Avila Beach Drive

Avila Beach Drive is an approximately 4.5-mile highway in San Luis Obispo County which connects US Route 101 to Port San Luis. This roadway initially developed east of San Luis Obispo Creek in 1869 at the end of a tram line connecting Port Harford (now Port San Luis) to Avila Beach. The western half of Avila Beach Drive is built atop the former Pacific Coast Railway grade which went defunct in 1941. The current bridge over San Luis Obispo Creek connecting Avila Beach Drive to Port San Luis was constructed in 1967. The roadway was modernized to facilitate roadway access to the port facilities on San Luis Bay and the nuclear power plant facility at Diablo Canyon.

Part 1; the history of Avila Beach Drive

The corridor of Avila Beach Drive connects US Route 101 near Shell Beach along the shore of San Luis Bay to Port San Luis. Much of San Luis Bay during the period of Mexican governance in Alta California was part of Rancho San Miguelito.

Rancho San Miguelito was granted by Alta California Governor to Miguel Avila in 1842. Much of the Rancho lands comprised the coastline of San Luis Obispo Bay. Governor Pio Pico would extend Avila's grant in 1846 amid the conflict in the Mexican-American War. Rancho San Miguelito would reach a maximum extent of 14,198 acres before hostilities ended, and California became an American State.

Avila would file a claim for Rancho San Miguelito with the Public Land Commission in 1851. Avila's second filed claim in 1852 would also be honored but the third he filed during the same year would not. The denial of the third of Avila's claims opened much of the Irish Hills north of San Luis Bay up as public lands.

In 1869 John Harford's 1,800-foot-long People's Wharf was constructed along San Luis Bay. Port Harford was initially connected via a roadway inland to San Luis Obispo. In 1873 part of this roadway was replaced with a narrow-gauge tram line to Avila Beach. From Avila Beach travels would continue along what is now Avila Beach Drive, Ontario Road and Higuera Street to San Luis Obispo. Avila Beach was named after Miguel Avila and is a reference to Rancho San Miguelito.

In 1875 Port Harford tram line would be replaced by Pacific Coast Steamship Company with the narrow-gauge San Luis Obispo-Santa Maria Valley Railroad. The line would be completed to Arroyo Grande in 1881 and to Santa Maria by 1882. The partially completed San Luis Obispo-Santa Maria Valley Railroad and Avila Beach Drive can both been seen on the 1882 Bancroft's map of California.

In 1882 the Oregon Improvement Company obtained a controlling interest of the Pacific Coast Steamship Company. The San Luis Obispo-Santa Maria Valley Railroad was subsequently reorganized as the Pacific Coast Railway. The line was extended to Los Alamos along with a spur to Sisquoc to take advance of the boom in the Cat Canyon Oil Field. The Pacific Coast Railway would lose most of their passenger traffic in 1894 when the Southern Pacific Railroad Coast Line would be constructed through Cuesta Pass.

The Pacific Coast Railway terminal at Port Harford can be seen on the 1897 United States Geological Survey map. The line can be seen passing Avila Beach and then existing Avila Beach Drive east of San Luis Obispo Creek.

In 1910 Union Oil would begin using Port Harford to ship oil extracted from western San Joaquin Valley. This led to an expansion of the port facility and Pacific Coast Railway terminus. The expansion would cease in the 1920s amid the Great Depression which saw a significant decline in use for shipping at Port Harford.

Avila Beach Drive can be seen as a major local highway on the 1935 Division of Highways map of San Luis Obispo County. The roadway is shown to still terminate at Avila Beach near San Luis Obispo Creek in the era. Port Harford is displayed as having been renamed as Port San Luis.

Pacific Coast Railway operations would cease in 1941, and line would be gradually demolished. The railroad grade west of Avila Beach would be converted into an extension of Avila Beach Drive to Port San Luis. This extension can be seen on the 1952 United States Geological Survey map of Arroyo Grande.

In 1954 San Luis Obispo County voters would approve a measure to create a harbor district which would improve and maintain Port San Luis. Part of this construction was the modern stringer bridge Avila Beach Drive now uses to cross San Luis Obispo Creek. This stringer span was completed in 1967.

Avila Beach Drive would become the primary access highway to Diablo Canyon Power Plant owned by Pacific Gas & Electric Company. Construction of Unit 1 of nuclear power plant facility would begin during April 1968. Unit 1 was commissioned during May 1985 which was followed by Unit 2 during March 1986.

Part 2; a drive on Avila Beach Drive

Westbound Avila Beach Drive begins at US Route 101/California State Route 1 Exit 195 between San Luis Obispo and Shell Beach.

Avila Beach Drive west of San Luis Bay Drive passes through Avila Beach.

Avila Beach Drive crosses San Luis Obispo Creek.

West of San Luis Obispo Creek the alignment of Avila Beach Drive is overlaid atop the Pacific Coast Railway grade. Avila Beach Drive passes Olde Port Beach and the turn off to Diablo Canyon Road.