California

[Max Rockatansky]

Holy cannoli: a NON-FREEWAY was just increased to 70mph, public-ish approach to Edwards AFB on Rosamond Blvd. This is a 4-lane divided and UNDIVIDED highway on some portions. I'm guessing since that road is subject to Edwards AFB jurisdiction it's exempt from the 65 cap and CHP approval requirements?

https://www.edwards.af.mil/News/Display/Article/4514071/412th-ceg-paves-the-way-for-faster-safer-and-smoother-commutes/

Yes, the military is fully responsible for traffic enforcement on bases.  There is a whole traffic court system and military specific MUTCD.  The UCMJ isn't really enforceable upon civilian personnel but a traffic judge can issue an installation driving debarment. 

Tbh I think this might be the highest DOD DOW speed limit anywhere? Can't think of any 75 / 120km/h off the top of my head...

It is the fastest I can think of.  I would have thought Mercury Highway would have a higher limit than 55 MPH now.  Turns out that hadn't changed. 

[bing101]

https://localnewsmatters.org/2026/08/07/westbound-carquinez-bridge-lane-closure-this-weekend-precedes-full-august-shutdown/

Carquinez bridge to be renovated and repairs during August 2026 as seen here.

[moabdave]

Echo Summit by David from Moab, on Flickr

Dashcam footage of US-50 eastbound descending from Echo Summit to Lake Tahoe. At the very end of the clip is a road branching off to the right that is closed off by a gate covered in left arrows. Then a few feet later is a road branching off to the left. Both are the original alignment of US-50. And near as I can tell there was a set of hair pin curves and the modern alignment used the segment between the two curves, resulting in why they don't line up. The original alignment of US-50 crossed at Johnson Pass, not Echo Summit. The re-route was obviously to lessen the grade and remove some hairpin curves, but I'm not sure when it was re-routed.

[Max Rockatansky]

Echo Summit by David from Moab, on Flickr

Dashcam footage of US-50 eastbound descending from Echo Summit to Lake Tahoe. At the very end of the clip is a road branching off to the right that is closed off by a gate covered in left arrows. Then a few feet later is a road branching off to the left. Both are the original alignment of US-50. And near as I can tell there was a set of hair pin curves and the modern alignment used the segment between the two curves, resulting in why they don't line up. The original alignment of US-50 crossed at Johnson Pass, not Echo Summit. The re-route was obviously to lessen the grade and remove some hairpin curves, but I'm not sure when it was re-routed.

It was realigned in two stages circa 1938 and 1947:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/04/former-us-route-50-and-pioneer-route.html?m=1

[moabdave]

It was realigned in two stages circa 1938 and 1947:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/04/former-us-route-50-and-pioneer-route.html?m=1

Thanks.I knew someone here would know the answer. But now I feel silly with an entire writeup on the subject on a site I kinda follow just last year.

[Max Rockatansky]

It was realigned in two stages circa 1938 and 1947:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/04/former-us-route-50-and-pioneer-route.html?m=1

Thanks.I knew someone here would know the answer. But now I feel silly with an entire writeup on the subject on a site I kinda follow just last year.

FWIW one of the reasons I find writing stuff for our page is that I don't have to remember exacting details.  Self plagiarism comes in handy with regularity.

[Voyager]

Echo Summit by David from Moab, on Flickr

Dashcam footage of US-50 eastbound descending from Echo Summit to Lake Tahoe. At the very end of the clip is a road branching off to the right that is closed off by a gate covered in left arrows. Then a few feet later is a road branching off to the left. Both are the original alignment of US-50. And near as I can tell there was a set of hair pin curves and the modern alignment used the segment between the two curves, resulting in why they don't line up. The original alignment of US-50 crossed at Johnson Pass, not Echo Summit. The re-route was obviously to lessen the grade and remove some hairpin curves, but I'm not sure when it was re-routed.

There was also another thread where you can see the freeway routing still from parcels originally purchased by Caltrans that were never built near Pioneer Trail.

[moabdave]

Some pics of CA-108 over Sonora Pass if anybody is interested. Also, I do have some descent dashcam footage. But it's a few select good bits, most of it has too much glare. But if anybody is interested, I can try to splice together the good chunks.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/moabdave/albums/72177720335292424/with/55484213003/

IMGP9867 by David from Moab, on Flickr

[lstone19]

Echo Summit by David from Moab, on Flickr

Dashcam footage of US-50 eastbound descending from Echo Summit to Lake Tahoe. At the very end of the clip is a road branching off to the right that is closed off by a gate covered in left arrows. Then a few feet later is a road branching off to the left. Both are the original alignment of US-50. And near as I can tell there was a set of hair pin curves and the modern alignment used the segment between the two curves, resulting in why they don't line up. The original alignment of US-50 crossed at Johnson Pass, not Echo Summit. The re-route was obviously to lessen the grade and remove some hairpin curves, but I'm not sure when it was re-routed.

I've been on both of the old road segments. Back in the early 80s during a snowstorm, traffic was sent up the old grade from Myers due to avalanche control on the main road. And then in 2023, car traffic was sent over Johnson Pass while construction was going on at Echo Summit (large vehicles were held and convoyed at intervals).

[moabdave]

Dashcam footage of select parts of CA-108 over Sonora pass Eastbound. Some highlights:
0:46 Kennedy Meadows View Area
0:53 this is the hairpin curve on a 26% grade where at least 2 semis have jacknifed this year.
1:19 Sonora Pass crest.
1:39 Sign warning 25% grade
2:16 hairpin curve descending towards the Walker river and Levitt Valley. Barely visible but while rounding the corner in the distance is the Marine winter combat training center.

Sonora Pass Eastbound by David from Moab, on Flickr

And the westbound:
0:06 same curve mentioned above where the MWTC is faintly visible in the distance while climbing out of the Walker River gorge.
0:26 Cresting the pass
0:42 Hill sign ironically warning trucks to use low gear despite trucks supposedly prohibited on this road.
1:17 The truck jackknife curve
1:43 View area for the Kennedy Meadows (didn't actually stop there)
Sonora Pass Westbound by David from Moab, on Flickr

[Plutonic Panda]

Tons of signs and guardrails are being replaced on SR-91 in LA County:

 https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/security-paving-begins-caltrans-sr-91-sign-rehab-work/72155

[Plutonic Panda]

The SR-17 and Los Gatos-Saratoga Road will go from a cloverleaf to a standard diamond. I would've preferred an SPUI. Would've made the interchange more compact, and they could plant more trees to reduce road noise and allow for more wildlife habitat.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/09/19/vta-proposes-new-design-for-highway-17-9-interchange-in-los-gatos/?fbclid=IwdGRleAUftzVwZG9mBWZkaWQWUO5_cIcVx4UBZEW0Fb61KrhXWRX0bGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7A8aj2up9fT87esPxPgZNu7QqMBWqVam6eC12XdFOfPQBottPL2daKmY3y1Q_aem_PqlWGztHrXwqfug3dSwruw&utm_campaign=mrf-facebook-lgweeklytimes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&mrfcid=202609216aae79407ebd40685a110a39

[Max Rockatansky]

Trees is the one thing Los Gatos and 17 aren't lacking for. 

[Rothman]

Trees is the one thing Los Gatos and 17 aren't lacking for. 

[Plutonic Panda]

While with me being a fan of nuclear energy, even though as much as I love roads, I'm not too happy about this:

https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/diablo-canyon-lands-22433779.php?utm_source=paid_marketing&utm_medium=meta&utm_campaign=content_acquisition&fbclid=IwdGRleAUjlMlleHRuA2FlbQEwAHBkb2YFZmRpZBZQ8SDxr32o7NWb_sw3z3ebLUVbfW8pYWRpZAAAL8uCZZgxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQKNjYyODU2ODM3OQABHoGnhBWu9e9IUpdiIjhiDK5xuTLtSMUeOrTV7JJyb0pSW-_SyhESECplWm2M_aem_E9avwf84qp5uVYKQ_8d6Fg&utm_id=6865467511333&utm_content=6924703560533&utm_term=6865467536333

[Max Rockatansky]

That has a paywall.  From what I can tell from the URL and seeing the first headline of the article it has something to do with Canyon Diablo. There are roads to that part of the coast, you just need to know where to find them.  I've launched a couple topics on them last year.  Prefumo Canyon Road is the most notable which will get you in that area.

[Quillz]

Some pics of CA-108 over Sonora Pass if anybody is interested. Also, I do have some descent dashcam footage. But it's a few select good bits, most of it has too much glare. But if anybody is interested, I can try to splice together the good chunks.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/moabdave/albums/72177720335292424/with/55484213003/

IMGP9867 by David from Moab, on Flickr

Beautiful! I did Sonora Pass a few years back, as I've been doing all the trans-Sierra crossings from south to north when I get time. (Coming up for me in a couple weeks is CA-88). I stopped right at the actual crest, there's a couple trails in the area and you can do a short hike and get a really nice view. But I also had car trouble and I thought my engine was going to explode with the really steep grade!

[moabdave]

But I also had car trouble and I thought my engine was going to explode with the really steep grade!

I learned to drive with manual transmissions and have driven manuals most of my life. When I do drive an automatic it is often accompanied with endless profanities involving "Gutless piece of $^!+" I did Sonora pass in a car with a CVT with "manual emulation mode". To my surprise it did ok.

[Quillz]

But I also had car trouble and I thought my engine was going to explode with the really steep grade!

I learned to drive with manual transmissions and have driven manuals most of my life. When I do drive an automatic it is often accompanied with endless profanities involving "Gutless piece of $^!+" I did Sonora pass in a car with a CVT with "manual emulation mode". To my surprise it did ok.

I've since done it again in my current car with the CVT and had zero issues. I was using my previous car which already had over 100k miles on it and some other issues.

[ClassicHasClass]

I did it in a Civic Si

[Quillz]

I did it in a Civic Si

On a slightly related note, the last time I took my trip to Northern California, I drove my Subaru across Sherman Pass and I stupidly didn't fill up for gas in Mojave like I should have, so I ended up doing the entire crossing with about a quarter tank and every gas station on the way to Fresno was closed, so there I was about 2 AM, about to run out of gas, and I was really nervous I was just gonna get stuck in the middle of the road somewhere. I've done some really stupid things, including driving Sonora Pass with a car that was in bad condition.

[Max Rockatansky]

It might be just me but I find the western side of Sonora Pass to be the more difficult grade.

[moabdave]

I did it in a Civic Si

On a slightly related note, the last time I took my trip to Northern California, I drove my Subaru across Sherman Pass and I stupidly didn't fill up for gas in Mojave like I should have, so I ended up doing the entire crossing with about a quarter tank and every gas station on the way to Fresno was closed, so there I was about 2 AM, about to run out of gas, and I was really nervous I was just gonna get stuck in the middle of the road somewhere. I've done some really stupid things, including driving Sonora Pass with a car that was in bad condition.

He He. I know that. Once while driving US-50 across Nevada I got a BS ticket near Austin. So I refused to fill up with gas in Austin out of protest. I had a chip on my shoulder of "This 2 bit speed trap isn't getting any of my tax money today". After seeing my car on the redline and still 50 miles from Fallon I started to question the wisdom of my acting out of spite. I made it, but just barely.

[moabdave]

It might be just me but I find the western side of Sonora Pass to be the more difficult grade.

It's not just you. I've seen others comment that Sonora Pass is the only pass in the Sierra Nevada where the western approach is steeper than the eastern approach. However, I'd say the western approach to Sherman Pass is also worse if not equal to the eastern approach.

[Plutonic Panda]

I did it in a Civic Si

On a slightly related note, the last time I took my trip to Northern California, I drove my Subaru across Sherman Pass and I stupidly didn't fill up for gas in Mojave like I should have, so I ended up doing the entire crossing with about a quarter tank and every gas station on the way to Fresno was closed, so there I was about 2 AM, about to run out of gas, and I was really nervous I was just gonna get stuck in the middle of the road somewhere. I've done some really stupid things, including driving Sonora Pass with a car that was in bad condition.

He He. I know that. Once while driving US-50 across Nevada I got a BS ticket near Austin. So I refused to fill up with gas in Austin out of protest. I had a chip on my shoulder of "This 2 bit speed trap isn't getting any of my tax money today". After seeing my car on the redline and still 50 miles from Fallon I started to question the wisdom of my acting out of spite. I made it, but just barely.

I am glad to hear, though, that other people have done that before. I refuse to fill up with gas in the Texas panhandle for that very reason. I will make sure that I am topped off either right before I get into New Mexico, if I'm heading into Oklahoma, or if I'm heading west, I'll fill up right again near Erik