Ridge Route

This article is about the Castaic–Tejon Route in California. For the Ridge Route in ancient Israel, see Way of the Patriarchs.

Ridge Route
Map
Ridge Route highlighted in red
Route information
Length44 mi[1] (71 km)
Existed1915–1970
Component
highways		 US 99 after 1926
Major junctions
South end US 99 / SR 126 in Castaic Junction
Major intersections SR 138 in Gorman
North end US 99 in Grapevine
Location
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountiesLos Angeles, Kern
Highway system
Ridge Route, Old
Ridge Route is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Ridge Route
Nearest cityCastaic, California
Built1915
ArchitectW. Lewis Clark and J.B. Woodson
NRHP reference No.97001113[2]
Added to NRHPSeptember 25, 1997
View of the route, 1920

The Ridge Route, officially the Castaic–Tejon Route and colloquially known as the Grapevine,[3] was a two-lane highway between Los Angeles County and Kern County, California. Opened in 1915 and paved with concrete between 1917 and 1921, the road was the first paved highway directly linking the Los Angeles Basin with the San Joaquin Valley (southern Central Valley) over the Tejon Pass and the rugged Sierra Pelona Mountains ridge south of Gorman. Much of the old road runs through the Angeles National Forest, and passes many historical landmarks, including the National Forest Inn, Reservoir Summit, Kelly's Half Way Inn, Tumble Inn, and Sandberg's Summit Hotel. North of the forest, the Ridge Route passed through Deadman's Curve before ending at Grapevine.

The road was bypassed by the three-lane Ridge Route Alternate, then U.S. Route 99 (US 99), to handle increased traffic and remove curves; the Alternate in Los Angeles County was completed in 1933, and Kern County line to Grapevine in 1936. The four-lane US 99 was completed in 1953 and replaced by an eight-lane freeway, Interstate 5 (I-5) in 1960-70. The portion of the road in the Angeles National Forest was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, by the efforts of Harrison Scott. Much of the road has been closed by the U.S. Forest Service; other remnants are used by local traffic.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference map was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 15, 2006.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference LAT 2019-12-27 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).