Skip to main content

Cummings Skyway

By

Cummings Skyway is a locally maintained highway in the Crockett Hills of Contra Costa County, California.  Cummings Skyway begins at former US Route 40 at San Pablo Avenue and traverses the Diablo Range southeast to the John Muir Parkway segment of California State Route 4 in Franklin Canyon.  Cummings Skyway primarily serves as cutoff route between Interstate 80 and California State Route 4.  




Part 1; the history of Cummings Skyway

The first reference to Cummings Skyway appears in the May/June 1961 California Highways & Public Works.  California State Route 4 is cited to have been designated at the Arnold Industrial Freeway between US Route 40 (realigned off San Pablo Avenue onto what is now Interstate 80) and California State Route 21 (now Interstate 680) via a route adopted made by the California Highway Commission during October 1958.  Advanced planning of a segment of the Arnold Industrial Freeway between the Cummings Skway east to East Alhambra Avenue in Martinez is cited.  



The completed Cummings Skyway is detailed in the September/October 1961 California Highways & Public Works.  Cummings Skyway is described as being one of two Federal Aid Secondary Programs constructed in Costa Contra County during 1961.  The Cummings Skyway was constructed as part of Federal Aid Secondary Route 1256 as a direct cutoff line between US Route 40 and California State Route 4 in Franklin Canyon.  The Cummings Skyway was named in honor of Contra Costa County Supervisor H.L. Cummings.  The Cummings Skyway is described as having two 12-foot-wide lanes and a grade which could be expanded to a four-lane expressway in the future.  The Cummings Skyway is described as being built as part of Federal Aid Secondary Route 1256 between US Route 40 1.96 miles to Crockett Boulevard to an existing segment which spanned another 1.55 miles to California State Route 4 in Franklin Canyon.  Construction of the Cummings Skyway between US Route 40 and Crockett Boulevard is cited to have begun December 3rd, 1959 and was completed by January 16th, 1961.  






Part 2; a drive on Cummings Skyway

Cummings Skyway can be accessed from Interstate 80 via Exit 26 on the outskirts of Crockett.  From Interstate 80 westbound the Exit to Cummings Skyway is signed as "TO California State Route 4."  



From Interstate 80 westbound Exit 26 traffic can either travel west or east on Cummings Skyway.  Westbound traffic can follow Cummings Skyway via short of extension of the road to former US Route 40 at San Pablo Avenue.  


Eastbound Cummings Skyway jogs over Interstate 80 and climbs into the Crockett Hills to Crockett Boulevard.  Traffic is advised via eastbound Cummings Skyway of a truck prohibition on Crockett Boulevard.  










From Crockett Boulevard eastbound Cummings Skyway crests the Crockett Hills and descends to California State Route 4 in Franklin Canyon.  










Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2018 Mojave Road Trip Part 2; The deadly desert highway (California State Route 127 and Nevada State Route 373)

By
After leaving Barstow via Old Highway 58 my next destination was in Death Valley.  To access Death Valley from rural San Bernardino County required a trek on north on Interstate 15 to California State Route 127 which becomes Nevada State Route 373 at the state line. Along I-15 I encountered the road sign oddity that is Zzyzx Road about eight miles south of Baker.   Zzyzx Road is a four mile road that used to go to the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa.   The spa was founded in the 1940s and the owner made up the name "Zzyzx" to claim it was the last word in the English Language.  The spa has been shut down since the 1970s and is now part of a Desert Studies Center for California State University. The southern terminus of CA 127 in Baker is located at I-15 exit 246.  CA 127 is a 91 mile north/south highway which runs to the Nevada State Line in Inyo County.  CA 127 is called Death Valley Road from I-15 northward.  South of CA 127 ...
4 comments
Read more

Finding the Pre-Emption Road of New York State

By
  The Pre-Emption Road (or rather a series of roads named Pre-Emption Road) follows a survey line called the Pre-Emption Line, drawn in the early days of the United States. The story begins with Massachusetts and New York having competing land claims to modern day Western New York State that have their roots in colonial charters granted by the British. After the Revolutionary War ended, this land became the frontier of the nation and its settlement became a priority for the new American government. During this era, there were a lot of competing land claims that needed to be settled. It was no different with the land claims between New York State and Massachusetts. On November 30, 1786, Massachusetts and New York sent representatives to Hartford, Connecticut to resolve their competing land claims. In less than three weeks, the representatives had reached a compromise. Massachusetts would receive pre-emption rights, meaning the right to sell the land after the Indian title ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What's In a Name?: When the Roads Really Do Tell a Story

By
  Our tagline on the Gribblenation blog is "because every road tells a story". Some roads tell different stories than others. Along our travels, we may see historic markers that tell us a little story about the roads we travel or the places we pass by. Some historic markers are more general, as to telling us who lived where or what old trail traversed between two towns. During my travels across New York State and other states or provinces, I pass by many historic markers, some with interesting or amusing references to roads. I wanted to highlight a few of the markers I've seen along my travels around the Empire State and help tell their stories. Those stories may be as specific as explaining the tales of a tree that was used to help measure a distance of eight miles from Bath to Avoca in Steuben County, as referenced on the Eight Mile Tree historical marker above. They may also help point the way along historical roads first used centuries ago, or may help tell a local l...
Post a Comment
Read more