Skip to main content

Former California State Route 145 on the Skaggs Crossing Bridge

By


The Skaggs Crossing Bridge was a former component of California State Route 145 at the San Joaquin River.  The Skaggs Crossing Bridge was completed during 1907 as a connection between the communities of Kerman and Madera.  The Skaggs Crossing Bridge was added to the State Highway System during 1933 as part of Legislative Route Number 126 and would become part of California State Route 145 during 1948.  The Skaggs Crossing Bridge would be removed during 2005 to make way for a new structure over the San Joaquin River.  The blog cover photo is the Skaggs Crossing Bridge as it was featured in the 1913 book "The Concrete Bridge."  Below the Skaggs Crossing Bridge can be seen crossing the San Joaquin River as part of Madera Avenue on the 1923 United States Geological Survey Map of Biola.  




Part 1; the history of the Skaggs Crossing Bridge

The location of Skaggs Crossing was one of the furthest points upstream along San Joaquin River that steamships could navigate.  Skaggs Crossing became a popular locale to unload goods bound for Stockton and Sacramento.  

During 1907 a concrete bridge was constructed as Skaggs Crossing.  The Skaggs Crossing Bridge was similar to the design of the 1906 Pollasky Bridge (now in ruins downstream from Friant Dam) which served as it's design inspiration.  The Skaggs Crossing Bridge was featured in the 1913 book titled the "The Concrete Bridge."


The Skaggs Crossing Bridge can be seen on the 1914 Britton & Rey Map of Fresno County.  The Skagss Crossing Bridge can be seen connecting Kerman to the Madera County Line via Madera Avenue.  

The Skaggs Crossing Bridge can be seen crossing the San Joaquin River as part of Madera Avenue on the 1923 United States Geological Survey Map of Biola.  


The Skaggs Crossing Bridge was added to the State Highway System as part of Legislative Route Number 126 (LRN 126) during 1933.  The original definition of LRN 126 was defined as:

1.  LRN 41 in Kerman to LRN 4 in Madera.
2.  LRN 4 in Madera to LRN 125.

The Skaggs Crossing Bridge appears as part of LRN 126 on the 1934 Division of Highways Map. 



The Skaggs Crossing Bridge can be seen as part of LRN 126 north of Kerman on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Fresno.  


California State Route 145 was applied to the entirety of LRN 126 during 1948.  The Skaggs Crossing Bridge can be seen as part of California State Route 145 on the 1949 Division of Highways Map.  


The November/December 1963 California Highways & Public Works announced a new bridge at Skaggs Crossing was funded for the 1964-65 Fiscal Year.  The new Skaggs Crossing project consisted of work zone 1.3 miles in length originating at Barstow Avenue in Fresno County north to Avenue 5 1/2 in Madera County. 


The January/February 1964 California Highways & Public Works announced the entirety of California State Route 145 from Kerman to Avenue 5 1/2 in Madera County was adopted by the California Highway Commision as a freeway corridor during late 1963.  The proposed freeway corridor of California State Route 145 north of Kerman was intended to be located immediately east of the existing alignment. 


The September/October 1964 California Highways & Public Works announced the California Highway Commission had extended the planned freeway corridor of California State Route 145 north from Avenue 5 1/2 to the southern outskirts of Madera.  


The planned California State Route 145 freeway from Kerman north to the San Joaquin River appears with an adopted routing on the 1969 Division of Highways Map.  


During 1974 Fresno County purchased the land parcels next to the Skaggs Crossing Bridge along the south bank of the San Joaquin River and formally created Skaggs Bridge Park.  The creation of Skaggs Bridge Park seems to have dealt a fatal blow to the planned California State Route 145 freeway and replacement to the Skaggs Crossing Bridge.  The planned California State Route 145 freeway north of Kerman no longer appears on the 1977 Caltrans Map.  


A notice of determination via the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act during February 2001 approved the replacement of the Skaggs Crossing Bridge with a modern highway span.  The new San Joaquin River Bridge and alignment of the California State Route 145 were completed east of the Skaggs Crossing Bridge during 2005.  




Upon the 2005 San Joaquin River Bridge opening the Skaggs Crossing Bridge was removed.  The original alignment of California State Route 145 was repurposed as a disconnected part of Madera Avenue, a Skaggs Bridge Park road and River Gorge Lane.  The new alignment of California State Route 145 at the San Joaquin River appears on the 2012 United States Geological Survey Map of Biola.  




Part 2; exploring the approach roads to the site of Skaggs Crossing Bridge

From the Madera County side of the San Joaquin River the original alignment of California State Route 145 can be explored on River Gorge Lane.  River Gorge Lane terminates southbound at San Joaquin River where Skaggs Crossing Bridge was once located.  








The original alignment of California State Route 145 in Fresno County is now a disconnected segment of Madera Avenue and a Skaggs Bridge Park road.  







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