Author: Michael Ballard

I am the founder of the Historic Highway 99 Association of California. I am also the author and administrator of the "Southern California Regional Rocks and Roads" website at https://socalregion.com, since 1995. I have been studying the geology and highway history throughout southern California for most of my life. I am also the President of the Ridge Route Preservation Organization.

99 Alert – The Pine And Palm

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The Pine and The Palm

The historic Pine and Palm in the Heart of California is planned to be removed in the next year and we need your help to save them!

Caltrans is planning to widen Highway 99 through the area to six lanes, which will necessitate the removal of the historic site. As a mitigation, they plan to plan 15 pines and palms along the southbound side of the highway. While a nice gesture, the elimination of the historic site is alarming and problematic. They are not proposing any additional measures at this time.

https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-6/district-6-projects/06-0h220

We propose the trees be relocated and saved if possible. We also propose that signs be placed at the location to mark the historic site and bring it further into public view. They could be relocated to the shoulder or possibly to a local museum. These trees, in one form or another, have marked the transition between Northern and Southern California since the 1920’s and they must not be lost to “progress”. Help us save these historic trees by writing to Caltrans District 6 and tell them you want to see these trees saved as well as the location marked properly. You can also contact the state Assembly and Senate representatives to assist in this effort.

While we have a design for the sign already, we are open to additional submissions. We intend to hold a public vote on the sign design in the near future.

We need your help! Contact us or donate if you’d like to get involved in our efforts!

Contact Information
Donations

Contacts

Reference the “South Madera Six-Lane Project” and the Pine And the Palm when contacting them. Tell them the Historic Highway 99 Association of California sent you!

Caltrans District 6 Public Information Officer
d6.public.info@dot.ca.gov

Assemblymember Jim Patterson

Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil

Where The Palm Meets the Pine

Just south of Madera, 1.75 miles south of Ave 12, and 2.1 miles north of Ave 9 (or more specifically at 06-MAD-99-05.7), there lies a pine tree and a palm tree in the median of Highway 99. It has been there since the 1920’s and marks the former halfway point in California. The Palm Tree, a Canary Island Date Palm, represents Southern California and the Pine Tree, a Deodor Cedar, represents Northern California. In 2005, the pine tree fell down but was replaced by Caltrans in 2007 as this is a somewhat historic marker. In the next couple of years, Caltrans District 6 intends to remove the Pine and Palm for a highway widening project. New trees are planned to the west of the current site but no marker at this time. For more information about this Caltrans project, please go to the link below:

https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-6/district-6-projects/06-0h220

We, the Historic Highway 99 Association of California, intend to have signs placed in both directions at this location to mark the historic site. While it might not exactly be the “halfway” point in California, it is close enough and has been there since the 1920’s. We are looking to work with local agencies such as the County of Madera, Caltrans District 6, City of Madera, and others to gain support and assistance with this effort. We already have a tentative design for the sign and cost estimates for its fabrication.

Donations

If you would like to be involved in this project (03-MAD21002), let us know! We can use help either through donations of labor or money. Any donations are likely tax-deductible as we are a 501c3 organization.

Our Project Documents

Board Update – Need Your Help!

Greetings All!

We are looking for a new Treasurer for our board of directors. Ideally, we would like to have someone with experience with the forms required to be submitted by non-profit organizations such as ours. At a minimum, we are seeking help with our forms to ensure this organization remains up to date with the State and Federal governments.

We look forward to hearing from you soon! Thank you all for your continued support!

Ridge Route Project Update

The Ridge Route Preservation Organization officially launched their “Pothole Project” on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Check out their website for more details and how you can get involved!

Pothole Project Launch Day!

New Video – Piru Gorge and Pyramid Lake

Check out our new video on Piru Gorge and Pyramid Lake. See what lies beneath the surface of Pyramid Lake and the many other features of Piru Gorge!