Category Archives: Roads

History, Mass Transit, North Park, Railroads, Roads, San Diego, San Diego County, San Diego Electric Railway, Streetcar

San Diego Electric Railway Exposed in North Park

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The City of San Diego has a project underway known as the University Avenue Mobility Project. This will add a median to University Ave from Florida St to Boundary St and a transit lane in both directions. This work, which has begun in earnest in the past few weeks, has exposed more of the San Diego Electric Railway #7 car line. The last time these tracks saw revenue service was on April 23, 1949 and have been buried under asphalt since.

Construction projects such as these allow a brief glimpse into San Diego’s past, in this case exposing hundreds of feet of intact railway tracks. At the time of this writing, the exposed tracks run from Idaho St to near Grim Ave along University Ave. Between Idaho St and Utah St, you can see get a unique view looking between two sets of tracks, where the remainder exposed is just one direction.

Who knows? Maybe the future of University Ave will see these tracks torn up and replaced with newer rails? Los Angeles did that along 1st for the Metro L Line back in the early 2000’s. It could happen here.

Looking west from Utah St on University Ave. Here, the middle of a section of double-track can be seen during roadway construction. Additional rails are still buried beneath the pavement.
Looking east from Kansas St on University Ave. These were the former westbound tracks.
Further east on University Ave at Ohio St looking at the former westbound tracks.
Caltrans, District 12, Highways, History, I-5, Image, Old Alignment, Orange County, Roads, US 101

Featured Image – 12/4/2021

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From the Archives – 1959

Looking southerly at US 101 (Now I-5) at Avery Parkway in 1959. Courtesy – Caltrans.

A lot has changed in southern Orange County since 1959. Gone are most of the orange groves and wide-open spaces. Today, this view is very different but a surprising amount of what is seen does remain. This photo, taken in 1959, shows the US 101 freeway and the original alignment to the right, known as Camino Capistrano. In the intervening years, the roadway has been widened at least four times. Instead of a four-lane freeway, it is now eight lanes plus two HOV lanes. Even today, the roadway is being widened yet again, this time to add an additional HOV lane in each direction. The State 73 freeway interchange is also missing from this view. It would be added in 1996.

Some of the concrete visible in this photo on both the freeway and old alignment still remain to this day. It is truly amazing to see what things looked like before they became one giant suburban mess.

Event, Highways, History, Ridge Route, Ridge Route Preservation Organization, Roads, US 99

Upcoming Ridge Route Event

Next weekend, on October 23, 2021, the Ridge Route Preservation Organization will be holding a Clean Up The Ridge Route event. These events are work parties to help repair and preserve the historic Ridge Route. They are open to all, though donations are always welcome. For more information and specific details, please check out their website:

http://www.ridgeroute.org/october-cutrr-event/

California, Castaic, Disaster, Event, Highways, I-5, Los Angeles County, Ridge Route, Ridge Route Preservation Organization, Roads, Wildfire

Fire on the Ridge Route

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There is currently a fire, #RouteFire, burning on the Ridge Route near Templin Highway. I-5 is closed both directions and the Old Ridge Route may be in danger. For information, follow the Twitter feed for the Ridge Route Preservation Organization – @ridgeroute99.

Caltrans, District 7, Highways, History, Image, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Roads, SR-170, SR-90

Featured Image – 9/4/2021

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1967 aerial photo showing the interchange between La Cienega Blvd (lower roadway) and Slauson Ave. Courtesy – Caltrans

In 1949, La Cienega Blvd was extended through the Baldwin Hills. This roadway was eventually to become a part of the State Route 170 Laurel Canyon Freeway. Interchanges and grade separations were built with this in mind. Access to the roadway was also controlled, making it easier to upgrade the roadway to a full freeway in the future. It became the only section constructed not long after.

Today, the roadway remains as a freeway and expressway-grade roadway through those hills acting as a “cutoff” for travelers coming from the westside of Los Angeles to the airport area. The photo above shows the interchange between La Cienega Blvd (right-left) and Slauson Ave in 1967. The photo was taken as a part of a study for a freeway routing for State Route 90, another stub freeway nearby. That freeway gained the moniker of the “Slauson Cutoff” by Johnny Carson.

Los Angeles may be known as “The Land of Freeways” but many of those freeway dreams didn’t come to pass. This is an example of one of those.

For further information:

La Cienega Boulevard – Baldwin Hills