Skip to main content

California State Route 182 and the Sweetwater Road

By

California State Route 182 is a 13 mile State Highway entirely contained within northern Mono County.  California State Route 182 follows Sweetwater Road north from US Route 395 in Bridgeport via the East Walker River to the Nevada State Line and Nevada State Route 338.  Pictured above is Legislative Route Number 96 (now California State Route 182) facing north along the Bridgeport Reservoir as seen in the September/October 1953 California Highways & Public Works.  



The history of California State Route 182 

What is now California State Route 182 ("CA 182") entered the State Highway System in 1933 as Legislative Route Number 96 ("LRN 96").  The original definition of LRN 96 was; "LRN 23 (future US Route 395) near Bridgeport to the Nevada line via the Walker River."  LRN 96 appears for the first time on the 1934 Division of Highways Map following the Sweetwater Road.  


The corridor of LRN 96 and modern CA 182 is tied to the formation of Bridgeport.  The first documented European expedition of Bridgeport Valley was in 1827 via an expedition led by Jedediah Smith.  The area to the south of Bridgeport was found to have mineral wealth which led to the sizeable communities of Bodie, Masonic and Dogtown all being founded by the late 1850s.  The prospects of the Bodie Mining District led to the establishment of Bridgeport in Bridgeport Valley.  Early settlers to Bridgeport were attracted to Bridgeport Valley due to the ranching prospects along the East Walker River.  The community name "Bridgeport" is a reference to a bridge which was present over the East Walker River.  

Mono County was created by the California Legislature during 1861 with Aurora being selected as the original County Seat.  The 1863 Sage Brush Survey determined Aurora laid within the boundaries of Nevada which invalidated it's Mono County Seat status.  Bridgeport was selected as the Mono County Seat in 1864 and has since retained said status.  Bridgeport can be seen on the Sweetwater Road connecting the Bodie Mining District north via the East Walker River to the Wellington Toll Road on the 1873 Bancroft's Map of California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona.  The Sweetwater Road north via the East Walker River was constructed by Mono County in 1873.  

LRN 96 can be seen connecting US Route 395/LRN 23 in Bridgeport north to Nevada State Route 22 ("NV 22") on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Mono County.  

The September 1939 California Highways & Public Works notes a contract to grade and apply an oil surface to LRN 96 was awarded.

The September/October 1953 California Highways & Public Works discusses a survey conducted to rebuild much of existing LRN 96.  The early history of the Sweetwater Stage Road north from Bridgeport to the Nevada State Line is also discussed.  The Sweetwater Stage Road was constructed by Mono County residents during 1873.  The only significant change to the Sweetwater Stage Road prior to being adopted as LRN 96 was in 1923 when the first five miles north of Bridgeport were relocated to less flood prone grounds during construction of the Bridgeport Reservoir.  A survey to modernize LRN 96 to the standards set by NV 22 is discussed as having been conducted.  The Bridgeport Reservoir is stated to have had additional regulations put in place which would allow LRN 96 to be straightened through old overflow flats.  




The March/April 1955 California Highways & Public Works examines the recently rebuilt LRN 96 on Sweetwater Road.  The building of LRN 96 consisted of a 8.2 mile segment of the highway which was completed as part of Federal Aid Secondary Route 580.  The straightening of LRN 96 is stated to have brought the highway up to modern standards and is stated to save 20 minutes of travel in the Bridgeport-Yerington corridor.  A second phase of the completed project is stated to ultimately be planned to including surfacing the rebuilt 8.2 miles of LRN 96.   






The reconstruction of LRN 96 from Bridgeport to the Bridgeport Reservoir is cited to be budgeted for the 1957-58 Fiscal Year in the November/December 1956 California Highways & Public Works. 


LRN 96 on Sweetwater Road appears completely paved on the 1958 Division of Highways Map. 


During the 1964 California State Highway Renumbering all the Legislative Routes were dropped.  All Legislative Routes lacking a Sign State Route designation were assigned one.  LRN 96 was thusly assigned as CA 182 which can be seen for the first time on the 1964 Division of Highways Map.  



CA 182 has not had any major alterations since being assigned in replacement of LRN 96 in 1964.  During the 1976 Nevada State Highway Renumbering NV 22 was renumbered to NV 338 which served as a continuation of CA 182.  NV 338 can be seen for the first time on the 1978-79 Nevada Department of Transportation Map.  


Below a CA 182 shield can be on a guide sign on US Route 395 immediately north of CA 167/Pole Line Road approaching Conway Summit.  CA 182 is shown to be 18 miles north on US Route 395 at Bridgeport Junction.  


A full photo tour of California State Route 182 can be found on Corco Highways:

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Crescent City Connection (New Orleans, LA)

By
The Crescent City Connection is a massive dual-span steel truss bridge that spans the lower Mississippi River at downtown New Orleans, about 95 river miles upstream from the mouth of the great river at the Head of Passes Light. If counted as a single bi-directional highway bridge, the parallel spans combine to form the single busiest bridge on the Mississippi River and its importance as a linchpin in the region’s transportation network cannot be overstated. While there have been various schemes over the years to construct bridges downriver from Algiers Point, this bridge has been the southernmost bridge on the Mississippi River since its initial construction in the 1950s. The years immediately following the end of World War II were a transformational period in the history of New Orleans. Already one of the great economic and cultural centers of the American Deep South, it was recognized at this time that major changes and improvements to the city’s transportation infrastructure would b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Old US Route 99 through Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch

By
This summer I had a look into the alignment history of US Route 99 through the Tulare County communities of Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch.  While this slab below might seem like much it is one of the few remaining reminders of how US Route 99 was during the 1920s in Tulare County. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page.  For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Part 1; the history of US Route 99 in Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch Tipton and Tulare were both founded in 1872 as sidings of the Southern Pacific Railroad.  The Southern Pacific Railroad laid the groundwork for development of southern San Joaquin Valley.  Previous to the Southern Pacific Railroad travel via wagon or foot in Central California tended to avoid San Joaquin Valley in favor of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road.  The Stockton Los Ange...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former US Route 101 and California State Route 41 through Paso Robles

By
Paso Robles is a city located on the Salinas River of San Luis Obispo County, California.  As originally configured the surface alignments of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 converged in downtown Paso Robles.  US Route 101 originally was aligned through Paso Robles via Spring Street.  California State Route 41 entered the City of Paso Robles via Union Road and 13th Street where it intersected US Route 101 at Spring Street.  US Route 101 and California State Route 41 departed Paso Robles southbound via a multiplex which split near Templeton.   Pictured above is the cover of the September/October 1957 California Highways & Public Works which features construction of the Paso Robles Bypass.  Pictured below is the 1935 Division of Highways Map of San Luis Obispo County which depicts US Route 101 and California State Route 41 intersecting in downtown Paso Robles.   Part 1; the history of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 i...
Post a Comment
Read more