Virtual Tour of US 99

Historical Tour of US 99
Golden State Highway

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Contents:



Tour Index

Start Tour of US 99

Tour runs from Figueroa St and Ave 26 in Los Angeles to Tipton in the Central Valley
Approximately 170 miles total

Future extension to Fresno and maybe Sacramento to the Capitol Building


Historic Highway 99 Association of California

A California 501(c)3 Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation dedicated to preserving and promoting Historic US 99.


When you’re through getting your kicks on Route 66, come wine and dine on Route 99!

Bruce Clark of Indio, California

Introduction

US 99 was one of major highways in the US highway system. It formed the “Backbone of the Pacific States”, much as I-5 does today. The highway ran 1,499 miles from Canada at Blaine, Washington to Mexico at Calexico, California, in the Imperial Valley. From Sacramento to Los Angeles, it was known as the Golden State Highway. US 99 first became a signed route in California in 1928 following the creation of the US Highway System in late 1926. As a US route, the highway lasted until 1971 when the last section in Oregon was decommissioned. In California, this designation lasted until 1965.

In September 1993, California designated US 99 as a Historic Route, under Assembly Resolution 19, drafted by Doug Pruitt of Cottonwood, CA and sponsored by Assemblyman Stan Statham (1st Assembly District). This legislation made signage along the remaining portions of the roadway possible.

This tour will focus on the alignment before being replaced by I-5 and State Route 99. Some of these sections were abandoned and are no longer traversable by car.


Routing of the highway through California

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US 99 ran through the heart of California. It entered the state from Oregon near Siskiyou Summit and left the state (and country) at Calexico. In between, it ran on the following course:

Pacific Highway Section

Hornbrook, Yreka, Weed, Mt. Shasta City, Dunsmuir, Redding (Crossing US 299), Red Bluff

At Red Bluff, US 99 split into US 99E and US 99W.

  • US 99E’s route (Following current SR-36, SR-99, SR-20, SR-70, SR-65, I-80):
    • Los Molinos, Chico, Yuba City, Marysville, Lincoln, Roseville, Sacramento
  • US 99W’s route (Following current I-5, SR-113, I-80):
    • Corning, Maxwell, Arbuckle, Woodland, Davis, Sacramento

The routes rejoined in downtown Sacramento. US 50 also joined. From there, US 99 followed this routing:

Golden State Highway Section

Sacramento, Stockton (US 50 leaves), Modesto, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Delano, Famoso (US 466 joins), Bakersfield (US 466 leaves, US 399 joins), Greenfield (US 399 leaves), Lebec, Gorman, Castaic, Santa Clarita, Los Angeles

In Los Angeles, Former US 99 leaves I-5, joins I-10 (Former US 60 and US 70), and goes through:

El Monte, West Covina, Pomona (US 60 leaves), Ontario, Colton, Redlands, Beaumont (US 60 rejoins), Banning, Indio

In Indio, former US 99 leaves I-10 (former US 60/US 70) to follow SR-86:

Valerie Jean, Oasis, Salton City, Kane Springs, Westmorland, Brawley, Imperial, El Centro (Joining US 80 for a few blocks), Heber, Calexico.

At Calexico, US 99 left SR-86 to follow SR-111:

Heading south on current SR-111, US 99 ended at the border in Calexico at 1st St and Heffernan Ave.

Thus was the routing of US 99 through the State of California.

1960 ACSC map from Burbank to Bakersfield
1960 ACSC Map from Bakersfield to Chowchilla

US 99 Ends

The southern end of US 99 at the Mexican border. The former Customs House is to the right.
The southern end of US 99 at the Mexican border in Calexico, CA at 1st St and Heffernan Ave. The former Customs House is to the right.
Northern end of US 99, from the Canadian side near Blaine, WA and Whiterock, BC.
Northern end of US 99, from the Canadian side near Blaine, WA and Whiterock, BC.

Southern End of US 99

The southern end of US Highway 99 changed a few times during its history.  From 1926 to 1931, the route ended in El Centro at the junction with US 80 at Imperial Ave and Adams Ave. In 1931, the route was extended to Calexico, where it terminated until 1964. In 1964, the south end moved to Los Angeles briefly. By 1968, US 99 was completely removed from California, putting the southern terminus in Oregon near Ashland, OR.


Signs along US 99

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This sign can be found along old alignments of US 99 within the Los Angeles city limits. These signs state when the alignment was in use. Similar signs can be found along alignments of US 66.
This milepost was found near Whitaker Summit on old US 99. US 99 was gone legislatively in 1964 so Route 5 took over the numbering here. That is why it shows the mileage for I-5.
This milepost was found near Whitaker Summit on old US 99. US 99 was gone legislatively in 1964 so Route 5 took over the numbering here. That is why it shows the mileage for I-5.

The mileposts used today by Caltrans were were placed along the highways in 1964. That mileage, as of July 1, 1964, became the “base” mileage. Any changes after that date became “R” or realignment mileage. US 99, between Los Angeles and Wheeler Ridge, became Route 5. Mileposts reflected this change and were posted along the entire route. Some of those mileposts remain today along sections of old US 99.

BEGIN signage in Calexico, CA at 1st St and Heffernan Ave.
Exposed US 99 signage from 1961 along the Ventura Freeway (State 134) at Victory Blvd in Los Angeles, CA.
Southbound US 99 Freeway in Tulare.
Southbound US 99 Freeway in Tulare. Courtesy – Caltrans
The last original US 99 shield in Washington in Seattle at 1st Ave and Columbia St.
The last original US 99 shield in Washington in Seattle at 1st Ave and Columbia St.

Brief history of the highway from Los Angeles to Bakersfield

Originally commissioned in 1926, it wouldn’t be signed in California until 1928. The first highway along the routing of what was to become US 99 was the Ridge Route. It was completed over Newhall Pass in 1910 and over Tejon Pass in 1915.

Map of the Proposed Newhall Alternate in 1928.
Map of the Proposed Newhall Alternate in 1928. Courtesy – Caltrans

In 1930, a three lane highway, the Newhall Alternate, was built through Weldon and Gavin Canyons bypassing Newhall and Saugus entirely. This new route was shorter and less steep. It also avoided the Newhall Tunnel. Early in 1931, construction began on a three lane highway over the Liebre Mountains which lie just north of Castaic. This was to bypass the treacherous curves and grades over the Ridge Route. Finally on October 29, 1933, US 99 was opened over the Liebre Mountains with three lanes. It was known as the Ridge Route Alternate. By 1936, all of the old Ridge Route had been replaced over the mountains.

Traffic increased so much over the highway that in 1940 plans were made to widen the highway to four lanes. These plans were delayed until 1947 because of WWII. Below there is a list of most of the changes made to the highway from Newhall Pass to Tejon Pass. List runs from south to north. Most of this widening work was completed by 1952.

Section:Length:Cost:Date Completed:
Pico Road (Lyons Avenue) to Saugus Road (Saugus Junction)3.3 miles$450,0004-8-1949
Santa Clara River to Castaic Creek2.6 miles$489,0005-13-1949
Palominos Creek to Violin Summit (Five Mile Grade)2.6 miles$795,0006-9-1948
Violin Summit to Whitaker Summit4.4 miles$1,392,0002-24-1949
Whitaker Summit to Piru Creek (Three Mile Grade)3.8 miles$1,420,00010-8-1948
Los Alamos Creek to 2.3 miles S of SR-138 (at the Gorman Post Road / I-5 junction)6.7 miles$967,00012-8-1949
Data courtesy – Caltrans

In 1954, the first portion of US 99 north of Los Angeles became a freeway. It ran from the SR-7, US 6, and US 99 interchange (now I-5 / I-210) to just beyond the US 6 / US 99 junction (now SR-14 / I-5). A three level interchange was built at the US 6 / US 99 interchange. This routing is now used by the truck routes of I-5.

Slowly, section by section US 99 was being replaced by I-5. In remained a signed US route until 1968. By 1970, almost all of old US 99 had been replaced by I-5 and I-10 in California. The last section to be replaced was in the Sacramento River Canyon, near Gibson between Lake Shasta and Dunsmuir in 1991.


Why is it called “The Grapevine”?

Wild grapes in Grapevine Canyon

I-5 is commonly referred to as “The Grapevine” by locals and traffic reporters. Most assume the name derives from the twisty nature of the original roadway – the Ridge Route. That road was indeed very twisty, much like a grapevine. However, that is still not the reason. The name Grapevine actually comes from Grapevine Canyon, where old US 99 and I-5 come down from the mountains and into the San Joaquin Valley. The canyon is called such as wild grapes grow along the canyon walls. It was formerly known as Canada De Las Uvas which is Spanish for Canyon of the Grapes. The name Tejon Pass is also a “new” addition to the area. The current Tejon Pass was known as Grapevine Pass or Badger Pass until the 1850’s. Old Tejon Pass, much farther to the east, was a very treacherous route. That pass was eventually abandoned in favor of the current Tejon Pass. The name was just shifted to the new route.

After the 1933 bypass of the original road to as late as the 1970’s, the roadway over the mountains was still referred to as “The Ridge Route”. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that the name “The Grapevine” was extended to the entire roadway. Why this was done is still unclear. Even Caltrans called it the “Ridge Route”. So, if you want to call it proper – call it Tejon Pass, when being specific to the actual pass, and the Ridge Route when referring to I-5 from Castaic to Grapevine. While you’re passing through Grapevine Canyon, be sure to spot the wild grapevines that still grow in the canyon. Names may change, but the name Ridge Route should live on. It applies to I-5 better than “The Grapevine” ever will.


Pyramid Dam and Reservoir

Looking north toward Pyramid Rock and Dam.

Pyramid Dam was completed in 1970 and is a part of the California State Water Project or Feather River Project. The dam and reservoir are named after Pyramid Rock, paying a small homage to the roadway the dam and reservoir submerged under water. Pyramid Rock was created in 1932 when a section of the Ridge Route Alternate cut through a meander in Piru Creek. This cut left a pyramid-shaped rock to the west side, hence the name. The rock stands today, as shown in the photograph above, in front of Pyramid Dam. There are, however, two other features that are often confused to be the source of the name. The cut on the west side of the dam and the island near the dam are both pyramid shaped.


The Pine and the Palm

The Pine and the Palm
The Pine and the Palm

Just north of Fresno, 1.75 miles south of Ave 12, and 2.1 miles north of Ave 9 (or more specifically at 06-MAD-99-05.7), there lies a pine tree and a palm tree in the median of Highway 99. It has been there for many years and marks the former halfway point along US 99 in California. The Palm Tree, a Canary Island Date Palm, represents Southern California and the Pine Tree, a Deodor Cedar, represents Northern California. A few years ago, the pine tree fell down but was replaced by Caltrans as this is a somewhat historic marker.

There is currently a project to place signs at this historic location by the Historic Highway 99 Association of California. For more information, please contact them using the link below.

https://historic99.org/the-pine-and-the-palm/


Photos of US 99 in Southern California

Original paving with faded striping near Coolidge Springs at the Imperial / Riverside County Line.
Original 15′ concrete paving with faded striping near Coolidge Springs at the Imperial / Riverside County Line. Bypassed in 1930 by the current alignment of State 86.
Varner Road near Edom Hill, former US 99 until the late 1940's.
Varner Road near Edom Hill, former US 99 until the late 1940’s.
1939 San Timeteo Creek Bridge near Beaumont.
1939 San Timeteo Creek Bridge near Beaumont.
Roberts Road near Calimesa with 1920's concrete paving.
Roberts Road near Calimesa with 1925 concrete paving.
Restored map mural in Redlands, CA along US 99 (Redlands Blvd).

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9 thoughts on “Virtual Tour of US 99”

  1. Interesting site. Is there a map of the Interstate Highway System (nationwide or just CA) that includes the date of completion for each segment of the system?

  2. I’m looking for a waterfall and the exit for it. It’s a short path not far off the hwy, somewhere between Los Angeles and Delano. We used to stop there often approximately 25 years ago.

  3. I am currently working in the San Bernardino county archive and there are documents from 1934 showing the State of California wanting to buy some land of a recently deceased woman in order to create highway 99. I thought it was so fascinating! Just thought I would share. Very informative site!

  4. There still was one sign of US 99 in Oregon as of a few years ago. Alas, the overhead US 99 sign in Roseburg was removed when a revamping of I-5 was undertaken about 10 years ago.

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