Historical Tour of old US 99

- Grapevine and Grapevine Canyon

Looking North from the Ridge Route. Grapevine is in the center.

Looking North from the Ridge Route towards I-5.

Looking up Grapevine Canyon from the Ridge Route.

Original concrete divider. Installed in 1946. Sign is 2 feet tall.
 

Concrete divider in use. Photo taken in 1947 by Caltrans.

Postcard from the 20's showing the Ridge Route version of Grapevine Grade. 133k

Grapevine Canyon was named for the wild grapes that grow on its slopes by Spaniards in the 1700's. The town of Grapevine has been a major stop along this highway ever since the Ridge Route was built in 1915. In 1934, a new alignment of US 99 was built. It ran along the current southbound lanes of I-5 for most of the grade. Deadman's Curve and the Loop were eliminated at that time. When the concrete was first poured, only two lanes were built. About a year later, the third lane was added making the center lane the passing lane.

In 1943, the grade was widened to four lanes with a metal and wood barrier. In October 1946, a concrete barrier was installed along the grade replacing a wood and steel barrier. The reason was that trucks were using the old barrier to slow down, which would destroy the barrier. The new "parabolic concrete divider" was designed so that trucks could not use it to slow down.

All of the original alignment was redone in 1959-1960 when the grade was reconstructed as eight-lane I-5. This eliminated a lot of the old Ridge Route alignment as well as some of the 1934-46 alignment of old US 99. The northbound lanes were constructed first, then traffic was shifted onto them as the southbound lanes were reconstructed. In 1960, the new freeway was fully opened to traffic.
 

Portion of the Ridge Route cut off by I-5 at the top of The Loop.

A service station and restaurant was built just south of here in the 1930's. Its location is still visible along the southbound lanes next to a metal tower about half way down the grade. The tower formerly carried a Union 76 sign.

1933 culvert along southbound I-5.

Deadman's Curve on the Ridge Route. Concrete dates to 1919 and was the first to be poured in Grapevine Canyon.

Overview of Grapevine Canyon

Bridge over Grapevine Creek. Built in 1933 and removed in 1959.

Go North on US 99 to Bakersfield

Go South on US 99 to Los Angeles

Return to US 99 Introduction page