US Route 99E Red Bluff-Sacramento Corridor

[Max Rockatansky]

In case anyone has wondering why I've been so quiet this week it is because I dumped about 25 hours into this blog...

US Route 99 from Red Bluff south to Sacramento was originally a singular highway which traversed Sacramento Valley by way of Woodland.  By 1928 US Route 99 had been split into an east/west dual alignment in Sacramento Valley.  US Route 99 West followed the original mainline highway through Woodland whereas US Route 99 East followed eastern Sacramento Valley towards Marysville.  Much of the alignment of US Route 99 East was streamlined following the decommissioning of US Route 99 in California becoming modern California State Route 99.  The blog cover images features what was US Route 99 East on E Street in Marysville as seen in the November/December 1966 California Highways & Public Works.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2021/12/us-route-99-east-and-new-us-route-99.html

[nexus73]

Do you think we will see 99 and 70 become all freeway or at least 4-lane expressway?

Rick

[Max Rockatansky]

Do you think we will see 99 and 70 become all freeway or at least 4-lane expressway?

Rick

Likely not but 99 certainly would benefit from it on the remaining two lane parts.  With 70 I would be happy with a four lane expressway between Marysville and Oroville. 

[jdbx]

In my experience, 70 is already a much smoother drive than 99.  It's already a 4 lane expressway between its southern terminus and Marysville, and it seems to have a lot less cross-traffic on the 2-lane stretches north of there.   I wish that the bypass of Marysville actually happened, we often use CA-70 to CA-20 as a faster way to get to the Nevada City / Grass Valley area from the Bay Area as it's noticeably faster and less frustrating than I-80 and CA-49.

FWIW, getting through Marysville on 70 is still much easier than the 99 slog through Yuba City.

[Max Rockatansky]

In my experience, 70 is already a much smoother drive than 99.  It's already a 4 lane expressway between its southern terminus and Marysville, and it seems to have a lot less cross-traffic on the 2-lane stretches north of there.   I wish that the bypass of Marysville actually happened, we often use CA-70 to CA-20 as a faster way to get to the Nevada City / Grass Valley area from the Bay Area as it's noticeably faster and less frustrating than I-80 and CA-49.

FWIW, getting through Marysville on 70 is still much easier than the 99 slog through Yuba City.

I've always found 70 to be preferable than 99 even if you wanted to get to Chico fast and with less of a hassle.  149 has a pretty smooth transition north of Oroville connecting 70 as a four lane expressway back to 99. 

[abqtraveler]

In my experience, 70 is already a much smoother drive than 99.  It's already a 4 lane expressway between its southern terminus and Marysville, and it seems to have a lot less cross-traffic on the 2-lane stretches north of there.   I wish that the bypass of Marysville actually happened, we often use CA-70 to CA-20 as a faster way to get to the Nevada City / Grass Valley area from the Bay Area as it's noticeably faster and less frustrating than I-80 and CA-49.

FWIW, getting through Marysville on 70 is still much easier than the 99 slog through Yuba City.

I've always found 70 to be preferable than 99 even if you wanted to get to Chico fast and with less of a hassle.  149 has a pretty smooth transition north of Oroville connecting 70 as a four lane expressway back to 99.

I was stationed at Beale AFB about 10 years ago and witnessed the incremental upgrade of Highway 70 between its southern terminus at Highway 99 and Marysville. Several signalized at-grade intersections were converted to interchanges, although some lightly-used intersections still remain.  From my last visit to Beale AFB in 2018, I recall it now being a nonstop trip from Sacramento to Marysville via Highway 70 and Highway 99, with the last remaining traffic lights at Riego Road and Elverta Road along Highway 99, and on Highway 70 at Feather River Boulevard being converted to interchanges. You still have to deal with the abrupt end of the Highway 70 freeway immediately after it crosses the Yuba River and becomes E Street in downtown Marysville. On some days it will take you longer to get through Marysville than it would to get to Marysville from Sacramento.