Old US 101

Old US 101
Name	Old U.S. 101
Type	Historic highway
Route	U.S. Route 101
Length mi	varies
Established	1926
Decommissioned	various
States	California; Oregon; Washington

Old US 101 is a designation applied to former alignments of U.S. Route 101 that have been bypassed, rerouted, or replaced by modern highways such as Interstate 5, California State Route 1, and Oregon Route 99. These segments traverse landscapes associated with Pacific Coast communities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Eugene, Oregon, Portland, Oregon, Olympia, Washington, and Seattle. Many Old US 101 corridors intersect historic corridors tied to Lincoln Highway, Pacific Highway (Oregon) and early Lincoln Highway Association efforts.

Route description

Old US 101 segments run through coastal and inland corridors linking cities such as San Diego, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Monterey, Salinas, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Oakland, Marin County, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Eureka, Crescent City, Coos Bay, Bandon, Astoria, Aberdeen, Washington, and Bellingham, Washington. Alignments frequently follow pre-automobile pathways associated with El Camino Real (California), Central Pacific Railroad, and Southern Pacific Railroad rights-of-way, and they link historic ports such as Port Chicago and San Francisco Bay. Roadway character ranges from multi-lane arterials near Los Angeles County and King County, Washington to two-lane scenic routes through Big Sur, Redwood National and State Parks, and Willamette Valley agricultural land.

History

The original 1926 US 101 system superseded auto trails promoted by groups like the Auto Club of Southern California and federated efforts associated with American Automobile Association advocacy, and it was shaped by New Deal projects administered through agencies including the Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps. Realignments in the 1930s and post-World War II era responded to traffic demands linked to Transcontinental air travel growth, Boeing production in Puget Sound, and wartime mobilization around San Diego Naval Base. The Interstate era, championed during the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 debates involving leaders such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, prompted construction of bypasses and freeways that altered US 101 routing, producing many Old US 101 remnants.

Major intersections and alignments

Old US 101 intersects or parallels major corridors and nodes including Interstate 405 (California), Interstate 80, State Route 1 (California), U.S. Route 199, Oregon Route 22, and urban connectors such as Broadway (Portland, Oregon), Market Street (San Francisco), Mulholland Drive, and Pacific Coast Highway (California). Notable junctions occur near infrastructure projects like the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, Humboldt Bay Bridge, Astoria–Megler Bridge, Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and rail hubs operated by Amtrak and Union Pacific Railroad.

Historic and surviving segments

Significant surviving Old US 101 segments are preserved in districts such as Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, Monterey Historic District, Santa Barbara Mission Historic District, and Fort Bragg, California waterfront, as well as corridor remnants in Willits, California, Ukiah, Garberville, Brookings, Oregon, Coos Bay, Newport, Oregon, Florence, Oregon, Lincoln City, Oregon, and Long Beach, Washington. Structures along these segments include historic bridges associated with designers influenced by John A. Roebling precedents, early twentieth-century motels tied to the Route 66 motel culture diffusion, and roadside commercial architecture documented by preservationists from National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Cultural and economic impact

Old US 101 spurred development of coastal tourism economies centered on attractions such as Hearst Castle, Point Reyes National Seashore, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Bodega Bay, Heceta Head Lighthouse, and urban cultural institutions like the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The corridors influenced industries from timber companies like Weyerhaeuser and Georgia-Pacific to agricultural businesses in Salinas Valley and Willamette Valley and hospitality enterprises described by associations including California Travel and Tourism Commission and Oregon Tourism Commission. Cultural expressions tied to Old US 101 appear in works by artists and authors connected to John Steinbeck, Ansel Adams, Jack Kerouac, and musicians associated with Grateful Dead and West Coast surf culture scenes.

Maintenance and preservation efforts

Preservation involves stakeholders such as California Department of Transportation, Oregon Department of Transportation, Washington State Department of Transportation, county public works departments, local historical societies including California Historical Society and Oregon Historical Society, and nonprofit advocates like Historic Highway Preservation Coalition. Efforts combine routine maintenance, seismic retrofit projects post-Loma Prieta earthquake, bridge rehabilitation funded through state ballot measures like Proposition 1B (2006), and National Register nominations overseen by the National Park Service. Adaptive reuse projects have converted former service stations into museums and visitor centers with partnerships involving organizations like National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Route designation and signage changes

Designation changes occurred through action by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, state legislatures in California State Legislature, Oregon Legislative Assembly, and Washington State Legislature, and transportation agencies adjusting to programs such as National Highway System classification and Highway Beautification Act guidelines. Signage transitions replaced historic U.S. route shields with state route markers, Interstate shields, and local wayfinding signage produced by manufacturers adhering to standards in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices adopted by the Federal Highway Administration.

Category:Historic roads in the United States Category:U.S. Route 101