CA 263/Former US 99 in the Shasta River Canyon

[Max Rockatansky]

Current CA 263 consists of a segment which was the 1931 alignment of US 99/Legislative Route 3 in the Shasta River Canyon.  The 1931 alignment of US 99 in the Shasta River Canyon was a direct replaced for the Pacific Highway alignment on Old Shasta River Road and was constructed from 1928-1931.  In 1965 the Shasta River Canyon alignment of US 99 was spun off into CA 96 which was swapped for the second iteration of CA 263 in 1968.  Current CA 263 was truncated from I-5 in Yreka to CA 3 circa 1976.  Presently the 1931 on CA 263 is being replaced with a new structure which is slated to open in November 2021.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2020/10/california-state-route-263-former-us.html

[kkt]

Lovely road, I look forward to being able to travel again!

The State of Jefferson Scenic Byway sign looks very official.  Who pays for them?  The County?  Caltrans?  I don't think the State of Jefferson ever got as far as having a checking account...

[Max Rockatansky]

Lovely road, I look forward to being able to travel again!

The State of Jefferson Scenic Byway sign looks very official.  Who pays for them?  The County?  Caltrans?  I don't think the State of Jefferson ever got as far as having a checking account...

It looked like a National Forest Service sourced sign.  Considering much of the byway is on Forest Service lands it would make sense for it to come from them. 

[kkt]

Oh, that's where the road goes if you stop at the Collier Rest Area (possibly my favorite rest area of all time!) and go the other direction instead of back on I-5!  Cool.

CA 263 imagery in Google Street View is from June 2012 and shows CA 263 is signed as a construction detour for I-5.

[Max Rockatansky]

Oh, that's where the road goes if you stop at the Collier Rest Area (possibly my favorite rest area of all time!) and go the other direction instead of back on I-5!  Cool.

CA 263 imagery in Google Street View is from June 2012 and shows CA 263 is signed as a construction detour for I-5.

In some of the photos of current 263 nearing the 1931 Shasta River Bridge you can see truckers on I-5 way overhead.  The bypass of the Shasta River Canyon is also a pretty worthy engineering feat. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Made an update to the blog in the original post.  I found a CSAA map and some California Highway Bulletins which show that the earliest implied route of LRN 3 was actually on Anderson Grade Road.  It appears Old Shasta River Road was largely constructed by 1916 or at least graded.