🛣 Changes to the California Highways Website for January-March 2026

[cahwyguy]

The first update cycle for California Highways is complete. This update covers January-March 2026.

• Changelog on California Highways
• Blogpost Version of Changelog

This update has a lot in it, and I suggest folks read through it. Some highlights (see the changelog for the version with all the links):

• 2026 marks the 30th Anniversary of this website. The changelog for 1996 shows the first "official" changes in October 1996, although it notes that "Changes before early 1996 were not specifically noted, although this site, in various forms, dates back at least as far as 1992, and possibly as early as 1986. Searching on Google Groups uncovers an early posting of the state highway list in December of 1992 to the Usenet Group ca.driving. In 1995, there was a posting of the highway list in response to a question, showing a last modified date of 1994. By October 1996, postings were being made showing the existence of the California Highways page off of Pacificnet. The earliest capture of the site on the Wayback Machine is in December 1998." So welcome to the start of the 30th Anniversary year, or perhaps the 40th Anniversary year, of California Highways!
• We released four episodes of the podcast over this period, covering Route 10 (Santa Monica Freeway and San Bernardino Freeway), Route 11, and the first part of Route 12. The second episode on Route 12 is waiting to be edited, and should post by the end of the week. See CARouteByRoute or Spotify for more info.
• We have the first pending legislation page update of the year, with all the new bills. There were lots of interesting bills, although a few less related to highways. The legislature got quite a few naming resolutions wrong in terms of bridges and postmiles, and I've submitted comments on those.
• I reviewed the proposed 2026 STIP, so you don't have to. All 109 pages. This resulted in updates to the following routes (search for "2026 STIP"): Route 1, Route 4, I-5, I-10, Route 12, Route 14, I-15, Route 18, Route 29, Route 37, Route 41, Route 46, Route 49, US 50, Route 51/BR 80, Route 57, Route 58, Route 65, Route 66/CR 66, Route 67, Route 68, Route 74, I-80, Route 85, Route 89, Route 91, Route 92, Route 94, Route 96, Route 99, US 101, Route 116, Route 121, Route 132, Route 135, Route 138, Route 156, Route 198, I-205, Route 227, Route 255, Route 260, I-280, Route 299, I-680, I-805, I-880
• I also reviewed the 2026 SHOPP, looking for items that rose to the level of interest for the highway pages. This resulted in updates to Route 1, Route 4, I-5, I-8, Route 14, I-15, Route 16, Route 29, Route 33, Route 37, Route 39, I-40, Route 49, Route 58, Route 59, Route 70, Route 84, Route 89, Route 96, Route 99, US 101, Route 110, Route 116, Route 120, Route 121, Route 126, Route 140, Route 154, Route 165, Route 190, Route 198, Route 211, Route 220, Route 246, Route 254, Route 267, Route 299, Route 371.

As always, "ready, set, discuss".

[Max Rockatansky]

What really hasn't become apparent to me until recently is how much 4 has been realigned in be Sierra Nevada foothills.  I'm working on a bunch of Carson Pass-adjacent and CA 88 blogs that are going to hit in September/October.  The realignment history isn't quite as extensive as 4 but there are still a few communities that ended up being bypassed in the state highway era. 

What really gets interesting with 88 is how much the highway west of Carson Pass has historically realigned before the state highway system.  The original routing of course is Mormon Emigrant Trail which most people know already.  By the late 1870s there was actually spurs to Sutter Creek via what is now Sutter Creek Road and Jackson via Clinton Road.  The Clinton Road bypass linking Jackson-Pine Grove was actually built by the 1880s and eventually became part of 88. 

Speaking of 88 I'm also working on something for NV 88.  That was once designated as Forest Route 4 and had Federal funds used to bring it up to state highway standards between 1932-1934.  It was assigned NV 37 in 1934 and swapped to NV 88 by 1956.  I haven't worked out when it was renamed from Woodfords Road to Carson Pass Highway yet. 

[TheStranger]

Tied into the 88 deal: I'm fascinated by the legislative concept for Route 104 east of Sutter Hill/Martell: a paved route (Ridge Road) exists but has never been adopted from 49 to Pine Grove.

[Max Rockatansky]

Really there isn't anything functionally wrong with Ridge Road east of 49.  It pretty much acts as a bypass of Jackson for eastbound 88 traffic.  104 actually was signed west of 49 on Ridge Road for a time.  I don't know if it still is. 

[pderocco]

Really there isn't anything functionally wrong with Ridge Road east of 49.  It pretty much acts as a bypass of Jackson for eastbound 88 traffic.  104 actually was signed west of 49 on Ridge Road for a time.  I don't know if it still is. 

I don't see any signs on it, but there are directional signs on 88 in both directions, and on 49 NB but not SB. I never noticed the absence when I drove it because I'm always looking at Google Maps.

[roadfro]

Speaking of 88 I'm also working on something for NV 88.  That was once designated as Forest Route 4 and had Federal funds used to bring it up to state highway standards between 1932-1934.  It was assigned NV 37 in 1934 and swapped to NV 88 by 1956.  I haven't worked out when it was renamed from Woodfords Road to Carson Pass Highway yet. 

If NDOT's current "State Maintained Highways" document is to be believed, NV 88 is still called Woodfords Road. 

I see the Carson Pass Hwy name on Google Maps now, but this is the first time I've seen that (admittedly, I'm not regularly trolling through Google Maps for changes). But it's possible that Google Maps just carried over the street name from CA 88.

I've never seen any signs along the highway that say either name; only references to "SR 88" or "Hwy 88". (But also admittedly, I haven't been out that way for a while.)

[Max Rockatansky]

Speaking of 88 I'm also working on something for NV 88.  That was once designated as Forest Route 4 and had Federal funds used to bring it up to state highway standards between 1932-1934.  It was assigned NV 37 in 1934 and swapped to NV 88 by 1956.  I haven't worked out when it was renamed from Woodfords Road to Carson Pass Highway yet. 

If NDOT's current "State Maintained Highways" document is to be believed, NV 88 is still called Woodfords Road.

I see the Carson Pass Hwy name on Google Maps now, but this is the first time I've seen that (admittedly, I'm not regularly trolling through Google Maps for changes). But it's possible that Google Maps just carried over the street name from CA 88.

I've never seen any signs along the highway that say either name; only references to "SR 88" or "Hwy 88". (But also admittedly, I haven't been out that way for a while.)

The Department of Highways Biennial reports which ran through 1974 were not much help either.  They document when the corridor was improved to state standards but don't really elaborate on the name or why the number was changed from 37 to 88.  Kind of a disappointment to find so much early information and a complete blank after that.

[roadfro]

Speaking of 88 I'm also working on something for NV 88.  That was once designated as Forest Route 4 and had Federal funds used to bring it up to state highway standards between 1932-1934.  It was assigned NV 37 in 1934 and swapped to NV 88 by 1956.  I haven't worked out when it was renamed from Woodfords Road to Carson Pass Highway yet. 

If NDOT's current "State Maintained Highways" document is to be believed, NV 88 is still called Woodfords Road.

I see the Carson Pass Hwy name on Google Maps now, but this is the first time I've seen that (admittedly, I'm not regularly trolling through Google Maps for changes). But it's possible that Google Maps just carried over the street name from CA 88.

I've never seen any signs along the highway that say either name; only references to "SR 88" or "Hwy 88". (But also admittedly, I haven't been out that way for a while.)

The Department of Highways Biennial reports which ran through 1974 were not much help either.  They document when the corridor was improved to state standards but don't really elaborate on the name or why the number was changed from 37 to 88.  Kind of a disappointment to find so much early information and a complete blank after that.

Yeah... The pre-1976 highway numbers were legislated in state law, and the state law was changed at some point to give it the new number (not sure exactly when the law changed and if NDOH/NDOT maps changed simultaneously). But I've never found a reason why the law was changed to begin with.

[TheStranger]

The Department of Highways Biennial reports which ran through 1974 were not much help either.  They document when the corridor was improved to state standards but don't really elaborate on the name or why the number was changed from 37 to 88.  Kind of a disappointment to find so much early information and a complete blank after that.

It's interesting how we have two specific examples of state routes keeping their numbers when crossing from CA to NV (28, 88), it does make me wonder why those two got to have that coordination, while, say, CA 182 turns into NV 338 a bit further south.

[Max Rockatansky]

The Department of Highways Biennial reports which ran through 1974 were not much help either.  They document when the corridor was improved to state standards but don't really elaborate on the name or why the number was changed from 37 to 88.  Kind of a disappointment to find so much early information and a complete blank after that.

It's interesting how we have two specific examples of state routes keeping their numbers when crossing from CA to NV (28, 88), it does make me wonder why those two got to have that coordination, while, say, CA 182 turns into NV 338 a bit further south.

OR 140/NV 140 stayed the same.  For some reason NV 51 changed to NV 225.  That was kind of odd considering NV 11, 11A and 43 were renumbered in 1964 to match ID 51.