Cement Plant Road (Calaveras County)

Cement Plant Road is a privately owned 5.5-mile corridor located in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Calaveras County. The roadway was constructed as a short line railroad during the 1930s by Calaveras Cement from Pool Station Road to a cement quarry east of Calaveritas. Despite being a private road, the corridor of Cement Plant Road crosses over numerous public highways via unique bridge structures. Pictured as the blog cover is the Cement Plant Road trestle crossing over Calaveritas Road.

The history of Cement Plant Road and corridor exploration

Cement Plant Road was built initially built as a short line railroad in the early 1930s by Calaveras Cement. The line served as an extension of the Kentucky House Branch of the Southern Pacific Railroad which originated out of Lodi.

Calaveras Cement incorporated in 1925 and was based out of a plant located on Pool Station Road. The company is most well-known for supplying cement to the construction site of Pardee Dam. The company would construct a 5.5-mile private road from their plant to quarries located east of Calaveritas.

Calaveras Cement would be sold in 1959 and again in 1979. The company would be shuttered in 1983 due to being unable to compete with foreign cement prices and a high cost to modernize their plant. The Kentucky House Branch was deconstructed gradually during the 1990s and the former short line to the Calaveras Cement quarry was converted into a private road.

Below the Cement Plant Road trestle can be seen crossing over Calaveritas Road at the town Calaveritas. The community was founded by Mexican miners in 1849 and is thought to have peaked with a population of about 800 by 1857. Much of Calaveritas would burn in a fire during 1858 which would lead to it declining.

Pictured is the Calaveras Cement Bridge crossing over California State Route 49 near Calaveritas Creek. This structure is a hybrid concrete and wooden trestle design which was built in 1935. The bridge has a clearance of 19.7 feet which is embedded into the concrete facade.

The western terminus of Cement Plant Road can be found at Pool Station Road. Signage facing east indicates the corridor as a private road but is open for a half mile to All Rocks Aggregate Materials.

The ruins of the Calaveras Cement Plant can be found west of Pool Station Road.

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