Headlines About California Highways – December 2024

[cahwyguy]

Well, we made it. The election year of 2024 is behind us; I’m not quite sure what we’ll be stepping into in 2025. All I know is that I agree with the sentiments of my likely birthday song for this year:  “I’d rather be over than under the hill”. We made it, and hopefully we’ll make it through 2025 only a little worse for wear.

December was busy. We had over 300 people at the Annual Computer Security Applications Conference in Waikiki, where I was doing local arrangements and registration. That now goes quiet for a bit other than the paying of the bills, then we start gearing up for 2025. Next years conference will be different in one respect: It is very likely I’ll be retiring from the ranch in June, meaning I’ll be attending and participating not as a representative of the ranch (although that depends on when and if I come back as a retiree casual). That change will mean more time to work on highway stuff. More on that in a minute.

On the theatre front, there were two shows: Seeing Wicked on stage again after 20 years, and seeing Sutton Foster in Once Upon a Mattress.  Both were great, and Sutton Foster was a comic gem in Mattress. We also saw our two movies for the year: A Complete Unknown about Bob Dylan and Wicked. It was interesting to compare and contrast the stage and screen productions. Theatre should be picking up a little in 2025 as we start to do more live performances.

The highway page updates are up and live. Of course, right after I upload them, I start work on writing the last two podcast episodes of the year (on US 6 and Route 7), and uncover a bunch of changes and new information (especially with respect to LRN 6 in Napa, and US 6 in Newhall/Saugus). So look for those updates in the first 2025 updates to the pages. As a reminder: One of the sources for the highway page updates (and the raison d’etre for for this post) are headlines about California Highways that I’ve seen over the last month. I collect them in this post, which serves as fodder for the updates to my California Highways site, and so there are also other pages and things I’ve seen that I wanted to remember for the site updates. Lastly, the post also includes some things that I think would be of peripheral interest to my highway-obsessed highway-interested readers.

The podcast continues apace, and I’m writing the last two episodes of the season on US 6 and Route 7. Two episodes were posted during December (see below), and we just recorded the second episode on I-5, which covers the Ridge Route. That will also be a two-parter (one about 45 minutes on I-5 from DTLA to the Newhall Pass, and one just over an hour on the Ridge Route, projects, and naming). Those will be posted in January. Please tell your friends about the podcast, “like”, “♥”, or “favorite” it, and give it a rating in your favorite podcatcher. For those that hear the early episode, the sound quality of the episodes does get better — we were learning. If you know sound editing, feel free to give me advice (I use Audacity to edit). As always, you can keep up with the show at the podcast’s forever home at https://www.caroutebyroute.org , the show’s page on Spotify for Creators, or you can subscribe through your favorite podcatching app or via the RSS feeds (CARxR, Spotify for Podcasters) . The following episodes have been posted this month:

• CA RxR 3.05p1: I-5: San Diego to Los Angeles (Part 1). In this episode, we start our exploration of I-5, the central spine of California. We’re splitting the discussion over 6 episodes, some of which are two-parters. This first episode (a two-parter) looks at the former US 101 segment, from the Mexico Border to Downtown Los Angeles. Part 1, this part, starts with a discussion of all things 5: Maritime Highway M-5, the 5^th state highway, Legislative Route 5, Sign Route 5, and then I-5. For I-5, we look at the history of the route, and the pieces that led to first the US 101 Bypass and then I-5 in this area. We’ll finish the discussion in Part 2, where we look at projects along the route and names along the route. Subsequent episodes will be looking at (3.06) from Downtown LA to Wheeler Ridge, where Route 99 splits, including the Ridge Route; (3.07) the Westerly Routing; (3.08) the planned I-5W; (3.09) the former US 99W portion from Sacramento to Redding; and (3.09) the portion from Redding to the Oregon Border. (Spotify for Creators)
• CA RxR 3.05p2: I-5: San Diego to Los Angeles (Part 2). In this episode, we continue our exploration of I-5, the central spine of California. We’re splitting the discussion over 6 episodes, some of which are two-parters. This first episode (a two-parter) looks at the former US 101 segment, from the Mexico Border to Downtown Los Angeles. Part 2, this part, looks at the projects along this segment of I-5, as well as some of the more significant names. Go back to part 1 for a discussion of all things 5: Maritime Highway M-5, the 5th state highway, Legislative Route 5, Sign Route 5, and then I-5. For I-5, we look at the history of the route, and the pieces that led to first the US 101 Bypass and then I-5 in this area. Subsequent episodes will be looking at (3.06) from Downtown LA to Wheeler Ridge, where Route 99 splits, including the Ridge Route; (3.07) the Westerly Routing; (3.08) the planned I-5W; (3.09) the former US 99W portion from Sacramento to Redding; and (3.09) the portion from Redding to the Oregon Border. (Spotify for Creators)

Well, you should now be up to date. Here are the headlines that I found about California’s highways for December.

Key

[Ħ Historical information | ＄ Paywalls, ＄＄ really obnoxious paywalls, and ∅ other annoying restrictions. I’m no longer going to list the paper names, as I’m including them in the headlines now. Note: For ＄ paywalls, sometimes the only way is incognito mode, grabbing the text before the paywall shows, and pasting into an editor. See this article for more tips on bypassing paywalls. ☊ indicates an primarily audio article. ↈ indicates a primarily video article. ]

Highway Headlines

• New Pedestrian Beacons Soon to be Activated on State Route 116 in Sebastopol (Caltrans). Caltrans will activate two pedestrian crosswalk beacons on State Route 116 in Sebastopol, Sonoma County, on Tuesday, December 3, weather permitting. The signals are located at the intersection of Petaluma Avenue and McKinley Street in the Sebastopol business district, as well as Gravenstein Highway and Danmar Drive in northwestern Sebastopol. The new beacons will allow pedestrians to cross Route 116 without walking a long distance to a standard traffic signal. Caltrans has installed high-intensity activated crosswalk beacons at each location, better known by their acronym HAWK. The signals themselves are fastened to a boom overhanging the road. The beacons will not flash unless someone presses the crossing button. The button activates a series of flashing and solid lights.
• U.S. Highway 50 traffic shift scheduled in Northern California to last until 2025 (Yahoo/KXTL Fox 40). Caltrans is continuing work on the $483.5 million U.S. Highway 50 “Fix50” Project, which includes a long-term traffic shift on westbound US-50 starting at 9 p.m. on Dec. 2 and last through 2025. According to Caltrans, the new traffic shift is required so crews can remove the existing pavement, install drainage, lower the roadway for increased clearance under the overcrossing bridges, and rehabilitate the highway with reinforced concrete pavement on roadways.
• State Route 156 is scheduled to reopen Monday. (MSN/KMPH). On the newly opened SR 156 expressway. Caltrans announced, that they will open one lane of traffic in each direction starting Monday, depending on weather. Caltrans advises drivers to slow down and exercise caution, as work continues to widen the expressway. Temporary signage will be up for travelers. This 5.2-mile project extends from San Juan Bautista at The Alameda, to State Route 156 Business Route (4th St.) in Hollister.
• ＄ Pasadena leaders reckon with ‘trauma’ of defunct 710 project amid calls for reconciliation (San Gabriel Valley Tribune). The second annual update on Pasadena’s redevelopment plans for the “710 stub” shed light on new research revealing the city’s role in selecting the freeway’s current route, a decision that led to greater displacement of homes. It also brought forward varying perspectives from some council members on how to compensate those harmed by the project, with some offering specific proposals while others stressed the need for further exploration. The “710 freeway stub” refers to a section of land in Pasadena that was cleared decades ago for a freeway extension that was never completed. The project forced the displacement of thousands of residents, primarily from lower-income and minority communities.
• California ferry boat that doubles as a state highway out of service after mechanical problems (Newsbreak/Golden Gate Media). The State Route 84 (SR-84) “Real McCoy II Ferry” is currently out of service due to engine mechanical issues, according to Caltrans Bay Area-District 4. Repairs are underway, with service expected to resume by December 13. The J-Mack Ferry, another key route to Ryer Island, is also unavailable due to scheduled dry hull maintenance. Caltrans apologizes for the inconvenience this may cause motorists and residents navigating the Sacramento Delta.

• Caltrans Begins Bridge Overhaul on U.S. Route 101 (Roads and Bridges). The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will begin a major construction project on U.S. Route 101 today. Caltrans plans to demolish and replace the northbound and southbound bridges that span the road. It will start with the demolition and rebuilding of the southern bridge, according to officials. “The existing ones have internal structural issues and determined need to be replaced,” Caltrans spokesperson Genelle Padilla said to SFGATE.com. The new bridges will be a single span, with no supporting columns underneath, according to Padilla. They also will feature upgrades to the pedestrian pathway and be 7-feet wider to better accommodate truck traffic, according to the Caltrans project plan.
• Residents Demand Action as Highway 74 Potholes Cause Chaos (NBC Palm Springs). Highway 74’s Pothole Problem Spurs Local Action, Prompts Solutions Over the weekend, Highway 74 turned into a treacherous obstacle course as 30 cars were towed due to flat tires, and one truck overturned. The culprit? Potholes so large they’ve been likened to craters on the moon. Community Response: Street Golf and Petitions One frustrated resident, Alison Kleman, has started a petition urging local leaders, including Supervisor V. Manuel Perez and Congressman Ken Calvert, to take action against the hazardous conditions. Kleman’s petition emphasizes the need to address potholes to protect lives and property. While Calvert has indicated he will have his team investigate, Supervisor Perez has yet to respond directly.
• Intersection of Highway 156 closed for 2 months to reopen (MSN/KSBW). Caltrans announced that an intersection on Highway 156 that has been closed for two months will reopen Monday. The intersection of Mitchell Road was closed so that it could be aligned with the new Highway 156 expressway. “This follows the successful traffic switch directing travelers onto the newly constructed expressway lanes, just south of the existing SR 156 which occurred in October,” Caltrans said in a media release. “Caltrans will maintain at least one lane in each direction along the new SR 156 expressway while construction on this widening project continues.”
• Major construction on California’s Highway 101 to take 3 years (SF Gate). Starting Wednesday, Caltrans plans to demolish and replace both the northbound and southbound bridges that span the road, starting with the demolition and rebuilding of the southern bridge this month, officials said. “The existing ones have internal structural issues and determined need to be replaced,” Caltrans spokesperson Genelle Padilla wrote SFGATE in an email Monday. “The main aesthetic difference, once the project is complete, is that the bridges will be single span, meaning they won’t be supported by columns underneath,” Padilla continued.
• Caltrans hosting public info meeting for Los Alamos community project (Santa Maria Times). Caltrans is hosting an in-person public information meeting for the Los Alamos Connected Community Project on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will give the public an opportunity to talk with Caltrans’ staff about the various design features of the project before the final design is selected. Caltrans proposes to construct pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure to connect residential areas to the downtown community corridor and to Olga Reed Elementary School on State Route 135 from 0.1 mile south of the U.S. 101/135 separation to Den Street at post mile 0.73 in Santa Barbara County.
• North Oakland slow streets project is postponed after local outcry (Oaklandside). The Oakland Department of Transportation had planned to add two diverters to a street in North Oakland sometime next month. The hope was to slow down drivers cutting through a picturesque neighborhood above Claremont Avenue. But residents of a street where traffic would’ve been diverted pushed back hard against the plan this week in a community meeting, telling the city’s transportation leader that his office failed to notify them properly. The result was a call for compromise and collaboration between the parties and the postponement of the project for three months until a solution could be found. Some residents called the outcome a success, while others derided it as a last-minute stopgap to a problem created by the city’s poor communication.
• How SF Proposition K fits in national roadway reexamination (SF Examiner). A majority of San Francisco voters in November cast ballots in favor of closing part of Great Highway, joining a recent reexamination of the impact of freeways, highways and roadways on urban areas. Proposition K’s passage came nearly 30 years after the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to remove the Embarcadero Freeway, and it followed another critical entry in the national conversation from earlier this year: Houston Chronicle investigative journalist Megan Kimble’s “City Limits,” a thorough study of the U.S. highway system published in April. The book, perhaps inadvertently, demonstrates which community protests have been effective in combating roadways, and which have not.
• San Mateo County Transportation Authority awarding $26.8M for pedestrian, bicycle and congestion relief projects (San Mateo Daily Journal). The San Mateo County Transportation Authority is awarding $26.8 million in grants for a variety of pedestrian, bicycle and congestion relief projects. This funding includes $24.6 million from Measure A and Measure W Pedestrian and Bicycle Program Funds and $2.2 million from the Alternative Congestion Relief/Transportation Demand Management Program. Some of the projects being funded by the adoption of these resolutions include:
• Marin-Sonoma Narrows project continues in Marin County toward 2025 completion (The Bay Link Blog). Completion of the Highway 101 Marin-Sonoma Narrows widening project is in sight as work continues with an eye toward a summer 2025 opening. The Marin-Sonoma Narrows B-7 construction project is ongoing with new ramp lighting and ramp metering work this month, which requires ramp closures on Southbound US-101 near Novato. In May 2021, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission provided $76 million in STP/CMAQ funding to help the overall $135 million segment move forward. This is the last remaining High Occupancy Vehicle lane construction project as part of the Narrows program, which will see 17 miles of carpool lanes in each direction through Marin and Sonoma counties, completing a total 50 miles of continuous carpool lanes in each direction, between Windsor and Richardson Bay.
• San Francisco Bay Area bridge tolls could go above $10 by 2030 (KTVU FOX 2). San Francisco Bay Area bridge tolls are already going up to $8 on January 1, 2025 for seven state-owned bridges. But in a meeting Wednesday, the Bay Area Toll Authority Oversight Committee will also discuss increasing tolls over a five year period starting in January 2026. The proposal includes increasing tolls by 50 cents each year. For a typical car, if you’re using FasTrak, the fee would be $10.50 by 2030. There would be an additional increase if you don’t use FasTrak, making it $1 more if you’re sent an invoice. Cars in the carpool lane would pay half price at $5.25.
• ＄ SF Golden Gate Bridge’s infamous ‘singing’ will finally go away (SF Chronicle). A team of top engineers has worked for years to muffle a high-pitched whine that emanates from the Golden Gate Bridge — drowning out car radios and battering eardrums in the nearby Presidio neighborhood. In a few months the bridge’s eerie song may finally be silenced, once crews implement a noise-canceling design crafted by the world’s leading minds in bridge acoustics and aerodynamics. While they’ve toiled away, San Franciscans have been subjected to a sustained vibrato wail that recurs whenever the wind cranks up, wafting from the Golden Gate over the bay and into the city, resonating as far away as Bernal Heights. To many, it became a distinct San Francisco soundtrack.
• Delta ferry suffers another major breakdown, leaving Ryer Island travelers only one option (Local News Matters). A free ferry that provides a critical link in state Highway 84 across the Sacramento River between Rio Vista and Ryer Island is out of commission again, this time because of unexpected engine problems. Caltrans, which is responsible for the ferry’s operation, announced Nov. 15 that it had removed the Real McCoy II from service until at least Dec. 13 “due to mechanical issues with the vessel’s engine.” It is at least the third time this year that the aging ferry has failed.
• Lucas Valley Road bridge project gets funding boost (Marin I-J). Marin County supervisors approved a funding plan that includes $400,000 from a federal grant for design and engineering work on a San Rafael bridge project. The project aims to replace the damaged bridge on Lucas Valley Road at Miller Creek. The 63-year-old bridge is near the intersection of Lucas Valley Road and Mount Lassen Drive. “We are grateful to receive this federal grant to support the design work for replacing Miller Creek Bridge,” said Supervisor Mary Sackett, whose district includes the San Rafael area. The supervisors cleared the funding plan at their meeting on Nov. 19. The project’s design and engineering budget was subsequently increased to $500,000.
• Carpool Lanes in Santa Barbara (FB/Caltrans District 5). New northbound US 101 carpool lanes will open from Santa Monica Road in Carpinteria to Sheffield Drive in Montecito on Friday, Dec. 13. The southbound lanes will open in January. Carpool lanes with at least two passengers applicable from 6 to 9 am and 3 to 6 pm.
• Hackers Can Jailbreak Digital License Plates to Make Others Pay Their Tolls and Tickets (WIRED). Digital license plates, already legal to buy in a growing number of states and to drive with nationwide, offer a few perks over their sheet metal predecessors. You can change their display on the fly to frame your plate number with novelty messages, for instance, or to flag that your car has been stolen. Now one security researcher has shown how they can also be hacked to enable a less benign feature: changing a car’s license plate number at will to avoid traffic tickets and tolls—or even pin them on someone else.
• Clinic Files Petition in California Highway Construction Case (Yale Law School). On Nov. 15, Friends of Calwa Inc. and Fresno Building Healthy Communities — community organizations that advocate for the health and well-being of South Fresno, California residents — submitted a petition for a writ of mandate to the California Court of Appeals asking for the appellate court’s immediate intervention in a complex legal saga that brings into focus the present-day impacts of highway construction on communities of color. The petition, written by student attorneys with the Environmental Justice Law and Advocacy Clinic of the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization at Yale Law School, is the latest development in an ongoing legal battle against the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). At issue is a major highway expansion project that “would accelerate air pollution, industrial buildout, and heavy-duty truck traffic in already overburdened neighborhoods” in South Fresno, according to the petition.
• California Invests $830 Million to Improve Highway Safety, Bridges, Pedestrian Access (Times of San Diego). The California Transportation Commission allocated $830 million at its December meeting to fund a broad range of investments to improve access and safety, provide sustainable projects and help support the infrastructural backbone of the globe’s fifth-largest economy. The approved allocations include $249 million from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and another $306 million via Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. […] San Diego County and Imperial County projects include: * $7,200,000 in Imperial County on State Routes 78, 86, 98 and 111 to remove debris from the roadway and repair drainage systems, pavement, slopes, and embankments damaged by an August 2023 storm resulting in flash flooding.
• California Adds Complete Streets to Transportation Funding Guidelines (Planetizen News). The California Transportation Commission agreed to include Complete Streets requirements in its updated guidelines for the State Highway Operations and Protection Program, reports Melanie Curry in Streetsblog California. This represents a shift from October, when the commission indicated it would not include language about SB 960, a state law that requires Caltrans to plan for bike and pedestrian infrastructure, in the new guidelines. New language added to the guidelines calls for ensuring that SB 960 requirements are included and clarifies that bike and pedestrian projects are eligible for SHOPP funds.
• Railfan Road: California’s Central Valley (Trains). Railfanning California’s Central Valley offers diverse operations, wide-open vistas, and plenty of action. Even so, the Central Valley gets no respect. Fresno, Bakersfield and even Sacramento are the butt of jokes by Los Angeles and Bay Area citizens. Railfans make trips to Cajon, Donner and Tehachapi passes but seldom celebrate the tabletop-flat topography of the Golden State’s midsection. But the Central Valley has trains — lots of ’em — from two Class I railroads, Amtrak with a California flavor, and a surprising variety of short lines. Tying this all together is State Route 99 down the valley’s heart. U.S. 99 formerly ran the length of the West Coast but was decommissioned when parallel Interstate 5 was constructed. California 99 — the Golden State Highway — now looks like an interstate while still running trackside for long stretches.
• California Invests $830 Million to Improve Highway Safety, Bridges and Pedestrian Mobility (Redheaded Blackbelt). The California Transportation Commission (CTC) allocated $830 million at its December meeting to fund a broad range of investments to improve access and safety, provide sustainable projects and help support the infrastructural backbone of the globe’s fifth-largest economy. Guided by Governor Gavin Newsom’s Build More, Faster – For All infrastructure agenda, these transformative projects are making communities safer, cleaner and healthier. The approved allocations include $249 million from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) and another $306 million via Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. […] In addition to major undertakings, such as the rehabilitation of the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles and the Silicon Valley rail extension in San Jose, the allocation contains funds for local projects, including:
• The Ongoing Saga of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Bike Lane (KQED). The fate of the 10-foot wide, barrier-separated bike and pedestrian path on the upper deck of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge remains uncertain, as both advocates and critics of the lane eagerly await a decision. The Metropolitan Transportation Committee (MTC) has asked the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) for approval to move the barriers over to the side of the bridge from Monday to Thursday, making the lane available in case of crashes or breakdowns. The barriers would be pushed back to where they have been for the last five years for Fridays, weekends and holidays.
• San Francisco’s Great Highway park wins state approval (SF Standard). The Great Highway is one step closer to becoming a park. At a hearing Thursday, the California Coastal Commission unanimously approved a permit allowing San Francisco to permanently repurpose the roadway. Commissioners said the transformation would increase access to the coast and aid with habitat restoration. More than 30 people gave public comment, with a nearly even split between supporters and opponents. “This park means so much to me that I took time off work and came down here at my own expense,” said Zach Lipton, a volunteer with Friends of Great Highway Park who traveled to Newport Beach to comment in person.
• Caltrans wants to convert 5 Freeway HOV lanes from La Mirada to Tustin into express lanes (MSN/OC Register). Caltrans, which manages the state’s freeways, is putting together plans for how 15.5 miles of HOV lanes on the 5 Freeway from Red Hill Avenue in Tustin north to the county line could be converted into tolled express lanes. Caltrans staffers say in an environmental report the HOV lanes aren’t always providing the faster travel times they were built for, which is why express lanes are being looked at. The converted lanes would let drivers who aren’t carpooling use them if they have a FasTrak transponder and pay a toll. It hasn’t been decided yet if cars with multiple passengers would be free to continue to use the lanes without paying a toll.
• ＄＄ Caltrans installs girders at Rocky Creek, reopens Highway 1 to Big Sur (Monterey Herald). The girder installation required an extended closure of Highway 1 from Saturday night to Sunday night so that crews could use two heavy cranes on both ends of the project area to perform the tasks. The installation of the nine pre-cast concrete girders advances the construction of a viaduct to replace a section of the southbound lane lost due to a slip-out that occurred in March.
• State Route 190 Connector Opens Ahead of Schedule Within the Olancha Cartago 4-Lane Expressway Project (Caltrans). The State Route 190 connector within the Olancha-Cartago 4-Lane Expressway Project is now open to the traveling public, months ahead of its original planned opening of spring 2025. Built at the southern end of the project near the Los Angeles Aqueduct, this is the third of three new connectors that link the new lanes of U.S. 395 with the existing pavement of old U.S. 395 through Grant, Olancha, and Cartago. The new State Route 190 connector will simplify navigation for northbound traffic heading to Death Valley National Park, as well as those needing access to services in Olancha and Cartago. In addition to the new State Route 190 connector, drivers can access old U.S. 395 from the new lanes using Crystal Geyser Road and the Lake Street connector in Cartago. Construction on the Olancha-Cartago 4-Lane Expressway Project will continue into 2025. The speed limit remains 55 mph through the project area and 45 mph at the two traffic crossovers. Smartphone mapping apps and GPS devices may not be updated to reflect the current route. Drivers are advised to follow the signs posted in the project area.
• State Route 84 Real McCoy II Ferry Returns to Service Following Extensive Repairs (Caltrans). Caltrans has resumed service for the State Route 84 Real McCoy II ferry between Rio Vista and Ryer Island in the Sacramento River Delta. Following a complete rebuild of its hydraulic system, the Real McCoy II completed sea trials earlier this week and is now rated for full service. For the latest information and schedules, call the Caltrans Ferry Update Line at (510) 622-0120. Motorists can also find additional information on the Caltrans’ Delta Ferries webpage.
• Toll Authority Approves 2026 Toll Hike, Carpool Policy Changes (The Bay Link Blog). The Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) today approved a toll increase for the region’s seven state-owned toll bridges that will be phased in over five years, beginning Jan. 1, 2026, to pay for the maintenance, rehabilitation and operation of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. The Authority at its December meeting today also approved updates to the policies for high-occupancy vehicles on approaches to the state-owned bridges, which will similarly go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. BATA is required by state law to fund projects to preserve and protect the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges. The newly approved toll hike is separate from the $3 increase approved by Bay Area voters in 2018 through Regional Measure 3 to finance a comprehensive suite of highway and transit improvements around the region. The first of the three $1 Regional Measure 3 toll increases went into effect in 2019, followed by another in 2022. The last of the RM 3 toll hikes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025, bringing the toll for regular two-axle cars and trucks to $8.
• Caltrans’ latest Highway 37 environmental study reflects changes to future project (The Sonoma Index-Tribune). Plans for an overhaul of Highway 37 between Sears Point and Mare Island to ease congestion and gird the road against the rising waters of San Pablo Bay will be aired at a Jan. 14 meeting hosted by Caltrans. The hybrid meeting was scheduled to allow for discussion of a newly released draft supplemental environment impact report, now open for public review and comment. It incorporates changes to near-term road improvements, as well as the addition of a major marshland rehabilitation effort. But there should be room for discussion beyond that, as well.
• SMCo and Caltrans Moss Beach Hwy 1 Corridor Congestion Project Environmental Studies and Project Approval Phase in 2025 ~ Roundabouts or Signalized Intersections? (Coastside Buzz). The County of San Mateo is pleased to share updates about the Moss Beach State Route 1 Congestion & Safety Improvements Project (also known as “Moss Beach Corridor Project”). The County, San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA), and Caltrans completed the first phase of the Moss Beach Corridor Project, called “project initiation.” This results in a document, called the “Project Study Report-Project Development Support (PSR-PDS),” which is available on the project webpage under “Documents and Meeting Materials.” Comments received during outreach are included in Attachment S of the PSR-PDS. The project was allocated funding through the San Mateo County Transportation Authority’s Highway Program 2023 Call for Projects for the next phase, called “Project Approval and Environmental Document (PAED).” During this phase, the project team will perform preliminary design work and analyze the potential impacts of the Moss Beach Corridor Project on the environment. These studies are required by state and federal laws under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Subjects such as water quality, plants and animals, transportation, and more will be evaluated.
• Roadwork on Hwy 101 near Refugio Beach begins this month (Santa Maria Times). A project to replace the northbound and southbound bridges at Refugio Road along US 101 near Refugio State Beach will begin construction in October, Caltrans District 5 reported. The new concrete bridges would have nearly the same alignment, profile, and lane configuration as the existing bridges, but will be seven feet wider to accommodate standard 10-foot shoulders. In early October, temporary concrete barriers will be placed on both bridges, eliminating the southbound inside shoulder, and the northbound No. 1 right lane.
• December 2024  – 99 Alert – Santa Clarita (Historic Highway 99 Association of California). Development in some places is inevitable. How some have lasted as long as they have and being relatively untouched is rather amazing. A section of US 99 known as The Old Road in Santa Clarita between Castaic Junction (Route 126) and Magic Mountain Parkway will be widened in the very near future with two historic bridges being replaced. Los Angeles County announced that the work is finally funded and will commence soon. The 1929 Santa Clara River Bridge and Santa Clara Overhead will be replaced likely starting in the next year or so. The remaining section, a rare section of 1948 expressway with oleander in the median, will be replaced with a six-lane generic roadway.
• Plans for Marin-Sonoma travel after Hwy. 101 widening wraps (The Petaluma Argus-Courier). The long-awaited completion of Highway 101 widening between Marin and Sonoma counties is set for the middle of next year, marking the end of a two-decade-long effort to improve traffic movement along one of the North Bay’s key transportation backbones. At completion there will be a continuous high-occupancy-vehicle lane from the Richmond—San Rafael Bridge (connecting Marin to the East Bay via Interstate 580) to Windsor, covering nearly 52 miles. And while this is a significant milestone in regional transportation planning, it’s also part of an evolution of priorities for local authorities away from highway construction.
• Bay Area bridge authority to introduce tiered tolls starting in 2026; carpool rules to change (Local News Matters). The regional body that sets toll rates for the Bay Area’s seven state-owned bridges voted recently to raise tolls by another $1.25 to $3 for two-axle vehicles, starting in 2026, introducing a “tiered” tolling rate. Changes were also made to carpool lanes known as high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, with a third person per vehicle now required to receive a discount on the Dumbarton and San Mateo-Hayward bridges.

Gribblenation Blog (Tom Fearer)

• Lockwood-San Lucas Road. Lockwood-San Lucas Road is a fifteen-mile rural highway located in Monterey County, California. As the name suggests, Lockwood-San Lucas Road connects the communities of Lockwood and San Lucas. The highway begins at Lockwood-Jolon Road in San Antonio Valley. From San Antonio Valley the highway crosses the Santa Lucia Mountains and enters Salinas Valley where it crosses the 1915 Salinas River Bridge near San Lucas. Lockwood-San Lucas Road originally connected with Main Street in San Lucas, but the crossing was removed in the 1970s.
• Pine Valley Road (Monterey County). Pine Valley Road is a rural single-lane highway located in the Gabilan Range of southern Monterey County. The roadway originates at the former alignment of US Route 101 along Cattleman Road and extends nine miles north to California State Route 198 in Long Valley. Pine Valley Road appears to have been plotted after the Southern Pacific Railroad was extended through San Ardo during the late 1880s.
• Dunne Avenue (Santa Clara County). Dunne Avenue is an approximately fourteen-mile highway located in southeast Santa Clara County, California. The roadway begins at the western outskirts of Morgan Hill and ascends through the Diablo Range via Anderson Lake to Henry W. Coe State Park. Dunne Avenue east of Morgan Hill was originally known as Cochrane Road and later Steely Road. The roadway east of Morgan Hill was first used to access the ranch of Henry W. Coe and was substantially realigned in 1950 over Anderson Lake via the Cochrane Truss Bridge.
• Boca Road Bridge. The Boca Road Bridge is an abandoned wooden deck truss span located on the Truckee River near the former site of Boca siding. The span was completed in 1926 prior to US Route 40 being built through the Truckee River Canyon. Boca siding was plotted during the 1860s on the Dutch Flat & Donner Lake Road during the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad. Boca siding was demolished in portions from the late 1920s through 1939 to make way for the site of Boca Dam.
• Harris Grade Road (Former California State Route 1). Harris Grade Road is an approximately eight-mile mountain roadway constructed in 1916 near Lompoc of Santa Barbara County. The grade was the original alignment of California State Route 1 which served as part of the highway from 1934 through 1988. Harris Grade Road was ultimately maintenance swapped with the far gentler Santa Barbara County Route S20. The grade in modern times despite being accident prone is still in frequent use by those seeking a more direct route between Lompoc and Santa Maria.
• Gilroy Hot Springs Road. Gilroy Hot Springs Road is an approximately 6.5-mile highway located in the Diablo Range of southeast Santa Clara County. The highway begins at the Coyote Lake Reservoir and terminates at the 1921 era Gilroy Hot Springs Road Bridge. The site of Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs traditionally has been a luxury resort which saw significant Japanese design influence beginning in the late 1930s. The resort site is now owned by the State Park service and is awaiting restoration.
• Madera County Road 612 (Hartman Cutoff Road). Madera County Road 612 is a dirt surfaced rural highway located northeast of Raymond in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The roadway begins at Road 415 (formerly Raymond Road) near the site the Knowles and follows a 7.6-mile winding course to Road 600 (Grub Gulch Road) near the site of the mining town of Grub Gulch. Road 612 was historically known as the Hartman Cutoff Road prior to Madera County dropping road names in favor of the current numbering system. The corridor was developed as shortcut as a shortcut between the communities of Knowles and Grub Gulch.
• The former surface alignment of California State Route 1 in Watsonville and Pajaro. The initial alignment of California State Route 1 was commissioned in Watsonville and Pajaro area when the Sign Routes were announced in August 1934. The northbound highway originally followed Salinas Road, Porter Drive, Main Street and Freedom Boulevard through the two communities. The first realignment came in 1942 when highway north of downtown Watsonville was realigned onto an expressway to Rob Roy Junction. The highway would be modernized into a full freeway bypass during the 1960s. Former surface segments of California State Route 1 in the Watsonville/Pajaro area have since been recycled into County Route G12 and California State Route 152.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Headlines About California Highways – December 2024 by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.