US 101 and the Last Chance Grade

[Max Rockatansky]

This previous year I revisited the Last Chance Grade of US Route 101 south of Crescent City while visiting the numerous Redwood parks of Northern California.  The Last Chance Grade as presently configured was dedicated as part of US Route 101 and the Redwood Highway during August of 1935.  The original corridor of US Route 101 was part of the Redwood Highway completed in 1920 which now now exists as Enderts Beach Road and the California Coastal Trail in Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park.  The 1920 Redwood Highway was proceeded by the even earlier Crescent City-Requa Road which was opened as a tolled stage route completed by Del Norte County in 1895.  Presently the Last Chance Grade seems to be on it's final legs and will likely be realigned due to numerous damaging slides occurring on US Route 101 this previous decades.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2021/02/us-route-101-and-last-chance-grade.html

[sparker]

This previous year I revisited the Last Chance Grade of US Route 101 south of Crescent City while visiting the numerous Redwood parks of Northern California.  The Last Chance Grade as presently configured was dedicated as part of US Route 101 and the Redwood Highway during August of 1935.  The original corridor of US Route 101 was part of the Redwood Highway completed in 1920 which now now exists as Enderts Beach Road and the California Coastal Trail in Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park.  The 1920 Redwood Highway was proceeded by the even earlier Crescent City-Requa Road which was opened as a tolled stage route completed by Del Norte County in 1895.  Presently the Last Chance Grade seems to be on it's final legs and will likely be realigned due to numerous damaging slides occurring on US Route 101 this previous decades.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2021/02/us-route-101-and-last-chance-grade.html

Hopefully Caltrans will use the realignment need as a basis for a full capacity/function improvement of US 101 along the lines of the Orick-Klamath cutoff rather than a simple replacement 2-lane facility -- or at minimum an initial 2-laner on a 4-lane ROW (with interim passing lanes). 

[nexus73]

Caltrans engineers came up with an inland routing back in the Eighties.  It could have been built as a 2 lane or 4 lane facility.  Too bad so much money has been spent on trying to save the unsavable.  Only one lane is currently open on Last Chance Grade. 

Rick