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"The Last Freeway": article about Judge Harry Pregerson and I-105 history

Started by kurumi, January 27, 2017, 01:21:44 AM

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kurumi

https://longreads.com/2015/03/23/the-last-freeway/

Quote
Officially, the freeway was named after Glenn Anderson, the Democratic congressman from San Pedro who fought for the project. But the true architect of the 105 was a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judge named Harry Pregerson. He had just turned seventy when the freeway opened, and by then had spent more than two decades supervising the project, sorting through a tangle of competing interests and playing midwife to L.A.'s last freeway.
...
Had the state of California managed to build the 105 Freeway in the 1960s, it would have encountered little resistance. Unlike, say, Greenwich Village or downtown San Francisco, the residents of Watts and Lynwood had little political clout. They were mostly poor and mostly African American. This, of course, was partly by design–these were the "blighted areas"  that AAA wanted to pave over. But Caltrans was slow to act, and by 1971, conditions on the ground, as they say, had changed.

By then, President Nixon had signed two bills into law that would have dire consequences for public-works projects: the latest Federal-Aid Highway Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. The first required the state to provide adequate replacement housing before it bought homes from people to make way for highways. The second required in-depth environmental studies, subject to review, for any public-works project. Government projects would never be the same.
...
Pregerson was and is a practical man, and by all accounts he was driven less by ideology than by the desire to find solutions. He took two months to reach his decision. On July 7, 1972, he issued a preliminary injunction to stop all construction and involuntary selling of property along the Century Freeway corridor, pending environmental-impact reports. It was a bombshell. For the first time, the building of a major freeway had been halted by court order.
...

Interesting read on a freeway that turned 23 last year.
My first SF/horror short story collection is available: "Young Man, Open Your Winter Eye"


Henry

Even now, I still marvel at the high soaring ramps at the I-105/I-110 interchange. It would've been better if it actually connected to its parent; how close is it, 2-3 miles?
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

sparker

Quote from: Henry on January 27, 2017, 09:58:58 AM
Even now, I still marvel at the high soaring ramps at the I-105/I-110 interchange. It would've been better if it actually connected to its parent; how close is it, 2-3 miles?

Two things mitigated against an eastern I-105 extension to I-5:  a localized anti-freeway revolt (this was the late '60's and early '70's!) by Norwalk residents who threatened to resist eminent domain tooth & nail; that, and the Pregerson decision, had the effect of making the Division of Highways rethink the original plans, eventually dropping the section east of I-605.  Also, the fact that the capacity of the 6-lane I-5 segment in that area (built in the mid-50's) to accommodate any additional traffic from I-105 was sorely lacking -- and the prospect of rebuilding that route at the same time as deploying I-105 wasn't deemed financially feasible (work didn't start on the I-5 upgrade in SE L.A. County until a few years ago).  Considering the immense cost overruns with I-105, that was likely a prudent decision.

coatimundi

Is there any knowledge of when AASHTO approved the 105 designation? It would be interesting if it were after the segment east of 605 were dropped, since that would another thing about this freeway that would likely never happen now. But I know it's typical now for them to approve designations well into the construction process, or even after the road has partially been built (like with 840 in Nashville).

sparker

Quote from: coatimundi on January 27, 2017, 04:23:11 PM
Is there any knowledge of when AASHTO approved the 105 designation? It would be interesting if it were after the segment east of 605 were dropped, since that would another thing about this freeway that would likely never happen now. But I know it's typical now for them to approve designations well into the construction process, or even after the road has partially been built (like with 840 in Nashville).

I-105 was actually authorized in the 1968 Interstate additions legislation; AASHTO wasn't involved as a vetting organization for that batch of routes, as they were legislatively mandated.  Only the selection of the route number would have been within their parvenu.  In this instance, the "105" number was effectively transferred from its original location, US 101 between the I-5/I-10 E.L.A. interchange and the San Bernardino Freeway, which was originally I-110; both short routings were decommissioned at that time.   

Max Rockatansky

Been awhile since we talked about I-105.  I wrote up something for it given I basically did already with CA 42/CA 10:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2022/02/interstate-105.html?m=1

mgk920

And yet, Caltrans is currently building a new ROW freeway that blazed a path through an existing urban neighborhood - the CA 58 Westside Parkway (future I-40?) in Bakersfield, CA.

:spin:

Mike

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: mgk920 on February 02, 2022, 11:14:10 AM
And yet, Caltrans is currently building a new ROW freeway that blazed a path through an existing urban neighborhood - the CA 58 Westside Parkway (future I-40?) in Bakersfield, CA.

:spin:

Mike

If I recall correctly the reference is to the last urban Interstate.  Suffice to say a ton of urban freeways have opened since I-105.  The biggest difference with the Westside Parkway is the general local consensus was that it was needed/wanted.  Bakersfield might as well be in a totally different state, it can't get anymore different than metro Los Angeles.  Even in Fresno you had the Sierra Freeway open as a realignment of CA 168 during the late 1990s post I-105. 

triplemultiplex

I assumed "Last Freeway" referred to Los Angeles proper and not any place further afield.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

bing101

Quote from: triplemultiplex on February 02, 2022, 11:46:36 AM
I assumed "Last Freeway" referred to Los Angeles proper and not any place further afield.
And now I-105 is approaching 30 years old!!

Stephane Dumas

And wasn't once a house in the path of I-105 who was used for a scene of the movie Lethal Weapon 2?

Techknow

I know I-105 was definitely referenced in the movie Speed where one of the characters claimed the I-105 freeway was finished (the map showed it as finished but it wasn't in the movie.) According to online sources the freeway was used to shoot several scenes before it opened.

theroadwayone

Quote from: triplemultiplex on February 02, 2022, 11:46:36 AM
I assumed "Last Freeway" referred to Los Angeles proper and not any place further afield.
Barring something extraordinary, it's likely the last to be built from scratch in the area for a long while (the 71 upgrade and the proposed Mid-County Parkway near Riverside involve existing alignments.)

mrsman

Quote from: theroadwayone on February 03, 2022, 02:42:56 AM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on February 02, 2022, 11:46:36 AM
I assumed "Last Freeway" referred to Los Angeles proper and not any place further afield.
Barring something extraordinary, it's likely the last to be built from scratch in the area for a long while (the 71 upgrade and the proposed Mid-County Parkway near Riverside involve existing alignments.)

Agreed.  And any likely new freeway in any area remotely near Los Angeles, will likely be some form of toll route.

Although, I do believe that the CA-138 Palmdale-Victorville roadway should be built as a non-toll freeway.  Do it soon, while there is still right of way available.

-----

Regarding I-105:  I was living in L.A. at the time.  My father worked in El Segundo, and he commented on how lucky it was for any of his co-workers who lived east, as they had a brand new freeway that led directly to the office.  [We lived basically north in the Hollywood / West Hollywood area, so not as useful for us, but my father still used it occasionally between Sepulveda and I-405.]

As a newer freeway, it really didn't get too busy, as many would not divert their routes to take it.  It also was the first freeway in the area to feature metring ramps between freeways.  This was very effective in keeping traffic lower on the mainline, even though it made it more of a hassle of using it to transition from say 110 to 710, then the parallel 91 freeway which did not feature freeway to freeway meters.

But I-105 was lucky to have come in when it did.   Most of I-105 was opened before the 1994 Northridge earthquake.  A good number of freeways suffered damage, including I-10 over Fairfax Ave.  The Mid-City section of I-10 was closed and all of the nearby surface routes had dramatic increases in traffic.  Certainly, a new freeway 7 miles to the south, that was able to connect 110 to 405 would be able to take some of the long distance traffic off of the 10, and it did.

pderocco

Quote from: Techknow on February 02, 2022, 09:01:41 PM
I know I-105 was definitely referenced in the movie Speed where one of the characters claimed the I-105 freeway was finished (the map showed it as finished but it wasn't in the movie.) According to online sources the freeway was used to shoot several scenes before it opened.

To this day, you see the westernmost stretch of I-105 used in commercials a lot, probably because it's not too disruptive to shut it down for an hour early on a Sunday morning. Also, they shoot commercials in the driver training course right underneath it, with all the carriageways towering above everything. Quite spectacular.

theroadwayone


kurumi

Quote from: theroadwayone on February 08, 2022, 06:29:09 PM
And lest we forget:
(Bollywood bus physics on I-105 ramp)

Imagine sneaking into the movie theater before opening night, splicing in a version of that scene where physics and gravity are fully enforced (bus drops about 4 feet during the gap, strikes the opposite bridge head-on, plummets to the ground, bomb goes off) and afterward there's the closing credits and that's it.
My first SF/horror short story collection is available: "Young Man, Open Your Winter Eye"

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: kurumi on February 08, 2022, 08:10:07 PM
Quote from: theroadwayone on February 08, 2022, 06:29:09 PM
And lest we forget:
(Bollywood bus physics on I-105 ramp)

Imagine sneaking into the movie theater before opening night, splicing in a version of that scene where physics and gravity are fully enforced (bus drops about 4 feet during the gap, strikes the opposite bridge head-on, plummets to the ground, bomb goes off) and afterward there's the closing credits and that's it.

Amusingly Howard Payne would still lose since he there would be no reason to give him money.  He'll have to come up with another scheme or live off his LAPD pension.

Alps

Quote from: kurumi on February 08, 2022, 08:10:07 PM
Quote from: theroadwayone on February 08, 2022, 06:29:09 PM
And lest we forget:
(Bollywood bus physics on I-105 ramp)

Imagine sneaking into the movie theater before opening night, splicing in a version of that scene where physics and gravity are fully enforced (bus drops about 4 feet during the gap, strikes the opposite bridge head-on, plummets to the ground, bomb goes off) and afterward there's the closing credits and that's it.
Or the one where the bus is going around the shoulder of a tightly curved ramp next to lines of stopped cars, scraping against all of them, and magically maintains 55 mph.

triplemultiplex

Also, the part where they go to the airport so the news helicopters can't watch them and show the baddie what they're doing.  Whaaaattt???  Apparently cameras don't have the ability to zoom in the Speed universe.
That was clearly just a BS excuse to have the bus crash into a plane and blow up because someone borrowed some coke from Michael Bay while writing that movie.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: triplemultiplex on February 09, 2022, 10:45:13 AM
Also, the part where they go to the airport so the news helicopters can't watch them and show the baddie what they're doing.  Whaaaattt???  Apparently cameras don't have the ability to zoom in the Speed universe.
That was clearly just a BS excuse to have the bus crash into a plane and blow up because someone borrowed some coke from Michael Bay while writing that movie.

What about how the LAPD just stuffs the payoff money in the garbage can but doesn't somehow notice a giant hole in the sidewalk underneath it?

theroadwayone

Quote from: mrsman on February 03, 2022, 02:19:50 PM
Quote from: theroadwayone on February 03, 2022, 02:42:56 AM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on February 02, 2022, 11:46:36 AM
I assumed "Last Freeway" referred to Los Angeles proper and not any place further afield.
Barring something extraordinary, it's likely the last to be built from scratch in the area for a long while (the 71 upgrade and the proposed Mid-County Parkway near Riverside involve existing alignments.)

Agreed.  And any likely new freeway in any area remotely near Los Angeles, will likely be some form of toll route.

Although, I do believe that the CA-138 Palmdale-Victorville roadway should be built as a non-toll freeway.  Do it soon, while there is still right of way available.

-----


The 57 South and a tunnel bypassing the 14 are the only projects in the area where tolls are (or were) being considered to pay for them; there's also that plan to build the 14 south from Newhall to the coast. None of those are likely to happen in our lifetimes for almost all of the usual reasons, though.

kernals12

Also, it had a brief cameo in Falling Down, you can see the Pregerson Interchange in the background when it was still under construction



Bobby5280

Numerous movies were shot on I-105 in the early 1990's. Of course Speed is famous for its use of the freeway. Lethal Weapon 3 had a big chase scene on it. Patriot Games had a car chase scene that actually began in Annapolis (there's a fleeting glimpse of an I-97 shield on an overhead sign on the US-50 freeway) yet the chase somehow wound up in Los Angeles (and on the 105 I think) after a couple edits! Just gotta love the insane "geography" in movies. Lower Grand Avenue in downtown LA is a very popular and easily identifiable location, even though it can double for locations clear in other countries.

flowmotion

Quote from: triplemultiplex on February 02, 2022, 11:46:36 AM
I assumed "Last Freeway" referred to Los Angeles proper and not any place further afield.

"Last Freeway" was a popular declaration at the time. Even up here in norcal, I encountered people saying that California wasn't building freeways anymore. (Of course they were, just not where they were looking.)

The moral of the story here is more that they had to spend so much money 'sponsoring' community groups and fighting nimby lawsuits, that this sort of freeway has proved impossible for the future.



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