Old California State Route 180 on Dunlap Road

Back in April 2017 I took a detour down the pre-1942 alignment of California State Route 180 on Dunlap Road in far east Fresno County in the Sierra Nevada Range.

Dunlap Road is 13 miles long and connects from modern CA 245 west to CA 180. At some point between 1940 and 1942 SSR 180 was moved to modern alignment CA 180 takes on the Kings Canyon Highway and SSR 65 was extended north to where the modern northern terminus of CA 245 is now. The routing for SSR 180 on Dunlap Road and the eventual changes I described can be seen on these maps:

1935 Fresno County Road Map

1938 State Highway Map

1940 State Highway Map

1942 State Highway Map

CA 180 would have continued westbound to the right on Dunlap Road in the below picture while CA 65 would have begun on the left.

Dunlap Road is significantly more curvy than the modern Kings Canyon Highway to the north which CA 180 now runs on. There is some evidence of former state maintenance with culverts that had design origins in the 1930s/40s.

Miramonte is 3 miles west of CA 245. The community is at an elevation of about 3,000 feet above sea level and was founded some time in the 1900s. Apparently Miramonte has had a Post Office since 1923.

There was a nice bloom out in the Sierras in last April. Later in July when I was traveling Dunlap Road I was almost hit head on by a trucker who cut this curve.

There are no marked vistas on Dunlap Road but there is a wide canyon view from the pull-outs. The modern Kings Canyon Highway can be seen as a cut in the mountains to the north.

Dunlap Road has a ton of steep cliffs but the road is generally plenty wide (unless you're a jackass trying to take a 40 foot plus truck load up it).

The drop on Dunlap Road is far less steep than the Kings Canyon Highway. Dunlap Road enters the community of Dunlap at about 1,900 feet above sea level.

Apparently Dunlap dates back to the 1880s and was a stage stop. The area really isn't a "town" per se but does have a school and some other expected services. Dunlap Road drops a little more elevation before meeting CA 180 at the Kings Canyon Highway.

CA 180 has been a frequent topic of discussion on Gribblenation, the other articles can be found below.

Signed County Route J1 and Old CA 180 on Panoche Road
Old CA 180 and CA 41 surface alignments in Fresno
California State Route 180 east of Fresno to Cedar Grove (Kings Canyon Highway)
CA 180 from CA 99 west to CA 33
CA 180 Kings Canyon Expressway and Sequoia-Kings Canyon Freeway

Comments

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

Within the Truckee River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada range numerous abandoned portions of US Route 40 can be found alongside modern Interstate 80. This segment of highway was opened during 1926 as a bypass of the Dog Valley Grade which carried the early North Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. The corridor of the Truckee River Canyon State Highway would be assigned as US Route 40 when the US Route System was commissioned during November 1926. During 1958 the segment of Interstate 80 between Boca, California and the Nevada state line was complete. When Interstate 80 opened east of Boca numerous obsolete portions of US Route 40 were abandoned. Some of these abandoned segments have been incorporated into the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail. Part 1; the history of US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon The Truckee River Canyon for centuries has been an established corridor of travel known to native tribes crossing the Sierra Nevada range. The first documented wagon crossi...

Former California State Route 41 past Bates Station

When California State Route 41 was commissioned during August 1934 it was aligned along the then existing Fresno-Yosemite Road north of the San Joaquin River. Within the Sierra Nevada foothills of Madera County, the original highway alignment ran past Bates Station via what is now Madera County Road 209, part of eastern Road 406 and Road 207. Bates Station was a stage station plotted during the early 1880s at what was the intersection of the Coarsegold Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road. The modern alignment bypassing Bates Station to the east would be reopened to traffic during late 1939. Part 1; the history of California State Route 41 past Bates Station Bates Station was featured as one of the many 1875-1899 Madera County era towns in the May 21, 1968, Madera Tribune . Post Office Service at Bates Station is noted to have been established on November 23, 1883 and ran continuously until October 31, 1903. The postal name was sourced...

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California. Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada. The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926. Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938. A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947. Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association. Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe. Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the September 1950 California Highways & Public Works during its Centennial Edition. The or...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog