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Abandoned Fowler Avenue in Clovis, California

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Originally Fowler Avenue in the city of Clovis had a brief discontinuation approaching Herndon Avenue.  Fowler Avenue traffic heading northbound was required to detour briefly onto westbound Herndon Avenue.  During 2001 this discontinuation was removed when Fowler Avenue was reconfigured to access the Sierra Freeway (California State Route 168) via an interchange.  This led to a segment of the original alignment of Fowler Avenue just south of Herndon Avenue to be abandoned.  Despite a shopping center opening over part of the original Fowler Avenue alignment in 2016 much of the abandoned roadway remains.  




The history of the abandoned original alignment of Fowler Avenue in Clovis

The original alignment of California State Route 168 departed downtown Clovis eastbound along Tollhouse Road.  This original alignment did not interact with Fowler Avenue at the Herndon Avenue intersection.  Fowler Avenue north of Tollhouse Road ran north to Herndon Avenue where a break in the corridor was encountered.  Traffic wishing to continue north on Fowler Avenue was required to take a left-hand turn onto westbound Herndon Avenue followed by a quick right-hand turn.  

The original configuration at the Fowler Avenue and Herndon Avenue intersection can be seen on the 1946 United States Geological Survey map of Clovis.  California State Route 168 can be seen displayed following Tollhouse Road.  


During the 1990s construction on the Sierra Freeway broke ground as the new alignment of California State Route 168.  The limited access freeway grade spanned from California State Route 180 at Postmile FRE R0.435 to R11.85 a short distance east of Thompson Avenue.  This freeway corridor would be fully opened to traffic during May 2001.  

Fowler Avenue was selected for a freeway interchange with the Sierra Freeway a short distance north of Herndon Avenue.  Part of this project included realigning Fowler Avenue to make it continuous with the segment north of Hernon Avenue.  This led to the original alignment of Fowler Avenue from Herndon Avenue south to Backowski Avenue being abandoned.  The segment was likely not razed due to be the land parcels being purchased by commercial real estate interests.  

The abandoned portion of Fowler Avenue can be seen behind a shopping center just south of Herndon Avenue on Googe Maps.  


The abandoned portion of Fowler Avenue can be seen facing south from Herndon Avenue on a July 2011 Google Street View Image.  The abandoned roadway is shown to have been subject to road paint testing at some point.  


The shopping center located at the southeast corner of the Fowler Avenue/Hernon Avenue intersection opened during 2016.  The new shopping center consumed much of the abandoned portion of Herndon Avenue.  Despite the presence of a modern shopping center a portion of abandoned Fowler Avenue is still located behind the parking lot. 

These photos face south along the abandoned original alignment of Fowler Avenue.  




The reverse view on abandoned Fowler Avenue facing towards Hernon Avenue.  


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