Skip to main content

California State Route 259; TO I-215/CA 210

While visiting San Bernardino this past week I drove the small California State Route 259 freeway.


While often called a glorified ramp the route of CA 259 is a one mile full-fledged freeway which connects Interstate 215 to California State Route 210.  Legislatively the route that became the modern CA 259 was part of Legislative Route Number 43 which was adopted into the State Highway system in 1933 according to CAhighways.org.

CAhighways.org on LRN 43

LRN 43 in San Bernardino originally ran from along E Street.  In 1934 the route of CA 18 added to E Street between LRN 190 on Highland Avenue south to LRN 26 on Colton Avenue which also carried US 99/70.  CA 18 can be seen on E Street in San Bernardino on this 1938 State Highway Map.

1938 State Highway Map

In 1960 CA 18/LRN 43 appears to have been aligned onto I Street.

1960 State Highway Map 

The I Street alignment is made more clear on a 1961 Traffic Census.

Annual Traffic Census 1961

The route number assigned during the California State Highway Renumbering of 1964 is unclear.  The route likely was remained signed as CA 18 but the new route number if any is unknown.

1964 State Highway Map 

According to CAhighways.org CA 259 was assigned in 1965.  The route of CA 259 makes it's first appearance on the 1966 State Highway Map routed between I-15/US 66/US 395 north on I Street and east on 30th Street to CA 18/CA 206 at E Street.

1966 State Highway Map 

On the 1970 State Highway Map CA 259 appears as a full freeway between I-15/US 66/US 395 to CA 18/CA 206.  The 1967 and 1969 State Highway Map editions do not display CA 259 at all which makes it unclear when the freeway grade was complete.

1970 State Highway Map City Insert

My approach to CA 259 was from the northbound Base Line Street Ramp in San Bernardino.  Ahead the interchange between I-215 and CA 259 can be seen. 


CA 259 is not given any reassurance shields and is as access to CA 210 headed northbound.   Even the reassurance shields state "To CA 210."



Northbound CA 259 Exit 1A accesses former CA 30 on Highland Avenue.  CA 259 traffic is advised the freeway provides access to CA 330.



Exit 1B on CA 259 north accesses E Street.





CA 259 terminates at CA 210 east near the exit for CA 18 at Waterman Avenue.  It should be noted that the current CA 210 freeway was once signed as CA 30.


Comments

Unknown said…
The only way you know it's CA-259 is on the bridge overcrossing signs and on the bents.

Popular posts from this blog

Bleriot Ferry - Alberta

  Alberta operates six ferries scattered throughout the province. Roughly twenty to twenty-five kilometers up the Red Deer River from the town of Drumheller is one of the most scenic ferry crossings in all of Wild Rose Country, the Bleriot Ferry. Using the North Dinosaur Trail (Alberta Highway 838, or AB 838), the Bleriot Ferry provides a scenic river cruise of sorts in the Canadian Badlands. The Bleriot Ferry started operating in 1913 as the Munson Ferry when a few bridges crossed the Red Deer River. The ferry was started by Andre Bleriot, the brother of famed early aviator Louis Bleriot, who became famous for being the first person to fly over the English Channel. At the time, the Alberta provincial government commissioned local residents to run the ferries. There were several ferries along the Red Deer River, and not only did they serve as vital transportation links, but they also served as local social hubs, since everyone had to take the ferries to go places. Over time, as the...

The Pollasky Bridge

The Pollasky Bridge near modern day Friant is a ruined highway bridge which was completed during early 1906 as part of the Fresno-Fresno Flats Road.  The structure is one of the oldest known arch concrete spans to have been constructed in California.  The bridge briefly carried California State Route 41 following the destruction of the Lanes Bridge in 1940.  The Pollasky Bridge itself was destroyed by flooding during 1951, but the ruins can still be found on the Madera County side of the San Joaquin River.   Pictured as the blog cover is the Pollasky Bridge as it was featured in the 1913 book "The Concrete Bridge."  The structure can be seen crossing the San Joaquin River near Friant below on the 1922 United States Geological Survey Map.   Part 1; the history of the Pollasky Bridge The Pollasky Bridge site is near modern day Friant of Fresno County.  The community of Friant was established as Converse Ferry during 1852 on the San Joaquin Rive...

Trimmer Springs Road (Fresno County)

Trimmer Springs Road is an approximately forty-mile rural highway located in Fresno County.  The corridor begins near in California State Route 180 in Centerville and extends to Blackrock Road at the Kings River in the Sierra Nevada range near the Pacific Gas & Electric Company town of Balch Camp. The roadway is named after the former Trimmer Springs Resort and was originally constructed to facilitate access to the Sanger Log Flume.  Trimmer Springs Road was heavily modified and elongated after construction of Pine Flat Dam broke ground in 1947.   Part 1; the history of Trimmer Springs Road Much of the original alignment of Trimmer Springs Road was constructed to facilitate access to the Sanger Log Flume.   The  Kings River Lumber Company  had been established in 1888 in the form of a 30,000-acre purchase of forest lands in Converse Basin.  This purchase lied immediately west of Grant Grove and came to be known as "Millwood."  The co...