Pony Express Route

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Pony Express Route

Lincoln Highway

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Above: Photo on the right showning how the road look in the late 1800's you can see how narrow and crude this road was notice the stone wall on the right hand side. On the left is one of the monuments placed by surveyors between the years 1900-1908 alone the road marking the distance away from Placerville

B/W Photo's Courtesy of

US 50 California's First State Highway

On February 28, 1895 under an act by the state legislature, the Placerville road was designated as California's first official state road or (route). This road or (route) traveled between the city of Smith Flat to the Nevada border (Lake Tahoe), the Placerville Road was renamed as the "Lake Tahoe State Wagon Road".

Soon after acquiring this road, which had not been maintained for several years, the state needed to repair and fix several log culverts, roadway needed to be widened and graded, clearing of several hundred fallen trees, and several slides, Along with the repair work on the new road, construction of a 80 foot stone arch bridge over the American River at Riverton was completed by 1900. Three granite obelisks were preserved and stand along side the roadway near the current bridge.

Work started on improving the road in 1899 with a grant of $25,000 from the Legislature for surveying and construction improvements. Work continued each year on the road transforming it from a dusty road, then to a oil cover road, then in the 1920' & 30's a two lane modern road where portions was covered by asphalt, while others concrete was used. In the late 50's work started on improving sections of US-50 into an expressway then upgrading US-50 to a freeway route in the sixities

Whitehall 1920's

Whitehall 1999

US-50 enters California along the shores of Lake Tahoe at Stateline, Nevada. After crossing into California US 50 follows the shoreline for a few miles, US-50 turns southwest into Tahoe Valley. At Meyers, US-50 merges with SR-89 at what is named the Tahoe Y, from here US-50/ SR-89 continues southwest into Tahoe Valley, before ascending Meyers grade to Echo Summit (7382 ft). From Echo Summit US-50 continues west into American River Canyon passing through the small towns of Twin Bridges, Strawberry, Kyburz, Silver Fork, Whitehall, & Riverton. American River Canyon has been the scene of serveral disasters some manmade and others from nature's handywork, from flooding, rockslides, fallen trees, snow, roadway slipouts, and fires which has closed US-50 from a few hours to several months. After leaving the canyon US-50 pass through towns of Pollock Pines and Camino along side the orchards of the Apple Hill region then descending into Placerville (Hangtown) county seat of El Dorado County. This city has a rich history of early pioneering days during the gold rush era of the 1850's. Continuing west US-50 descends into the Sacramento Valley passing buy the city of Folsom and Folsom lake. Folsom Lake provides water and electricity to Sacramento and surrounding communities. US-50 passes by Nimbus Dam a small holding reservoir on the American River below Folsom Dam between the Folsom Blvd. and Hazel Ave. exits. The El Dorado Freeway (US-50) from Folsom to Downtown Sacramento was built in three stages, bypassing the former Folsom Blvd alignment the first stage was completed in 1962 from the Sacramento County line to Sunrise Blvd. Second stage was completed in 1972 from 34th Street to about 1 mile east of Watt Avenue at the Folsom Blvd overcrossing, the third and final stage was completed in 1975 connecting the first and second stages of the project making US-50 a full freeway from Downtown Sacramento to Pollock Pines in ElDorado County. The current alignment of US-50 follows the 1927-32 alignment when US-50 terminus before the completion of the western section of the El Dorado Freeway in 1972 was at M (Capitol Avenue) and 16th Street (Junction with US 40-99) in Downtown Sacramento. In 1975 the terminus of US 50 was at the Junction of I-80 (W-X/29-30th Street Freeway and SR-99 (South Sacramento Freeway). In 1984 US-50 was extended 2.74 miles from its former terminus at the Junction with Business-80 and SR-99 to West Sacramento connection with I-80 (Former I-880). Originally this freeway Caltrans had planned to number as I-305.

East Bay to San Joaquin Valley

1926-72

From 1927-32, US-48 traveled between Manteca and Oakland/ San Jose when US-48 was decommissioned in 1932 US-50 was extended from Sacramento to the East Bay via Stockton co-signed with US-99 from Sacramento to Stockton then turning west on the former US-48 alignment into the East Bay and on to San Francisco after completion of the Bay Bridge in 1936 along with US-40. In 1972 with I-5 nearing its completion (final link between Sacramento and Stockton completed in 1979), and I-205 and 580 completed and signed, US-50 was decommissioned from San Francisco to Sacramento. For a short time in the sixties US-50 was cosigned with Interstate 5-W from Mountain House current junction with I-580 to Oakland at the current I-80/580 interchange.

If you ever have a chance to travel US-50 in Nevada from Carson City to Ely you will probably agree with the title of this road being "The Loneliest Road in America". In Nevada US 50 has long stretches where you will not see a building or car for miles, hoping your car will not break down at the most inopportune time, and gas stations are at a premium. US-50 traveling across the rockies into the great prairie state of Kansas, long and flat region rich in agricultural and raising livestock this two-laned highway reaches the Mississippi River at St Louis,Missouri. Leaving St. Louis US-50 travels across the Land of Lincoln into Indiana finally reaching the Ohio River at Cincinnati. From there US 50 heads east towards our nations capitol Washington DC after crossing the Chesapeake Bay US 50 head for its final destination and terminus at Ocean City, Md 3073 miles from its western starting point of Sacramento, Ca. Some people might not agree with me when I say US-50 in certain sections are long, tedious stretches passing through deserts, mountains, prairies, small towns and cities, but all-in- all this highway has its historic and importance in shaping this country as we know it today.

US 50 is in a very select group of US highways which still travel from coast to coast. US-50 ends in Sacramento 87 miles from San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean, but in my opinion crossing halfway into California would still count. In the early years the following US highways traveled from coast to coast US 2,20,30,40,50,60,70,80 of the eight only four (2,20,30,50) still exist while the other four (40,60,70,80) have had their route mileage and its coast to coast status relinquished to the Interstate system or individual state systems.

My photo album tours of US 50 will be divided into sections which will be listed below and linked to the pages. I plan to continue my photo Albums to San Francisco in the future, but at present I am working on Sacramento to Lake Tahoe. Many of the photos will be old b/w photo's along with my own color photo's showning how the road has remained the same and changed in other ways. I will be adding photo albums to the list below after completing albums allready listed.

The preceding page is the property of the Highwayman any use of this page without the permission of the Highwayman is prohibited

If you have any comments, suggestions or updated information on my US-50 pages . Please send them to me at hywaymn@pacbell.net

Special Thanks to Casey Cooper for his help with all of the shields for my pages