Quite impressed with CA-18

[Quillz]

This weekend, I took a snowboarding trip at the Big Bear resorts. First time I had been in the area in close to a decade, since I usually go to Mammoth. Anyway, on the way up, took CA-210 to CA-330, which was the way I had always gone to Big Bear.

But on the way back, decided to try the CA-18 alternative which spends a little more time through the mountains. What a beautiful route, the views are spectacular! But I was most impressed by the quality of the road. Four-lane expressway literally hanging off the side of a cliff, including a freeway-like interchange with CA-138 with flyover ramps that actually go over the cliff. You can easily go 50-60 mph on nearly the entire route, whereas on CA-330, I felt unsafe doing anything more than 25 mph.

I also noticed a lot of signal lights in places where I wouldn't have expected to see any. Sure enough, checked Google Earth and saw most of these installations are quite recent, within the past four years or so.

Can't remember the last time I was on a mountain road that was built so well. Definitely the best way into the mountains, but I'm wondering when most of this construction took place? Construction seems very recent, simply given the relatively advanced junction design.

[NE2]

1965 per the bridge log. The original Rim of the World Drive opened in 1915.

[Quillz]

Feels a lot more recent than that. Wish I had gotten pictures, I happened to be driving on the route right around sunset and it was very beautiful. I believe I was able to see out to the Channel Islands, but not entirely sure.

[DTComposer]

Looking at Historical Aerials, the 1959 photo shows all two-lane between CA-210 and CA-138; the 1968 photo show four lanes except the segment around Waterman Canyon Road, and the 1980 photo shows four lanes all the way. As mentioned, this is consistent with the Caltrans Bridge log which shows all the structures as built between 1965 and 1970.

Although the CA-138 flyover was re-built in 1965, the original interchange design goes back to at least 1938, which I would imagine was an even more impressive engineering task then.

[AsphaltPlanet]

CA-18 is a fantastic drive.  I've only been up it once, and it was unfortunately fairly hazy in the valley, but it is a great road.  It's almost too bad they had to install traffic signals to interupt the flow.

[KEK Inc.]

Looking at Google Street View, the street light masts are definitely pre-1970s.

[sdmichael]

I need to get back up there on 18 and take some more photos. I'm sadly lacking in a decent Hwy 18 page on my site. I at least now have some good photos of some older bridges on Hwy 330 (City Creek Road). 18 was reconstructed to a four lane highway in 1965 from the base up to the SR-138 junction. In the process a long section of highway was also bypassed (Waterman Canyon Road). The East 138/18 junction was grade separated in the 1930's and was reconstructed to the current interchange in 1965. The two highways also have an interesting routing. 138 ends at 18 near Crestline - 18 ends at 138 near Llano (Antelope Junction).

[Quillz]

I need to get back up there on 18 and take some more photos. I'm sadly lacking in a decent Hwy 18 page on my site. I at least now have some good photos of some older bridges on Hwy 330 (City Creek Road). 18 was reconstructed to a four lane highway in 1965 from the base up to the SR-138 junction. In the process a long section of highway was also bypassed (Waterman Canyon Road). The East 138/18 junction was grade separated in the 1930's and was reconstructed to the current interchange in 1965. The two highways also have an interesting routing. 138 ends at 18 near Crestline - 18 ends at 138 near Llano (Antelope Junction).

Yeah, I always though that was odd. Must have been even more confusing when CA-30 once extended northeast into the mountains, ending at CA-18, which would have historically terminated at CA-30 in San Bernardino.

[Road Hog]

Big Bear has been in the news twice in the last few months, and both times I wonder why CA-18 wasn't a bigger player. The bus wreck happened on CA-38, which is a horrific road by comparison. Why the bus driver chose that route is a puzzlement. And I believe Dorner was found off 38.