Category Archives: District 8

District 8, Highways, History, Moreno Valley, Old Alignment, Riverside County, SR-79, US 60

Old US 60 in eastern Moreno Valley

Looking easterly toward Mt San Jacinto. Old alignment is to the left.

A short section of original US 60 can be found east of the intersection of Allesandro Blvd and Gilman Springs Road in the eastern Moreno Valley. This section of US 60 was bypassed by the current alignment, now State Route 60, in 1936. Gilman Springs Road, at that time, became State Route 79, which was rerouted onto Lamb Canyon Road to the east in 1963.

Aerial view showing the alignment and relation to Gilman Springs Road.
Looking south along the old alignment.

It is not known exactly when this section of concrete roadway was built but, judging by the records of other sections in the vicinity, it is likely that it was built around 1917. Gilman Springs road was realigned here, bypassing this short stretch, sometime in the late 1930’s or early 1940’s.

1943 topo map showing the area. State 79 is Gilman Springs Road and the roadway heading easy from Moreno is Allesandro Blvd, former US 60.
C-monument and the old alignment. This monument is actually for the current roadway not the original alignment.
Section of the original concrete roadway with a thin asphalt covering. Note the lack of rebar.
County Highway, District 8, Highways, History, Image, Old Bridge, Roads, San Bernardino County, Santa Ana River

Featured Image – 5/31/2022

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1912 / 1933 Greenspot Road bridge over the Santa Ana River

The Greenspot Road bridge, locally known as the “Erector Set Bridge” has an interesting history. It was originally built in 1912 located near Victorville at the Mojave Narrows. In 1932, the bridge was dismantled and replaced with a wider span for US Highway 66. In 1933, San Bernardino County purchased a portion of the span and rebuilt it over the Santa Ana River between Mentone and Highland. The bridge remained in general use until 2015 when it was bypassed by a new bridge to the west. Today, the bridge is a part of a bicycle trail along the Santa Ana River.

To get to the bridge, use either the 5th St / Greenspot Road exit on State 210 (Exit 83) from the west or via State 38 (Mill Creek Road) and Garnet St from the east.

Further Reading:

Historic Bridges of Southern California
Beaumont, Caltrans, District 8, Highways, History, Image, Jackrabbit Trail, Moreno Valley, Riverside County, Roads, SR-60, US 60

From the Archives – 1935

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Badlands along US 60 in 1935. Courtesy – Caltrans

In 1936, US 60 was realigned between Moreno Valley and Beaumont. This realignment took the highway off of the Jackrabbit Trail and put it on a new alignment through the Badlands. This is the same alignment State 60 follows today.

This photo from 1935 shows the immense cuts and fills that were necessary for even the two-lane version of the roadway. In 1956, the roadway was widened to a four-lane expressway, further deepening some of these cuts. Work is currently underway to make this section six-lanes, with the outer lanes being truck-climbing lanes.

Related Links:

Banning, Beaumont, Calimesa, District 8, Geology, Highways, Historic Highway 99 Association of California, History, Meeting, Old Alignment, Old Bridge, Presentation, Riverside County, Roads, San Andreas Fault, US 60, US 70, US 99

July Presentation

Aside

On July 6, 2021 at 6 pm, I will be giving a presentation for the Historic Highway 99 Association of California on the history of US 99 through the San Gorgonio Pass. The route will be covered from Thousand Palms to Calimesa. Photos of the route, new and old, as well as maps showing the various alignments will be shown. Come join us!

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEqd-moqj4vHdJw6RL5SEOPiOfdgV2J3M4G

California, Caltrans, District 8, Highways, History, I-10, Image, Old Bridge, Rivers, Roads, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, Santa Ana River, Southern California, US 395, US 70, US 91, US 99

Featured Image – 5/5/2021

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“Crossroads Interchange” in 1958. Courtesy – Caltrans

This photo shows the I-10 / I-215 interchange in San Bernardino, California as it existed in 1958. At the time, those numbers didn’t quite exist. Back then, this was the junction of US 70, US 91, US 99, US 395, and State 18. The view is looking south along what is now I-215 with the Santa Ana River bridges in the foreground. The bridge to the left was US 99 until the 1930’s. The two bridges to the right are still around, though widened.