Skip to main content

California State Route 182 and the Sweetwater Road

By

California State Route 182 is a 13 mile State Highway entirely contained within northern Mono County.  California State Route 182 follows Sweetwater Road north from US Route 395 in Bridgeport via the East Walker River to the Nevada State Line and Nevada State Route 338.  Pictured above is Legislative Route Number 96 (now California State Route 182) facing north along the Bridgeport Reservoir as seen in the September/October 1953 California Highways & Public Works.  



The history of California State Route 182 

What is now California State Route 182 ("CA 182") entered the State Highway System in 1933 as Legislative Route Number 96 ("LRN 96").  The original definition of LRN 96 was; "LRN 23 (future US Route 395) near Bridgeport to the Nevada line via the Walker River."  LRN 96 appears for the first time on the 1934 Division of Highways Map following the Sweetwater Road.  


The corridor of LRN 96 and modern CA 182 is tied to the formation of Bridgeport.  The first documented European expedition of Bridgeport Valley was in 1827 via an expedition led by Jedediah Smith.  The area to the south of Bridgeport was found to have mineral wealth which led to the sizeable communities of Bodie, Masonic and Dogtown all being founded by the late 1850s.  The prospects of the Bodie Mining District led to the establishment of Bridgeport in Bridgeport Valley.  Early settlers to Bridgeport were attracted to Bridgeport Valley due to the ranching prospects along the East Walker River.  The community name "Bridgeport" is a reference to a bridge which was present over the East Walker River.  

Mono County was created by the California Legislature during 1861 with Aurora being selected as the original County Seat.  The 1863 Sage Brush Survey determined Aurora laid within the boundaries of Nevada which invalidated it's Mono County Seat status.  Bridgeport was selected as the Mono County Seat in 1864 and has since retained said status.  Bridgeport can be seen on the Sweetwater Road connecting the Bodie Mining District north via the East Walker River to the Wellington Toll Road on the 1873 Bancroft's Map of California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona.  The Sweetwater Road north via the East Walker River was constructed by Mono County in 1873.  

LRN 96 can be seen connecting US Route 395/LRN 23 in Bridgeport north to Nevada State Route 22 ("NV 22") on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Mono County.  

The September 1939 California Highways & Public Works notes a contract to grade and apply an oil surface to LRN 96 was awarded.

The September/October 1953 California Highways & Public Works discusses a survey conducted to rebuild much of existing LRN 96.  The early history of the Sweetwater Stage Road north from Bridgeport to the Nevada State Line is also discussed.  The Sweetwater Stage Road was constructed by Mono County residents during 1873.  The only significant change to the Sweetwater Stage Road prior to being adopted as LRN 96 was in 1923 when the first five miles north of Bridgeport were relocated to less flood prone grounds during construction of the Bridgeport Reservoir.  A survey to modernize LRN 96 to the standards set by NV 22 is discussed as having been conducted.  The Bridgeport Reservoir is stated to have had additional regulations put in place which would allow LRN 96 to be straightened through old overflow flats.  




The March/April 1955 California Highways & Public Works examines the recently rebuilt LRN 96 on Sweetwater Road.  The building of LRN 96 consisted of a 8.2 mile segment of the highway which was completed as part of Federal Aid Secondary Route 580.  The straightening of LRN 96 is stated to have brought the highway up to modern standards and is stated to save 20 minutes of travel in the Bridgeport-Yerington corridor.  A second phase of the completed project is stated to ultimately be planned to including surfacing the rebuilt 8.2 miles of LRN 96.   






The reconstruction of LRN 96 from Bridgeport to the Bridgeport Reservoir is cited to be budgeted for the 1957-58 Fiscal Year in the November/December 1956 California Highways & Public Works. 


LRN 96 on Sweetwater Road appears completely paved on the 1958 Division of Highways Map. 


During the 1964 California State Highway Renumbering all the Legislative Routes were dropped.  All Legislative Routes lacking a Sign State Route designation were assigned one.  LRN 96 was thusly assigned as CA 182 which can be seen for the first time on the 1964 Division of Highways Map.  



CA 182 has not had any major alterations since being assigned in replacement of LRN 96 in 1964.  During the 1976 Nevada State Highway Renumbering NV 22 was renumbered to NV 338 which served as a continuation of CA 182.  NV 338 can be seen for the first time on the 1978-79 Nevada Department of Transportation Map.  


Below a CA 182 shield can be on a guide sign on US Route 395 immediately north of CA 167/Pole Line Road approaching Conway Summit.  CA 182 is shown to be 18 miles north on US Route 395 at Bridgeport Junction.  


A full photo tour of California State Route 182 can be found on Corco Highways:

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bleriot Ferry - Alberta

By
  Alberta operates six ferries scattered throughout the province. Roughly twenty to twenty-five kilometers up the Red Deer River from the town of Drumheller is one of the most scenic ferry crossings in all of Wild Rose Country, the Bleriot Ferry. Using the North Dinosaur Trail (Alberta Highway 838, or AB 838), the Bleriot Ferry provides a scenic river cruise of sorts in the Canadian Badlands. The Bleriot Ferry started operating in 1913 as the Munson Ferry when a few bridges crossed the Red Deer River. The ferry was started by Andre Bleriot, the brother of famed early aviator Louis Bleriot, who became famous for being the first person to fly over the English Channel. At the time, the Alberta provincial government commissioned local residents to run the ferries. There were several ferries along the Red Deer River, and not only did they serve as vital transportation links, but they also served as local social hubs, since everyone had to take the ferries to go places. Over time, as the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

By
In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l...
4 comments
Read more

I-73/I-74 and NC Future Interstates Year in Review 2024

By
Welcome to another annual review of progress in constructing North Carolina's New and Future Interstate routes. While 2024 was not too exciting, with no new segments of major routes opening, there was 1 new interstate signing, another proposed new interstate route, and the near opening of a new segment for 2 routes. As tradition, I will start off with a review of what happened with I-73 and I-74 and then move on to the major news of the year about the other new and future routes. Work continued on the I-73/I-74 Rockingham Bypass through the year. The last few months have been hoping for news of its opening before 2025, without luck. Signs of its near completion included the placement of new signs, many with interstate shields uncovered, along the Bypass and intersecting roadways. For example, these went up along US 74 East: Overhead signage at Business 74 exit which contains the future ramp to I-73 North/I-74 West. Signage was also updated heading west on US 74 approaching the unop...
Post a Comment
Read more