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Las Pilitas Road

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Las Pilitas Road is an approximately 7-mile rural highway located in the La Panza Range of San Luis Obispo County.  This corridor begins at Pozo Road (former California State Route 178) and crosses the Salinas River.  From the Salinas River the roadway continues eastward following Pilitas Creek to a terminus at Park Hill Road.

Las Pilitas Road was originally constructed in 1886 and has been largely known as "Rinconada-Pilitas Road" historically.  This highway originally crossed the Salinas River via fords constructed in 1886 and 1898.  In 1916 San Luis Obispo County would install a truss span at the Salinas River which was lengthened in 1948 with a timber post span.  The 1916-era Salinas River Bridge was closed in 2006 when a modern concrete span was installed directly to the south.  




Part 1; the history of Las Pilitas Road

What is now Las Pilitas Road was surveyed by San Luis Obispo County in 1886.  The roadway (originally called Rinconada and Pilitas Public Road) included a ford of the Salinas River.  East from the Salinas River the roadway continued into the La Panza Range following Pilitas Creek.  The "Rinconada" portion of the roadway name was a reference to Rinconada Ranch which was located on the Salinas River.  The roadway was alternatively known as the "San Jose Road" which was a reference to the original name for the community of Pozo. 

The Salinas River ford crossing along Rinconada-Pilitas Road can be seen on the 1897 United States Geological Survey map of San Luis Obispo. 


In 1898 San Luis Obispo County residents petitioned the county to replace the ford on Rinconada-Pilitas Road.  The crossing was relocated to a new ford south of the original which used a series of switchbacks to lessen the grade.  

In 1916 a steel truss bridge was constructed by San Luis Obispo County at Salinas River.  A new roadway with grades of 10% was constructed east from Pozo Road as the new alignment of Rinconada-Pilitas Road to the Salinas River Bridge.  Eminent domain through the property of Minnie Goforth was used to construct the new roadway alignment.  

The first three alignments historically used by Las Pilitas Road east of Pozo Road to the Salinas River can be seen below in a San Luis Obispo County Surveyor's document.


Rinconada-Pilitas Road can be seen branching east from Pozo Road (then California State Route 178) on the 1935 Division of Highways map of San Luis Obispo County.  


Originally the eastern approach to the 1916-era Salinas River Bridge was comprised of dirt fill.  In 1948 the eastern approach was replaced with a timber post span as an extension of the bridge.  The timber post span was installed to permit additional water through the Salinas River should the nearby Salinas Reservoir (constructed in 1941) need to make large releases.

The current name of Las Pilitas Road first appears on the 1952 United States Geological Survey map of Pozo.  Reportedly the name Rinconada-Pilitas Road was still in use when the 1916-era Salinas River Bridge was painted in 1963.


The 1916-era Salinas River Bridge was replaced in 2006 with a concrete span located immediately to the south.  The 2006 structure was funded as part of a Federal Aid Secondary program intended to replace aging bridges.  The 1916-era bridge was closed and converted to pedestrian usage.

Much of the history seen in this blog was sourced by Roy Parsons of laspilitias.com and his excellent article on the history of Las Pilitas Road:

A brief history on the Las Pilitas Steel Bridge and Road 


Part 2; a drive on Las Pilitas Road

Eastbound Las Pilitas Road branches from Pozo Road.



Las Pilitas Road ascends to a ridge located at approximately 1,400 feet above sea level.  Traffic is advised of the 10% gradient descent ahead to the Salinas River.







Eastbound Las Pilitas Road descends to the Salinas River.  The 1916-era Salinas River Bridge can be found immediately to the left of the 2006-era span.





The 1916-era Salinas River Bridge is now fenced off to pedestrian access.  These views are facing eastward over the main truss of the structure.  The historic placard notes the year 1917 and calls the structure the Rinconada-Las Pilitas Bridge.




This view faces north from the 2006-era Salinas River Bridge towards the 1916-era span.


These views face west towards the timber post span which was installed in 1948 as an extension of the 1916-era Salinas River Bridge.





Las Pilitas Road east of the Salinas River picks up the course of Pilitas Creek and ascends to a terminus at Park Hill Road located around approximately 2,200 feet above sea level.





















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