Talk:California State Route 99

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[edit] Traffic advisory

Travelers on their way to Los Angeles from Stockton and Sacramento, or from Los Angeles to the Bay Area would be well advised to take I-5 and avoid the traffic jams of Route 99. I beg to differ. I live in LA, and my parents near Sacramento, and I always take 99 to avoid I-5. I-5 is only two lanes each direction the entire length, while 99 is three and four lanes for large stretches. It's also less crowded, except when you get to Fresno and Sacramento. User:Zoe|(talk) 22:50, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

Feel free to take it out then. Many of the 3 and 4 lane sections of 99 are recent developments, and seem to have alleviated some of the congestion. --Yath 01:39, 8 March 2006 (UTC)
I was bold, and deleted it.  :) User:Zoe|(talk) 17:09, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Length

  • KER 57.58
  • TUL +53.94
  • FRE +31.61
  • MAD +29.36
  • MER +37.12
  • STA +24.75
  • SJ +38.66
  • SAC +24.36-32.11+36.86
    • along US 50 -.35+2.48
    • along I-5 -22.44+29.92
  • SUT +42.39
  • BUT +38.38-38.64+45.98
  • TEH +25.00

total 424.85 --SPUI (talk - don't use sorted stub templates!) 15:22, 23 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Major junctions (Resolved)

Incorrect. Interstate 80 does NOT touch SR-99, but rather the routes that continue it (I-5, US 50, BUS-80). It should read:

(Images) US 50/ BUS-80 in Sacramento

--Geopgeop 19:21, 27 March 2006 (UTC)

Hey Geop, how do they intersect? I know that they do at SOME point, whether the 80 is co-signed with the 50 (cross-town) and the 99 in that same stretch, or what. It's a bit too far for me to drive up to document it, unlike the smaller junctions and exits here in the Stanislaus / Merced / Madera counties area. Do you get over to Sac often? If so, and you have some spare time on your hands, could you drive it and research it? Edit Centric (talk) 04:56, 20 November 2007 (UTC)
After looking it up again, and talking with a few friends in the Sacramento area, my memory is refreshed. SR 99 dumps onto the cross-town, which carries both 50 and 80 business loop, or as it is known in rush-hour "sit-and-waits", the Capital City Freeway. Edit Centric (talk) 05:21, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Exit list format eludes me (Resolved)

I'd like to contribute to this list, but I am having trouble. Perhaps someone can start it for me, and I'll add more info once I have a grip on it....

Exits: Chico, Butte County

  • 383 Skyway
  • 384 East 20th Street
  • 385 East 8th and 9th Streets (Hwy 32)
  • 386 East 1st Avenue
  • 387A Cohasset Avenue
  • 387B East Avenue
  • 389 Eaton Road

Gregbard 07:43, 13 June 2007 (UTC)

WP:USRD/ELG has the style info. --Rschen7754 (talk - contribs) 16:15, 13 June 2007 (UTC)
All exits listed here for Butte County (Chico) are listed. Edit Centric (talk) 04:58, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Business 99

In some places there are other highways still called 99. Where a former length of 99 has become a city street, it may be refered to as Business 99. There are spade shaped signs designating them as such.

There are also roads now called 99E and 99W. We should attempt to make a section describing them.

In Chico, Business 99 is Park avenue, Main Street, and Esplanade. In Glenn County 99W goes through Orland.Gregbard 23:12, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Sorry Gregbard, but SR 99 doesn't even touch Glenn County. The closest it gets is in Chico, which is 6 miles east of the Glenn county line. I DO agree however, that more mention is needed regarding the "business 99" routes, and I'll stick that into the article as time permits. Also, I'll check your entries to the exit table, and add those as well. There's a brand-spanking-new exit on the S/B side in Madera, I'm driving down there tomorrow to photo and document that exit's numbering and designator. Edit Centric (talk) 10:43, 19 November 2007 (UTC)
Check your google maps and see that "Old Highway 99W" extends north and south from Orland, and in fact, goes though Willows and Maxwell. Also there are big old signs on the road that identify it as "Route 99W." Sorry Charlie. Pontiff Greg Bard (talk) 15:10, 19 November 2007 (UTC)
We MIGHT want to consult CalTrans, and I'll do that while I'm down south today in addition to dealing with the new Madera exit. Also, a quick question for you! On your Chico exits, you seem to be duplicating some of the ones that ARE listed already, did you include those just as a matter of course? I don't want to miss anything...
At any rate, do yourself a favor and don't believe everything you see on Google maps or Google Earth. (It's glitchy on road naming sometimes, I've seen freeways appear where there are none!) On the other hand, since you live in Chico, you've undoubtedly driven those roads, so eyeball verification is cool. I'm applying the same standard when it comes to highways that I've driven down here. (I'm almost 40 yrs old, believe me I have done a LOT of driving on these roads!) In any case, the overall commitment here is to accuracy, and if we have to look it up with CalTrans, then tally ho!Edit Centric (talk) 16:28, 19 November 2007 (UTC)

"Old Highway 99W" was part of U.S. Route 99W until 1964; US 99E roughly followed the present SR 99 north of Sacramento. You can see this on [1] and [2]. --NE2 10:27, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

Gregbard - Since you are up in that area and have first-hand knowledge of the roadways up there, I think you'd probably be the best one to integrate what you can find out about these roads into the article, probably under the "History" section. What would be even better is if you can get a few photos of the 99W and 99E routes with signage! Edit Centric (talk) 09:08, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] New Exit / Entrance Additions to Exit List

These are for Madera and Merced County portions of SR99 through these areas. Madera County: There is indeed a new S/B exit and entrance at Almond Avenue, which Google Earth does not show yet. If anyone doubts the existance, I can e-mail you the .jpg...

For Merced, there is a new overpass / exit / entrance under construction at mile 184.11, which will result in new exit number 185: Mission Avenue / Campus Parkway. (I'm assuming the latter has something to do with the new UC Merced campus...) The northbound exit and entrance are done, I'm going out to take a quick look at the S/B to check progress. I took this one while driving under it N/B, but it came out pretty clear, even for a Sony "point and shoot"! Edit Centric (talk) 05:26, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

Is the exit number - 185 - signed yet? Is Campus Parkway signed? It doesn't seem to have opened yet from what I can find. --NE2 10:51, 20 November 2007 (UTC)
NE2 - YES, it is signed, yes, it is opened. PLEASE do not undo my edits, as they ARE accurate. If you have any doubts of this, I will send you photographic PROOF that these exits actually exist, at the postmile(s) that I have listed. I LIVE in this area, I drive on these roads every day. When you do things like remove my additions, you are actually TAKING AWAY from the accuracy of the article. Please DON'T. Edit Centric (talk) 18:31, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

FURTHER NOTES ON NEW EXITS - MADERA: Exit 152 Almond Ave was completed almost two months ago, to allow easy access from S/B 99 to Madera Community Hospital. The S/B Gateway Drive onramp coming off of the bridge was re-routed, this roadway now travels directly south after the bridge, and meets Almond Avenue at Barnett Way, and is a signal-controlled intersection. The new S/B exit does NOT make use of a bridge to facilitate traffic egress from the right lane of 99 S/B.

Merced: Mission Avenue / Campus Parkway is a newly completed on/offramp with overpass, located exactly 1.44 miles south of the Childs Avenue overpass. This fully-functional addition to SR 99 is designed to facilitate traffic flow to and from the new UC Merced campus, via Campus Parkway. The parkway is currently in the construction phase, and is expected to be completed by 2014, however the exit is open and signed now.

Merced County (Livingston): Sultana Drive exit: This is new construction exactly 1.5 miles S/E of the Hammatt Avenue overpass. I will be verifying the current progress of this exit TODAY!!

On a personal note, I REALLY don't want to get into a pissing contest with any other user who especially DOESN'T live in this immediate area, and have first-hand knowledge of these roads. If you are relying on Goggle Earth for your information, DON'T. GE satellite imagery is not updated daily. As a matter of fact, there is a whole apartment complex next to where I live, where GE only shows a field. If you're relying on CalNexus, it may take them a while to get the info updated. Trust me when I say that these exits exist. If you don't, hit me up for the jpeg pictures. But PLEASE don't simply remove all of the work that I put into updating and formatting the information, that's just RUDE! Edit Centric (talk) 19:03, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

Okay. I've revisited exits 185 (Mission Ave / Campus Parkway) and 200 (Sultana Drive / Liberty Avenue). I took extensive pictures of each exit / overpass, which I will be posting on FileDen shortly, along with the pics of exit 152 at Almond Avenue in Madera County. The postmile information will be estimated down to within .25 miles, until I get concrete numbers from CalTrans via email. I will even go so far as to copy-paste the email text here in discussion, and that SHOULD be the end of it, until these exits need further updating, which I will take care of, since I am keeping tabs on the construction from postmile 150.59 in Madera County, all the way through postmile 211.25 in Stanislaus County. I would appreciate it if someone feels the need to make any changes having to do with construction projects between these two points, please ask me for a spot check, UNLESS you live in the area, and have other pertinent information.
Please bear in mind that I travel this route DAILY, and have first-hand knowledge of all of the projects that are being worked on in the area. If I don't have finite answers, I can get them from my contacts at CalTrans. Edit Centric (talk) 03:09, 21 November 2007 (UTC)
Images are now up on FileDen for viewing:

http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/10/7/1491527/My%20Documents/Dsc01217.jpg Exit 152 Almond Ave

http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/10/7/1491527/My%20Documents/Dsc01219.jpg Exit 185 Mission Ave / Campus Parkway signage, as seen from Childs Ave S/B onramp.

http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/10/7/1491527/My%20Documents/Dsc01223.jpg Exit 185 S/B Exit

http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/10/7/1491527/My%20Documents/Dsc01224.jpg Exit 185 N/B Exit

http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/10/7/1491527/My%20Documents/Dsc01226.jpg Exit 185 S/B Entrance

http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/10/7/1491527/My%20Documents/Dsc01227.jpg West-side Mission Ave access construction, due complete by April 2008.

http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/10/7/1491527/My%20Documents/Dsc01230.jpg Exit 200 Sultana Drive / Liberty Avenue N/B exit Edit Centric (talk) 03:09, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] New Constructions in Districts 6 and 10

I just shot email off to the CalTrans District Managers for these two districts, hopefully we'll have some finite info soon regarding completion dates, postmile numbers, and even the exit number for the new overpass at Avenue 22 1/2 in Madera County! On this last one, I'm not going to edit that in until at least one of the exits and entrances are open. By that time, the exit signage should be up... Edit Centric (talk) 04:11, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

Forward motion, progress! I got this in today from CalTrans: [QUOTED EMAIL] I'm sorry for taking so long to reply to your inquiry. The information you are seeking such as the official postmile values for the interchanges are calculated by our Sacramento office. The contact person is Brad Boehm.
The answer to your other question for the Fairmead project is that the interchange will be for Avenue 21 1/2 and Road 20 and the exit number will be 164. I hope that is helps you in some way. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to drop me a line or call. [END QUOTE]
So we now have the planned exit numbering for this, I still need to get with Mr. Boehm regarding the postmile figures, but will follow up on this piece later today or first thing tomorrow. Edit Centric (talk) 21:11, 28 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Added, then Removed

I had initially added Visalia to the list of major cities for this SR, simply due to it's size and population, along with its proximity to the route. I've just removed it though, realizing that, according to the WikiProject guideline, this list encompasses cities that the route enters, not ones that it comes in proximity to... Edit Centric (talk) 07:13, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Added Major Junctions Back

Added the following major junctions BACK into the infobox, here are the justifications:

Added SR-152 north of Madera: This route is the southern commuter corridor for the area between Fresno and Modesto, to points in the bay area.

Added SR-120 in Manteca: This route is the MAIN commuter route between the 99-central towns of Merced through Manteca, for access to the Altamont Pass, and cities in the east bay, such as Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin (and the Dublin interchange!) and Oakland.

"Once more unto the breach!" Edit Centric (talk) 03:17, 29 November 2007 (UTC)

Is Manteca really a major city though? I'd think that Modesto would be a better one to list. --NE2 05:15, 29 November 2007 (UTC)
It's not the city, NE2, it's the junction with another major corridor or route that connects the cities along the 99 to other major destinations. In the case of the 120, it links Modest and Manteca to the east bay, via the Altamont Pass. (Have you SEEN the traffic on 120 west in the mornings? OMG!) Edit Centric (talk) 05:41, 29 November 2007 (UTC)
My experience is that it's a sort of "balancing act" between cities and junctions. See for instance U.S. Route 50. --NE2 05:47, 29 November 2007 (UTC)
Well, look at it this way; when travelling up the 99, which junction would you consider the most likely to get you to, say...San Jose? In Modesto, you could get off on 132 (Maze Blvd.) and go west out to the I-580, then up and over Altamont, or you could take the more travelled route through Manteca and Tracy, the 120W to I-5, short hop south to the I-205W, then dump after Tracy onto the 580 at the Altamont. (You got me thinking, next time I go that way...)
Being as both would work for getting to places like San Fran, should we list both? Edit Centric (talk) 06:05, 29 November 2007 (UTC)
Well, the other thing to balance is having a reasonable number, and not concentrating too many in one area. --NE2 06:11, 29 November 2007 (UTC)

NE2, are you on IRC? This dialogue would be much better served there. (The joys of real-time collaboration!) Edit Centric (talk) 06:21, 29 November 2007 (UTC)

Nah, I don't care much for IRC. --NE2 06:22, 29 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] History notes

The 1920 (presumably original) alignment comes from [3]; there are also topographic maps from about that time, which label "state highway", and mid-1920s strip maps. Railroad crossings are not necessarily exact.

  • Union Avenue into Bakersfield; not clear how it got to Oil Junction
  • Crossed the railroad at Famoso (SR 46) and Delano (SR 155)
  • Crossed the railroad north of Tipton (Avenue 160?), at Tulare (downtown), and north of Goshen (near Avenue 312?)
    • Followed SR 63 and SR 198 through Visalia [4]; still did that in 1928
  • Crossed the railroad near Herndon
  • 1914 Madera County: crossed the railroad just after entering
  • Crossed the railroad north of Berenda (exact: just west of Road 21)
  • Crossed the railroad at Livingston (downtown)
  • Crossed the railroad at Turlock (downtown)
  • Moffar Boulevard and Main Street through Manteca, then French Camp Road and French Camp Turnpike into Stockton; left Stockton on Cherokee Road and current SR 99
  • Woodson Road, Lower Sacramento Road, and Lincoln Way through Galt
  • Crossed the railroad south of Elk Grove (current SR 99), then followed Stockton Boulevard into Sacramento; left via Del Paso Boulevard, El Camino Avenue, and Auburn Boulevard, turning north at Citrus Heights
  • Left Roseville on Washington Boulevard and Industrial Avenue, then followed SR 65, crossing the railroad at Sheridan
  • Followed Rancho Road and Lindhurst Avenue, but it's not clear where it crossed the Feather River; left Yuba City on Live Oak Boulevard
  • Crossed the railroad south of Live Oak (current SR 99?); followed Nevada Street in Live Oak
  • Turned west at Richvale Highway and north on the west side of the railroad, crossing again at Durham and following Midway into Chico; appears to have followed present SR 99 all the way to Red Bluff
  • US 99W: left Davis on Russell Boulevard and SR 113, then East Street into Woodland, and Main Street and CR E7 to Cacheville Road, then stayed just west of the railroad all the way to Orland; jogged east at Solano Street in Corning and north on 3rd Street
  • Also note Garden Highway between Sacramento and Yuba City
Rail lines paralleled
  • North Bakersfield to Elvas: SP Fresno Line
  • Roseville to Tehama: SP East Valley Line
  • Davis to Tehama: SP West Valley Line
  • Tehama to Black Butte: SP Shasta Line
  • Black Butte to Oregon: SP Siskiyou Line

So the whole thing, except south of Bakersfield (where Tehachapi Pass was used by railroads), closely paralleled the SP. Where still owned by UP, it is the I-5 Corridor.

Maps for the Stockton-Manteca split and the extension to Mexico

--NE2 05:47, 29 November 2007 (UTC)

1918 routing (Routes 566, 587, 612, 381, 361, 331, 337, 5, 152, 84, 171, 172)
  • SR 111, Fawcett, Heffernan?, Main, Dogwood, Main
  • Imperial, SR 86, K, Imperial?, Plaza, SR 78, Brandt, Andre, Kalin, Boarts, SR 86, Forrester, Howenstein, Martin, Bannister, SR 86 (roughly), SR 195, Pierce, SR 111, 60th, Fillmore, SR 111, Airport, Shady, 9th, SR 111, Harrison, 48, SR 111, 46, Madison, SR 111 (roughly), Tipton, Wendy, Railroad, I-10, Ramsey, 6th, California, 5th, SR 60, south side of RR, San Timoteo Canyon, Barton, California, Mission, Mountain View, Victoria, Tippecanoe, Mill, Allen, 3rd
  • 3rd, Mt. Vernon, 4th, SR 66, Baseline, Amelia, Foothill, Citrus, Foothill, Huntington, Highland, Royal Oaks, Shamrock, Foothill, Altadena, Colorado, Fair Oaks, Mission, Pasadena, York, Figueroa, Pasadena, Broadway
  • Sunset, Hollywod, Cahuenga, Lankershim, San Fernando, Sierra (roughly), San Fernando, Magic Mountain, Old, Ridge etc., SR 99, Union, 19th
  • Chester, Roberts, Golden State, SR 99, crossed the railroad a bit north of Famoso, SR 99, Glenwood, 1st, High, SR 99, 160?, I, Bardsley, K, Tulare, SR 63, Main, SR 198, Camp, crossed the railroad a bit north of the wye, SR 99, Simpson, Golden State, Front, Golden State, Cherry, Broadway
  • Broadway, Belmont, Golden State, SR 99, Golden State, Herndon?, Weber, crossed the railroad south of 7, SR 99, Gateway, SR 99, 21?, Fairmead, Chowchilla, SR 99, 16th, SR 99, Atwater, SR 99, Campbell, SR 99, Golden State, 1st, D, Broadway, Julian?, Front, Golden State, Taylor, SR 99, Hatch?, 7th, G, 9th
  • 9th, SR 99, Salida, SR 99, Austin, Yosemite, Main, SR 99, French Camp, Center, Weber
  • El Dorado, Willow, Pacific, Lower Sacramento, Extension, Harney, Lower Sacramento, Turner, Lower Sacramento, Lincoln, SR 99, Stockton Boulevard, P Street, 29th, Capitol, 15th, L
  • 12th, Del Paso, El Camino, Auburn, Riverside, Vernon, Lincoln, Washington, SR 65, State, Main, SR 65, Rancho, SR 65, Lindhurst, Beale, D, 5th, Bridge, Plumas, Colusa, Live Oak, SR 99, Nevada?, SR 99, Nelson Shippee, Colony, Midway, Park, Main, Esplanade, SR 99, Rowles, 7th, Vina, SR 99, Sherwood, Shasta, Taft, Fox?, SR 99, SR 36, Belle Mill, Oak
  • Main, Grant, Breckinridge, Main, I-5, Auction Yard, I-5, Main, Front, Chester, 1st, Locust, Barney, SR 273, Bonnyview, Eastside, Market
  • Market, Riverside, Benton, Quartz Hill, gone, Lake, Newtown, Ironhorse, Ashby, Black Canyon, Bass, Wonderland, I-5 (roughly), under the reservoir, I-5 southbound, Salt Creek, Gregory Creek, under the reservoir, Lakeshore (roughly), Riverview, I-5 (roughly), Sweetbrier, Main, Frontage, across the river at Dirigo, Riverside, Soda Creek, across the river at Financial, Crag View, I-5, Dunsmuir
  • Dunsmuir, Mott, I-5, Big Canyon, Mt. Shasta, Old McCloud, Ream, Walnut, Mt. Shasta, Spring Hill, Summit, Truck Village, Black Butte, Shastina, Weed, Edgewood, Old Edgewood, Edgewood, Old 99, Scarface, Old Westside, Old 99, Shamrock, Fairlane, Main, SR 263, Old Shasta River, SR 96, I-5 northbound, Klamathon, Hornbrook, I-5 northbound, Bailey Hill, I-5 (roughly), Jefferson

--NE2 10:39, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Mention of The Atwater Signage...

Are we sure about this one? Might be worth taking a jaunt up there and photographing the actual roadsign! I'll see if I can squeeze this in tomorrow...Edit Centric (talk) 06:37, 30 November 2007 (UTC)

I don't think it's a good thing to mention in the main prose, though a photo with a description in the caption would be great. --NE2 18:20, 30 November 2007 (UTC)
Oh the text was already there, I'm just wondering if it's true that you can see that. If it IS, and we get a good photo of it, then we'd definitely want to leave that mention in the prose, and put the photo in. (imho)Edit Centric 19:09, 30 November 2007 (UTC)

[5] appears to be the sign. --NE2 19:16, 30 November 2007 (UTC)

And northbound: [6] --NE2 19:17, 30 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 99 south at exit #278

Exit #278 southbound on Highway 99 is indeed signed as West Stockton Boulevard: [7] –PhATxPnOY916 (talk to me) 07:33, 23 March 2008 (UTC)