Musings of Fellow Travellers

Posted by cahwyguy

https://cahighways.org/wordpress/?p=17469

And with the flipping of a calendar page, 2025 is in the rearview mirror. It was an eventful year. I retired from Circle A ranch in July, and haven’t missed either the daily grind or the cybersecurity field. My only remaining involvement is ACSAC (Annual Computer Security Applications Conference),  which will continue for a few more years. We had a successful ACSAC in Hawaii this year (with attendance roughly equal to last year, which given the current environment says something); the next two years will be here in Los Angeles (making logistics easier). I’ve been keeping very busy with the highway pages and the podcast. I attended the mandatory holiday movies, and even squeezed in some theatre and concerts. Lastly, but not leastly, politics-wise, 2025 was very stress inducing; hopefully, 2026 will bring some hope for the future (especially in November). But we have to make it through the campaign season first, and I predict that will be a messy spring, summer, and fall. The other messy question for 2026 is: Do I upgrade my Windows 10 machine (purchased at the end of 2018) to Windows 11, or just buy a new Windows 11 machine? Each option has its own fears, stresses, and headaches.

I’m continuing to work on podcast episodes. I’ve completed the first episode on Route 12, and will complete the remaining two on Route 12, one on Route 13, and one on Route 14 after the last round of updates for 2025 are posted. For those, all that remains is incorporation of this headline post, and then it is time to generate and post. Episode 4.05 is also recorded and pending editing, so that should go up around the end of next week.

Season 4 of the podcast continues, and we’re now using new recording software  (Zencaster). I think it sounds better, but I would love to hear from the listeners. Let us know what you think. It looks like the regular audience is between 60-70 folks, and I’d love to get that number up (as of today, we’re at 37 for 4.04, 61 for 4.03, 69 for 4.02, 93 for 4.01, and 72 for 3.15), although the numbers don’t included those who listen directly from the CARouteByRoute website (as I don’t know how to get those stats). You can help. Please tell your friends about the podcast, “like”, “”, or “favorite” it, and give it a rating in your favorite podcatcher. Share the podcast on Facebook groups, and in your Bluesky and Mastodon communities. For those that hear the early episodes, 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 Creators) . The following episode has been posted this month:

• December | CA RxR 4.04: Route 9: Pre-1964 – Milpitas to Castro Valley. Episode 4.04 is our second episode exploring Route 9, which in its post-1964 version runs from Santa Cruz to Saratoga and Los Gatos. Before 1964, Route 9 continued N up to the Mountain View area, and then across to Milpitas, and up to the Castro Valley. The previous episode covered post-1964 Route 9 (and the first segment of pre-1964 Sign Route 9) from Santa Cruz to Saratoga and then into Los Gatos, as well as all the 9^th State Route and LRN 9. This episode (4.04) covers the pre-1964 Route 9 portions N of Saratoga: Sign Route 9 through Mountain View, Milpitas, and up through Hayward and the Castro Valley. This portion of Sign Route 9 became Route 85, Route 237, Route 17/I-880/I-680 (in portions) and Route 238. The next pair of episodes will be covering I-10, with episode 4.05 covering the Santa Monica Freeway portion, and episode 4.06 covering the San Bernardino Freeway portion. (Spotify for Creators)

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.

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. ＄＄ paywalls require the use of archive.ph. ☊ indicates an primarily audio article. indicates a primarily video article. ]

Highway Headlines

• ＄ New ramp meters along Highway 101 in Sonoma and Marin counties to be activated Tuesday (Petaluma Argus-Courier). New Highway 101 ramp meters in Sonoma and Marin counties will be activated starting Tuesday to help manage traffic flow, according to Caltrans. Caltrans will turn on seven meters, which are traffic signals at onramps, in Sonoma County and five in Marin County in both northbound and southbound directions, the agency said in a Wednesday news release. All of the Sonoma County meters and both Marin County northbound meters will be switched on Tuesday. Three southbound Marin County meters, which are located along the Marin-Sonoma Narrows project area, will be turned on after some additional drainage and electrical work is completed, likely in early 2026, Caltrans spokesperson Matt O’Donnell said in an email Wednesday. The meters — located in Petaluma, Novato, Sausalito and Mill Valley — will be active at varying hours Monday through Friday. Signs will be placed ahead of the meters, letting drivers know of the new traffic signals.
• Work begins on Richmond-San Rafael Bridge ‘open-road tolling’ project (Richmond Standard). The Richmond–San Rafael Bridge is entering a new era of tolling. The Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) announced that pre-construction work for a full conversion to “open-road tolling” (ORT) begins this week, weather permitting. When construction is fully underway, drivers can expect overnight westbound lane closures, with full overnight closures expected for the gantry installation (dates to be determined). This marks the first ORT conversion among the seven BATA-managed bridges. When the structure is built, vehicles will no longer need to slow for toll booths. Instead, overhead equipment will automatically detect FasTrak tags or license-plate accounts as drivers pass under at freeway speeds.
• The Bay Bridge, Nearing Age 90, Gets a Physical (KQED). For most of the past year, Caltrans contractors have conducted a far-from-routine physical on an 89-year-old patient: the monumental western span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. In a process completed in September, engineers opened up the massive main cables that support the bridge’s double-deck roadway between Yerba Buena Island and San Francisco’s Rincon Hill to check on conditions inside. The results from that exam are due by early next year. The last time crews looked inside the cables was in 2003, during a major seismic upgrade project. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission said this year’s checkup was the first systematic investigation of the 25-inch diameter cables since the Bay Bridge was completed in 1936.
• ＄ ‘The Snake’ stretch of Mulholland Hwy. reopens after 6 years (Los Angeles Times). For more than six years, adrenaline junkies have yearned for the moment that, once again, they can careen around the serpentine corners of a stretch of Mulholland Highway with the crisp mountain air rushing through their hair. Their wait came to an end Tuesday as a 2.4-mile section of the road known as “the Snake” slithered back to life. The area of the highway roughly between Kanan Road and Sierra Creek Road has been closed to vehicle traffic since early 2019 after it was charred in the Woolsey fire and further damaged by winter rains.
• Mulholland Highway’s Iconic 2.4-Mile Winding Stretch ‘The Snake’ Has Officially Reopened — After Almost Seven Years (Secret Los Angeles). Mulholland Highway is one of Los Angeles’ most iconic roads, famous for its winding curves and breathtaking views that make it a must for any scenic drive. Its serpentine path has become a symbol of the city’s adventurous spirit and laid-back lifestyle. So ingrained is it in L.A.’s identity that it even inspired the title of David Lynch’s cult classic film. For decades, locals and visitors alike have flocked to this legendary route to experience a drive that feels uniquely Californian. Everything changed in 2018 when the devastating Woolsey Fire swept through the area, followed by heavy rains and landslides that forced the closure of the iconic section. For nearly seven years, drivers had to bypass “The Snake,” leaving a gap in one of L.A.’s most celebrated scenic routes. Now, according to the L.A. Times, the narrow 2.4-mile stretch has officially reopened, restoring a beloved piece of the city’s landscape.
• New report paints damning picture of California’s aging infrastructure (SF Gate). In 1989, as the Loma Prieta earthquake shook the ground up to 60 miles from its center, a section of the Bay Bridge collapsed. The bridge failure was a visible representation of California’s vulnerable infrastructure; a 53-year-old span that hadn’t been retrofitted adequately to withstand a disaster. A recently released report shows just how much of California’s infrastructure is in dire need of repair or replacement. The report, which assigns a grade to 17 different categories of infrastructure and is compiled by the American Society of Civil Engineers, gave the state’s cumulative infrastructure a C-, unchanged since 2019, but below the nation’s C grade. Since 2019, grades for aviation, energy, hazardous waste, levees, ports and rail all improved, while the state’s dams, drinking water, schools and stormwater declined. The study is completed about every six years.
• ＄ Plans to raise Vincent Thomas Bridge rejected by state (Los Angeles Times). Construction on the Vincent Thomas Bridge near the Port of Los Angeles is slated to begin next month, but the project will not include a 26-foot bridge hoist that port officials were hoping for. Port Executive Director Gene Seroka proposed raising the bridge earlier this year amid existing plans from the California Department of Transportation to re-deck the emerald green overpass connecting San Pedro to Terminal Island and Long Beach. Raising the bridge would allow larger, more efficient ships to travel underneath carrying cargo. About 40% of the port’s cargo capacity is beyond the bridge, which sits at 185 feet high.

• ＄ Hwy. 18 work continues as Caltrans High Desert project progresses (VV Daily Press). Caltrans crews will continue a large-scale roadway improvement project along Highway 18 between Dale Evans Parkway and Apple Valley Road. Crews will remove and overlay portions of the roadway, add new ADA curb ramps, conduct sidewalk improvements, electrical upgrades, concrete barrier work, and install guardrails and landscaping. Caltrans crews will continue a large-scale roadway improvement project through the holidays along Highway 18 between Dale Evans Parkway and Apple Valley Road. Also, on D Street in Victorville. Work in Apple Valley is part of the $26.1 million Caltrans project to improve roads and safety along Highway 18 in Apple Valley and D Street in Victorville, the Daily Press reported.
• Project to improve pedestrian safety and traffic calming on Highway 20 planned in 2026 (Lake County News). Caltrans said a project to improve pedestrian safety and install traffic calming features on a 30-mile stretch of Highway 20 will begin in the summer. The Route 20 Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project will include Blue Lakes, Upper Lake, Robinson Rancheria, Nice, Lucerne, Glenhaven and Clearlake Oaks, Caltrans reported. “Given the highway’s significance in connecting residents, visitors, and east-west travelers between U.S. 101 and Interstate 5, prioritizing safety is vital for all road users including pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users,” Caltrans said in a statement issued on the project.
• ＄ Theft, vandalism delay state Route 36 slide work (Eureka Times-Standard). Theft and the destruction of machinery is impacting ongoing work to address a slide on state Route 36, Caltrans said Wednesday in a social media post. The slide, located along Route 36 near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park, has been the site of emergency repairs for months. But efforts are being hampered by vandalism and  theft. “Thieves have targeted an excavator, a skip loader, and changeable message signs, stealing fuel and batteries worth thousands of dollars. When crews arrive at disabled equipment, it slows our efforts to keep the highway open and drives up project costs,” a Facebook post by Caltrans District 1 said.
• ＄ Why are so many rest areas closed along California freeways? (Press Enterprise). Q: Dave Rogers said he recently drove back to the Inland Empire from Oregon, driving south from San Jose along the 5 Freeway and through the Grapevine. Rogers said he counted six rest areas closed along the route and asked why so many are closed. A: California has over 80 rest areas along its freeways. Several are closed off and on for maintenance or repairs to infrastructure like water lines and restrooms. This can be frustrating to travelers seeking a break from the road. According to Caltrans, most of California’s rest areas were built in the 1960s or 1970s. Millions of users visit them annually, and the aging rest area system has struggled for years to have adequate maintenance funding as well as for upgrades to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Read more about the history of rest areas in California here.
• Caltrans Reports Theft and Vandalism Slowing Slide Response on Highway 36 (Redheaded Blackbelt). Caltrans says ongoing theft and vandalism are hurting efforts to keep Highway 36 open near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park as crews work on the active slide that has been impacting travel in the area for a year. According to a social-media update from the agency, “Caltrans and our contractor have been dealing with recent theft while responding to the slide along Route 36 near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County.” Thieves have reportedly targeted essential equipment, including “an excavator, a skip loader, and changeable message signs, stealing fuel and batteries worth thousands of dollars.” The agency says these losses directly slow slide-response work. “When crews arrive at disabled equipment, it slows our efforts to keep the highway open and drives up project costs.”
• One of SoCal’s most infamous roads has reopened, but locals don’t want you to know — for good reason (LAist). It’s the ultimate road for the ultimate driving machine, known for its coiling, hairpin turns that have lent a 2.4-mile stretch of Mulholland Highway the sobriquet of “The Snake.” On Tuesday, this famous squiggle etched through the Santa Monica Mountains finally reopened, seven years after it was shut down by the Woolsey Fire. Here’s the catch: People who live in the area and enthusiasts who frequent the route wish you didn’t know. More about that later. But first, let’s take a short drive down memory lane.
• Construction Update on Highway 101 Updates in Montecito (EdHat). In Montecito, crews will continue building new creek bridges, work on southbound lanes, and refresh lane and ramp striping on the nights of Dec 8 and 9. At the Romero and San Ysidro Creek Bridges, crews will finish removing the old bridge decks and work on the new bridge decks. At the Oak Creek Bridge, crews will remove temporary shoring, install creek protection, work on slope paving, and remove the old bridge deck. Crews will pour concrete for the southbound freeway lanes, auxiliary lane, and shoulders. Crews will also work on the safety barriers along the freeway and on the southbound on-ramp at Olive Mill Rd.
• ＄ ‘The Snake’ is back: Dangerous, thrill seekers’ Mulholland Highway reopens after 6 years (Los Angeles Times). For more than six years, adrenaline junkies have yearned for the moment that, once again, they can careen around the serpentine corners of a stretch of Mulholland Highway with the crisp mountain air rushing through their hair. Their wait came to an end Tuesday as a 2.4-mile section of the road known as “the Snake” slithered back to life. The area of the highway roughly between Kanan Road and Sierra Creek Road has been closed to vehicle traffic since early 2019 after it was charred in the Woolsey fire and further damaged by winter rains.
• Caltrans project 56% complete, work continues on Hwy. 18 in High Desert (VV Daily Press via MSN). Caltrans crews will continue a large-scale roadway improvement project along Highway 18 between Dale Evans Parkway and Apple Valley Road. Crews will remove and overlay portions of the roadway, add new ADA curb ramps, conduct sidewalk improvements, electrical upgrades, concrete barrier work, and install guardrails and landscaping. Work in Apple Valley is part of the $26.1 million Caltrans project to improve roads and safety along Highway 18 in Apple Valley and D Street in Victorville, the Daily Press reported.
• Long-term lane closures to continue on Highway 9 in Santa Cruz County (KSBW Monterey Salinas via MSN). Caltrans has plans to continue long-term traffic control on Highway 9 between Lorenzo Avenue and Prospect Avenue. It’s located approximately just under a mile south of the Route 236 junction. This is part of an ongoing project to replace a retaining wall and culvert, as well as to improve roadway and drainage systems. Crews are scheduled to pave the northbound lane on Saturday, Dec. 6. Following this work, the northbound lane will reopen to traffic on Monday, Dec. 8. Once the northbound lane is restored, the traffic control system will shift to the southbound side. Meanwhile, remaining roadway, retaining wall, and drainage operations will continue through the end of the month.
• Highway 1 exit to close in SLO County. Here’s when and where (SLO Tribune via MSN). Heads up, San Luis Obispo County drivers. A major Highway 1 exit will soon close for several hours, according to Caltrans. Construction crews will work to fix potholes and repair maintenance issues while the closure is underway, the California Department of Transportation said in a Dec. 5 news release. Here’s what to know:
• ＄ Drivers who go off course on Coast Highway will soon get a jarring reminder (Orange County Register). Q: The last time I drove on Coast Highway from Laguna Beach to Corona del Mar I noticed orangish-yellow dividers preventing you from making U-turns; I have never seen people doing that in all the years I have traveled that route. Why the orange dividers? – Jim Stedt, San Clemente A: To further keep motorists from making illegal — and dangerous — U-turns over double-yellow lines. Those channelizers — flexible, plastic poles — are “a preventative measure to highlight the painted median (double yellow lines) to motorists, especially at night, and deter cross-over collisions,” said Nathan Abler, a Caltrans spokesperson. The project that installed them was finished in May 2024, a temporary fix. In the spring, Caltrans intends to remove the channelizers and put in what are called rumble strips — in this case, grooves in the roadway — from the School-State Park turnoff to Newport Coast Drive, to gently jar off-course drivers to attention.
• Pescadero Hwy 1 Minor Realignment Informational Meeting …  (Coastside Buzz). Project Description: The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District-4 proposes to realign approximately 0.6-mile section of State Route (SR) 1 about 30 to 40 feet inland to the east of the existing roadway from 0.5-mile south to 0.3-mile north of Pescadero Creek Road (PM 13.1 to PM 13.9), near Pescadero beach in San Mateo County. The proposed realignment would address a deteriorating roadway and maintain functionality and continued operation of the roadway. Sea level rise and winter storms over the years have deteriorated the bluff, causing deep cracking in the roadway pavement and severe rutting on the shoulder. This highway realignment is necessary to ensure the safety of the public and prevent further damage, making this project critical for the continued functionality of the roadway.
• Hot Springs and Cabrillo Blvd and US 101 Updates (Dave Sommers via FB). Do you live in Santa Barbara? In case you were wondering the time schedule for the Hot Springs & Cabrillo Boulevard and the 101 intersection will be, here’s what will happen, when
• ＄ Interstate 15 between Nevada, So. Cal could see widening as part of larger safety push (LV Review Journal). Interstate 15 between Barstow, California, and the Nevada state line could be widened after years of pushing by Silver State representatives, as part of a larger improvement plan for the busy and important corridor. The Coalition for Our Future launched last week in Fontana, California, looking at making I-15 between the two states safer and more efficient. The group, comprised of regional business, labor and California port leaders, will see the California–Nevada coalition work through the Caltrans process to begin a feasibility study to enhance travel along the corridor. That study will include looking at adding capacity to portions of I-15, which could include widening the highway or adding high occupancy vehicle lanes. Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority president and CEO Steve Hill said widening I-15 is a no-brainer.
• California Has A New Way To Make EV Owners Pay (Carscoops). California has set an ambitious goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2045. That path runs straight through mass electric vehicle adoption, which means saying goodbye to traditional gas-powered cars, and with them, a major chunk of how the state pays for its roads. With gas tax revenue poised to shrink, officials are now exploring a new alternative: a per-mile road tax for EV drivers. As it stands, approximately 80 percent of California’s road maintenance budget is funded through a gas tax. For every gallon pumped at the station, around 61 cents goes toward keeping the state’s vast network of highways, freeways, and local roads in working order.
• Interstate 15 Traffic Relief In Southwest Riverside County: Toll Lanes Planned (Lake Elsinore, CA Patch). The city of Lake Elsinore, county, and state agencies are still moving forward with a project to ease traffic on a 15.8-mile stretch of Interstate 15. The I-15 Express Lane Southern Extension proposes adding two tolled express lanes to northbound and southbound directions to accommodate the increasing traffic volumes in Southwest Riverside County. The new lanes would be constructed in the freeway’s median and extend from approximately El Cerrito Road in Corona to state Route 74/Central Avenue in Lake Elsinore.
• CTC approves $1.1B in zero-emission transit, safer roadways, resilient infrastructure (The Bay Link Blog). The California Transportation Commission (CTC) this week approved $1.1 billion to fund new zero-emission buses, charging stations, and related infrastructure, as well as investments to restore aging bridges, improve highway safety, and increase mobility on local streets, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced. Guided by the governor’s Build More, Faster – For All infrastructure agenda, these improvements will make California communities safer and more climate resilient, the governor said. […] Funding for the Bay Area:
• Clean California project provides brighter, LED lighting portals in the Bay Area (The Bay Link Blog). Drivers traveling through some of the East Bay’s most iconic gateways will soon experience a brighter and more visually unified journey with the completion of the Clean California portal lighting project. The $7.34 million investment, funded entirely through Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide Clean California initiative, brings programmable architectural lighting to three of the region’s most iconic gateways: the Caldecott Tunnel, Posey Tube, and the Yerba Buena Island portal—key structures that serve millions of travelers each year. The project introduces modern LED lighting capable of shifting between white illumination and seasonal color displays, enhancing nighttime visibility while celebrating the architectural identity of each structure. These upgrades elevate the driving experience, unify the aesthetic of regional transportation corridors, and support statewide goals to beautify the state highway system.
• California’s road to climate progress, Part 5 (Brookings). California’s Road to Climate Progress aims to answer a central question: Even with multiple laws and focused rulemaking, why has California struggled to reduce driving distances and increase infill development? The first piece explained California’s goals, the transportation and land use policies set up to meet them, and the structural issues with the current approach. The second piece explored the state’s current legal and programmatic regime, while the third piece examined the local view of the state’s regime. The fourth piece introduced a set of core principles, and this piece recommends specific policies for interested decisionmakers.
• Twentynine Palms Planning Commission agenda for 12/16 (Z107.7 FM Joshua Tree). The Twentynine Palms Planning Commission will hold their last meeting of 2025 on Tuesday December 16th. A very light Agenda mainly focuses on a three-fold study session. First off, as the City of Twentynine Palms’ maintained road list needs to be updated, maps showing currently maintained paved roads, maintained unpaved roads and private unpaved roads will be studied. Basically, freeways, highways and state routes in California are maintained by Caltrans. Paved road systems in unincorporated areas are maintained by San Bernardino County, while those within Twentynine Palms city limits are maintained by the City.
• Caltrans to open new bridge on I-80 near Truckee (SFGate via MSN). With the holidays approaching, Tahoe drivers should expect traffic delays through the Sierra corridor as Caltrans continues its $112 million project to replace and widen bridges at the intersection of Interstate 80 and Highway 20. Construction is near Lake Spaulding, about 25 miles west of Truckee. Caltrans said the work will impact traffic in both directions; crews are slated to begin reducing traffic to a single lane on Sunday at 7 p.m. The agency expects to begin directing motorists headed east onto the new bridge span beginning Tuesday. Work on the westbound bridge is slated for the spring.
• ＄ Highway 1 slide repairs continue to make strides along Big Sur coast (East Bay Times). Crews continue to make headway on the only remaining choke point between Carmel and Cambria on the Big Sur coast along Highway 1 with an eye on the goal of having the roadway completely open by spring. Repairs at Regent’s Slide, which closed Highway 1 in Monterey County on Feb. 9, 2024, continues to advance with slope stabilization efforts contributing to sustained excavation activity, according to Caltrans. The slide originated about 450 feet above the roadway and resulted in the continued closure of a 6.8-mile segment of Highway 1. Regent’s Slide is at post mile 27.8 and about 40 miles south of Carmel on the scenic highway. Crews began top-down removal of slide material on April 30, 2024. The top-down method involves excavating from above the slide, removing displaced material until a stable, permanent slope is established. This approach was chosen because it prioritizes worker and public safety, aligns with the Coast Highway Management Plan, and ensures long-term slope stability. It is not safe or feasible to remove material from the bottom, given the enormous volume of debris.
• CalTrans Confirms Plans for Traffic Calming on Hwy 70 Through Portola (The Mountain Messenger). A plan that would substantially change the flow of traffic through Portola on State Route 70 was proposed initially to the Portola City Council in September 2024 by CalTrans officials and finalized after a public meeting in April 2025. The plan presented earlier this year would retain a center turn lane and parking on both sides of the road, but would reduce the number of through traffic lanes from four to two and add separated bike lanes on both sides. However, when contractors laid new pavement on that section of the road this fall, they installed temporary lane markers that appeared to maintain the previous four-lane configuration, leading some residents to speculate that plans for bike lanes and other enhancements had been scrapped.
• Regent’s Slide repairs continue to make strides along Big Sur coast (Monterey Herald via MSN). Crews continue to make headway on the only remaining choke point between Carmel and Cambria on the Big Sur coast along Highway 1 with an eye on the goal of having the roadway completely open by spring. Repairs at Regent’s Slide, which closed Highway 1 in Monterey County on Feb. 9, 2024, continues to advance with slope stabilization efforts contributing to sustained excavation activity, according to Caltrans. The slide originated about 450 feet above the roadway and resulted in the continued closure of a 6.8-mile segment of Highway 1. Regent’s Slide is at post mile 27.8 and about 40 miles south of Carmel on the scenic highway. Crews began top-down removal of slide material on April 30, 2024.
• ＄ Bay Bridge is undergoing a transformation, it could help your commute (SF Chronicle). Two years from now, the westbound approach to the Bay Bridge could look radically different. That row of toll booths that long served as a border between Oakland and San Francisco will be demolished, replaced with an open runway. Drivers will pass under a gantry with cameras and sensors to read the FasTrak tags in their windshields. In this frictionless future, people will pay their bridge toll while cruising at 65 mph, gazing out at the frothy breakers and the vast blue sky.
• ＄ Hwy 1 to Big Sur CA could reopen early at Regent’s Slide site (San Luis Obispo Tribune). Travelers may only be weeks away from once again driving California’s entire Big Sur coast — for the first time in nearly three years. A Caltrans official confirmed to The Tribune early Monday that, depending on weather and road conditions, “Highway 1 Regent’s Slide would likely reopen in advance of the March 30 estimate.” Through traffic from Cambria to Carmel has been cut off since early 2023 by a series of landslides that blocked, covered or even took out part of the oceanfront highway that’s considered one of the most scenic routes in the world.
• I-80 Solano County Express Lanes open Tuesday (The Bay Link Blog). The new Express Lanes on Interstate 80 through Fairfield and Vacaville will begin operations Tuesday. The 18-mile stretch of I-80 between Red Top Road and Interstate 505 currently operates with traditional carpool lanes in both the eastbound and westbound directions. Express Lane rules include: •  The Express Lanes will operate daily — including Saturdays and Sundays — from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. • All vehicles must have a FasTrak® toll tag to use the Express Lanes. • Carpools with three or more people, and vanpools, buses and motorcycles travel toll-free with a FasTrak Flex toll tag set to the “3+” position. • Two-person carpools pay half-price tolls with a FasTrak Flex tag set to “2”. • Solo drivers may pay the full toll to use the Express Lanes with either a standard FasTrak toll tag or a FasTrak Flex tag set to the 1 position.
• New express lanes open on I-80 in Solano County (KCRA Sacramento). A major change took effect Tuesday for commuters on Interstate 80 between Sacramento and the Bay Area, as new express lanes were activated in Solano County. The “I-80 Solano County Express Lanes” extend from Red Top Road in Fairfield to Interstate 505 in Vacaville at Leisure Town Road. All vehicles using the system must have FasTrak toll tags. Here’s how the new system works.
• Monday marks last toll-free drive on Solano County’s new I-80 express lanes (CBS Sacramento). This will be the last week to drive toll-free through the new express lanes on Interstate 80 in Solano County. Caltrans says, starting Tuesday, the FasTrak express lanes will be fully operational – and if you’re driving through there, you will get charged. The express lanes are an incentive to drivers to avoid heavy traffic headed into and out of the Bay Area. “You’re paying to get through faster so you’re not stuck in the slower traffic,” said Sabrina Martinez with Caltrans.
• ＄ S.F.’s famous Bay Bridge lights to return in March, with more LEDs (SF Chronicle). By early next year, drivers cruising from Oakland to San Francisco will see ripples of light as they cross the western span of the Bay Bridge. The spectacle, called Bay Lights 360, comprises 50,000 custom-made LEDs all sparkling from the bridge’s cables. Crews began installing the equipment last December to illuminate one of the recognizable silhouettes in Bay Area infrastructure, making the bridge just as Instagram-worthy as the Embarcadero skyline. This second version of Bay Lights takes the same form as the original that debuted in 2013, but went dark 10 years later owing to brutal weather conditions along the water. Artist Leo Villareal conceived both iterations of the project, carrying lessons from the first into the second. Bay Lights 360 will have bespoke engineering to withstand wind, marine air and car exhaust. And this time Villareal has doubled the number of lights.
• ＄ West Marin bridge replacement project gets $28.5M (Marin I-J). The California Transportation Commission has unanimously approved $28.48 million for a Caltrans project to replace an old West Marin bridge. The allocation will cover the full cost of replacing the Lagunitas Creek Bridge on Highway 1 in Point Reyes Station. Known for its distinctive green side trusses, the bridge crosses the creek just north of the Sir Francis Drake Boulevard turn toward Inverness and the coast. It was built in 1929 and sits near the San Andreas Fault. The commission voted on the allocation during its session on Dec. 5 and 6. The funding is part of a $1.1 billion investment across the state supported by Senate Bill 1 and the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. “The Lagunitas Creek Bridge is a critical lifeline for West Marin, and replacing the nearly century-old structure is essential to ensuring long-term public safety, emergency access, and reliable connectivity for our residents, businesses, and visitors,” said Marin County Supervisor Dennis Rodoni, who represents the area in District 4. “I am fully supportive of Caltrans advancing this project and appreciate their continued collaboration, public outreach and responsiveness as we move closer to construction beginning in 2026.”
• Burlingame’s big dig (San Mateo Daily Journal). At the corner of El Camino Real and Burlingame Avenue, dozens of Caltrans employees in fluorescent vests waited to begin work on the El Camino Real Renewal Project. They, like the bevy of local and state leaders who gathered on Monday, were there to celebrate the project’s long-awaited groundbreaking. Then, they would get to work on the three-year renovation, which includes planned removal of 382 trees from the street, replanting of almost 460 trees, fixing failing sections of road and repairing sidewalks spanning from Millbrae to San Mateo, with a major focus on the Burlingame segment.
• New Hearn Avenue overcrossing in Santa Rosa opens (The Bay Link Blog). The $43.7 million Hearn Avenue Highway 101 Overcrossing Replacement Project in Santa Rosa featuring two traffic lanes in each direction, two barrier-separated bicycle lanes, and sidewalks lining each side of the overpass is now open. Caltrans, the Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authorities (SCTCA), and the City of Santa Rosa held a ribbon cutting earlier this month to celebrate completion of the project. “Change is what we are celebrating,” said Doanh Nguyen, acting Caltrans District 4 director. “This is an overcrossing that reduces traffic congestion, encourages walking and cycling, and connects communities rather than separates them.” Ghilotti Construction was the contractor on the 20-month project that involved complex, sequenced construction and demolition phases, requiring the removal of one overcrossing and the construction of another in its place while keeping traffic flowing.
• SR 116-121 Roundabout Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in Sonoma (Caltrans District 4 on YouTube). On October 24, 2025 the California Transportation Commission, Caltrans, Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authorities, and Go Sonoma gathered to celebrate the completion of their State Route 121/116 Roundabout project. It is the very first roundabout on a state route in Sonoma County and serves as a gateway to Sonoma and Napa. This roundabout will ease congestion and help move people and goods efficiently across the counties of Sonoma and Napa, benefiting residents, local businesses, and tourism. Roundabouts are proven to reduce the number and severity of vehicle collisions by naturally reducing speeds and avoiding high speed right angle crashes, yet at the same time they keep the traffic flowing.
• ＄ New $29.6 million roundabout up and running in Sonoma Valley (Sonoma Index Tribune). Caltrans District 4 (Bay Area) and regional partners, including Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authorities (SCTCA) gathered Friday, Oct. 24, to celebrate the completion of the nearly $29.6 million Highway 116/121 Roundabout Project, which began in April 2024 in the Sonoma Valley. The project replaced a four-way stop intersection with a modern roundabout designed to improve traffic flow and enhance safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. The roundabout now includes bicycle lanes, sidewalks and crosswalks, making the area safer and more accessible. It sits at the intersection of Highways 116 and 121, where the Sonoma County Park and Ride Lot was relocated to across the street from Bonneau Deli.
• Intersection improvements for SR 49 in Nevada City in design stages (The Union). A Multimodal Corridor Improvement Project is currently in design stages for Nevada City stretching along the State Route (SR) 49 corridor from the SR 20/49/Uren Street intersection to the former Nevada County Juvenile Hall at Kaylee Court. The preliminary design and environmental reports should be completed in late January and they include the addition of features such as roundabouts, pedestrian crossings, shared-use paths, sidewalks, and new lighting. The project is intended to improve accessibility and safety throughout the corridor, according to Mike Woodman, Executive Director of the Nevada County Transportation Commission (NCTC).
• Opinion | California’s freeways are fueling its housing crisis (CalMatters). Freeway expansion isn’t just a transportation issue; it’s one of the most overlooked drivers of California’s housing crisis. It didn’t arrive as a sudden catastrophe; it has been a slow erosion, a quiet form of displacement that has pushed thousands of families from their homes. And it isn’t just a legacy of the past; new projects planned across the state are continuing to displace families. In San Mateo, for instance, 33 families near the proposed Highway 101/92 expansion are facing forced removal from their homes. Versions of this pattern are unfolding across California: The California Department of Transportation, known as Caltrans, forces families from their homes to widen freeways, then it demolishes what remains.
• 110 Freeway upgrades coming starting in 2028 (The Eastsider). Some people call it the Pasadena Freeway, others refer to it as the 110. Officially, it’s the Arroyo Seco Parkway. Whatever you call it, this 86-year-old roadway—L.A.’s first freeway—is destined for some road work and changes, but not for a couple years. The $43 million Arroyo Seco Parkway Upgrades Project is scheduled to begin construction in 2028 and be completed by the end of 2029, according to Katy Macek, a spokesperson for Caltrans. Although some people may have noticed construction recently along the parkway at Avenue 43, it’s not part of this project, but is a harbinger of things to come. Work will be done on three sections of the highway in Northeast Los Angeles:
• Commuters weigh in on state Route 52 improvement project. ‘A mixed bag.’ (San Diego Union Tribune via MSN). East County commuters got their first glimpse of a proposed project to redesign a 6-mile stretch of state Route 52 on Thursday. With the goal of improving longstanding traffic issues, Caltrans is studying potential improvements to SR-52 in the Tierrasanta and Santee area between Interstate 15 and state Route 125, including the Mast Boulevard Interchange. The project is in collaboration with the San Diego Association of Governments and the City of Santee. “We started raising questions for this project in 2019, when we formed the Highway 52 Coalition,” Santee Mayor John Minto said. “Now what we have to do is put our nose to the grindstone and get the rest of things done.” The project, which is the early stage, proposes the addition of managed lanes, addressing bottlenecks and a relocated bike path.
• New road in El Dorado County south of Highway 50? Officials keep the option (SacBee via MSN). El Dorado County supervisors have advanced plans for a potential new east-west road near the El Dorado Hills Business Park, located in a largely undeveloped area about three miles south of Highway 50. At its meeting in Placerville on Dec. 9, the board voted to add the project to the county’s general plan. A year ago, the board approved a $450,000 contract with a consultant to undertake traffic engineering and environmental planning for the project. It would connect Latrobe Road to the county’s western boundary with Sacramento County. Although the board unanimously supported the project this month, the proposed road – dubbed the Latrobe West Connector – may never materialize. The possible “opening year” was set for 2036 in planning documents, but county staff wrote in their presentation to the board that it was far from guaranteed.
• Caltrans clears traffic splits from Highway 50 construction in Sacramento (ABC 10 Sacramento). Caltrans announced Thursday there is no longer a traffic split within the eastbound portion of Highway 50 construction in Sacramento, meaning traffic splits are no longer expected for the project. Four lanes are open in both directions from Interstate 5 to Watt Avenue, per state officials. The Highway 50 construction, also called Fix 50, will continue until summer 2026, but no further traffic splits are scheduled for the project, Caltrans spokesman Sergio Ochoa Sánchez told ABC10 on Monday. Work began on the Highway 50 project in 2016, and it is slated for completion in July 2026, the Caltrans website says. The project is supposed to reduce congestion and replace pavement that was at the end of its service life, among other benefits, officials said.
• Caltrans to revise Highway 101 HOV hours after commuter backlash in Marin, Sonoma (Local News Matters via MSN). Caltrans plans to revise high-occupancy vehicle lane hours on U.S. Highway 101 in Marin and Sonoma counties after months of complaints from commuters and pressure from local and state officials, transportation agencies announced. State transportation officials said they will speed up traffic data analysis and determine permanent HOV lane hours by the end of January 2026. Updated hours are expected to be implemented in February, once new signage is installed. The changes follow expanded HOV hours introduced in September, which officials say led to longer commute times, particularly after new federal rules restricted electric vehicle access to HOV lanes unless occupancy requirements are met, a news release issued Friday from Marin County noted. Caltrans is also continuing to roll out ramp metering along the Highway 101 corridor as part of broader congestion management efforts.
• Developer plans Bouquet Canyon Road meeting in January (SCV Signal). An 11-month closure of Bouquet Canyon Road is now being planned for mid-January, according to a web page from Lennar created for its 375-home development near David Way in Saugus. After a community meeting in November attracted a crowd of residents upset about access to Bouquet Canyon Road being shut down in December, the city of Santa Clarita said it would get involved. City Manager Ken Striplin said the developer’s closure plan had “work to do,” while the developer has indicated the road work would be led by the city. City Engineer Damon Letz said the developer had to follow a series of steps to create the detour, laid out in a plan at the developer’s website, prior to the city permitting any closure of Bouquet Canyon Road. Letz added the timeline for the completion of that work was being set by the developer.
• ＄ San Francisco Bay Bridge: An unsung architectural marvel (Mercury News). There’s a surreal serenity atop the world’s longest self-anchored, single-tower suspension bridge, crowned by a thick blanket of fog more than 500 feet above the rippling tides off Yerba Buena Island’s eastern shore. From here, the nearly 300,000 daily commuters below who cross the newest, asymmetrical side of the Bay Bridge look like a frenetic ant highway, as 15 mph winds blow towards the perennial stack of vibrant shipping containers that frame the Port of Oakland. Barges lazily float under the 1.4-mile skyway, while Coast Guard patrols fade into the horizon past Treasure Island. Once hotly debated as an experimental, costly pitch to restore the vulnerable eastern span in the wake of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the rebuilt Bay Bridge now has more than a decade under its belt serving one of the Bay Area’s most vital transportation arteries. The iconic tower that boasts this panoramic view is home to one of the last remaining architectural secrets of the Bay Bridge: A last-minute final design touch was a case of life imitating art. As revealed for the first time by Bart Ney, who quickly became one of the most prominent public faces of the bridge as the California Department of Transportation’s Bay Area spokesperson in the early 2000s, the creative team at Popular Mechanics magazine took a little extra creative license when putting the Bay Bridge on the cover of their June 2007 issue. “They put parapet walls up there and a little inspector standing on the top of the bridge,” Ney said. While the roof was originally intended to be flat, he said there was still time and money in the budget for a moment of inspiration. “When our designers saw that, it was so compelling we redesigned the top of the bridge.”
• ＄ $43 million Hearn Avenue highway overpass expansion was decades in the making for south Santa Rosa (Press Democrat). Has that stream of cars often lining southbound Highway 101 at Hearn Avenue gotten shorter? It’s a question some motorists may be asking themselves around the known and troublesome bottleneck in south Santa Rosa. Transportation officials hope the new, larger highway overpass recently completed in the area has helped address the congestion problems. Planned for decades, the $43.7 million overpass replacement at Hearn Avenue includes two travel lanes in each direction, instead of one, plus intersection and offramp improvements to help cars more easily exit the highway and cross the bridge. It fully opened to vehicles just before Thanksgiving and officials with Santa Rosa, Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authority and the California Department of Transportation along with state lawmakers and cycling advocates marked the moment on Dec. 11. The project is part of a wider set of improvements in that area of south Santa Rosa, including a new library and fire station under construction less than a half mile to the west and other traffic upgrades planned on Hearn Avenue.
• ＄ Officials, commuters react to Caltrans plan to reduce carpool lane hours on Highway 101 in Sonoma, Marin counties (Press Democrat). Steve DeLeon learned on Friday that Caltrans intends to take a do-over on its wildly unpopular decision to nearly double carpool lane hours on Highway 101 in Marin and Sonoma counties. The news came a bit late for DeLeon, a sheet metal foreman from Forestville whose work takes him all over the Bay Area. To skirt the new HOV lane restrictions – which on Sept. 8 were extended from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the morning, and in the evening from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., in both directions, in both counties – DeLeon had been leaving home at 4 a.m. to reach a job site in Sunnyvale. The return trip from the South Bay was taking him 2.5 hours. That awful commute was one of the factors that went into DeLeon’s decision to retire early. Returning a reporter’s call on Friday from his retirement luncheon in San Mateo, he recalled telling his boss, “I’m kind of done with all this driving.”
• International Boulevard’s makeover ended pedestrian deaths this year (Oaklandside). The rows of thin plastic posts on International Boulevard are saving lives. Almost immediately after the Tempo bus line went live on International Boulevard in the summer of 2020, people flagged its dangers, saying drivers were using the dedicated bus lane as a mini-freeway to bypass traffic slowdowns, leading to red-light running at very high speeds — and a rash of pedestrian fatalities. Finally, starting in the summer of 2024, AC Transit and Oakland’s transportation department added plastic bollards to cut off access to the bus lane. And a new interagency report, released at an interagency meeting of the transit agency and the city on December 10 in Oakland, shows that pedestrian deaths on bus rapid transit (BRT) lanes fell from seven in 2023 to zero so far in 2025, partly due to those bollards and other interventions.
• Caltrans to revise Highway 101 HOV hours after commuter backlash in Marin, Sonoma (Local News Matters). Caltrans plans to revise high-occupancy vehicle lane hours on U.S. Highway 101 in Marin and Sonoma counties after months of complaints from commuters and pressure from local and state officials, transportation agencies announced. State transportation officials said they will speed up traffic data analysis and determine permanent HOV lane hours by the end of January 2026. Updated hours are expected to be implemented in February, once new signage is installed. The changes follow expanded HOV hours introduced in September, which officials say led to longer commute times, particularly after new federal rules restricted electric vehicle access to HOV lanes unless occupancy requirements are met, a news release issued Friday from Marin County noted.
• Historic Bay Bridge Clock has new home (The Bay Link Blog). As Bay Area residents count down the clock on the 2025 holiday season, MTC put up a piece of history: the giant clock that once sat atop the Bay Bridge toll plaza. A bygone relic from the 1950s, the brilliant, neon-lit timepiece is now on display at the Bay Area Metro Center in San Francisco.
• Severely damaged portion of Angeles Crest Highway closed (KTLA 5 LA). A portion of Angeles Crest Highway just east of Highway 39 in the San Gabriel Mountains is closed after recent storms left at least four areas of the roadway severely damaged. In a post to social media, Caltrans said the road, also known as State Route 2, was closed from Cedar Springs a little more than three miles east of Newcomb’s Ranch to State Route 138. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Assistant Director Mike Leum said on Instagram that storm runoff likely undermined the roadway, causing it to collapse in places and that large ice patches even caused a fire truck to spin and get stuck. It was later towed to safety.
• Angeles Crest Highway partially collapses near Mt. Waterman ski lifts after holiday storm, ariel video shows (ABC7 Los Angeles). A section of the Angeles Crest Highway collapsed near the Mt. Waterman ski lifts after a holiday storm, and an ongoing roadway closure spanning several miles remained in effect Tuesday. Aerial video from AIR7 showed the dramatic buckling of asphalt on snow-covered State Route 2 in the aftermath of a landslide in the Angeles National Forest. The highway was shut down in both directions from Cedar Springs, 3.3 miles east of Newcomb’s Ranch, to State Route 138. Caltrans crews were seen arriving in the area as the agency announced the storm “caused significant damage to the roadbed in at least four locations.” Damage assessments were ongoing.
• Winter storm forces another closure for Angeles Crest Highway (LA Times via MSN). A portion of Angeles Crest Highway is closed after winter storms damaged the winding mountain road that affords travelers stunning views and access to forested hiking trails. Authorities closed State Route 2 between Cedar Springs, 3.3 miles east of Newcomb’s Ranch, and State Route 138 on Christmas Eve, according to the California Department of Transportation. The road near Angeles National Forest is damaged in at least four locations, said the agency. Photos shared by the agency on social media showed the snow-lined highway littered with boulders and debris and expanses of it buckled and broken. A wheel loader was used on Tuesday to move a giant boulder off the road, video shared by Caltrans showed.
• Highway 50 construction in Sacramento to be completed by summer, Caltrans says (CBS Sacramento via MSN). Blocked lanes and backed-up traffic – it’s a familiar sight within Caltrans’ major construction project through downtown Sacramento. Many drivers want to know: When will it end? The Fix 50 project first began in 2021. Here’s what Caltrans spokesperson Sergio Ochoa Sanchez told CBS News Sacramento last summer: “We are aiming to finish or complete this project by the end of this year.” But with just days left on the calendar, we checked back with Caltrans, and they’ve got a new answer. “The end completion date for the whole project, we are aiming to be summer of 2026,” Ochoa Sanchez said. Caltrans says that date is still within the contractor’s approved window of work.
• Richmond bridge replacing toll plaza with a fast way to pay (RichmondSide). The price motorists will pay to cross state-owned bridges in the Bay Area will go up by 50 cents as 2026 dawns, but supposedly you’ll be able to get where you’re going faster, transportation officials said, thanks to new toll collection systems that are being installed. The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is first in line for the upgrade. The 50-cent toll hikes will take effect on Thur., Jan. 1, on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the Bay Bridge, the Carquinez Bridge, the Benicia Bridge, the Antioch Bridge, the San Mateo Bridge and the Dumbarton Bridge. The toll for two-axle cars and trucks on state bridges that use the FasTrak system will increase from the current $8 to $8.50. There will also be annual 50-cent toll increases every New Year’s Day until 2030. On the final increase, the toll for cars and trucks will be $10. (The Golden Gate Bridge is not state-owned, so its separate 50-cent toll increase went into effect in July.)
• San Francisco Cable Car Museum is still rolling, still free (SF Examiner). Don Holmgren said that one of his favorite aspects of the venerable Cable Car Museum — where people can see the live machinery that pulls The City’s historic public-transit icons up and down hills — is that there is still no charge for admission. “That’s a big thing,” said Holmgren, a museum volunteer for nearly 30 years who serves as a tour guide and a director of the nonprofit Friends of the Cable Car Museum that oversees the operation. “In the Bay Area, it’s free! And there are tours available.” Established in 1974, the Cable Car Museum occupies part of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s historic red brick cable-car barn and powerhouse on Nob Hill. The museum estimates on its IRS nonprofit forms that the facility at Mason and Washington streets — the listed address for the cable-car system’s entry in the National Register of Historic Landmarks — sees “in excess of 200,000 visitors annually.”
• ＄ Sonoma County spent $90 million on road rehab and bridge projects in 2025 (Press Democrat). Sonoma County’s spending on road projects in 2025 totaled $90 million, a high mark in recent years, driven by repairs needed after last winter’s storms and by work on multiple bridges. In 2024, the county spent a total of $72.2 million, which Public Infrastructure Director Johannes Hoevertsz touted at the time as one of the road department’s most productive years. The county is responsible for 1,368 miles of roads and streets outside city limits, making for one of the largest networks in the nine-county Bay Area. Each year, officials must juggle planned work that falls under the county’s pavement preservation program, which seeks to improve road surfaces and extend their life, with storm repairs and bridge projects, which often take years to complete. The projects are funded with a mix of local, state and federal money.
• ＄ $100 million surge in public works projects underway in Santa Rosa. Here’s what’s planned in 2026 (Press Democrat). Santa Rosa residents should expect to see a wave of construction activity in the new year as the city breaks ground on several major and long-planned public works projects. They include water, sewer and storm drain upgrades, traffic safety and road improvements, park renovations and construction of a new park, the first in years. The city awarded contracts for 17 projects in 2025 and officials expect to award another 20 bids through the first quarter of 2026, up from the prior three years. The value of the work totals more than $100 million, city figures show. While construction is cyclical, the surge in public works projects also is a result of changes to how Transportation and Public Works Department officials approach the job. Dan Hennessey, who took over as director in early 2024, has put greater emphasis on deliverability and made a concerted effort to reallocate funding and seek outside funds for projects that had been sitting on the shelf for years.

Gribblenation Blog (Tom Fearer)

• Former California State Route 4 in Murphys. Murphys is one of the oldest communities in Calaveras County and historically tied to the history of the Big Trees Road to Ebbetts Pass. When California State Route 4 was commissioned in 1934 it followed the existing Alpine State Highway corridor through the community via Main Street and Big Trees Road. Murphys would be bypassed in 1961 when the current highway alignment east of downtown was constructed. The same project corridor would also bypass nearby Douglas Flat and Vallecito.
• Red Hills Road (Tuolumne County). Reds Hill Road is a short four-mile rural corridor located in the namesake hills of Tuolumne County. This particular highway was plotted during the California Gold Rush as part of a stage road between La Grange and Chinese Camp. The Red Hills are mostly known as backdrop which has frequently been used in western movies and came under Bureau of Land Management protection in 1985. Red Hills Road serves as a cutoff between Chinese Camp and La Grange Road (County Route J59). The highway has numerous low water bridges which often overflow during the winter months.
• Camp 9 Road (Calaveras County). Camp 9 Road is an approximately 9.4-mile roadway owned and maintained by the Pacific Gas & Electricity Company in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Calaveras County. This single lane highway begins at Parrots Ferry Road near Vallecito and terminates at Clarks Flat near the former company town site of Camp 9. Camp 9 Road was completed in 1907 by Stanislaus Electric Power Company to facilitate access to the original Stanislaus Powerhouse. Within the vicinity of the modern Stanislaus Powerhouse the ruins of the Camp 9 Footbridge and original Stanislaus River Bridge can be found.
• County Route J17 (Stanislaus County and Merced County). County Route J17 is a 39.20 mile long Letter County Route serving Stanislaus County and Merced County. The highway as presently configured begins at Interstate 5 along Sperry Avenue in Patterson. East of Patterson the highway passes through Turlock and enters Merced County where it terminates via Turlock Road at California State Route 59 near Snelling. County Route J17 was commissioned in 1960 following the completion of the Las Palmas Avenue Bridge over the San Joaquin River.
• Murphys Grade Road (Calaveras County). Murphys Grade Road is an approximately 6.4-mile highway which connects the community of Murphys to the Angels Camp neighborhood of Altaville. The Murphys Grade was commissioned in 1865 by the Murphys and Altaville Turnpike Company. Unlike many Gold Rush era franchise toll roads, the Murphys Grade was profitable as it followed a favorable grade through Angels Creek Canyon. The corridor was made a Calaveras County public highway in 1911 and would be modernized in 1943.
• California State Route 4 Business in Angels Camp. When California State Route 4 was commissioned in August 1934 it passed through the heart of Altaville and Angels Camp. The original highway alignment eastbound entered Altavilla via Stockton Road and met California State Route 49 at Main Street. Main Street carried a multiplex of California State Routes 49 and 4 south through downtown Angels Camp where the latter highway split away via Vallecito Road. California State Route 4 was ultimately shifted to the Angels Camp Bypass during July 2009 but much of the original corridor was retained as a Business Route.
• Hunt Road (Calaveras County). Hunt Road is an approximately 15-mile rural highway located in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Calaveras County. This roadway begins at California State Route 4 near Angels Camp and extends westward through Salt Springs Valley to the near ghost town of Milton at County Route J14. The corridor of Hunt Road was originally developed to serve the Carmen City Mine near the namesake Carmen Peak. The road was eventually extended west of Carmen City to the Stockton and Copperopolis Railroad terminus in Milton.
• Salt Spring Valley Road to the Felix ghost town (Calaveras County). Salt Spring Valley Road is an approximately four-mile rural highway located in Calaveras County. The corridor is a loop of Hunt Road which passes through the heart Salt Spring Valley and the ranching ghost town of Felix. The community’s name of Felix is a reference to the larger Madam Felix Mining District which was active in Salt Spring Valley most during the 1850s and 1860s.
• The early alignments of California State Route 4 in Copperopolis and Telegraph City. The Calaveras County communities of Copperopolis and Telegraph City are located in region of the Sierra Nevada foothills which went through a copper mining boom starting in the 1860s. When California State Route 4 was commissioned in 1934 it followed the corridor of Reed’s Turnpike through Telegraph City to Main Street in Copperopolis. Both communities were bypassed during the late 1970s, but California Transportation Commission shelved plans to modern the highway east to Altaville (not part of Angels Camp). Recently the Wagon Trail Realignment Project between Copperopolis and Angels Camp has been revived as is currently in construction as of the publishing of this blog.
• Panoche Road and former California State Route 180 over the Diablo Range. Panoche Road is an approximately 64-mile-long rural highway located in the coast ranges of central California. Panoche Road begins at California State Route 25 near Paicines in San Benito County and carries the designation of County Route J1 through the Diablo Range to Little Panoche Road in Panoche Valley. Panoche Road continues east from Panoche Valley and becomes a dirt highway approaching the ford of Big Panoche Creek. The dirt segment of this corridor continues into Fresno County passing through the Panoche Hills and Tumey Hills before emerging into San Joaquin Valley at an interchange with Interstate 5. The remaining 18 miles of Panoche Road east of Interstate 5 to California State Route 180 near Mendota are comprised of conventional paved highway.
• Rock Creek Road (Calaveras County). Rock Creek Road is a 14.6-mile rural highway located in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Calaveras County. The corridor begins at California State Route 4 near Main Street in Copperopolis and extends west to County Route J14 (Milton Road) in Milton via Salt Spring Valley.
• Sonora Road (Calaveras County). Sonora Road is an approximately 17-mile-long bisected highway corridor between Knights Ferry in Stanislaus County and Farmington in San Joaquin County. The corridor was part of the larger La Grange-Farmington Road which was a major Gold Rush era stage corridor. Sonora Road is historically tied to the Knights Ferry Covered Bridge which opened at the Stanislaus River in 1864. Construction of the Farmington Flood Control Basin Dam in 1951 would bisect Sonora Road between Henry Road and 26 Mile Road.
• Christmas with the Skunk Train. The Skunk Train is a popular nickname for the 40-mile California Western Railroad. Said line is located in the Coastal Redwood regions of Mendocino County between Willits and Fort Bragg. The initial portion of what would become the California Western Railroad opened east of Fort Bragg in 1885 and would ultimately reach Willits by 1911. The “Skunk Train” nickname is derived from 1920s era when gasoline powered motorcars were introduced to the line. The California Western Railroad was ultimately sold to Mendocino County investors in 1996 and turned into a heritage line. During the Christmas season each year the so-called Christmas Tree Train departs from Willits west to the claimed world’s largest Christmas Tree in the Noyo River Canyon.

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