Skip to main content

Paper Highways; modern California State Route 169 the unfinished California State Route 96

By

In this edition of Paper Highways we look at the history of the incomplete California State Route 169 and it's origins as part of California State Route 96.

 

Present CA 169 is a 24 mile State Highway which begins at US 101 near Klamath in Del Norte County and ends at CA 96 in Weitchpec of Humboldt County.  CA 169 has a 18 mile gap of unconstructed highway along the Klamath River and Yurok Reservation.


 Part 1; The History California State Route 169

The present route of CA 169 was added to State Highway System during the 1919 Third State Highway Bond Act according to CAhighways.org as Legislative Route 46.  LRN 46 was plotted as a highway from Legislative Route 3 (future US 99) at the Klamath River Bridge west to Legislative Route 1 (future US 101 at the Klamath River.  LRN 46 appears on the 1920 Division of Highways Map plotted as projected by it's 1919 Third State Highway Bond Act Definition.



The 1922 Division of Highways Map shows LRN 46 under the process of being graded immediately west of LRN 3.


The 1924 Division of Highways Map shows LRN 46 under construction from Happy Camp through Klamath National Forest to Somesbar.


LRN 46 is shown as a functional highway from LRN 3/US 99 west to Weitchpec on the 1930 Division of Highways Map.  LRN 46 northwest to LRN 1/US 101 is shown to be a planned highway along the Klamath River.  Bald Hills Road is shown as a functional connecting local road from LRN 46 in Weitchpec west to LRN 1/US 101.


In the August 1934 California Highways & Public Works Guide the Sign State Routes were announced.  CA 96 was announced to be aligned completely over the unfinished LRN 46 from US 101 near Klamath east to US 99 near Yreka via the Klamath River (hence the name; Klamath River Highway).  The map provided in the CHPW guide shows CA 96 as it was originally intended to be aligned entirely over LRN 46.



CA 96 as originally planned on LRN 46 appears on the 1935 Goshua Map of California.


The 1935 Division of Highways Map of Del Norte County shows CA 96/LRN 46 completed from US 101/LRN 1 east from Klamath to Klamath Glen.


The 1935 Division of Highways Map of Humboldt County shows CA 96/LRN 46 completed west of Weitchpec to Martins Ferry.  Bald Hills Road is shown to be the locale connecting road west to US 101/LRN 1 near Orick.  It is unclear if CA 96 was ever signed over Bald Hills Road to US 101.


CA 96 is shown to be realigned off of LRN 46 south of Weitchpec via LRN 84 to US 299 at Willow Creek.  LRN 84 was added to the State Highway System during 1933 according to CAhighways.org.  It was likely CA 96 was realigned via easier grades of LRN 84 since it followed the Trinity River to US 299.  The planned route of LRN 46 west of Weitchpec followed a far more flood prone Klamath River to US 101.   The new alignment of CA 96 on LRN 84 can be seen on the 1938 Division of Highways State Map.


Not much happened with LRN 46 between Weitchpec west to Klamath until the 1950s.  The January/February 1956 California Highways & Public Works guide discusses floods from December 1955 on the Klamath River which damaged LRN 46 between Weitchpec and Martins Ferry.  The floods of December 1955 affected almost all the major highways of Northwestern California and were a driver towards infrastructure improvements. 


The September/October 1959 California Highways & Public Works Guide discusses Humboldt County applying for State aid for 43 new bridges.  One of the new bridges cited was just off of LRN 46 at Martins Ferry.   The new Martins Ferry Bridge is featured along with several other structures.  The Martins Ferry Bridge project reconnected Bald Hills Road to LRN 46 but also seems to have been the root of construction west towards Klamath. 


The 1960 Division of Highways Map shows LRN 46 extended west along the Klamath River to the Yurok Reservation.  The reminder of unbuilt LRN 46 along the Klamath River is shown not to have a determined routing.  This is as far as LRN 46 would ever come towards being completed.


During the 1964 State Highway Renumbering LRN 46 from Weitchpec west to Klamath was reassigned as CA 169.  CA 169 can be first seen on the 1964 Division of Highways Map.


The driving force behind why CA 169 along the Klamath River was never completed seems to be the massive floods of December 1964 in Northwest California.  The floods of December 1964 are referenced heavily in an article about US 101/US 199 on the Redwood Highway in the March/April 1965 California Highways & Public Works Guide.  According to CAhighways.org the status of completing CA 169 has largely remained in limbo since 1964.  The only major activity regarding CA 169 as of late was a feasibility study regarding finishing the highway gap which was conducted during 2002.


Part 2; A Tour of the West Segment of CA 169

Our virtual tour of CA 169 begins from US 101 southbound at Old Klamath.  CA 169 eastbound begins from US 101 southbound Exit 769.




 
 
The North segment of CA 169 is aligned on Klamath Glen Road.  As CA 169 eastbound passes under US 101 the guide signage uses Klamath Glen as a control city.  Klamath Glen is signed as 3 miles east on CA 169 from US 101.  




 
At Post Mile DN R0.175 CA 169 east passes by the Klamath Tour Through Tree.  The Tour Through Tree is a fairly recent tunnel tree creation having only been carved in May of 1976. 




 
CA 169 eastbound follows the east bank of the Klamath River.  At Post Mile DN 2.534 CA 169 eastbound intersects Terwer Valley Road.
 









 
The West segment of CA 169 terminates at Klamath Glen near Terwer Rifle Road at Post Mile DN 3.521.







Part 3; A Virtual Tour of the East Segment of CA 169

The virtual tour of the East Segment of CA 169 begins from CA 96 east in Weitchpec at the Klamath River.  Interestingly Martins Ferry is shown as a Control City 5 miles west on CA 169 but Orick by way of Bald Hills Road is also displayed at 39 miles west. 




CA 169 westbound quickly drops to a one-lane State Highway.  The East Segment of CA 169 is one of the few remaining State Highways in California which has one-lane segments.


CA 169 west has an interesting Control City..."End of Road" is a place I've never heard of.  Notably Wauteck Village is signed as 20 miles west on CA 169. 


At Post Mile HUM 29.955 CA 169 west approaches the Martins Ferry Bridge.  End of the Road is signed as 18 miles away on CA 169 west.



CA 169 west of the Martins Ferry Bridge continues as a one-lane State Highway along the east bank of Klamath River.


At Post Mile HUM 28.500 CA 169 west crosses Rube Ranch Creek.


CA 169 west briefly expands to two lanes and crosses Coon Creek at Post Mile HUM 25.800.


CA 169 reduces back down to a single lane upon crossing Coon Creek.


At Post Mile HUM 24.66 CA 169 west crosses Mawah Creek.


CA 169 westbound does have some scenic vistas of the Klamath River.


At Post Mile HUM 23.823 CA 169 crosses Cappell Creek.


At Post Mile HUM 14.968 CA 169 westbound enters the community of Surgone.


Surgone is one of the few places on CA 169 westbound that has a clear tree line.


CA 169 enters Pecwan and crosses Pecwan Creek at Post Mile HUM 14.44.


Approaching Johnsons (AKA Wauteck Village) traffic is advised "End of Road" lies 1,500 feet ahead.


The East Segment of CA 169 ends at Johnsons Road at Post Mile HUM 13.2.



Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
Would be appropriate to complete this road. The Tribe would benefit from a direct route connecting the tribe...simple as that.
2:22 PM
Anonymous said…
Why not let the tribe complete the road and collect a toll since it's on their land. Same logic could apply to the G-O road.
3:30 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

By
Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California.  Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada.  The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926.  Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938.  A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947.   Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association.  Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe.   Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works  during its Centennial Edition.  The or...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former US Route 50 and the South Lincoln Highway from Folsom east to Placerville

By
The corridor of Folsom of Sacramento County east to Placerville of El Dorado County has been a long established corridor of overland travel dating back to the California Gold Rush.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor was once part of the path of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road which became the first California State Highway and later the South Lincoln Highway.  In time the South Lincoln Highway's surface alignment was inherited by US Route 50.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor also includes the communities of; Clarksville, Shingle Springs and El Dorado. Part 1; the history of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, South Lincoln Highway and US Route 50 through Folsom-Placerville Folsom is located on the American River/Lake Natoma of eastern Sacramento County.  That lands now occupied by the City of Folsom were part of Rancho Rio de los Americanos prior to the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill during 1848.  During the California Gold Rush the lands of Rancho Rio de los Americanos were p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

By
Within the Truckee River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada range numerous abandoned portions of US Route 40 can be found alongside modern Interstate 80.   This segment of highway was opened during 1926 as a bypass of the Dog Valley Grade which carried the early North Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. The corridor of the Truckee River Canyon State Highway would be assigned as US Route 40 when the US Route System was commissioned during November 1926. During 1958 the segment of Interstate 80 between Boca, California and the Nevada state line was complete. When Interstate 80 opened east of Boca numerous obsolete portions of US Route 40 were abandoned. Some of these abandoned segments have been incorporated into the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail.  Part 1; the history of US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon The Truckee River Canyon for centuries has been an established corridor of travel known to native tribes crossing the Sierra Nevada range.  The first documented wagon crossi...
Post a Comment
Read more