Skip to main content

California State Route 253

By

California State Route 253 ("CA 253") is a 17 mile State Highway located entirely in within Mendocino County.  California State Route 253 originates at US Route 101 near Ukiah and terminates at CA 128 near Boonville.




Part 1; the history of California State Route 253

According to CAhighways.org California State Route 253 was added to the State Highway System as part of 1963 Legislative Chapter 2155.  Given that California State Route 253 ("CA 253") was added by the Legislature in the run up to the 1964 State Highway Renumbering it never had a Legislative Route Number.  CA 253 first appears as a planned State Highway on the 1964 Division of Highways Map.  The planned route of CA 253 appears north of the existing Ukiah-Boonville Road.  The original route definition of CA 253 was "from Route 128 near Boonville to Route 101 near Ukiah."



The addition of a new highway between Boonville and Ukiah is mentioned in the September/October 1963 California Highways & Public Works.


The planned alignment of CA 253 was ultimately cancelled and the highway was assigned to Boonville-Ukiah Road.  CA 253 first appears on Boonville-Ukiah Road on the 1967 Division of Highways Map.


The subject of CA 253 on Boonville-Ukiah Road is addressed in the July/August 1966 California Highways & Public Works.  The history of Boonville-Ukiah Road is stated in the article to have begun in 1851 when it was known as the Anderson Valley Trail.  The article elaborates that in 1868 John Gsehwind successfully petitioned the State Legislature to upgrade the existing Anderson Valley Trail to a franchise toll road.  The Gsehwind Toll Road was primarily used to transport lumber and eventually was incorporated into Mendocino County's public road system no later than 1896.  The Gsehwind Toll Road became Boonville-Ukiah Road and was upgraded to a 10 foot width during 1896.  Boonville-Ukiah Road was further modernized beginning in 1952 under the Federal Aid Secondary program.  The article states Boonville-Ukiah Road formally became CA 253 upon the completion of the final improvement contract during March 1963.





Boonville-Ukiah Road can be seen on the 1917 California State Automobile Association Map.


Boonville-Ukiah Road can be seen as a major county highway on the 1935 California Division of Highways Map of Mendocino County.



Part 2; a drive on California State Route 253

Our drive on CA 253 begins from US 101 northbound near Ukiah.  US 101 north Exit 546 transitions onto CA 253 westbound at State Street. 





 
 
At Postmile MEN 16.863 CA 253 westbound transitions onto Boonville-Ukiah Road.   Truck traffic is given a 30 foot advisory at the transition to Boonville-Ukiah Road.


 
 
Approaching Robinson Creek CA 253 traffic is advised of 15 miles of curvy roads.  CA 253 westbound crosses Robinson Creek at approximately Postmile MEN 15.070.  Traffic is further advised that CA 128/Boonville are 16 miles westward whereas as CA 1 is 46 miles. 






CA 253 west of Robinson Creeks begins a lengthy elevation climb. 
























CA 253 westbound climbs a narrow ridge line and enters the Navarro River Watershed.  Upon reaching the Navarro River Watershed CA 253 west traffic is advised of a 9% downhill grade.  

















Upon entering the Navarro River Watershed CA 253 west traffic is advised CA 128 is 6 miles away whereas CA 1 is signed as 36 miles away.  





CA 253 west enters Bell Valley, crosses Soda Creek, and passes by a business known as "The Toll House" in what is likely a reference to the Gsehwind Toll Road.   CA 253 west follows Soda Creek to a small community known as Soda Springs at Postmile MEN 4.00.










Traffic on CA 253 west of Soda Springs is advised of another 9% downhill grade.  


CA 253 west follows the course of Soda Creek to it's terminus at CA 128 on the outskirts of Boonville. 





















Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

By
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...
Post a Comment
Read more

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

By
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...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former California State Route 41 past Bates Station

By
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...
Post a Comment
Read more