Skip to main content

California State Route 202

After crossing my way over the Sierras via California State Route 155 and Caliente-Bodfish Road I made my way up to Tehachapi to drive the original alignment of US Route 466.  Before heading out on the former alignment of US 466 I went on a side trip on CA 202.






CA 202 is a 11 mile state highway completely contained within Tehachapi Valley in Kern County.  CA 202 begins near Tehachapi Pass at CA 58 exit 148.





Tehachapi is located one mile away on CA 202 from CA 58.


Heading westward CA 202 begins on Tucker Road which is also part of the CA 58 Business Route.  Interestingly CA 58 Business co-signed on CA 202 to Techachapi Boulevard and even has an "end" placard at it's mainline route.






CA 202/CA 58BL crosses over the Union Pacific Railroad and Tehachapi Creek into Tehachapi.  CA 58BL splits east on Tehechapi Boulevard whereas CA 202 stays on Tucker Road.




CA 202 splits west on Valley Boulevard towards the California Correctional Facility.  Valley Boulevard was originally a section of US 466.






At Woodford-Tehachapi Road US 466 would have split north towards Tehachapi Pass.  CA 202 continues west on Valley Boulevard but it's original routing began southward on Woodford-Tehachapi Road.





The California Correctional Facility is listed as being 5 miles west of Woodford-Tehachapi Road.





There isn't much to CA 202 west of Tehachapi.  The route is clearly meant to funnel traffic as quickly as possible to Cummings Valley Road and the California Correctional Facility.







CA 202 cuts south towards the California Correctional Facility where it ends outside the main gate.






Prior to the 1964 State Highway renumbering the route of CA 202 was unsigned Legislative Route 144.  LRN 144 was one of the 1933 adoptions into the State Highway system according to CAhighways.org.

CAhighways.org on LRN 144

Very little of modern CA 202 is on the original alignment but rather on a bypass route to the north.  Originally LRN 144/CA 202 would have begun at US 466 headed south on Woodford-Tehachapi Road and used the following to reach the California Correctional Facility:

-  West on Schout Road
-  South on Backes Lane
-  West on Highline Road
-  North on Banducci Road
-  West on Valley Boulevard
-  West on Cummings Valley Road
-  South on Bear Valley Road

The original alignment of LRN 144/CA 202 can be observed on the 1935 California Division of Highways Map of Kern County.

1935 Kern County Highway Map

According to topographical maps I've looked on historicaerials it seems that CA 202 was moved east into Tehachapi via Curry Street, Tehachapi Boulevard, and Tucker Road between 1965 and 1967 as the CA 58 expressway was being built.  The State Highway Maps for 1966 and 1967 don't show enough detail to be certain but I linked them below anyways.

1966 State Highway Map

1967 State Highway Map 

It seems that CA 202 was shifted onto Valley Boulevard west of Woodford-Tehachapi Road some time in the 1990s.  The 1990 State Highway Map shows CA 202 on it's original routing but on Valley Boulevard in 1995 on historicaerials.

1990 State Highway Map

Topographical maps show CA 202 on Tehachapi Boulevard and Curry Street as late on 2012.  It would seem that the shift in CA 202 completely onto Tucker Road happened in the last couple years. 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dillon Road

Dillon Road is a 34.2-mile highway located in northern Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California.  Dillon Road begins at Avenue 48 on the outskirts of Indio and ends to the west at California State Route 62 near San Gorgonio Pass.  Dillon Road was developed the 1930s as a construction road for the Colorado River Aqueduct.  Dillon Road serves as a northern bypass to much of the development of Coachella Valley.  Dillon Road is known for it's frequent dips and spectacular views of San Gorgonio Pass.   Part 1; the history of Dillon Road Dillon Road was constructed as a haul road for the Colorado River Aqueduct through Coachella Valley.  The Colorado River Aqueduct spans 242 miles from Parker Dam on the Colorado River west to Lake Mathews near Corona.  Construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct began during January 1933 near Thousand Palms and was made functional on January 7, 1939.  West of Berdoo Canyon Road the alignment of Dillon Road is largely concurrent with the Colorado

Oldtown Toll Bridge - Maryland and West Virginia

  The Oldtown Toll Bridge linking Oldtown, Maryland over the Potomac River with neighboring Green Spring, West Virginia is only one of a few truly privately owned toll bridges located in the United States. It's a simple bridge by design, as the 318 foot long Oldtown Toll Bridge is a low water bridge. Low water bridges are designed to allow water to safely and efficiently flow over the bridge deck. Additionally, a dozen concrete pedestals have been secured in the Potomac River in order to support the bridge and wooden deck. The bridge was constructed in 1937 when a gentleman by the name of Mr. Carpenter obtained the proper permits to build the Bridge through an Act of Congress. This was a blessing for residents, especially on the West Virginia side of the Potomac River, as it saved motorists commuting to Cumberland an hour in travel time. Using Mr. Carpenter's blueprints, the Army Corp of Engineers and a number of local laborers constructed the bridge and it remained under the

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road is an approximately 21-mile highway located in southeast Kern County.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road begins at Tehachapi Boulevard (former US Route 466) in Tehachapi and crosses the Tehachapi Mountains via the 4,820-foot-high Oak Creek Pass.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road enters Antelope Valley of the wider Mojave Desert and passes by the historic stage station of Willow Springs to a southern terminus at Rosamond Boulevard.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road has historic ties to the Havilah-Los Angeles Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road due to the once reliable presence of water at Willow Springs. Part 1; the history of Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road Oak Creek Pass and Willow Springs were known to the local tribes of the Tehachapi Mountains for generations.  The first documented European crossing of Oak Creek Pass was during 1776 as part of an expedition by Francisco Garces.  Oak Creek Pass is as used again by John C. Fremont during an 1844-1845 expedition to e