California State Route 149
Encyclopedia
State Route 149 is a short state highway
that helps to connect Oroville
and Chico
through rural
Butte County
. Connecting State Route 70
at Wicks Corner
with State Route 99
east of Durham
, it forms part of the primary north–south highway through the eastern Sacramento Valley
, a Focus Route of the Interregional Road System. The route is also part of the California Freeway and Expressway System
, and a project to widen the two-lane road to a four-lane expressway
was completed in late 2008, removing the bottleneck from the Oroville-Chico highway.
, a junction with SR 70
several miles north of Oroville
. This is the north end of the State Route 70 freeway, which passes through a gap between the Campbell Hills
and South Table Mountain on its way from Oroville. SR 149 heads northwest across gently rolling terrain before descending into the valley of the Dry Creek. As it begins to climb out of the valley, SR 149 ends at State Route 99
. The latter highway continues the corridor northwest to Chico
, quickly dropping back into the Butte Creek valley.
to State Highway Route 3 southeast of Chico
, following the present Table Mountain Boulevard, Openshaw Road, and Oroville-Chico Highway to Midway (Route 3). The primary route between these two cities was the all-state highway route, following Route 21 (now SR 162) west from Oroville to Route 3 near Richvale
. Butte County dedicated a newly-improved Oroville-Chico Highway on July 4, 1926; it became part of the state highway system in 1933 as the northern portion of the Woodland-Chico Route 87. (The rest of Route 87 became part of Sign Route 24
, which turned east at Oroville along present State Route 70
, in 1934.)
In the 1950s and 1960s, about three-quarters of the Oroville-Chico Highway was absorbed by other routes. A new two-lane alignment of U.S. Route 99E (Legislative Route 3, now SR 99
) between east of Richvale
and Chico opened in the mid-1950s, using part of the Oroville-Chico Highway south of Durham Dayton Highway and bypassing the remainder to the junction south of Chico. In the early 1960s, U.S. Route 40 Alternate (Legislative Route 21, now SR 70
) was relocated due to the damming of Lake Oroville
across its old alignment. The bridge over the West Branch Feather River
northwest of the dam opened in August 1962, resulting in US 40 Alt. using the Oroville-Chico Highway (which was relocated to a new four-lane freeway alignment) south of Wicks Corner
. The remainder, which was never part of a sign route, became Route 149 in the 1964 renumbering.
SR 149 was relocated onto a new two-lane alignment in the mid-1970s, leaving behind Openshaw Road. Caltrans began studies for interchange
s at each end in September 1992. The California Transportation Commission approved funding for four-laning SR 149 in April 1994 and the two interchanges in May 1996, with construction to begin in 1998 and cost $47 million. Due to state budget problems and the need to study environmental impacts
, the project was repeatedly pushed back; these impacts and inflation
had more than doubled the cost to $120 million in 2004. In particular, an endangered species
of meadowfoam was discovered on the south embankent, forcing a redesign. Construction began in September 2005 on a new freshwater
marsh
near the State Route 70 intersection to replace beaver ponds in the path of the highway, and it was completed in March 2006.
Ground was broken
for the highway project in April 2006, with major construction beginning in May. Caltrans estimated completion in late 2009 for the completion of the four-lane expressway
, including a new directional interchange at each end, at which State Route 70 and State Route 99 will exit and enter to the right of the main Oroville-Chico movement. Most access will be closed, with Shippee Road providing the sole at-grade crossing of the expressway, and an overcrossing near State Route 70 giving access to local property. Shippee Road will be relocated to the southeast, allowing for the future construction of an interchange; a traffic signal will be added if the Mechoopda Maidu Native American casino is approved. In addition, State Route 70 will be relocated to the west between SR 149 and State Route 191, and local access on State Route 99 between SR 149 and the Durham Dayton Highway interchange will be replaced by frontage road
s. The entire project was completed in November 2008.
The entire route is in Butte County
.
{| class=wikitable
|-
!Location
!Postmile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Wicks Corner
|0.00
|
|Interchange
|-
|
|R3.11
|Shippee Road, Openshaw Road
|
|-
|
|R4.62
|
|Interchange
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
that helps to connect Oroville
Oroville, California
Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, California. The population was 15,506 at the 2010 census, up from 13,004 at the 2000 census...
and Chico
Chico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
through rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
Butte County
Butte County, California
Butte County is a county located in the Central Valley of the US state of California, north of the state capital of Sacramento. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 220,000. The county seat is Oroville. Butte County is the "Land of Natural Wealth and Beauty."Butte County is watered by the...
. Connecting State Route 70
California State Route 70
State Route 70 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. Connecting Sacramento with U.S. Route 395 near Beckwourth Pass via the Feather River Canyon, it was formerly known as U.S. Route 40 Alternate, crossing the Sierra Nevada at a lower elevation than Donner Pass on U.S. Route 40...
at Wicks Corner
Wicks Corner, California
Wicks Corner is an unincorporated community in Butte County, California, at the junction of California State Route 70 and California State Route 149. It lies at an elevation of 272 feet .A post office operated at Wick from 1884 to 1886...
with State Route 99
California State Route 99
California State Route 99 , commonly known as Highway 99 or, simply, as 99 , is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California, stretching almost the entire length of the Central Valley...
east of Durham
Durham, California
Durham is a census-designated place in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 5,518 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
, it forms part of the primary north–south highway through the eastern Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley
The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses all or parts of ten counties.-Geography:...
, a Focus Route of the Interregional Road System. The route is also part of the California Freeway and Expressway System
California Freeway and Expressway System
The California Freeway and Expressway System is a system of existing or planned freeways and expressways in the U.S. state of California. It is defined by the Streets and Highways Code.-List of roads in the system:*State Route 1 *State Route 2...
, and a project to widen the two-lane road to a four-lane expressway
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
was completed in late 2008, removing the bottleneck from the Oroville-Chico highway.
Route description
State Route 149 begins at Wicks CornerWicks Corner, California
Wicks Corner is an unincorporated community in Butte County, California, at the junction of California State Route 70 and California State Route 149. It lies at an elevation of 272 feet .A post office operated at Wick from 1884 to 1886...
, a junction with SR 70
California State Route 70
State Route 70 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. Connecting Sacramento with U.S. Route 395 near Beckwourth Pass via the Feather River Canyon, it was formerly known as U.S. Route 40 Alternate, crossing the Sierra Nevada at a lower elevation than Donner Pass on U.S. Route 40...
several miles north of Oroville
Oroville, California
Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, California. The population was 15,506 at the 2010 census, up from 13,004 at the 2000 census...
. This is the north end of the State Route 70 freeway, which passes through a gap between the Campbell Hills
Campbell Hills
The Campbell Hills are a low range of hills in southern Butte County, California. Some southern elevations overlook the Thermalito Afterbay, Oroville, and Oroville Airport....
and South Table Mountain on its way from Oroville. SR 149 heads northwest across gently rolling terrain before descending into the valley of the Dry Creek. As it begins to climb out of the valley, SR 149 ends at State Route 99
California State Route 99
California State Route 99 , commonly known as Highway 99 or, simply, as 99 , is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California, stretching almost the entire length of the Central Valley...
. The latter highway continues the corridor northwest to Chico
Chico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
, quickly dropping back into the Butte Creek valley.
History
By the late 1910s, a "natural prairie road" linked OrovilleOroville, California
Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, California. The population was 15,506 at the 2010 census, up from 13,004 at the 2000 census...
to State Highway Route 3 southeast of Chico
Chico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
, following the present Table Mountain Boulevard, Openshaw Road, and Oroville-Chico Highway to Midway (Route 3). The primary route between these two cities was the all-state highway route, following Route 21 (now SR 162) west from Oroville to Route 3 near Richvale
Richvale, California
Richvale is a small census-designated place in Butte County, California, USA, south of Chico and west of Oroville. The primary crop grown in the area surrounding Richvale is rice, irrigated from the Oroville Dam on the Feather River. Several farmers in the area are known for organic farming...
. Butte County dedicated a newly-improved Oroville-Chico Highway on July 4, 1926; it became part of the state highway system in 1933 as the northern portion of the Woodland-Chico Route 87. (The rest of Route 87 became part of Sign Route 24
California State Route 24
State Route 24 in the U.S. state of California is a heavily-traveled east–west freeway in the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay Area of northern California that runs from the Interstate 580/Interstate 980 interchange in Oakland to the Interstate 680 junction in Walnut Creek...
, which turned east at Oroville along present State Route 70
California State Route 70
State Route 70 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. Connecting Sacramento with U.S. Route 395 near Beckwourth Pass via the Feather River Canyon, it was formerly known as U.S. Route 40 Alternate, crossing the Sierra Nevada at a lower elevation than Donner Pass on U.S. Route 40...
, in 1934.)
In the 1950s and 1960s, about three-quarters of the Oroville-Chico Highway was absorbed by other routes. A new two-lane alignment of U.S. Route 99E (Legislative Route 3, now SR 99
California State Route 99
California State Route 99 , commonly known as Highway 99 or, simply, as 99 , is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California, stretching almost the entire length of the Central Valley...
) between east of Richvale
Richvale, California
Richvale is a small census-designated place in Butte County, California, USA, south of Chico and west of Oroville. The primary crop grown in the area surrounding Richvale is rice, irrigated from the Oroville Dam on the Feather River. Several farmers in the area are known for organic farming...
and Chico opened in the mid-1950s, using part of the Oroville-Chico Highway south of Durham Dayton Highway and bypassing the remainder to the junction south of Chico. In the early 1960s, U.S. Route 40 Alternate (Legislative Route 21, now SR 70
California State Route 70
State Route 70 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. Connecting Sacramento with U.S. Route 395 near Beckwourth Pass via the Feather River Canyon, it was formerly known as U.S. Route 40 Alternate, crossing the Sierra Nevada at a lower elevation than Donner Pass on U.S. Route 40...
) was relocated due to the damming of Lake Oroville
Lake Oroville
Lake Oroville, also known as Lake Edmonston, is a reservoir in the U.S. state of California, formed by the Oroville Dam across the Feather River. The lake is situated in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada about northeast of Oroville. At over , it is one of the largest reservoirs in California,...
across its old alignment. The bridge over the West Branch Feather River
West Branch Feather River
The West Branch Feather River is a Lake Oroville tributary that flows generally north-to-south in the North Fork Feather Watershed near the watershed's drainage divide with the...
northwest of the dam opened in August 1962, resulting in US 40 Alt. using the Oroville-Chico Highway (which was relocated to a new four-lane freeway alignment) south of Wicks Corner
Wicks Corner, California
Wicks Corner is an unincorporated community in Butte County, California, at the junction of California State Route 70 and California State Route 149. It lies at an elevation of 272 feet .A post office operated at Wick from 1884 to 1886...
. The remainder, which was never part of a sign route, became Route 149 in the 1964 renumbering.
SR 149 was relocated onto a new two-lane alignment in the mid-1970s, leaving behind Openshaw Road. Caltrans began studies for interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
s at each end in September 1992. The California Transportation Commission approved funding for four-laning SR 149 in April 1994 and the two interchanges in May 1996, with construction to begin in 1998 and cost $47 million. Due to state budget problems and the need to study environmental impacts
Environmental impact assessment
An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects....
, the project was repeatedly pushed back; these impacts and inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
had more than doubled the cost to $120 million in 2004. In particular, an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of meadowfoam was discovered on the south embankent, forcing a redesign. Construction began in September 2005 on a new freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
near the State Route 70 intersection to replace beaver ponds in the path of the highway, and it was completed in March 2006.
Ground was broken
Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are often attended by dignitaries such as politicians and...
for the highway project in April 2006, with major construction beginning in May. Caltrans estimated completion in late 2009 for the completion of the four-lane expressway
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
, including a new directional interchange at each end, at which State Route 70 and State Route 99 will exit and enter to the right of the main Oroville-Chico movement. Most access will be closed, with Shippee Road providing the sole at-grade crossing of the expressway, and an overcrossing near State Route 70 giving access to local property. Shippee Road will be relocated to the southeast, allowing for the future construction of an interchange; a traffic signal will be added if the Mechoopda Maidu Native American casino is approved. In addition, State Route 70 will be relocated to the west between SR 149 and State Route 191, and local access on State Route 99 between SR 149 and the Durham Dayton Highway interchange will be replaced by frontage road
Frontage road
A frontage road is a non-limited access road running parallel to a higher-speed road, usually a freeway, and feeding it at appropriate points of access...
s. The entire project was completed in November 2008.
Major intersections
- Note: Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured in 1964, based on the alignment as it existed at that time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage.
The entire route is in Butte County
Butte County, California
Butte County is a county located in the Central Valley of the US state of California, north of the state capital of Sacramento. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 220,000. The county seat is Oroville. Butte County is the "Land of Natural Wealth and Beauty."Butte County is watered by the...
.
{| class=wikitable
|-
!Location
!Postmile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Wicks Corner
Wicks Corner, California
Wicks Corner is an unincorporated community in Butte County, California, at the junction of California State Route 70 and California State Route 149. It lies at an elevation of 272 feet .A post office operated at Wick from 1884 to 1886...
|0.00
|
|Interchange
|-
|
|R3.11
|Shippee Road, Openshaw Road
|
|-
|
|R4.62
|
|Interchange
External links
- California Department of TransportationCalifornia Department of TransportationThe California Department of Transportation is a government department in the U.S. state of California. Its mission is to improve mobility across the state. It manages the state highway system and is actively involved with public transportation systems throughout the state...
, Butte 70/149/99 Highway Improvement Project - Chico Enterprise-RecordChico Enterprise-RecordThe Chico Enterprise-Record is the daily newspaper of Chico, California. Also known as the E-R, the newspaper was first published in Bidwell Bar, California as the Butte Record in 1853 and is now part of the MediaNews Group corporation, who took control of the paper from Donrey in 1999...
, In Depth - Hwy 149 - California Highways: State Route 149
- California Highway Conditions: SR 149