This article needs additional citations for verification .(March 2022) |
Route information | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Maintained by Caltrans | ||||
Length | 185.594 mi [1] (298.685 km) (plus about 6.5 mi (10.5 km) on SR 46, and does not include portion in Yosemite National Park) | |||
Existed | 1934–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | SR 1 in Morro Bay | |||
North end | SR 140 in Yosemite National Park | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | California | |||
Counties | San Luis Obispo, Kern, Kings, Fresno, Madera, Mariposa | |||
Highway system | ||||
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State Route 41 (SR 41) is a state highway in the U.S. State of California, connecting the Central Coast with the San Joaquin Valley and the Sierra Nevada. Its southern terminus is at the Cabrillo Highway (SR 1) in Morro Bay, and its northern terminus is at SR 140 in Yosemite National Park. It has been constructed as an expressway from near SR 198 in Lemoore north to the south part of Fresno, where the Yosemite Freeway begins, passing along the east side of downtown and extending north into Madera County.
The majority of Route 41 runs as either two-lane rural highway or four-lane divided highway. The only part of SR 41 that turns into a freeway itself is in Fresno County and parts of Madera. The southern end of the highway intersects SR 1 in Morro Bay. Between Morro Bay and Fresno, the highway intersects U.S. Route 101 in Atascadero, proceeds through the Coast Range and intersects SR 46. Actor James Dean died in an accident in 1955 at the intersection of SR 46 in Cholame. Currently, there is a memorial located there. The interchange is now called the James Dean Memorial Junction. Between SR 46 and SR 33, SR 41 ascends the Diablo Range and Cottonwood Pass and briefly travels through Kern County without any intersections in its entirety. After entering Kings County, it reaches SR 33. SR 41 then intersects Interstate 5 south of Kettleman City. A large hazardous waste and municipal solid waste disposal facility operated by Waste Management, Inc. is located 5.6 km (3.5 mi) SSW of Kettleman City on the west side of the highway. Just before reaching the intersection at SR 198 outside of the city of Lemoore, SR 41 becomes a four-lane divided highway until just southeast of Riverdale, where SR 41 reverts to one lane in each direction. The El Adobe de los Robles Rancho built by pioneer Daniel Rhoads can be found north of Lemoore.
Southeast of Caruthers, SR 41 becomes a four-lane divided highway and eventually a freeway approaching the Fresno city limits. The route intersects SR 99 near Jensen Avenue. Complete access is not available between SR 41/SR 99. For example, there is no direct connector between the southbound SR 41 and northbound SR 99; drivers wanting to make this transition must exit at the SR 41/SR 180 interchange, head west on SR 180, and then transition onto SR 99 at the interchange between those two freeways. Likewise, there is no direct connector between the northbound SR 41 and the southbound SR 99. Drivers must exit at Jensen Avenue, head east on Jensen until its junction with SR 99 a half-mile east of SR 41, and then make the southbound transition onto SR 99.
SR 41 continues north into downtown Fresno, then intersects SR 180 at a section of the latter route that links SR 41 to both SR 99 to the west, and to SR 168 to the east. North of Fresno, the route crosses the San Joaquin River, and enters Madera County near Valley Children's Hospital before reverting to a two-lane highway. 8.5 miles (13.7 km) further north, SR 41 intersects with SR 145, before entering California's Sierra-Nevada mountain range. SR 41 continues through the towns of Coarsegold and Oakhurst, where it intersects with SR 49.
SR 41 then heads north to the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park. Inside the park, state routes are federally maintained and are not included in the state route logs. Although there is an "End SR 41" sign south of the park's entrance, [2] state routes within the park may still be signed at intersections. [3] The highway continues as Wawona Road north to Wawona and Yosemite West before turning east to pass through Wawona Tunnel. Tunnel View is a viewpoint located just outside the east end of the Wawona Tunnel, and provides the first view of Yosemite Valley. The route then continues into Yosemite Valley where it terminates at SR 140/Southside Drive.
Except between US 101 in Atascadero and SR 46 near Shandon, SR 41 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System, [4] and north of SR 46 is part of the National Highway System, [5] a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration. [6] Three segments –from SR 1 to US 101, SR 46 to SR 33, and SR 49 at Oakhurst to Yosemite (the Wawona Road) –are eligible for inclusion in the State Scenic Highway System, [7] but SR 41 is not officially designated as a scenic highway by the California Department of Transportation. [8] SR 41 is known as the E.G. Lewis Highway from SR 1 to US 101 in San Luis Obispo County, the Dwight David Eisenhower Memorial Freeway from Ventura Avenue in Fresno to Herndon Avenue in Fresno, the Donald DeMers Highway from Jensen Avenue in Fresno to Elkhorn Avenue, the Yosemite Freeway from Elkhorn Avenue to the Fresno-Madera County line, the Southern Yosemite Highway from the Fresno-Madera County line to Yosemite National Park, and the Wawona Road from Fresno to Yosemite National Park. [9]
In 1930, the counties of Fresno, Kings, Kern, and San Luis Obispo considered organizing a joint highway district to construct a shortcut connecting Fresno with the Pacific Ocean at Morro Bay. This highway would pass through Kettleman City on its way to the Cholame Lateral (Legislative Route 33) near Cholame or Shandon, and then continue to Morro Bay, where a new harbor was being developed. [10] [11] The entire length from Fresno to Morro Bay, as well as the Wawona Road to Yosemite, was added to the state highway system in 1933 as Route 125, [12] [13] and subsequently improved by the state. In 1934, the state sign route system was established, and Sign Route 41 was designated along Route 125 from Yosemite south and southwest to Cholame and then west through Paso Robles to Cambria via Legislative Route 33. [14] The part of Route 125 southwest of Cholame instead became part of the new U.S. Route 466. [15]
By the 1950s, the short piece of US 466 (Route 125) between Creston and Atascadero had not yet been paved, and so US 466 was moved to the longer but better road via Paso Robles, replacing SR 41 to Paso Robles and overlapping US 101 to Atascadero. As SR 41 had not been signed over the unpaved road west of Paso Robles, it was truncated to Cholame. [16] US 466 was eliminated in the 1964 renumbering, becoming SR 46 east from Paso Robles. However, instead of going south and west to Morro Bay, SR 46 continued west to Cambria, and the road via Creston and Atascadero to Morro Bay (which had since been paved) became part of SR 41. [17] [18]
In the 1980s, the urban stretch of 41 running through Fresno was upgraded to freeway standards, intersecting SR 99 to the south. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the freeway portion was extended several miles beyond Fresno in both directions.
Also in the late 1990s and early 2000s in Atascadero, the old SR 41 alignment used to cut through downtown by going north on El Camino Real and turning right onto West Mall. Then it continued past the Atascadero Colony Building and crossed the 1921 Atascadero Creek Bridge before turning left onto Capistrano Avenue. It then went under a low clearance railroad crossing and a dangerous narrow bridge crossing the Salinas River before rejoining its existing alignment. Then Caltrans built a bypass of this dangerous route with a long wider bridge crossing the railroad, Sycamore Drive, and the river before joining the original 1950s SR 41. SR 41 is now currently signed on this bypass. Since then, the old bridge was demolished but the railroad undercrossing still remains. There's an old sign on Capistrano Avenue that still marks it as "Hwy 41" and signs on El Camino Real that mark West Mall with covered up "41" shields.
In February 2024, Caltrans closed a portion of SR 41 near Stratford in a project to replace the 1947 Kings River bridge, forcing a 32 mi (51 km) temporary detour. [19]
The Kings County Association of Governments has plans to improve the state highways within the county. Developers are interested in building distribution warehouses in Kings County because of its strategic location midway between the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas, but they are currently turned off by the lack of freeway access. For SR 41, the plan is to upgrade it so the highway is a continuous freeway from I-5 north to Fresno County. However, Kings County voters have shown little interest in passing any transportation taxes to fund these projects. [20]
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 ( ). [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.
County | Location | Postmile [1] [21] [22] | Exit [23] | Destinations | Notes | |||
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San Luis Obispo SLO 0.00-50.43 | Morro Bay | 0.00 | Atascadero Road | Continuation beyond SR 1 | ||||
0.00 | SR 1 – Cayucos, Cambria, Hearst Castle | Interchange; south end of SR 41; SR 1 exit 279B | ||||||
Atascadero | 15.89 | US 101 – San Francisco, Los Angeles | Interchange; US 101 exit 219 | |||||
15.96 | El Camino Real | |||||||
| 27.98 | SR 229 south – Creston | ||||||
Shandon | 41.16 48.63 [N 1] | SR 46 west / McMillan Canyon Road – Paso Robles | South end of SR 46 overlap | |||||
| 49.60 [N 1] | Shandon Rest Area | ||||||
Cholame | 55.11 [N 1] 43.85 | SR 46 east – Bakersfield | North end of SR 46 overlap; former US 466 east | |||||
Kern KER 0.00-4.98 | No major junctions | |||||||
Kings KIN 0.00-R48.28 | | 8.10 | SR 33 – Avenal, Taft | |||||
| 16.28 | I-5 – Sacramento, Los Angeles | Interchange; I-5 exit 309 | |||||
Lemoore | R39.96 | SR 198 – Hanford, Sequoia Park, Coalinga, Lemoore NAS | Interchange; SR 198 exit 77 | |||||
| South end of freeway | |||||||
R40.95 | Bush Street | |||||||
| North end of freeway | |||||||
| R48.28 | Excelsior Avenue | Interchange | |||||
Fresno FRE R0.00-33.45 | | | SR 41 Bus. north (Adams Avenue) – Easton | |||||
| | SR 41 Bus. south (American Avenue) – Easton | ||||||
| | South end of freeway | ||||||
Fresno | R20.11 | 124 | North Avenue | |||||
R21.13 | 125 | Jensen Avenue | ||||||
R21.90 | 126A | SR 99 north – Madera, Sacramento | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; SR 99 south exit 131 | |||||
R21.90 | 126A | SR 99 south – Bakersfield, Los Angeles | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; SR 99 north exit 131 | |||||
R22.80 | 126B | Van Ness Avenue – Civic Center | Former SR 180 | |||||
R22.95 | 127A | O Street | Southbound exit only | |||||
R23.74 | 127B | Tulare Street, Divisadero Street | Signed as exit 127 northbound | |||||
R24.53 | 128 | SR 168 east (Sierra Freeway) / SR 180 (Sequoia-Kings Canyon Freeway) – Clovis, Huntington Lake, Kings Canyon, Mendota | Signed as exits 128A (east) and 128B (west) northbound; SR 168 exit 1A; SR 180 exits 59A-B | |||||
R25.26 | 129 | McKinley Avenue | ||||||
R26.46 | 130 | Shields Avenue | ||||||
R27.47 | 131 | Ashlan Avenue | ||||||
R28.47 | 132 | Shaw Avenue – Clovis | Former SR 168; serves California State University Fresno | |||||
R29.46 | 133 | Bullard Avenue | ||||||
R30.45 | 134 | Herndon Avenue – Clovis | Connects to SR 99 north | |||||
R31.68 | 135 | Friant Road, Blackstone Avenue – Millerton Lake | ||||||
Madera MAD 0.00-45.74 | | R1.20 | 138 | Rio Mesa Boulevard, Children's Boulevard (SR 41 Bus. north) | Signed as exits 138A (Rio Mesa Boulevard) and 138B (Children's Boulevard) northbound | |||
| | North end of freeway | ||||||
| 3.23 | SR 41 Bus. south (Avenue 12) – Madera Ranchos | ||||||
| 9.25 | SR 145 south to SR 99 north / Road 145 – Madera, Millerton Lake | ||||||
Oakhurst | 35.48 | SR 49 north – Ahwahnee, Mariposa | ||||||
Mariposa MPA 0.00-4.92 | Fish Camp | 4.92 | North end of state maintenance near Yosemite National Park south entrance | |||||
Yosemite National Park | Southern/Mariposa Grove Entrance Station; park fee or pass required for entry [24] | |||||||
| Wawona Tunnel | |||||||
| SR 140 east | Entrance only | ||||||
| Southside Drive | Continuation beyond SR 140; southbound entrance only accessible via Northside Drive to SR 140 | ||||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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State Route 140 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California, 102 miles (164 km) in length. It begins in the San Joaquin Valley at Interstate 5 near Gustine, and runs east into Sierra Nevada, terminating in Yosemite National Park.
State Route 99 (SR 99) is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California, stretching almost the entire length of the Central Valley. From its southern end at Interstate 5 (I-5) near Wheeler Ridge to its northern end at SR 36 near Red Bluff, SR 99 goes through the densely populated eastern parts of the valley. Cities served include Bakersfield, Delano, Tulare, Visalia, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Turlock, Modesto, Manteca, Stockton, Sacramento, Yuba City, and Chico.
State Route 46 is an east–west state highway in the U.S. state of California. It is a major crossing of the Coast Ranges and it is the southernmost crossing of the Diablo Range, connecting SR 1 on the Central Coast near Cambria and US 101 in Paso Robles with SR 99 at Famoso in the San Joaquin Valley.
State Route 237 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs from El Camino Real in Mountain View to Interstate 680 in Milpitas. Known as the Southbay Freeway for most of its length, SR 237 runs south of the San Francisco Bay, connecting the East Bay to the Peninsula.
State Route 120 is a state highway in the central part of California, connecting the San Joaquin Valley with the Sierra Nevada, Yosemite National Park, and the Mono Lake area. Its western terminus is at Interstate 5 in Lathrop, and its eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 6 in Benton. While the route is signed as a contiguous route through Yosemite, the portion inside the park is federally maintained and is not included in the state route logs. The portion at Tioga Pass at Yosemite's eastern boundary is the highest paved through road in the California State Route system. This part is not maintained in the winter and is usually closed during the winter season.
The State Scenic Highway System in the U.S. state of California is a list of highways, mainly state highways, that have been designated by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) as scenic highways. They are marked by the state flower, a California poppy, inside either a rectangle for state-maintained highways or a pentagon for county highways.
State Route 118 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs west to east through Ventura and Los Angeles counties. It travels from State Route 126 at the eastern edge of Ventura immediately northwest of Saticoy, then through Saticoy, in Ventura County east to Interstate 210 near Lake View Terrace in Los Angeles. SR 118 crosses the Santa Susana Pass and the northern rim of the San Fernando Valley along its route.
State Route 35, generally known as Skyline Boulevard for most of its length, is a mostly two-lane state highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs along the ridge of the Santa Cruz Mountains from the high point of State Route 17 near Lexington Reservoir in Santa Clara County to State Route 1 just south of Daly City in San Mateo County, where it crosses SR 1 and loops around Lake Merced to become Sloat Boulevard in San Francisco. SR 35 then continues along Sloat Boulevard until it reaches its terminus when it meets SR 1 again at 19th Avenue.
State Route 84 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that consists of two unconnected segments, one in the San Francisco Bay Area and the other primarily in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta area.
State Route 49 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California that passes through many historic mining communities of the 1849 California gold rush and it is known as the Golden Chain Highway. The highway's creation was lobbied by the Mother Lode Highway Association, a group of locals and historians seeking a single highway to connect many relevant locations along the Gold Rush to honor the 49ers. One of the bridges along SR 49 is named for the leader of the association, Archie Stevenot.
State Route 275 is an unsigned state highway connecting West Sacramento, California and Downtown Sacramento. Since 1996, the highway has been legally defined to be the length of the Tower Bridge crossing the Sacramento River. Prior to that year, SR 275 was also known as the West Sacramento Freeway, and was a short spur connecting Interstate 80 Business / U.S. Route 50 in West Sacramento, and the Tower Bridge. SR 275 also extended east into Sacramento along the Capitol Mall from the bridge to 9th Street, just west of the California State Capitol. West Sacramento completed a project to replace the freeway with a pedestrian-friendly street named Tower Bridge Gateway.
State Route 4 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California, routed from Interstate 80 in the San Francisco Bay Area to State Route 89 in the Sierra Nevada. It roughly parallels the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a popular area for boating and fishing, with a number of accesses to marinas and other attractions. After crossing the Central Valley, the highway ascends up the Sierra foothills. It passes through Ebbetts Pass and contains the Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway, a National Scenic Byway.
State Route 32 is an east–west state highway in the U.S. State of California which is routed from Interstate 5 in Orland, across the Sacramento Valley and through Chico, through the northern Sierra Nevada, and ending at SR 36 and SR 89 in eastern Tehama County.
State Route 43 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. State of California, routed along the southern San Joaquin Valley between SR 119 southwest of Bakersfield and SR 99 in Selma. SR 43 runs roughly parallel to SR 99, connecting the towns of Shafter, Wasco, Corcoran, Hanford, and Selma.
State Route 132 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that connects the Central Valley with the Sierra Nevada foothills and the California Gold Country. Its western segment also connects the city of Modesto with the San Francisco Bay Area via I-580, although this route is discouraged due to it being a two-lane road between Modesto and Interstate 5. East of Modesto, the road climbs the foothills and eventually ends at SR 49 at Coulterville.
State Route 198 is an east–west state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs from U.S. Route 101 south of King City to Sequoia National Park. It connects the California Central Coast to the mid–Central Valley through Hanford and Visalia, although the most developed portion is in the Central Valley itself. SR 198 intersects the major north–south routes in the Central Valley, including Interstate 5 (I-5), SR 33, and SR 99.
State Route 108 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs from the Central Valley and across the Sierra Nevada via the Sonora Pass. It generally runs northeast from downtown Modesto near the SR 99/SR 132 interchange, to U.S. Route 395 near the Nevada state line. The route was once recommended to continue south of Modesto to Interstate 5, although today that portion exists as a county road. Parts of SR 108 are closed annually during the winter due to inclement weather along the summit.
State Route 168 is an east-west state highway in the U.S. state of California that is separated into two distinct segments by the Sierra Nevada. The western segment runs from State Routes 41 and 180 in Fresno east to Huntington Lake along the western slope of the Sierra. The eastern segment connects Lake Sabrina in the Eastern Sierra to State Route 266 in the community of Oasis, just to the west of the Nevada border. The eastern segment of SR 168 also forms a concurrency with U.S. Route 395 between Bishop and Big Pine.
State Route 145 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California, running through the heart of the San Joaquin Valley from Interstate 5 near Coalinga north to Route 41 north of Fresno.
State Route 180 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs through the heart of the San Joaquin Valley from State Route 33 in Mendota through Fresno, and then east towards the Sierra Nevada to Kings Canyon National Park.