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California State Route 189

This past month I drove California State Route 189 in the San Bernardino Mountains.  CA 189 has the distinction of being of the few State Routes in California which is currently signed with the same number as it's Pre-1964 Renumbering Legislative Route Number.


CA 189 is a 6 mile State Highway entirely located within San Bernardino County.  CA 189 connects CA 18 on the crest of the San Bernardino Mountains to CA 173 in Lake Arrowhead.



Part 1; the History of California State Route 189

The history of California State Route 189 begins in 1933 when Legislative Route 189 was adopted into the State Highway System.  LRN 189 was not one of original run of Sign State Routes and mostly served as an alternate to Lake Arrowhead over CA 18/CA 2.  The route of LRN 189 appears on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of San Bernardino County.


As noted above LRN 189 was assigned CA 189 during the 1964 State Highway Renumbering.  CA 189 shares a distinction with CA 58 and CA 127 of being highways that have a current route number that matches their Pre-1964 Legislative Route Number.  In the case of CA 127 it is the only route that had a Legislative Route Number which matched it's field signage before 1964.  CA 189 is too small to pick up graphically on the 1964 Division of Highways Map but is referenced in the list of State Highways.



Part 2; scenery along CA 189

From CA 18 eastbound junction of CA 189 is located at Lake Gregory Drive.  Interestingly the junction of CA 189 isn't signage from CA 18.  There isn't really any indication from CA 18 eastbound that there is an alternate route from Lake Arrowhead.




From CA 173 northbound at Lake Arrowhead Village the junction of CA 189 on Lake Edge Road also isn't signed.  In the two photos below CA 173 north meets CA 189/Lake Edge Road on the left hand side.



That said, CA 189 on the actual highway is very well signed.  CA 189 westbound on Lake Edge Road has an immediate reassurance shield.


CA 189 also has end route signage at both terminus points.  CA 189 even has junction signage at it's eastern terminus with CA 173 but lacks it for CA 18 at the western terminus.


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