California State Route 168

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

State Route 168

(CS&HC Section 468)

Length:

124 mi^[1] (200 km)

Major
junctions:

SR-180

FRE 0.29

US-395

INY 18.32

SR-266

MNO 1.45

Major cities:

Fresno
Clovis
Bishop
Big Pine

California State Routes
< SR 167		SR 169 >
Unconstructed - Deleted - Freeway - Scenic

State Route 168 is a state highway in California, USA, which is separated into three distinct segments, in part by the Sierra Nevada mountains.

[edit] Route description

The westernmost segment of SR 168 begins in southeast Fresno at the interchange with State Route 180, where it is known as the Sierra Freeway until it becomes Tollhouse Road near the northeast edge of Clovis. Tollhouse Road is a 4-lane expressway from the end of the freeway to Shepherd Avenue, east of which the highway is mostly an undivided 2-lane road. This segment continues east up into the Sierra Nevada, ending at Huntington Lake along the western slope of the range.

Before the reconstruction of urban SR-168 as a freeway, the route started at SR 41 and Shaw Avenue in Fresno. SR-168 ran along Shaw Avenue, Clovis Avenue, Third Street (Clovis), and Tollhouse Road to the current end of the freeway.

SR-168 cannot be used to cross the Sierra Nevada. The closest crossings of the Sierra Nevada are SR 120 via Tioga Pass to the north (warmer months only) and SR 178 via Walker Pass to the south.

The middle segment of SR-168 has its western terminus at Lake Sabrina on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada. This rural mountain road runs east to US Highway 395 in Bishop.

The easternmost segment of SR-168 begins in Big Pine, California at US 395, and climbs into the White Mountains through Westgard Pass, passing the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. From here it traverses Deep Springs Valley, home of Deep Springs College, before crossing into Fish Lake Valley, where the segment ends at State Route 266, just west of the Nevada Border.