Category Archives: Moreno Valley

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.
Beaumont, Caltrans, District 8, Highways, History, Image, Jackrabbit Trail, Moreno Valley, Riverside County, Roads, SR-60, US 60

From the Archives – 1935

Image
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:

Caltrans, Highways, Image, Moreno Valley, Riverside County, Road Signs, Roads, US 395, US 60

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US 60 and US 395 at the eastern State 60 and I-215 interchange.
US 60 and US 395 at the eastern State 60 and I-215 interchange. This sign has survived two major freeway construction projects and stands today.