US 99 Business on Van Ness Ave in Fresno?

[Max Rockatansky]

A couple years ago Sparker mentioned there was a US Route 99 Business Route signed along Van Ness Avenue in Fresno.  I've never been able to find substantial evidence of this being a thing until today in the AASHTO database. 

The original US 99 Business Route was approved by AASHO on June 27, 1957.  The corridor is very clearly depicted as running along Broadway in through downtown along the original US 99 surface alignment. 

A couple years later there was an additional application to create numerous US 99 Business Routes in southern Fresno County which was approved on June 19, 1963.  The map displays the Business Route in downtown Fresno split onto a couplet following Broadway (presumably southbound) and Van Ness (presumably northbound).  The application extended the existing Business Route in Fresno south of downtown to Chestnut Avenue in Magala. 

The open question is "when was the US Route 99 Business Route in downtown Fresno split onto a couplet?"  This all appears to have been short lived and likely was a routing modification made without another AASHO application. 

[Mapmikey]

I can find only one map of Fresno that shows it that is not a topo.

1960 - http://www.lostfresno.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=735

There is a 3/6/60 article in the Fresno Bee that mentions the Broadway/Van Ness couplet and a 3/9/60 article appears to approve it.  I don't have any archival newspaper subscriptions to see the articles, which do not appear to mention US 99 - https://fresnobee.newspapers.com/search/results/?city=Fresno&cj_link_id=11570746&cj_pub_cid=5359247&cj_pub_name=The+McClatchy+Company+LLC&cj_pub_site_id=100009301&cjevent=3635ef59e81611ef81ab004e0a82b82c&county=Fresno&date-end=1960&date-start=1958&keyword=broadway+van+couplet&region=us-ca&xid=3009

[Max Rockatansky]

Sweet, I guess everything is pretty much is like Sparker said.  I suppose I'll have something to work on while I was on vacation. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Felt motivated to solidify documentation of the Business Route:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/02/the-former-us-route-99-business-loop-in.html

[mrsman]

I can find only one map of Fresno that shows it that is not a topo.

1960 - http://www.lostfresno.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=735

There is a 3/6/60 article in the Fresno Bee that mentions the Broadway/Van Ness couplet and a 3/9/60 article appears to approve it.  I don't have any archival newspaper subscriptions to see the articles, which do not appear to mention US 99 - https://fresnobee.newspapers.com/search/results/?city=Fresno&cj_link_id=11570746&cj_pub_cid=5359247&cj_pub_name=The+McClatchy+Company+LLC&cj_pub_site_id=100009301&cjevent=3635ef59e81611ef81ab004e0a82b82c&county=Fresno&date-end=1960&date-start=1958&keyword=broadway+van+couplet&region=us-ca&xid=3009

What a find!  And to think that you located it off of a local nostalgia site that doesn't generally have many maps posted.  Top notch sleuthing!

[Max Rockatansky]

Not only that, I'm finding that Sparker had close to 100% accuracy when he mentioned vintage items like this.  I probably need to do a better job at documenting Business Routes in the AASHTO database.  It makes me wonder if there are any other oddities like what happened with Van Ness?

[jdbx]

Not only that, I'm finding that Sparker had close to 100% accuracy when he mentioned vintage items like this.  I probably need to do a better job at documenting Business Routes in the AASHTO database.  It makes me wonder if there are any other oddities like what happened with Van Ness?

I miss his knowledge and insight within the discussions here. This was a very interesting find.