Old 1916 Elkhorn Avenue Concrete Pony Truss Bridge

The other day I was browsing bridgehunter.com when I noticed that there an old Concrete Pony Truss bridge spanning the Fresno Slough in rural Fresno County near Burrell on Elkhorn Avenue. Today I went out to the old span to grab some photos.

The Old Elkhorn Avenue Bridge apparently dates back from 1916 according to bridgehunter.com.

Old Elkhorn Avenue Bridge

I don't have an exact date for the replacement Elkhorn Avenue span over Fresno Slough but the old grade still has paint which makes it apparent the replacement probably was built in the last two decades.

As stated above the Old Elkhorn Avenue Bridge spans Fresno Slough. Fresno Slough is a tributary connecting the Kings River to northwest to the San Joaquin River. Before Tulare Lake dried up it would occasionally crest at about 210 feet above sea level which caused a back flow into the Kings River. The back flow of Tulare Lake would in turn flow through Fresno Slough towards the San Joaquin River. Today Fresno Slough rarely has water in it aside from irrigation diversion.

The Old Elkhorn Avenue Bridge can be walked across but there isn't a plaque or indicator to tell travelers any details about the bridge.

Interestingly on the 1935 California Division of Highways Map of Fresno County the modern Elkhorn Avenue is shown as Dodge Avenue. A different Elkhorn Avenue is shown two miles to the south along modern Cerini Avenue.

1935 Fresno County Highway Map

The reason the Old Elkhorn Bridge was likely built was the proximity to the Riverdale Branch Railroad and it's siding in Burrel. The Riverdale Branch Railroad was built in 1910 and has largely been razed. There is still a modern line terminating in Burrel to this day.

More information on the Riverdale Branch Railroad can be found here.

Abandoned Rails on the Riverdale Branch Railroad

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The original alignment of US Route 40 over the Martinez-Benicia Ferry and Carquinez Scenic Drive

This past November I took a day trip out to the Carquinez Straights to explore the original alignment of US Route 40 over the Martinez-Benicia Ferry and Carquinez Scenic Drive.

Part 1; the history of road bound travel over the Carquinez Straights

The Martinez-Benicia Ferry began operation in 1847 and is the second oldest ferry in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Martinez-Benicia Ferry shuttled traffic across the Carquinez Strait long before a bridge was present in the area. The Martinez-Benicia Ferry was founded by Dr. Robert Semple and was taken over by Oliver Coffin (interesting last name) who built the Ferry Street Wharf in 1850. The Martinez-Benicia Ferry can be observed even vintage maps such as the 1857 Britton & Rey's Road Map of California.

By 1915 a steam ferry known as the City of Seattle was the first to carry automotive traffic across the Carquinez Strait. Access to the Martinez-Benicia Ferry was by way of Legislative Route 14 and Legislative Route 7. LRN…

Box Canyon Road (former US 60, US 70 and the second California State Route 195)

This past month while visiting Riverside County I drove Box Canyon Road from Interstate 10 near Chiriaco Summit southwest to Mecca in Coachella Valley. Box Canyon Road is mostly known for being the original alignment of US 60/70 when they were expanded into California.

Box Canyon Road is an approximately 15.8 mile road between I-10/Cottonwood Springs Road near Chiriaco Summit which travels southwest through the Mecca Hills to Coachella Valley where it becomes 66th Avenue.

Box Canyon Road follows a naturally cut wash through the terrain of the Mecca Hills. The path of Box Canyon Road has been a known route of travel from Coachella Valley to the Colorado River and eastern Sonoran Desert for centuries. During the California Gold Rush a wagon route known as the Bradshaw Trail was plotted through the Sonoran Desert by William D. Bradshaw. The Bradshaw Trail was plotted in 1862 through the Sonoran Desert east over the Colorado River to a new mining strike found in La Paz, Arizona. B…

California State Route 111 in Coachella Valley

This past October I spent some time driving the remaining segments of California State Route 111 in Coachella Valley.

CA 111 is a highway completely contained within the Sonoran Desert of Southern California. CA 111 begins at Interstate 10 near Whitewater in San Gorgonio Pass of Riverside County. CA 111 traverses Coachella Valley and the eastern shore the Salton Sea where it terminates at the Mexican Border in Calexico of Imperial County. Prior to recent relinquished segments CA 111 was 129 miles in length.

Part 1; the History of California State Route 111

CA 111 was one of the original run of Sign State Routes announced in an August 1934 Department of Public Works Guide. The original route of CA 111 was aligned entirely over Legislative Route 187 between US 60/US 70/US 99 near Whitewater to US 99 in Brawley. LRN 187 had been added to the State Highway System a year prior in 1933 according to CAhighways.

CA 111 first appears in substantial detail on the 1935 Gousha Highway Map of …

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