Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and LRN 69

[cahwyguy]

Thanks to a question I received via email, I was toodling around old maps, Route 238, LRN 105, and LRN 69. I noticed something odd: If you look at the definition of LRN 69 in the years before 1964, it was always in multiple segments, and the Bay crossing WAS NOT included in the definition. This is true even after the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge was completed. Come 1964, and the redefinition as Route 17 (and later, as I-580)... and the bridge is now included in the State Highway system.

So: Prior to 1964, what was the status of the R-SR bridge? Was it a state highway (and if so, what LRN)? If not, were the bridges a separate accounting entity from the POV of the Division of Highways (such as the California Toll Bridge Authority). Looking at other bridges, post 1947, the San Mateo Hayward Bridge (now Route 92, then LRN 105) was in the state system. Similarly, once the Toll Bridge Authority acquired the Dumbarton Bridge (Route 84, LRN 107), it was added to the definition of LRN 107. LRN 68 explicitly includes the SF Bay Bridge (US 40/50, which became US 101 at Van Ness).

Why was the R-SR bridge not added to the State Highway System until 1964?

[I'll note the exploration has been interesting, especially looking at the old Oakland routing of LRN 69 along what is now Route 61/Route 260/Route 112, the two-year life of the first LRN 252, and the interaction of LRN 105 and Route 17. As an aside: What surface street was LRN 69 in the Berkeley/Albany/Richmond area BEFORE the East Side Highway was constructed (pre-1947, when the approach to the R-SR bridge was added)? All I can find is "East Side Highway" to Cypress (now Mandela), across 7th to Webster, through the tubes, down to Central*, and across Maitland)

*: More specifically, it looks like "down the East Shore Highway to the approach to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, feeding into the bridge as well as an overpass to Cypress, down Cypress to Seventh, across Seventh to Harrison, down Harrison through the Posey Subway to Webster, across Central, Encinal (possibly, at one time, San Jose), Park, and Otis to Maitland, and then down Maitland to Davis Street. The route then went across Davis to meet LRN 105 at Fourteenth, where it continued down Washington towards San Jose."

I"ll also note that it appears LRN 105 was unsigned S of Davis Street, where Sign Route 17 left to continue S down Washington. Signage started in 1964, when much of it became Route 185]

[Max Rockatansky]

I don't think the bridge ever had a pre-1964.  I can't find a single reference to one in any of the volumes pre-1964.  The only reference made is Sign Route 17 by 1957.

Interestingly you can see LRN 69 exists on both sides of the bridge March/April 1954 CHPW.  Nothing is shown to designated on the structure sketch:

https://archive.org/details/californiahighwa195455calirich/page/n103/mode/2up?q=Richmond&view=theater

On Division of Highways map the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge isn't part of the legislative definition of CA 17 until the 1966 edition (segment B):

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239519~5511846:State-Highway-Map%2C-California%2C-1966?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&mi=0&trs=2&qvq=q:caltrans%201966;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1

Which your page on CA 17 captures regarding the consolidation of segments via legislative changes in 1965:

https://www.cahighways.org/ROUTE017.html

Page 48 of the September/October 1965 CHPW notes the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge was transferred to the state highway system by way of a legislative act (SB 87 if I'm reading things correct):

https://archive.org/details/californiahighwa196465calirich/page/n789/mode/2up?q=Rafael&view=theater

I think this might be enough to work with to determine if the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge was originally under California Toll Bridge Authority ownership.  It would make sense given they were the agency which authorized issuing bonds in 1952-1953.  That certainly would explain the difference versus what was seen when the existing Dumbarton Bridge and San Mateo-Hayward Bridge were annexed into the State Highway System.

[cahwyguy]

Page 48 of the September/October 1965 CHPW notes the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge was transferred to the state highway system by way of a legislative act (SB 87 if I'm reading things correct):

That's unclear. Here's what I have:

In 1963, Route 17 was defined as "(a) Route 1 near Santa Cruz to Route 101 near Story Road. (b) Route 101 near San Jose to Route 680 near Warm Springs. (c) Route 680 near Warm Springs to Route 580 in Oakland. (d) Route 80 near Albany to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Toll Plaza. (e) Point San Quentin to Route 101 near San Rafael. (f) Route 101 near San Rafael to Route 1 near Point Reyes Station."

In 1965, sections (a), (b), and (c) were combined, sections (d) and (e) were combined, giving "(a) Route 1 near Santa Cruz to Route 80 in Oakland. (b) Route 80 near Albany to Route 101 near San Rafael via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. (c) Route 101 near San Rafael to Route 1 near Point Reyes Station.".

What the legislation did was combine the definition of the route to include the bridge. It says nothing about the provenance of the bridge (i.e., ownership) before.