Route 39 is one of the more varied state highways in the Los Angeles area. It starts right at the beach at Pacific Coast Highway (SR-1), runs along Beach Boulevard for many miles through the cities of Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Stanton, Buena Park, and La Habra only to end abruptly at the corner of Whittier Boulevard and Harbor Boulevard. State 39 reappears on the north side of the Puente Hills at the junction of I-10 and Azusa Avenue. It continues north from there, passing through the city of Azusa, onto San Gabriel Canyon Road. Now State 39 takes on a different look as it turns from a city street into a twisty mountain road. It slowly climbs along the canyon wall, using many sidehill viaducts, passing two large reservoirs and dams. After the junction with East Fork Road, State 39 climbs even faster, rising from about 2000 feet up to 6000 feet in a matter of a few miles. Just after passing the Crystal Lake turnoff the highway is blocked by a large gate. About 4.5 miles of State 39, all the way to State 2, have been closed since 1978 due to a number of landslides. The roadway is passable but isn't a full two lanes wide all the way up.
NEW Information!
According to some sources at Caltrans District 7, there are plans to reconstruct
State 39 over the closed segment to open it to the public again. Construction
was slated to
begin around mid-2005 but was delayed due to funding. More information will be posted here as I get it.
Crossing the West Fork of the San Gabriel River
North Gate at Islip Saddle - Jct. Hwy 2 - Angeles Crest Highway
South Gate near Crystal Lake.
General condition of the closed section.
Switchbacks on the untouched segment of 39. These switchback were to be bypassed. The
roadway in the lower right is not State 39. It is a driveway to a house but may be a
portion of an older alignment of 39.
Grading on the upper section of the realignment. Construction was halted about 1972
and will most likely will never restart. Maps will be posted eventually.
Bridge to Nowhere. This bridge was built in 1936.
Tunnel on the Road to Nowhere (or the Convict Road). Built in 1961. More info coming
soon.
More photos of the Road to Nowhere, and the Bridge to Nowhere coming soon.
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