Am I weird because I like CA-99? (Fresno, Sacramento: high school, live)

[sacreole]

Originally Posted by Adriatica

I did, too! Small world.

It sure is. I enjoyed participating. I represented Kings County.

[Adriatica]

Originally Posted by sacreole

It sure is. I enjoyed participating. I represented Kings County.

It was very fun to be a part of that. I was with the Fresno COG.

[KC6ZLV]

Originally Posted by sacreole

There was also a movement to designate and upgrade SR-99 to an interstate. I believe it would be designated Interstate 7 or 9. Caltrans and the local regional transportation planning agencies have been gradually making improvements by eliminating at-grade crossings and converting those sections to 6-lane freeway, such as between Merced and Chowchilla. A portion of SR-99 is being realigned in Fresno to make way for the high-speed rail project. I generally prefer SR-99 to I-5 if I'm traveling to towns in the South Valley such as Hanford, Visalia and Fresno. I-5 is fine for trips down to So Cal or the Central Coast.

I think 99 is being upgraded to the specifications of an interstate. The only renaming I recall was changing it back to US-99.

[Unsworth]

I really liked it when I was a young guy driving around in the middle to late seventies. It was not crowded at all at night and it was even kind of spooky driving along in the fog which we had back in those days. There was even a stoplight at Keyes and Livingston. A lot of the freeway did not have very much development and it was quite dark and rural with orchards right up to the freeway. Driving wasn't tense like it is now.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by KC6ZLV

I think 99 is being upgraded to the specifications of an interstate. The only renaming I recall was changing it back to US-99.

I-9 is the chosen designation

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by KC6ZLV

If you have the time I suggest retracing the original route of US 99 through the cities and towns. In the San Joaquin Valley most of the original route is called Golden State Rd/Blvd, or something similar. North of Sacramento the highway split into US99W, which runs adjacent to I-5, and US99E, which starts as Hwy 160 out of Downtown Sacramento, then shared the same pavement with US 40 (Auburn Blvd most of the way), to Roseville, then north to Marysville to Yuba City, then north to Chico (Midway/Park Ave/Esplanade) and merging with US99W in Red Bluff, then up through Oregon and Washington.

If you love 99, definitely do what this person says. It's akin to driving Route 66.

[Need4Camaro]

I remember back in 2012 there were traffic lights on CA-99 north of Fresno I think.. and when I was last on it this year it appears to be all Freeway..

Although I kind of question if its all really up to Interstate Standards...

I would actually rather them keep it as CA-99 .. I like how California State Highways compete with Interstates, it makes Cali seem like its own country..

[CaliRestoration]

How's the traffic difference between 99 and I5? Right now I5 can get pretty ridiculous near certain holidays. Even on normal days I've experienced some back up during stretches.

[Californiaguy2007]

Highway 99 tends to have more traffic especially since it's goes through the larger cities/towns in the Central Valley,but you have more accessibility to restaurants,gas stations,stores,etc on this highway,while Interstate 5 is more desolate with less traffic and smaller towns further from eachother.

[Californiaguy2007]

Yup around the holidays Interstate 5 and Highway 99 do get clogged up because lots of people are traveling.

Originally Posted by CaliRestoration

How's the traffic difference between 99 and I5? Right now I5 can get pretty ridiculous near certain holidays. Even on normal days I've experienced some back up during stretches.