CA-36: Proposed ending in Ravendale?

[MrAndy1369]

After reviewing CA-36 on historical maps up to 2005, there is a dotted line for CA-36 to around Ravendale/US 395, vs. what 36 is now (terminating in Susanville at 395). I wonder if this proposed extension of 36 will ever come to fruition? It'd go up where 139 is now some ways, then cut across the "field" to 395. I wonder why this extension wasn't done yet? Hmmm.

It's actually fascinating seeing all the proposed highways across the state map, definitely some good ideas! (Like 65...wish that was completed.)

[Max Rockatansky]

Probably almost all the proposed extensions are effectively in the grave with little to no chance of actually happening.  Personally I find the gap in CA 190 to be the most fascinating given how grand the original plan of the Lone Pine to Porterville Highway would have been.  Interestingly there is a local advocacy group trying to push for CA 180 to finally reach I-5.

[MrAndy1369]

Probably almost all the proposed extensions are effectively in the grave with little to no chance of actually happening.  Personally I find the gap in CA 190 to be the most fascinating given how grand the original plan of the Lone Pine to Porterville Highway would have been.  Interestingly there is a local advocacy group trying to push for CA 180 to finally reach I-5.

Hmm. I find CA-36, CA-37 (west extension past 101 that never came to be), CA-1 (Lost Coast), CA-84 (gap between Livermore and the delta), and CA-152 (east to unbuilt CA-65) the most fascinating.

I also wonder how the unbuilt CA-81 (Riverside), CA-239 (Altamont), CA-102 (Sacramento/Auburn) highways, and missing CA-65 portions, would have looked/felt if they were built.

[Max Rockatansky]

Probably almost all the proposed extensions are effectively in the grave with little to no chance of actually happening.  Personally I find the gap in CA 190 to be the most fascinating given how grand the original plan of the Lone Pine to Porterville Highway would have been.  Interestingly there is a local advocacy group trying to push for CA 180 to finally reach I-5.

Hmm. I find CA-36, CA-37 (west extension past 101 that never came to be), CA-1 (Lost Coast), CA-84 (gap between Livermore and the delta), and CA-152 (east to unbuilt CA-65) the most fascinating.

I also wonder how the unbuilt CA-81 highway (Riverside), CA-65 portions, and CA-102 would have looked/felt if they were built.

Interestingly the connecting corridor between the two segments of 65 is among the oldest travel corridors in California.  The proposed extension of CA 65 largely follows what was the Stockton-Los Angeles Road from CA 198 towards CA 108/CA 120.  The Stockton-Los Angeles Road was the primary north/south roadway in Central California during the early Gold Rush era.  Travel back in those days was far easier in the Sierra Foothills than the swampy San Joaquin Valley. 

[gonealookin]

I wonder why this extension wasn't done yet? Hmmm.

Peak-month AADT on US 395 between Susanville and Alturas is under 2000.  I enjoy using that route when I'm headed up to the Pacific Northwest, if it makes sense for where I'm going, because of the lack of traffic.  The extension wasn't done because it would be a waste of money.  Whatever growth anyone once thought would happen out there towards Ravendale and Termo never happened and never will.  As I recall there's an abandoned motel and abandoned gas station at Ravendale, another abandoned gas station at Termo and that's it, though the BLM does have a fire station near Ravendale.

[ClassicHasClass]

After reviewing CA-36 on historical maps up to 2005, there is a dotted line for CA-36 to around Ravendale/US 395, vs. what 36 is now (terminating in Susanville at 395). I wonder if this proposed extension of 36 will ever come to fruition? It'd go up where 139 is now some ways, then cut across the "field" to 395. I wonder why this extension wasn't done yet? Hmmm.

It's probably because there's no existing alignment to adopt, and traffic counts are low.

http://www.floodgap.com/roadgap/395/u16/#img_54

As I recall there's an abandoned motel and abandoned gas station at Ravendale, another abandoned gas station at Termo and that's it, though the BLM does have a fire station near Ravendale.

Yeah, Madeline is pretty much it until you get into Modoc county. It's really isolated territory.

[sparker]

The various iterations of the California Freeway & Expressway System, starting back in 1959, proposed a new-terrain CA 36 extension from CA 139 near Eagle Lake ENE to US 395 near Ravendale.  US 395 was part of the system north of the future CA 36 junction (all the way to the OR state line) -- but not south of there to present CA 36 near Johnstonville.  Also, CA 139 was part of the system between its southern terminus at CA 36 in Susanville and where the CA 36 extension (reroute?) diverged at Eagle Lake; all of the original CA 36 plus US 395 south of CA 36 all the way to the NV state line was also included in the system.  All this leads one to surmise that the ultimate plans were to reroute US 395 into Susanville, subsuming the eastern end of CA 36 and the southern end of CA 139, and returning to its original alignment via the new CA 36 extension.  Whether the portion of US 395 between the old and new CA 36 alignments would have been retained in the state highway system or simply designated with a new number isn't determined -- since it's likely that route will never be constructed. 

[MrAndy1369]

The various iterations of the California Freeway & Expressway System, starting back in 1959, proposed a new-terrain CA 36 extension from CA 139 near Eagle Lake ENE to US 395 near Ravendale.  US 395 was part of the system north of the future CA 36 junction (all the way to the OR state line) -- but not south of there to present CA 36 near Johnstonville.  Also, CA 139 was part of the system between its southern terminus at CA 36 in Susanville and where the CA 36 extension (reroute?) diverged at Eagle Lake; all of the original CA 36 plus US 395 south of CA 36 all the way to the NV state line was also included in the system.  All this leads one to surmise that the ultimate plans were to reroute US 395 into Susanville, subsuming the eastern end of CA 36 and the southern end of CA 139, and returning to its original alignment via the new CA 36 extension.  Whether the portion of US 395 between the old and new CA 36 alignments would have been retained in the state highway system or simply designated with a new number isn't determined -- since it's likely that route will never be constructed.

I'm a bit confused. Looking at the 1966 map, the continuing US-395 road, below Ravendale, is still labelled as US-395, but you said that 395 was not "part of the system" south of Ravendale, etc., until the CA-36 junction in Johnstonville? Are you saying that the original plan was to possibly have 395 run up 139/"36", effectively creating a duplex/triplex, then "36"/395 would branch out and "return" to where 395 is currently, with "36" terminating at where Ravendale, et al., is? If so, why not just truncate/terminate CA-36 at Susanville where 395 would meet 36, then make it 395 all the way going up the hill (on where 139 currently is), meet 139 (which would terminate at 395), then 395 continues east across the (unbuilt) terrain and up through Ravendale, etc.?

See the screenshot - it shows the 1966 map. https://imgur.com/a/Mq4bBEz.

[sparker]

The portion of US 395 between the two iterations of CA 36 (Johnstonville, Ravendale) would have been, absent any legislative action, part of the state highway system.  That segment, however, was never included in the state "freeway & expressway" network; the local N-S through route on that network included US 395 north to Johnstonville, where the designated expressway continued west on CA 36 to Susanville, north on CA 139 to near Eagle Lake, and then over the new-terrain CA 36 extension back to US 395 at Ravendale.  What I am suggesting is that the CA 36 number as applied to the extension was a "placeholder" so US 395 could continue on its then (and current) alignment pending the completion of the new extension.  If and when that extension was completed,  it's more than likely US 395 itself would have been rerouted over the expressway-designated section as described above.  The Johnstonville-Ravendale original US 395 segment could receive a new designation.  At that point CA 139 would terminate (south) at US 395 near Eagle Lake, CA 36 would terminate at US 395 in Susanville, and the bypassed US 395 section would receive a new numerical designation (unless Caltrans extended CA 36 over it, which would produce a pretty awkward alignment!). 

[MrAndy1369]

The portion of US 395 between the two iterations of CA 36 (Johnstonville, Ravendale) would have been, absent any legislative action, part of the state highway system.  That segment, however, was never included in the state "freeway & expressway" network; the local N-S through route on that network included US 395 north to Johnstonville, where the designated expressway continued west on CA 36 to Susanville, north on CA 139 to near Eagle Lake, and then over the new-terrain CA 36 extension back to US 395 at Ravendale.  What I am suggesting is that the CA 36 number as applied to the extension was a "placeholder" so US 395 could continue on its then (and current) alignment pending the completion of the new extension.  If and when that extension was completed,  it's more than likely US 395 itself would have been rerouted over the expressway-designated section as described above.  The Johnstonville-Ravendale original US 395 segment could receive a new designation.  At that point CA 139 would terminate (south) at US 395 near Eagle Lake, CA 36 would terminate at US 395 in Susanville, and the bypassed US 395 section would receive a new numerical designation (unless Caltrans extended CA 36 over it, which would produce a pretty awkward alignment!).

Makes perfect sense; thanks for clarifying!

For some reason, to me, it's very fascinating seeing all the proposed "dotted" highways on historic maps. Makes me wonder what could have been.

[sparker]

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For some reason, to me, it's very fascinating seeing all the proposed "dotted" highways on historic maps. Makes me wonder what could have been.

The original 1959 CA freeway & expressway's charge was to provide at least expressway-grade facilities (some 2-lane) to all CA cities and towns exceeding 5K population -- a scaled-down formula from the 50K minimum service criterion of the original Interstate system.  Many of the "dotted lines" that never were developed were deleted from the map (so to speak as well as literally in the late '70's during the Gianturco years at Caltrans; many others were caught up, one way or another, in cost-cutting measures of the early '90's.  Those remaining area either retain political support are of the connective variety, waiting for development when the need warrants.  But more than a fair share of the routes deleted over the years were part & parcel of the various freeway "revolts" (both well-known or unremarked) over the years.