Bridge Monday; Antelope Island Causeway (former Utah State Route 127)

Back in 2015 I was ending a long road trip in the Northwest Region on of the Continental United States and had an extra day to kill in the Salt Lake City area. That being the case I decided to head out to Antelope Island in the middle of Great Salt Lake on the Antelope Island Causeway.

Antelope Island is the largest within Great Salt Lake at 42 square miles and is entirely located within Davis County. Antelope Island is home to Antelope Island State Park which was created in 1969. The creation of Antelope Island State Park led to the development of the first Antelope Island Causeway which was located over Farmington Bay just as the current structure. The first Antelope Island Causeway was part of third Utah State Route 127 which was created in 1965 and still exists between UT 110 and UT 108.

The waters of Great Salt Lake fluctuates wildly depending on winter rainfall. Great Salt Lake has been known to shrink to only 950 Square Miles in dry years and as high as 3,300 Square Miles during the wettest years. In 1983 the first Antelope Island Causeway closed due to flooding and needed to be replaced. The Utah State Legislature approved funding to build the current Antelope Island Causeway in 1991 and the structure was opened in 1993. The current Antelope Island Causeway is seven miles in length and is maintained by the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation.

From the western end of the Antelope Island Causeway much of Great Salt Lake can be seen. 2015 was a relatively wet year which is reflected in the depth of the waters around Antelope Island.

Antelope Island State Park is mostly known once privately held buffalo herd and the name antelopes. The ruins of the buffalo ranch on Antelope Island date back to the 1890s and were the result of failed homesteading.

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The Vague Original Southern Terminus of US Route 91 in the Californian Mojave Desert

One of the more intriguing mysteries of the early US Route System in California is where the original south terminus of US Route 91 was intended to be located in the Mojave Desert. This blog is a little different than my usual behind the wheel fare and explores why US Route 91 ultimately ended at US Route 66 in Daggett instead of Bannock. What ultimately became the US Route System was first discussed during the American Association of State Highway Officials ("AASHO") during their annual 1924 meeting. Ultimately the AASHO recommended to the Department of Agriculture to work with the States to develop a system of Interstate Highways to replace the many Auto Trails in use. The Joint Board on Interstate Highways was ultimately commissioned by the Department of Agriculture and it's branch agency the Bureau of Public Roads in March of 1925. The Joint Board on Interstate Highways first met in April of 1925 and decided on the new interstate road network would be known a

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Legend of the Ridge Route; a history of crossing the mountains between the Los Angeles Basin and San Joaquin Valley from wagon trails to Interstates

Over the past two decades I've crossed the Interstate 5 corridor from Los Angeles north over the Sierra Pelona Mountains and Tehachapi Range to San Joaquin Valley what seems to be an immeasurable number of times. While Interstate 5 from Castaic Junction to Grapevine via Tejon Pass today is known to most as "The Grapevine" it occupies a corridor which has been traversed by numerous historic highways. The most notable of these highways is known as the "Ridge Route." This article is dedicated to the Ridge Route and the various highways that preceded it. The Ridge Route is a 44 mile section of highway which was completed in 1915. The Ridge Route originally stretched from Castaic Junction north over Liebre Summit and Tejon Pass to the tiny community of Grapevine. In spite of a roadway that once utilized nearly 700 curves the Ridge Route is generally considered far ahead of it's time and one of the first modern highways constructed for automotive use.

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