CA 244 and the Un-Built Highways of Metro Sacramento; CA 65/102/143/148

[Max Rockatansky]

Recently over the Fourth of July Weekend I drove the small 1 mile CA 244 Freeway in Sacramento.  CA 244 is one of the many highways/freeways planned for Metro Sacramento which was adopted out of 1959 State Highway Legislation to never be built to full scale or not at all.  The blog post below also examines the history of the planned routes of; CA 65, CA 102, CA 143 and CA 148.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/07/california-state-route-244-and-un-built.html

[TheStranger]

With regards to 148: that corridor has evolved into the recently completed Cosumnes River Boulevard extension to Interstate 5, and the still active Capital Southeast Corridor project.

SAMSUNG-SM-G930A

[Max Rockatansky]

With regards to 148: that corridor has evolved into the recently completed Cosumnes River Boulevard extension to Interstate 5, and the still active Capital Southeast Corridor project.

SAMSUNG-SM-G930A

Apparently the same thing happened with the planned CA 235 and Eight Mile Road in San Joaquin County.  What's really interesting regarding Sacramento is how many routes were just suddenly shuttered only to fall into legislative limbo.  I had no idea CA 65 was actually signed between CA 16 and US 50 on Sun Rise Boulevard I did the research for this blog.  I wonder how much resistance these plans really would have gotten had anyone really knew how much Sacramento would grow since the 1970s.   I do see merit in an eastern bypass that would get some traffic off CA 51.

[Concrete Bob]

In November 1974, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to reject the funding and construction of Routes 65, 143 and 244.  Construction on Routes 143 and 244 was slated to begin in 1975.  When Adriana Gianturco took over Caltrans in 1975, she worked with Caltrans and the Legislature to change the routes/abandon them.  Sacramento County was very cooperative with Caltrans on selling off the rights of way for Routes 65, 143 and 244, since they rescinded the plans for the freeways in November 1974.  One of the County Supervisors who voted down the freeways had a developer brother-in-law who acquired much of the Route 143 right of way from Caltrans between Arden Way and American River Drive for a housing development.

Twenty years after the plans for the freeways were yanked, the Sacramento Bee interviewed the County Supervisors who voted down the freeways.  Two of the three supervisors who voted down the freeways regretted their decision.   

Other more forward-thinking counties like Fresno, Santa Clara and San Diego Counties chose to keep their previously-acquired rights of way for future use, and subsequently raised their local sales taxes to fund their newer freeways. 

I was born and raised in Sacramento County, and I remember seeing maps showing Sunrise Boulevard signed as SR 65 south of US 50 and north of SR 16.  I also remember the mileage paddles on the side of the road with the "CA 65" notation.  However, I do not remember seeing any "California 65" shields along the route in the early 1970s.       

[bing101]

Recently over the Fourth of July Weekend I drove the small 1 mile CA 244 Freeway in Sacramento.  CA 244 is one of the many highways/freeways planned for Metro Sacramento which was adopted out of 1959 State Highway Legislation to never be built to full scale or not at all.  The blog post below also examines the history of the planned routes of; CA 65, CA 102, CA 143 and CA 148.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/07/california-state-route-244-and-un-built.html

CA-244 was supposed to be the expanded version of Beltline Freeway

[Max Rockatansky]

In November 1974, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to reject the funding and construction of Routes 65, 143 and 244.  Construction on Routes 143 and 244 was slated to begin in 1975.  When Adriana Gianturco took over Caltrans in 1975, she worked with Caltrans and the Legislature to change the routes/abandon them.  Sacramento County was very cooperative with Caltrans on selling off the rights of way for Routes 65, 143 and 244, since they rescinded the plans for the freeways in November 1974.  One of the County Supervisors who voted down the freeways had a developer brother-in-law who acquired much of the Route 143 right of way from Caltrans between Arden Way and American River Drive for a housing development.

Twenty years after the plans for the freeways were yanked, the Sacramento Bee interviewed the County Supervisors who voted down the freeways.  Two of the three supervisors who voted down the freeways regretted their decision.   

Other more forward-thinking counties like Fresno, Santa Clara and San Diego Counties chose to keep their previously-acquired rights of way for future use, and subsequently raised their local sales taxes to fund their newer freeways. 

I was born and raised in Sacramento County, and I remember seeing maps showing Sunrise Boulevard signed as SR 65 south of US 50 and north of SR 16.  I also remember the mileage paddles on the side of the road with the "CA 65" notation.  However, I do not remember seeing any "California 65" shields along the route in the early 1970s.     

Certainly Fresno has benefitted in the past three decades from the planned Freeways actually being built.  Having 143 alone would be a huge traffic reliever by getting almost all that through traffic eastbound/westbound off 99, 50 and 51.  244 would have some utility if it really ended up connecting with US 50.  102 seems to be gaining more merits as time has progressed given the northward growth of Sacramento.  148 seems to be the one plan Metro Sacramento could go without given Consumes River Boulevard has been built up.  Really with all the property in the way Sacramento County is really hosed given the lack of cheap real estate to declare eminent domain on.  Aside for a slim chance on 102 I doubt anything will ever get built.

[TheStranger]

In November 1974, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to reject the funding and construction of Routes 65, 143 and 244.  Construction on Routes 143 and 244 was slated to begin in 1975.  When Adriana Gianturco took over Caltrans in 1975, she worked with Caltrans and the Legislature to change the routes/abandon them.  Sacramento County was very cooperative with Caltrans on selling off the rights of way for Routes 65, 143 and 244, since they rescinded the plans for the freeways in November 1974.  One of the County Supervisors who voted down the freeways had a developer brother-in-law who acquired much of the Route 143 right of way from Caltrans between Arden Way and American River Drive for a housing development.

Twenty years after the plans for the freeways were yanked, the Sacramento Bee interviewed the County Supervisors who voted down the freeways.  Two of the three supervisors who voted down the freeways regretted their decision.   

Other more forward-thinking counties like Fresno, Santa Clara and San Diego Counties chose to keep their previously-acquired rights of way for future use, and subsequently raised their local sales taxes to fund their newer freeways. 

I was born and raised in Sacramento County, and I remember seeing maps showing Sunrise Boulevard signed as SR 65 south of US 50 and north of SR 16.  I also remember the mileage paddles on the side of the road with the "CA 65" notation.  However, I do not remember seeing any "California 65" shields along the route in the early 1970s.     

Certainly Fresno has benefitted in the past three decades from the planned Freeways actually being built.  Having 143 alone would be a huge traffic reliever by getting almost all that through traffic eastbound/westbound off 99, 50 and 51.  244 would have some utility if it really ended up connecting with US 50.  102 seems to be gaining more merits as time has progressed given the northward growth of Sacramento.  148 seems to be the one plan Metro Sacramento could go without given Consumes River Boulevard has been built up.  Really with all the property in the way Sacramento County is really hosed given the lack of cheap real estate to declare eminent domain on.  Aside for a slim chance on 102 I doubt anything will ever get built.

There's been progress actually on that old 148 corridor (Capital Southeast) over the last year:

https://www.connectorjpa.net/

White Rock Road in Rancho Cordova will be receiving upgrades as part of the project, and eventually Grant Line Road and Kammerer Road also will be worked on as well:

https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/article123729844.html
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article228387194.html

The area 244 would have traversed is pretty much all housing in Fair Oaks now, don't think there is any right of way left.  Same deal with 143 (which would have most directly relieved Watt Avenue and Howe Avenue).