CA 33

[sparker]

Drove old CA 33 on Coalinga-Mendota Road.  Suffice to say it is much more scenic than the I-5/CA 33 multiplex:

0 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

That is one outstanding photograph -- the old road juxtaposed with the clouds.  Wouldn't know in a thousand years that a busy freeway was not too far out of frame!  Would make a great screensaver!

[Max Rockatansky]

Drove old CA 33 on Coalinga-Mendota Road.  Suffice to say it is much more scenic than the I-5/CA 33 multiplex:

That is one outstanding photograph -- the old road juxtaposed with the clouds.  Wouldn't know in a thousand years that a busy freeway was not too far out of frame!  Would make a great screensaver!

Had the right mix of cloud cover nearing sundown when I took that pic.  I thought about changing my background screen but I like my Donner Pass photo too much.

Incidentally Coalinga-Mendota Road had a great view of I-5 in front of a stormy Diablo Range:

IMG_8948 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr


Mod note: Fixed quoting. –Roadfro

[Max Rockatansky]

^^^

Sorry about the photo link, Flickr doesn't give me the correct URL for message boards from the phone from some reason...

I posted an update to the CA 33 blog on Surewhynotnow incorporating the old alignment on Coalinga-Mendota Road. 

https://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2018/07/california-state-route-33-us-101-north.html

[ClassicHasClass]

Nice views of the northern half. I've got some of the southern half in my US 399 exhibit.

http://www.floodgap.com/roadgap/399/

[Max Rockatansky]

Nice views of the northern half. I've got some of the southern half in my US 399 exhibit.

http://www.floodgap.com/roadgap/399/

Nice...  Yeah, the CA 33 blog probably has been the most reworked out of all mine since I initially published it.  So far I've taken almost entirely new photos between CA 166 and I-5 to what I had posted originally.  I changed how I did road albums mid-year 2016 to emphasize traffic control which was something I barely touched on in the older stuff.

[Max Rockatansky]

I did some updating on the CA 33 blog this morning.  Some of the new additions were a link to a photo of CA 33 north on 5th Street in Coalinga that was posted California Historic Highways on Facebook and old alignment tour I did in Firebaugh.  Originally CA 33 would have used; Washoe Avenue, 12th Street, O Street, 8th Street and N Street headed north through downtown Firebaugh:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2018/07/california-state-route-33-us-101-north.html

[Max Rockatansky]

Recently visited CA 33/Old US 399 on the Maricopa Highway between CA 150 and CA 166 again. That being the case I took about 200 updates photos which I'll soon add to the Gribblenation blog. Of interest I stopped at the 360 degree vista which was even nicer this time since Santa Rosa Island could be seen, the Matilija Tunnels and Pine Mountain Summit.  The Maricopa Highway is one of the best drives in the entire state, it's well worth the Side tour over I-5 if you have time on your hands:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/8bLK4B

[nexus73]

Recently visited CA 33/Old US 399 on the Maricopa Highway between CA 150 and CA 166 again. That being the case I took about 200 updates photos which I’ll soon add to the Gribblenation blog. Of interest I stopped at the 360 degree vista which was even nicer this time since Santa Rosa Island could be seen, the Matilija Tunnels and Pine Mountain Summit.  The Maricopa Highway is one of the best drives in the entire state, it’s well worth the Side tour over I-5 if you have time on your hands:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/8bLK4B

Your long perspective photos of 33 show how excellent a route was surveyed.  No major grades and the curviness was not that extreme, which considering the terrain, counts as a major accomplishment.

Looking at the map shows a windy road.  Your photo essay shows a beautiful road!  Thank you again for posting up such a fine series of pictures.

Rick

[Max Rockatansky]

Recently visited CA 33/Old US 399 on the Maricopa Highway between CA 150 and CA 166 again. That being the case I took about 200 updates photos which I'll soon add to the Gribblenation blog. Of interest I stopped at the 360 degree vista which was even nicer this time since Santa Rosa Island could be seen, the Matilija Tunnels and Pine Mountain Summit.  The Maricopa Highway is one of the best drives in the entire state, it's well worth the Side tour over I-5 if you have time on your hands:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/8bLK4B

Your long perspective photos of 33 show how excellent a route was surveyed.  No major grades and the curviness was not that extreme, which considering the terrain, counts as a major accomplishment.

Looking at the map shows a windy road.  Your photo essay shows a beautiful road!  Thank you again for posting up such a fine series of pictures.

Rick

The Maricopa Highway is a fantastic design considering much of it was completed by the early 1930s.  Considering the Ridge Route was improved throughout the 1930s I would imagine the Maricopa Highway was a very attractive alternate to get over the Coast Ranges until Ridge Route Alternate was completed.  It really shouldn't be any surprise considering the context of the time that the Maricopa Highway was eventually selected as the corridor of US 399.  Even today the grade level radius of the curves of the Maricopa Highway are well with in the capabilities of pretty much any vehicle to handle easily enough.  I'd speculate the tunnels and not the grade are the main reason for the Maricopa Highway not being signed as a truck route north of CA 150. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Selected assortment of photos from the Maricopa Highway/Old US 399 section of CA 33:

South Matilija Tunnel

IMG_7314 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_7315 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Middle and North Matilija Tunnels

IMG_7321 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_7322 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_7322 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

The signature vista above the Matilija Tunnels

0 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

The Cuyama River near Pine Mountain Summit:

IMG_7435 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[Max Rockatansky]

Recently I had a chance to drive the former route of US 399 on the Maricopa Highway again from CA 150 north to CA 166.  That being the case I added a significantly larger number of photos of the Maricopa Highway to the CA 33 blog.  I also took the chance to make updates to the existing blog that improve the readability.  Of note; I included Post Mile locations for major landmarks and junctions in addition to placing snipped images of important documents such as maps showing alignments.  I'll be making similar updates to older blogs as I have reason to update them to the newer format but for now the CA 33 blog should paint a clearer picture on the history of the highway:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2018/07/california-state-route-33-us-101-north.html

[Max Rockatansky]

CA 33 popped as an article topic in the Los Angeles Times:

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-03-01/hope-anxiety-california-primary

[TheStranger]

Was looking at a 1948 Rumsey link to a historic California state map and noticed another historic routing for 33 that had been previously lost to time:

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239573~5511882?qvq=q%3Acaltrans%3Bsort%3APub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No%3Blc%3ARUMSEY%7E8%7E1&mi=59&trs=86

South of Reef Station (the 41/33 junction), 33's historic alignment diverted from the current one to serve the settlement of Devil's Den.  The roads 33 used back then are now Barker Road and Twisselman Road.

The current alignment of 33 between Barker and Twisselman roads was first shown on the 1961 state highway map:
https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239534~5511856?qvq=q%3Acaltrans%3Bsort%3APub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No%3Blc%3ARUMSEY%7E8%7E1&mi=33&trs=86

[Max Rockatansky]

That would certainly explain why both those roads are so haggard and beat up then.  I went down there once because it looked interesting since it dipped west towards the mountains.

[sparker]

Was looking at a 1948 Rumsey link to a historic California state map and noticed another historic routing for 33 that had been previously lost to time:

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239573~5511882?qvq=q%3Acaltrans%3Bsort%3APub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No%3Blc%3ARUMSEY%7E8%7E1&mi=59&trs=86

South of Reef Station (the 41/33 junction), 33's historic alignment diverted from the current one to serve the settlement of Devil's Den.  The roads 33 used back then are now Barker Road and Twisselman Road.

The current alignment of 33 between Barker and Twisselman roads was first shown on the 1961 state highway map:
https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239534~5511856?qvq=q%3Acaltrans%3Bsort%3APub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No%3Blc%3ARUMSEY%7E8%7E1&mi=33&trs=86

Not only that; the map shows that CA 33 near Coalinga originally used roads closer to the Coast Range fall line than the longstanding right-angle route east of town via Jayne Ave. -- and definitely shown as much "twistier" than the later alignment (probably reasons #1-10 for the realignment!). 

[TheStranger]

Was looking at a 1948 Rumsey link to a historic California state map and noticed another historic routing for 33 that had been previously lost to time:

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239573~5511882?qvq=q%3Acaltrans%3Bsort%3APub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No%3Blc%3ARUMSEY%7E8%7E1&mi=59&trs=86

South of Reef Station (the 41/33 junction), 33's historic alignment diverted from the current one to serve the settlement of Devil's Den.  The roads 33 used back then are now Barker Road and Twisselman Road.

The current alignment of 33 between Barker and Twisselman roads was first shown on the 1961 state highway map:
https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239534~5511856?qvq=q%3Acaltrans%3Bsort%3APub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No%3Blc%3ARUMSEY%7E8%7E1&mi=33&trs=86

Not only that; the map shows that CA 33 near Coalinga originally used roads closer to the Coast Range fall line than the longstanding right-angle route east of town via Jayne Ave. -- and definitely shown as much "twistier" than the later alignment (probably reasons #1-10 for the realignment!).

from Cahighways, the exact roads for the old Coalinga route are mentioned:

Merced Avenue
West Lost Hills Road
and then finally South Lost Hills Road (to modern 33)

The 1967 topographic map on HistoricAerials still shows Merced/West Lost Hills as 33, but the 1972 map has the modern Jayne Avenue alignment.

Google shows all of Polk Street west of Merced as 33 but Cahighways did mention that 33 actually cuts upward on 5th Avenue  in Coalinga, which is also seen on the modern California map at HistoricAerials.

However, the 1944 topographic map on HistoricAerials seems to show all of Polk as 33 back then.  (Later topographic maps do not clarify the Coalinga in-town routing)

---

Unsure if Oil City Road/Shell Road, parallel to 33 between the northern 198 junction and Coalinga, ever was 33.  The 1944 topographic map already shows it as bypassed, as does the 1938 California state map on Rumsey; the 1937 map does not show enough detail in that area to tell definitively.

[Max Rockatansky]

Regarding Coalinga the connector to CA 198/LRN 10 was always 5th.  5th was way more prominent pre-earthquake prior to 1983 Earthquake which destroyed much of downtown.  5th can be see as the alignment of CA 33 on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Fresno County:

http://www.davidrumsey.com/ll/thumbnailView.html?startUrl=%2F%2Fwww.davidrumsey.com%2Fluna%2Fservlet%2Fas%2Fsearch%3Fos%3D0%26bs%3D10%26lc%3DRUMSEY~8~1%26q%3DCalifornia%2520division%2520of%2520highways%2520fresno%26sort%3DPub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0&r=0&xywh=2685%2C7459%2C950%2C1557

[RZF]

Why has the Ojai Fwy portion of CA-33 never had any exit numbers, not even in a CalTrans log?

[Max Rockatansky]

Why has the Ojai Fwy portion of CA-33 never had any exit numbers, not even in a CalTrans log?

It is a late 1950s freeway which predates California doing exit numbers for freeways. 

[sparker]

Why has the Ojai Fwy portion of CA-33 never had any exit numbers, not even in a CalTrans log?

It is a late 1950s freeway which predates California doing exit numbers for freeways. 

Actually, outflung/isolated freeway sections built before the late '90's numbering push have received numbers; these include the CA 99 freeway through Chico and US 101 north of Crescent City.  It's likely a decision by D7 not to apply numbers to a short freeway section with very few exits that's the reason here.  If it actually extended all the way up to the Ojai area -- a regional traffic destination/originator -- it may have gotten the number treatment.  But as it is, it's the only independent limited-access section along the alignment of the lengthy CA 33 -- and that may also have figured into the decision.  But knowing Caltrans, they may yet get a bug up their ass and apply exit numbers to the segment (but then again, fabricating signage and deploying such might not be in D7's yearly budget allotment).

[TheStranger]

Photos I took this past week of historic 33 south of the current alignment in Coalinga, using Merced Avenue and West Lost Hills Road:

[TheStranger]

And photos of the short former Route 33 segment north of Route 46 (Blackwell's Corner) and south of Route 41, along Barker and Twisselman Roads:

[Max Rockatansky]

^^^

That ragged asphalt is what I'm remembering when I drove down that road.  I could have sworn it was near J1 levels of disrepair.

[sparker]

And, considering present county budget shortfalls, will probably remain ragged for some time.  And if traffic diminishes due to COVID-related travel proscriptions, even relatively flush counties like up here in Santa Clara will likely postpone needed repairs to county-maintained rural arterials (Santa Teresa Blvd., I'm looking at you!).  But nice pictures of the former CA 33 alignment, regardless of road condition!

[TheStranger]

But nice pictures of the former CA 33 alignment, regardless of road condition!

Thanks!  First time I've ever been through that area and when I discovered those historic alignments on old maps, decided it would be a good time to capture them in photos.  They're not easy to see in Google Maps unless you are looking for those specific roads!