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California State Route 152

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State Route 152 marker
State Route 152
Map of western California with SR 152 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Caltrans
Length104.419 mi[1] (168.046 km)
(plus about 1.5 mi (2.5 km) on US 101)
HistoryState highway in 1916; SR 152 in 1934
Tourist
routes		 Pacheco Pass Road between the Santa Clara–Merced county line and I-5 near Santa Nella[3]
RestrictionsNo tractor-trailer combinations over 45 feet (14 m) in length through Hecker Pass[2]
Major junctions
West end SR 1 in Watsonville
Major intersections
East end SR 99 near Chowchilla
Location
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountiesSanta Cruz, Santa Clara, Merced, Madera
Highway system
← SR 151→ SR 153

State Route 152 (SR 152) is a state highway that runs from east to west near the middle of the U.S. state of California from State Route 1 in Watsonville to State Route 99 southeast of Merced. Its western portion (which is also known as Pacheco Pass Road and Pacheco Pass Highway) provides access to and from Interstate 5 toward Southern California for motorists in or near Gilroy and San Jose.

Route description

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Eastbound traffic and signs on SR 152 at its interchange with Route 156.
SR 152 as it crosses O'Neill Forebay, viewed while traveling east

Route 152 begins near Route 1 as a series of local streets that run through downtown Watsonville: East Lake Avenue carries it to the intersection of Casserly Road. This point marks the start of a winding two-lane highway that crosses the Santa Cruz Mountains through Hecker Pass to reach Gilroy. In Gilroy, it is again carried on a series of local streets, then overlapped onto U.S. Route 101 for a small stretch before it separates again a short distance to the south and returns to heading east/west on more local streets in Gilroy.

After exiting the large commercial developments near U.S. 101, Route 152 consists of a single lane in each direction, with narrow shoulders, rain ditches on either side of the road, no center dividers, and posted speed limit of 55 mph (89 km/h), making it prone to head-on collisions. Headlights are required at all times along this portion. This segment is a significant bottleneck for traffic traveling along Route 152 between the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Valley. Upon reaching Route 156 near Hollister, the road expands to two lanes in each direction, and climbs and curves along the valley of Pacheco Creek into the mountains of the Diablo Range, crossing them through the Pacheco Pass into the San Joaquin Valley.

SR 152 is one of the three major routes that cross the Diablo Range after Interstate 580 and State Route 46. Pacheco Pass is higher than Altamont Pass to the north, but lower than Polonio Pass to the south.

Route 152 continues as a four-lane divided expressway, descending along the northern and eastern shore of the massive San Luis Reservoir. The route passes in between the San Luis Dam and the O'Neill Forebay. The route continues east and passes a large Path 15 substation and then meets Interstate 5 as an expressway. It becomes a speed-limited city street, Pacheco Blvd., while passing through Los Banos. It then returns to an expressway until its eastern terminus at Route 99. Here, eastbound 152 traffic merges into southbound 99 a few miles northwest of the city of Madera, and approximately 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Fresno. Motorists wishing to travel north on Route 99 are advised to take Route 233 north through Chowchilla to connect to northbound 99. Another possible northbound route exists by exiting Route 152 at State Route 59, and proceeding directly north to the city of Merced, where Route 59 meets Route 99.

The landmarks located on Route 152 include the Pacheco Pass, the Gilroy Gardens, the San Luis Reservoir, the Casa de Fruta and the Merry Cherries.

SR 152 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System,[4] and east of US 101 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] SR 152 is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System,[7] and from the Merced–Santa Clara county line to I-5 is officially designated as a scenic highway by the California Department of Transportation,[8] meaning that it is a substantial section of highway passing through a "memorable landscape" with no "visual intrusions", where the potential designation has gained popular favor with the community.[9]

History

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Highway 152 Tree Row
Nearest cityGilroy, California
Built1930-1931
NRHP reference No.07000635[10]
Added to NRHPJuly 3, 2007
Pacheco Pass is named after Don Francisco Pérez Pacheco, a noted Californio ranchero whose lands were situated on the pass.
1939 map of Route 152 alignments between Bell Station and Pacheco Pass.[11]
1963 map of Route 152 alignments at San Luis Reservoir.[12]

The road became popular as a route east during the California Gold Rush. The Butterfield Overland Mail ran along this route from 1858 to 1861. A portion of Route 152 from Bell Station to Pacheco Pass was a toll road from 1857 until 1878. In that year, Merced County and Santa Clara County purchased the toll road and replaced it with a new road built as a public highway, part of which is now a segment of Whiskey Flat Trail in Pacheco State Park. In 1915, the road became part of the state highway system, and in 1923, the state completed the third road through the pass.[13] Historic references say the portion of the route west of SR33 was named Legislative Route 32 before being designated State Route 152.[14][15][page needed][16]

The 1923 state route over the pass had numerous curves and steep grades. In 1934, 3.3 miles of the road eastward from the summit was realigned and widened.[17] In 1939, a realignment of 2.6 miles of highway was completed eastward from the Pacheco Reservoir area (starting about a mile east of Bell Station). In 1950, the first four-lane expressway segment was constructed from the 1939 alignment to near the Merced County line, a distance of 3.26 miles.[11][16][18] The 1934 alignment is now Dinosaur Point Road, while the 1939 and 1950 alignments continue to be in use today as part of SR 152.

In 1963-65, a new 12-mile four-lane expressway, with climbing lanes for trucks, was built from the Merced County line eastward, to bypass the San Luis Reservoir which was then under construction.[12][19] A three-mile stretch of the bypassed road continues to be in use as Dinosaur Point Road, providing access to a boat launch ramp at the reservoir.

Between 1982 and 1992, the road was widened in two phases from two to four lanes, with some realignments, on a 10.5-mile segment from the four-lane section completed in 1950 to just east of the junction with California State Route 156. The first phase, from the 1950 segment west to Bell Station, was completed in 1984.[20] The second phase, from Bell Station to Route 156, was constructed from 1990 to 1992, with an interchange built at Casa de Fruta.[20] In 2008, a T-junction and stop sign at the intersection with Route 156 on the remaining two-lane section of the highway west of Casa de Fruta was replaced with a flyover, greatly easing congestion there.[21]

A segment of Route 152 west of Gilroy, between the Uvas Creek Bridge and Santa Teresa Blvd, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.[10] This segment of the road, serving as a western gateway into Gilroy, is lined with deodar cedar trees that were planted on consecutive Arbor Days in 1930 and 1931.

Major intersections

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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][22][23]		DestinationsNotes
Santa Cruz
SCR T0.31-8.29		WatsonvilleT0.31
 SR 1 north – Santa Cruz		Interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance; west end of SR 152; SR 1 south exit 426
T0.67Green Valley Road (to SR 1 south) – Monterey, Fairgrounds, Pinto Lake
T2.50Freedom Boulevard – Freedom
T2.929L–
T2.929R		Main Street, Beach StreetWest end of one-way pair where eastbound traffic heads onto East Beach Street then Lincoln Street, and westbound traffic joins from East Lake Avenue
0.26–
0.38		Lincoln StreetEast end of one-way pair where westbound traffic stays on East Lake Avenue, and eastbound traffic joins from Lincoln Street
InterlakenR1.99Holohan Road, College Road – Freedom, Pinto Lake, Santa Cruz
3.69Carlton Road, Casserly RoadTrucks over 45 feet (14 m) in length are instructed to instead use Carlton Road to SR 129[24]
Santa Cruz–Santa Clara
county line		Llagas-Uvas8.29
0.00		Hecker Pass
Santa Clara
SCL 0.00-R35.16		5.03 CR G8 (Watsonville Road) – Morgan Hill, San Jose
Gilroy7.93Santa Teresa BoulevardServes Gavilan College
M9.43

 US 101 Bus. south (Monterey Street)		West end of US 101 Bus. overlap
M9.78

 US 101 Bus. north (Monterey Street) / Welburn Avenue		East end of US 101 Bus. overlap
M10.28
R7.53[N 1]
 US 101 north (South Valley Freeway) / CR G9 (Leavesley Road) – San Jose		Interchange; west end of US 101 overlap; US 101 south exit 357
West end of freeway on US 101
R6.08[N 1]
R9.91		East end of freeway on US 101

 US 101 south (South Valley Freeway) / 10th Street – Los Angeles		Interchange; east end of US 101 overlap; US 101 north exit 356
​12.81 CR G9 (Ferguson Road)
​14.89 CR G7 (Bloomfield Avenue)
​R21.98
 SR 156 west – Hollister		Interchange; no westbound entrance
​R23.41Casa de Fruta ParkwayInterchange
Pacheco PassR34.87Dinosaur Point Road – Pacheco State Park, San Luis Reservoir
Merced
MER R0.00-R40.95		​11.27


 SR 33 north to I-5 north – Santa Nella, Gustine		Interchange; west end of SR 33 overlap; signed as exit 60
​13.85 I-5 (West Side Freeway) – Sacramento, San Francisco, Los AngelesInterchange; I-5 exits 403A-B
Los Banos21.27

 SR 165 (Mercey Springs Road) to I-5 south – Turlock
Dos Palos YR32.37
 SR 33 south – Dos Palos, Mendota		Interchange; east end of SR 33 overlap
Merced–Madera
county line		​R40.77–
R0.06
 SR 59 north – Merced		Interchange
Madera
MAD R0.00-15.63		​10.80


 SR 233 north (Robertson Boulevard) to SR 99 north – Chowchilla		Interchange
Califa15.63
 SR 99 south – Madera, Fresno		Interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance; east end of SR 152; former US 99; SR 99 exit 166
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  1. ^ a b Indicates that the postmile represents the distance along US 101 rather than SR 152.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c 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. ^ "Special Route Restriction History - Route 152". Caltrans. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  3. ^ California Department of Transportation (August 2019). "Officially Designated State Scenic Highways and Historic Parkways" (XLSX). Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  4. ^ "Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Division 1". California Streets and Highways Code. Sacramento: California Office of Legislative Counsel. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  5. ^ Federal Highway Administration (March 25, 2015). National Highway System: California (North) (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "Article 2.5 of Chapter 2 of Division 1". California Streets & Highways Code. Sacramento: California Office of Legislative Counsel. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  8. ^ California Department of Transportation (August 2019). "Officially Designated State Scenic Highways and Historic Parkways" (XLSX). Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  9. ^ California Department of Transportation (2012). Scenic Highway Guidelines (PDF). Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. p. 5. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  10. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  11. ^ a b Payson, H. (September 1939). "Pacheco Pass Realignment Job Completed Abolishing 31 Curves" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. 17 (9). Sacramento, California, United States: Department of Public Works, State of California: 6–7. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  12. ^ a b Kroeck, Louis (March–April 1963). "Pacheco Pass, Highway Relocation Includes 11,400,000-cubic-yard Fill" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. 42 (3–4). Sacramento, California, United States: Department of Public Works, State of California: 45–49. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  13. ^ "New Pacheco Pass Road and Scenic Pinnacles Make Delightful Trip". The Fresno Morning Republican (Fresno, California). September 30, 1923. p. 37. Retrieved October 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  14. ^ Myer, Chuck, report: Pacheco Past: A History of the Gateway to Santa Clara County, (San Jose, California: Pioneers of Santa Clara County, 1992), page 9.
  15. ^ Shumate, Albert (1977), Francisco Pacheco of Pacheco Pass, Stockton, CA: University of the Pacific This information is repeated in other sources.
  16. ^ a b Levier, G. (March–April 1951). "Pacheco Pass, Portions of Historic Road Realigned To Meet Important Industrial Needs" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. 30 (3, 4). Sacramento, California, United States: Department of Public Works, State of California: 34–37. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  17. ^ "Pacheco Grade Work to be Big Improvement". The West Side Index (Newman, California). May 17, 1934. p. 6. Retrieved October 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  18. ^ Skeggs, Jno. (February 1939). "Pacheco Pass Realignment Deletes 31 Curves, Steep Grades" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. 17 (2). Sacramento, California, United States: Department of Public Works, State of California: 10–12. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  19. ^ Weavern, R. (July–August 1965). "Pacheco Pass, Route 152 Now Skirts San Luis Reservoir Site" (PDF). California Highways and Public Works. 44 (7–8). Sacramento, California, United States: Department of Public Works, State of California: 2–7. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  20. ^ a b Myer, Chuck, report: Pacheco Past: A History of the Gateway to Santa Clara County, (San Jose, California: Pioneers of Santa Clara County, 1992), pages 20-21.
  21. ^ Richards, Gary (November 10, 2007), "Pacheco Pass unplugged: Relief on the way at 152-156 interchange", San Jose Mercury-News.
  22. ^ California Department of Transportation (July 2007). "Log of Bridges on State Highways". Sacramento: California Department of Transportation.
  23. ^ California Department of Transportation, All Traffic Volumes on CSHS Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, 2006
  24. ^ "No trucks over 45 feet long sign along eastbound SR 152 at Carlton Road". Google Street View. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
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