Boyd Drive (former California State Route 63)

Continuing where I left off from the J21 blog I had to find a way out of the Sierras. I've taken CA 245 so many times that it seemed kind of passe to do it in some abbreviated way south to Woodlake. That being the case I noticed an oddity on some state highway maps from the early 1950s which showed California State Route 63 running east of Orosi to what was CA 65 along Boyd Drive. Traveling southbound on CA 245 I turned west onto former CA 63 on Boyd Drive.

Boyd Drive was likely CA 63 from 1950 to at least 1966/67. Rather than go through all the supporting evidence I've found and obtained from others I'll just link over the CA 63 road blog where everything is already posted.

California State Route 63 Road Blog

The route ahead on Boyd Drive was only 11 miles long to reach Orosi. Boyd Drive is narrow but plenty wide enough for passing, the asphalt surfacing could certainly use some work though.

There are some nice places to take some depth shots of the road and get some decent vistas of the switchbacks. I didn't encounter another vehicle on my trip westward until I reached the city limits of Orosi.

Pretty much both sides of Boyd Drive appear to owned by local ranchers. There is cattle fencing lapping the roadway amid the typical boulders you'd expect to see in the Sierra Foothills.

The drop out of the Sierra Foothills in San Joaquin Valley is very abrupt above a large farm.

On the Valley Floor CA 63 west would have turned right on El Monte Way to reach Orosi proper. Road 128 south of Orosi remains part of CA 63 today while northwards it would have been CA 226 when it became a signed highway. CA 63 uses the former alignment of CA 226 nowadays to reach CA 180.

Comments

Grand Loop Road of Yellowstone National Park

Grand Loop Road is a 140 mile loop highway which traverses the interior of Yellowstone National Park. Grand Loop Road connects all of the major attractions and geological features of Yellowstone National Park along with the entrance roads. Grand Loop Road is a seasonal highway and despite some conjecture never has been part of the US Route System. Part 1; the history of Grand Loop Road The majority of history pertaining to Grand Loop Road was taken from the below National Park Service article: Historic Roads - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) Yellowstone was declared the first National Park of the United States on March 1st, 1872. The first real highway to access Yellowstone National Park came in 1873 when a tolled facility was constructed from Bozeman, Montana via Yankee Jim Canyon to Mammoth Hot Springs. Numerous attempts were made to fund construction of roadway infrastructure during the early years of Yellows...

The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign. These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare. This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade. We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others? Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers. The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California. Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...

California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway

From 2017 through to early 2019 I drove the majority of the California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway from CA 89 southwest to CA 99. CA 70 is an approximately 178.5 mile state highway which starts at US 395 near the Nevada State Line and travels west through the Feather River Canyon to CA 99. CA 70 is often referred to as the Feather River Highway" given it's close association with the river. Historically CA 70 was previously signed as US 40A and CA 24. The Legislative Routes prior to the 1964 California Highway Renumbering that made up the current route of CA 70 are as follows: - Legislative Route Number 21 from US 395 westward to Oroville. - LRN 87 from Oroville south to Marysville. - LRN 232 from Marysville to the current junction with CA 99. CA 70 was even dual signed with CA 99 into Sacramento on what was LRN 232 for a time. The change from US 40A/LRN 21/LRN 87/LRN 232 can be seen by comparing the 1963 State Highway Ma...