California State Route 139

Last updated
California 139.svg
State Route 139
California State Route 139.svg
SR 139 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Caltrans
Length143.26 mi [1] [2]  (230.55 km)
HistoryState highway in ca. 1940 and 1959; numbered by 1946
Tourist
routes		 MUTCD M10-1.svg Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway
Major junctions
South endCalifornia 36.svg SR 36 in Susanville
Major intersectionsCR A1 jct.svg CR A1 near Sheepshead
CR A2 jct.svg CR A2 near Scotty Place
California 299.svg SR 299 from Adin to Canby
North endCalifornia 161.svgOR 39.svg SR 161  / OR 39 at Oregon state line south of Merrill, OR
Location
Country United States
State California
Counties Lassen, Modoc, Siskiyou
Highway system
← California 138.svg SR 138 → California 140.svg SR 140

State Route 139 (SR 139) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. Running from SR 36 in Susanville north to Oregon Route 39 at the Oregon state line, it forms part of the shortest route between Reno, Nevada, and Klamath Falls, Oregon. SR 139 cuts through much of Modoc National Forest and passes near Antelope Mountain and Tule Lake. North of SR 299 near Canby, SR 139 was built by the federal government and turned over to the state in about 1940; the remainder was built by a joint highway district of Lassen and Modoc Counties, completed in 1956, and given to the state in 1959.

Contents

Route description

SR 139 through the Modoc National Forest Modoc-map.png
SR 139 through the Modoc National Forest

State Route 139 begins at SR 36 in Susanville, and heads northeast up Antelope Mountain along the eastern edge of Susanville Ranch Park before turning north and descending into the Eagle Lake Basin, passing along the eastern edge of Eagle Lake and later the Said Valley Reservoir. The highway continues north and northwest through valleys and over hills and through a part of the Modoc National Forest, through the community of Avila Place, and then enters the east end of the Big Valley, where it begins to overlap SR 299 through Adin. The combined routes continue northerly through another part of the forest and over Adin Pass into the Warm Springs Valley, where SR 139 splits to the northwest near Canby. [3] [4]

SR 139 runs northwest and north over mostly flat terrain through the center of the national forest before turning northwest. The route continues through Newell before cutting across the intermittent Tule Lake as the Lava Beds Highway through the city of Tulelake. During this segment, SR 139 passes directly through the former Tule Lake Segregation Unit, used to house Japanese-Americans during WWII. After passing through the former internment camp, SR 139 continues to the Oregon state line at Hatfield. At an intersection right on the state line, SR 161 begins to the west, and Oregon Route 39 continues northwest towards Klamath Falls. [3] [4]

The entire route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System, [5] and north of the SR 299 overlap is part of the National Highway System, [6] a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration. [7] North of SR 299, SR 139 is an eligible State Scenic Highway, [8] but has not been designated as such; [9] the short piece north of Tulelake is however part of the federal Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway. [10] The portion north of SR 299 is also in the Interregional Road System as a High Emphasis Route.

History

In 1925, a state-created "California Highway Advisory Committee" recommended a number of additions to the state highway system; among these was a route from Susanville to the Oregon state line towards Klamath Falls, via Bieber. This would be part of a road connecting Reno, Nevada and Klamath Falls east of the Sierra Nevada, which would attract heavy traffic and improve access to Crater Lake and Lassen Volcanic National Parks. [11] A local county road already followed this path, but it was an unpaved road, mostly dirt and gravel but with sections of rock and bad sand. This was close to the present SR 139, with notable deviations around the areas of Hayden Hill, Bieber and Lookout, and Malin, Oregon (as Tule Lake covered SR 139's current location). [12]

By the mid-1920s, the main road southeast from Klamath Falls, still unimproved in California, headed southeast to State Highway Route 28 (now SR 299) at Canby rather than south to Bieber. There travelers could head east on Route 28 to Alturas and south on the present US 395 (not a state highway north of Susanville until 1933) towards Reno. [13] [14] The California state legislature passed a law in 1939, providing for state takeover of the Canby-Oregon road if the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Public Roads were to construct and pave it. [15] The road was in fact mostly paved by mid-1939, [16] and under construction or completed by mid-1940, when Oregon Route 58 opened, continuing the corridor northwest from Klamath Falls. [17] In 1943 the legislature gave it the Route 210 designation; [18] Oregon had added the short connecting Hatfield Highway to its state highway system in 1937. [19]

Lassen and Modoc Counties organized Joint Highway District No. 14 on December 21, 1929 to construct and maintain a road from Susanville via Adin to Oregon. However, since the state took over the part north of Adin, the district's scope was narrowed to Susanville-Adin. [20] It finally completed work in 1956, and held a ceremony on August 26, in which it placed a monument at a point near Eagle Lake. [21] The legislature added the road to the state highway system as Route 216 in 1959. [22] The portion south of Horse Lake Road became an extension of Route 20 instead; [23] this route from Susanville to Ravendale (later Termo) was never constructed by the state, and was deleted from SR 36 in 1998. Also in 1959, a spur of Route 210 west to Dorris was added; this became SR 161 in 1964. [24]

By 1946, the Canby-Oregon portion had been marked as Sign Route 139, connecting with Oregon Route 39; [25] it was extended south over US 299 to Adin and Routes 216 and 20 to Susanville by 1960. [26] The number was legislatively adopted, replacing Routes 210 and 216, in the 1964 renumbering. [27] It has remained a two-lane road, [3] despite being added to the California Freeway and Expressway System in 1959 (Canby to Oregon) and 1965 (Susanville to Adin). [28] [29]

Major intersections

Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured on the road as it was in 1964, based on the alignment that existed at the time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage. R reflects a realignment in the route since then, M indicates a second realignment, L refers to an overlap due to a correction or change, and T indicates postmiles classified as temporary (for a full list of prefixes, see California postmile § Official postmile definitions ). [1] Segments that remain unconstructed or have been relinquished to local control may be omitted. The numbers reset at county lines; the start and end postmiles in each county are given in the county column.

CountyLocationPostmile
[1] [2] [30] 		DestinationsNotes
Lassen
LAS 0.00-66.44		 Susanville 0.00California 36.svg SR 36 (Main Street) – Reno, Red Bluff South end of SR 139
​​CR A1 jct.svg CR A1 (Eagle Lake Road)
​61.46CR A2 jct.svg CR A2 (Susanville Road) – Bieber, Mount Shasta
Modoc
MOD 0.00-50.68		 Adin 0.23
0.33 [N 1] 		West plate California.svg
California 299.svg SR 299 west – Redding 		South end of SR 299 overlap
Canby 21.75 [N 1]
0.23		East plate California.svg
California 299.svg SR 299 east – Alturas 		North end of SR 299 overlap
​23.20Agricultural Inspection Station (southbound only)
Siskiyou
SIS 0.00-5.04		 Hatfield 5.04West plate California.svg
California 161.svgNorth plate.svg
OR 39.svg SR 161 west (State Line Road, Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway) / OR 39 north – Dorris, Malin, Klamath Falls 		Oregon state line; north end of SR 139; road continues as OR 39
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  1. 1 2 Indicates that the postmile represents the distance along SR 299 rather than SR 139.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Modoc County, California</span> County in California, United States

Modoc County is a county located in the far northeast corner of the U.S. state of California. Its population is 8,700 as of the 2020 census, down from 9,686 from the 2010 census. This makes it California's third-least-populous county. The county seat and only incorporated city is Alturas. Previous County seats include Lake City and Centerville. The county borders Nevada and Oregon. Much of Modoc County is federal land. Several federal agencies, including the United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, have employees assigned to the area, and their operations are a significant part of its economy and services. The county's official slogans include "The last best place" and "Where the West still lives".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 38</span> Highway in California

State Route 38 is a mostly rural and scenic state highway in the U.S. state of California, connecting Interstate 10 in Redlands with State Route 18 in the Big Bear Lake area. It is one of the primary routes into the San Bernardino Mountains. Despite the orientation of its alignment, SR 38 is assigned in a west–east direction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 3</span> State highway in California, United States

State Route 3 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that serves Trinity and Siskiyou counties. It runs from SR 36 north along the shore of Trinity Lake, Fort Jones and Etna. The route then approaches Yreka, intersecting with Interstate 5 (I-5), and turns east to Montague. The road was numbered SR 3 in 1964, and most of it has been part of the state highway system since 1933.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 299</span> State highway in California, United States

State Route 299 is an east–west state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs across the northern part of the state. At 305.777 miles (492.100 km), it is the third longest California state route, after Route 1 and Route 99, and the longest east-west route. Route 299's western terminus is at US 101 at the northern edge of Arcata, and its eastern terminus is at the Nevada state line at a point east of Cedarville. Between Arcata and Redding, Route 299 intersects with State Route 96, and is briefly co-signed with State Route 3. In Redding, it intersects with State Route 273, State Route 44, and Interstate 5. East of Redding, it intersects with State Route 89, and a section is co-signed with State Route 139 before reaching Alturas. It is then co-signed with U.S. Route 395 northeast of Alturas, and then runs east through Cedarville and to the border with Nevada. A ghost town, Vya, Nevada, can be reached via this route, which after the border becomes a dirt road, which was formerly Nevada State Route 8A. The segment of SR 299 between Arcata and Redding is the Trinity Scenic Byway, a National Forest Scenic Byway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 16</span> State highway in California, United States

State Route 16 is a state highway in the northern region of the U.S. state of California that runs from Route 20 in Colusa County to Route 49 just outside Plymouth in Amador County, primarily crossing the Sacramento Valley. Much of the route through the Sacramento area is unsigned as it runs on a concurrency with the I-5 and US 50 freeways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 189</span> Highway in California

State Route 189 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs through the San Bernardino Mountains in San Bernardino County. The route travels from State Route 18 near Crestline to State Route 173 in Lake Arrowhead, serving Twin Peaks and Blue Jay along its way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 142</span> Highway in California

State Route 142, also known as Carbon Canyon Road for most of its length, is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that connects Brea in Orange County with Chino Hills in San Bernardino County. The eastern portion of the route is known as Chino Hills Parkway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 34</span> Highway in California

State Route 34 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs through Ventura County from Rice Avenue in Oxnard to State Route 118 in Somis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 224</span> Former state highway in California

State Route 224 was a state highway in the U.S. state of California that served as a spur route in Santa Barbara County from U.S. Route 101 in Carpinteria to Carpinteria State Beach. The route existed from 1964 to 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway</span> Highway in California and Oregon

The Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway is a scenic byway and All-American Road in the U.S. states of California and Oregon. It is roughly 500 miles (800 km) long and travels north–south along the Cascade Range past numerous volcanoes. It is composed of two separate National Scenic Byways, the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway - Oregon and Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway - California. The former includes Rim Drive within Crater Lake National Park, while the latter wholly includes the Lassen Scenic Byway within Lassen Volcanic National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 371</span> State highway in Riverside County, California, United States

State Route 371 is a state highway in Riverside County, California, serving as a 20.75-mile (33.39 km) connector from SR 79 near Aguanga to SR 74 near Anza. The highway crosses through the private community of Lake Riverside, as well as Cahuilla and the Cahuilla Indian Reservation. It is the primary road running through Anza but mostly serves rural areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 70</span> Highway in California

State Route 70 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California, connecting SR 99 north of Sacramento with U.S. Route 395 near Beckwourth Pass via the Feather River Canyon. Through the Feather River Canyon, from SR 149 to US 395, SR 70 is the Feather River Scenic Byway, a Forest Service Byway that parallels the ex-Western Pacific Railroad's Feather River Route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 115</span> Highway in California

State Route 115 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs in Imperial County from Interstate 8 (I-8) southeast of Holtville to SR 111 in Calipatria. The routing was added to the state highway system in 1933, and was constructed by 1934; SR 115 was officially designated in the 1964 state highway renumbering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 161</span> Highway in California

State Route 161 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs along the California–Oregon state line in Siskiyou County. It begins at U.S. Route 97 north of Dorris and goes east to the intersection of SR 139 and Oregon Route 39 north of Tulelake. SR 161 is part of the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 127</span> Highway in California

State Route 127 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that connects Interstate 15 in Baker to Nevada State Route 373 at the Nevada state line, passing near the eastern boundary of Death Valley National Park. The entire length of the highway closely follows the central portion of the former Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad and loosely follows the Amargosa River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 190</span> Highway in California

State Route 190 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that is split into two parts by the Sierra Nevada. The western portion begins at Tipton at a junction with State Route 99 and heads east towards Porterville before ending at Quaking Aspen in the Sequoia National Forest. The eastern portion begins at US 395 at Olancha, heads east through Death Valley National Park, and ends at State Route 127 at Death Valley Junction. The 43.0-mile (69.2 km) portion over the Sierra Nevada remains unconstructed, and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has no plans to build it through the wilderness areas. SR 190 is a National Scenic Byway known as the Death Valley Scenic Byway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 266</span> Highway in California

State Route 266 (SR 266) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. The route traverses Fish Lake Valley, which is part in California and part in Nevada. The route connects two Nevada state routes that traverse the Nevada portion of the valley, SR 264 and SR 266. The only connection from SR 266 to the rest of California's road network is via SR 168 in the community of Oasis. Prior to 1986 the southern and northern halves of modern SR 266 had separate numerical designations. The southern portion of the highway, along with modern SR 168, dates to the auto trail era, forming part of the Midland Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 174</span> Highway in California

State Route 174 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. The two-lane 13-mile (21 km) highway in the western Sierra Nevada, added to the state highway system in 1933, connects Interstate 80 in Colfax with SR 20/SR 49 in Grass Valley, crossing the Bear River next to a 1924 concrete arch bridge. The majority of the route is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System, but local residents have blocked its designation due to property right concerns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 187</span> Highway in California

State Route 187 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs along Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles from Lincoln Boulevard in Venice to Interstate 10 in the South Robertson district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 395 in California</span> Highway in California

U.S. Route 395 (US 395) is a United States Numbered Highway, stretching from Hesperia, California to the Canadian border in Laurier, Washington. The California portion of US 395 is a 557-mile (896 km) route which traverses from Interstate 15 (I-15) in Hesperia, north to the Oregon state line in Modoc County near Goose Lake. The route clips into Nevada, serving the cities Carson City and Reno, before returning to California.

References

  1. 1 2 3 California Department of Transportation. "State Truck Route List". Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (XLS file) on September 5, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  2. 1 2 California Department of Transportation (July 2007). "Log of Bridges on State Highways". Sacramento: California Department of Transportation.
  3. 1 2 3 ACME Mapper 2.0 (Map). ACME Maps. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  4. 1 2 "SR 139" (Map). Google Maps . Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Division 1". California Streets and Highways Code. Sacramento: California Office of Legislative Counsel. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  6. ↑ Federal Highway Administration (March 25, 2015). National Highway System: California (North) (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  7. ↑ Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike & Adderly, Kevin (June 20, 2012). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Article 2.5 of Chapter 2 of Division 1". California Streets & Highways Code. Sacramento: California Office of Legislative Counsel. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  9. ↑ California Department of Transportation (August 2019). "Officially Designated State Scenic Highways and Historic Parkways" (XLSX). Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway web site" . Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  11. ↑ California Highway Advisory Committee and Arthur Hastings Breed, Report of a Study of the State Highway System of California, California State Printing Office, 1925, p. 98
  12. ↑ Official Automobile Blue Book Volume Eight. 1918. pp. 266–268.
  13. ↑ Clason Map Company, Touring Atlas of the United States, 1925
  14. ↑ Rand McNally & Company, Auto Road Atlas, 1926
  15. ↑ California State Assembly. "An act to add section 653 to the Streets and Highways Code, relating to State highways". Fifty-third Session of the Legislature. Statutes of California. State of California. Ch. 338 p. 1677.
  16. ↑ Nevada State Journal, June 30, 1939: "A one-mile stretch at the Modoc-Siskiyou county line is gravel surfaced and from Tule Lake to the Oregon state line the oiled surface is broken and somewhat rough."
  17. ↑ Reno Evening Gazette, August 2, 1940: "With the opening of the new Willamette highway in Oregon, connecting U. S. 99 with U. S. 97, a new avenue for direct travel is available to motorists between Reno and points in the Pacific Northwest...Short stretches are being oiled, with flagmen controlling traffic and caution is required. The balance of this route is entirely paved and in excellent condition."
  18. ↑ California State Assembly. "An act...relating to the State highway routes and adding a new route". Fifty-fifth Session of the Legislature. Statutes of California. State of California. Ch. 964 p. 2849.: "Route 210 is from Route 28 near Canby to the Oregon line near Merrill."
  19. ↑ Oregon Department of Transportation, History of State Highways in Oregon, January 2007, p. 677
  20. ↑ Division of Highways, Sixth Annual Report to the Governor on the Activities of the Division of Highways for the Year July 1, 1951 to June 30, 1952, p. 124
  21. ↑ Reno Evening Gazette, Lassen Highway Dedication Held, September 4, 1956
  22. ↑ California State Assembly. "An act to add Section 516 to the Streets and Highways Code, relating to state highways". 1959 Session of the Legislature. Statutes of California. State of California. Ch. 1853 p. 4409.: "Route 216 is from Route 20 north of Susanville to Route 28 near Adin."
  23. ↑ California State Assembly. "An act to amend Sections 306, 320, 332, 351, 362, 365, 369, 374, 382, 388, 397, 407, 408, 409, 410, 415, 422, 435, 440, 446, 453, 456, 460, 467, 470, 476, 487, 492, 493, 494, 506, 521, 528, and 529..." 1959 Session of the Legislature. Statutes of California. State of California. Ch. 1062 p. 3116.: "Route 20 is from:...(c) Route 29 near Susanville to Route 73 near Ravendale."
  24. ↑ California State Assembly. "An act to amend Sections 306, 320, 332, 351, 362, 365, 369, 374, 382, 388, 397, 407, 408, 409, 410, 415, 422, 435, 440, 446, 453, 456, 460, 467, 470, 476, 487, 492, 493, 494, 506, 521, 528, and 529..." 1959 Session of the Legislature. Statutes of California. State of California. Ch. 1062 p. 3118.: "Route 210 is from: (a) Route 28 near Canby to the Oregon line near Hatfield. (b) A point on the highway specified in subdivision (a) of this section near Hatfield to Route 72 near Dorris."
  25. ↑ Rand McNally & Company, Road Atlas, 1946
  26. ↑ Oakland Tribune, May 31, 1960: "Nichols was killed when his car missed a turn yesterday morning and overturned on State Highway 139, two miles north of Susanville."
  27. ↑ California State Assembly. "An act to add Section 253 and Article 3 (commencing with Section 300) to Chapter 2 of Division 1 of, and to repeal Section 253 and Article 3 (commencing with Section 300) of Chapter 2 of Division 1 of, the..." 1963 Session of the Legislature. Statutes of California. State of California. Ch. 385 p. 1182.: "Route 139 is from: (a) Route 36 near Susanville to Route 299 near Adin. (b) Route 299 near Canby to the Oregon state line near Hatfield."
  28. ↑ California State Assembly. "An act to amend Sections 306, 320, 332, 351, 362, 365, 369, 374, 382, 388, 397, 407, 408, 409, 410, 415, 422, 435, 440, 446, 453, 456, 460, 467, 470, 476, 487, 492, 493, 494, 506, 521, 528, and 529..." 1959 Session of the Legislature. Statutes of California. State of California. Ch. 1062 p. 3115.
  29. ↑ California State Assembly. "An act to amend Sections 253, 307, 317, 322, 334, 342, 347, 349, 361, 363, 372, 373, 374, 379, 384, 390, 407, 408, 443, 455, 470, 486, 514, 517, 548, and 550 of, to add Sections 556, 557, 558, 560..." 1965 Session of the Legislature. Statutes of California. State of California. Ch. 1372 p. 3269.
  30. ↑ "All Traffic Volumes on CSHS". California Department of Transportation. 2005–2006. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
KML file (edit • help)
Template:Attached KML/California State Route 139
KML is from Wikidata

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.