Morro Bay-to-Barstow segment should have been left as US 466. Still, I would not have routed 64 up US 93 and down US 91 to get it to Barstow.

[Max Rockatansky]

Personally, I would renumber existing US 160 west of Teec Nos Pos and all of AZ 64 as an extension of US 64. Even then, it would be quite a chore to get US 64 to Morro Bay. Maybe the Barstow, CA-to-Kingman, AZ should have been decommissioned and the Morro Bay-to-Barstow segment should have been left as US 466. Still, I would not have routed 64 up US 93 and down US 91 to get it to Barstow.

The difference in the distance between Kingman-Barstow is surprisingly negligible by way of Las Vegas.  That ended up being part of the proposed US 66A corridor a couple decades later.