Skip to main content

US Route 395 Business in Ridgecrest, California

By

The US Route 395 Business Route through Ridgecrest is approximately 16 miles long. The Business Route begins at the US Route 395/California State Route 178 interchange near Inyokern. The Business Route multiplexes eastbound California State Route 178 on Inyokern Road and China Lake Boulevard to the intersection Ridgecrest Boulevard. California State Route 178 continues east towards Trona on Ridgecrest Boulevard whereas US Route 395 Business continues south on locally maintained China Lake Boulevard to mainline US Route 395.

The US Route 395 Business Route was approved by AASHTO on June 7, 1989, which makes it the newest such designation in California. The highway is distinct in that it is aligned over a segment of road which never served as part of mainline US Route 395. The Business Route is in places mistakenly signed with California State Route 395 shields.




Part 1; the history of US Route 395 Business in Ridgecrest

Ridgecrest is a relatively young community having been founded as Crumville in 1912.  The community's name was intended to honor local dairymen James and Robert Crum.  Early Crumville would almost entirely be centered around farming.  Crumville is largely omitted from almost every Kern County map from the 1910s through the 1930s.  

Crumville was not initially served by any State Highway as nearby Legislative Route Number 23 served the nearby community of Inyokern along Brown Road.  Brown Road would briefly become a segment of the original California State Route 7 when the initial run of Sign State Routes would be announced in the August 1934 California Highways & Public Works.  This designation would be soon usurped by the extension of US Route 395 to San Diego before the end of the year.  

US Route 395 can be seen serving Inyokern on the 1936 Division of Highways Map.  Said map entirely omits Crumville.


Crumville would be renamed as "Ridgecrest" in 1941 when the community would obtain Post Office Service.  During November 1943 the Naval Ordinance Test Station would be established near Ridgecrest at China Lake.  The establishment of the Naval base led to Ridgecrest being formally plotted out.  During 1947 the era of State Highway service in the community began when Legislative Route Number 212 was added by Legislative Chapter 13.  

Legislative Route Number 212 would be defined as a State Highway between the "Nevada-California state line in the southern portion of Pahrump Valley to Legislative Route Number 23 (US Route 395) near Freeman."  Within Ridgecrest the highway followed Inyokern Road, China Lake Boulevard and Ridgecrest Boulevard.  The 1948 Division of Highways Map displays Legislative Route Number 212 continuing east of Ridgecrest to near Trona where an unconstructed portion can be seen planned to cross Searles Valley towards Wingate Pass.  



Ridgecrest would incorporate as a city on November 29, 1963.  Legislative Route Number 212 would be assigned as a segment of California State Route 178 as part of the wider 1964 State Highway Renumbering.  California State Route 178 can be seen serving Ridgecrest for the first time on the 1964 Division of Highways Map.   


Ridgecrest would see a population boom during the 1970s and reached 15,929 residents by the 1980 census.  On January 4, 1989, the Ridgecrest city council formally requested Caltrans submit a request to the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) for the designation of US Route 395 Business. The Caltrans application dated February 24, 1989, was considered and approved by the AASHTO Executive Committee on June 7, 1989.






The US Route 395 Business Route through Ridgecrest is approximately 16 miles long. The Business Route begins at the US Route 395/California State Route 178 interchange near Inyokern. US Route 395 Business multiplexes eastbound California State Route 178 on Inyokern Road and China Lake Boulevard to the intersection Ridgecrest Boulevard. California State Route 178 continues east towards Trona on Ridgecrest Boulevard whereas US Route 395 Business continues south on locally maintained China Lake Boulevard to mainline US Route 395.

US Route 395 Business is the newest US Business Route in California approved by AASHTO. The corridor is also distinct in that it is aligned on roadway segments which were never part of the mainline US Route 395.



Part 2; exploring US Route 395 Business in Ridgecrest

Below westbound California State Route 178 along Ridgecrest Boulevard can be seen approaching China Lake Boulevard.  California State Route 178 can be seen turning north via a right-hand turn.  Traffic wishing to access US Route 395 is advised both directions on China Lake Boulevard can be used to reach it.  There is no Business Route signage at this intersection.  


US Route 395 Business is signed from US Route 395 only along the northbound highway approaching China Lake Boulevard.  On-route one of the few places US Route 395 Business signage can be found is on China Lake Boulevard near the south Ridgecrest city limit.  Interestingly the highway is signed mistakenly as California State Route 395.  


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

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

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