Click here for a key to the symbols used. An explanation of acronyms may be found at the bottom of the page.
Rte 169From Route 101 near Klamath to Route 96 near Weitchpec. Note that the legislative definition explicitly allows Caltrans to maintain a traversable highway located in portions of the area between the termini of and approximately on this route even though the highway is not continuous.
This routing is unchanged from its 1963 definition.
The original route of what would become Route 169 was added to the state
highway system in 1919 as LRN 46, running along the route from Jct. US 101
at Klamath to Jct. US 99 near Yreka, via Klamath River. It appears as a
projected route by the early 1920 and was under construction from 1922 to
1924. LRN 46 is shown as a functional highway from LRN 3/US 99 west to
Weitchpec on the 1930 Division of Highways Map. LRN 46 northwest to
LRN 1/US 101 is shown to be a planned highway along the Klamath
River. Bald Hills Road is shown as a functional connecting local
road from LRN 46 in Weitchpec west to LRN 1/US 101.
(Source for some material: Gribblenation Blog: Paper Highways; modern California State Route 169 the unfinished California State Route 96)
The 1934 signage of routes indicated that Route 96 would be signed and aligned over the unfinished LRN 46 from US 101 near Klamath east to US 99 near Yreka via the Klamath River (hence the name; Klamath River Highway). In terms of present-day routing, the portion from US 101 at Klamath to Weitchpec is present Route 169, and from Weitchpec to US 99 (I-5) 9 mi N of Yreka is present-day Route 96.
By 1938, Route 96 was realigned off of LRN 46 south of Weitchpec to a new
routing using LRN 84 to US 299 at Willow Creek. LRN 84 was added to
the State Highway System during 1933. Tom Fearer surmised on the
Gribblenation BLog that it was likely Route 96 was realigned via easier
grades of LRN 84, as it followed the Trinity River to US 299. The
planned route of LRN 46 west of Weitchpec followed a far more flood prone
Klamath River to US 101. This left the original LRN 46 between
Weitchpec and US 101 in the state highway system, but unsigned.
(Source for some material: Gribblenation Blog: Paper Highways; modern California State Route 169 the unfinished California State Route 96)
Floods in December 1955 on the Klamath River damaged LRN 46 between
Weitchpec and Martins Ferry. As a result, in 1959, Humboldt County
applied for State aid for 43 new bridges. One of the new bridges
cited was just off of LRN 46 at Martins Ferry. The new Martins
Ferry Bridge is featured along with several other structures. The
Martins Ferry Bridge project reconnected Bald Hills Road to LRN 46 but
also seems to have been the root of construction west towards
Klamath. By 1960, LRN 46 was extended west along the Klamath River
to the Yurok Reservation. The reminder of unbuilt LRN 46 along the
Klamath River is shown not to have a determined routing. This is as
far as LRN 46 would ever come towards being completed.
(Source for some material: Gribblenation Blog: Paper Highways; modern California State Route 169 the unfinished California State Route 96)
In 1963, as noted above, the portion of LRN 46 between Weitchpec and US 101 was redesignated as Route 169.
Signed Route 169 was not defined as part of the initial state signage of routes in 1934. It is unclear what (if any) route was signed as Route 169 between 1934 and 1964.
Unconstructed This route is explicitly allowed to be non-continuous. Unconstructed from Terwer Riffle Road near Klamath Glen to to Wauteck Village near Johnsons Road along the Klamath River, although there are some primative logging roads that are unsuitable for use as a state highway. Part of the reason for the non-continuity is the fact that the portion from Klamath Glen to Johnsons lies within the Yurok Indian Reservation. Another reason for the discontinuity was a series of devastating floods in 1964. In 2002, Caltrans indicated a feasibility study was in progress for this route.
The 2013 Traversable Highway report indicated that the following segment is Category 3 — The traversable highway is inadequate or nonexistent, but project studies are scheduled within five years so State assumption of maintenance is a possibility within the next ten years: From Terwer Riffle Road to Wauteck Village (18.2 mi). The Yurok Tribe Transportation Plan (2006) identifies a long-term goal to have the completion of Route 169 between the communities of Klamath (Terwer Riffle Road) in Del Norte County to Wautek Village in Humboldt County. A Feasibility Study is "planned" for this route.
Route 96/Route 169 Evacuation Preparedness Project (01-Hum-96 0.0/R44.979; 01-Sis-69 0.0/105.823; 01-Hum-169 13.2/33.84)
In October 2025, the CTC approved amending the
following project into the 2024 SHOPP: 01-Hum-96 0.0/R44.979; 01-Sis-69
0.0/105.823; 01-Hum-169 13.2/33.84. PPNO 01-4946; ProjID 0124000225; EA
0P370. Route 96 In Humboldt County, from Route 299 to Siskiyou County
line; also in Siskiyou County, from Humboldt County line to Route 5 (PM
0.0/105.823); also on Route 169, from Ploxsow Lane to Route 96 (PM
13.2/33.84). This project will study alternatives that include
rockfall mitigation, installation of Transportation Management System
(TMS) elements, roadway widening, and vegetation management to improve the
evacuation route preparedness of Route 96 and Route 169, and increase
resiliency of these roadways against wildfires, extreme weather impacts,
and other climate related incidents. Construct wire mesh drapery at PM
4.37 on Route 96. Includes federal PROTECT Grant amount of 4,100,000ドル.
Allocation ($ × 1000ドル): PA&ED 3,000ドル; PS&E 987ドル; R/W Sup
113ドル; ⊘Con Sup 450ドル; ⊘R/W
Cap 0ドル; ⊘Const Cap 1,506ドル;
TOTAL 6,056ドル. BC: 4/9/2030. Concurrent COS allocation under Resolution
FP-25-48; October 2025. “⊘”
indicates phase not authorized.
(Source: October 2025 CTC Agenda, Agenda Item 2.1a.(1a) #32)
In October 2025, the CTC approved the following
pre-construction phase allocation for a 2024 SHOPP project: 3,000,000ドル.
01-Hum-96 0.0/R44.979; 01-Sis-96 0.0/105.823; 01-Hum-169 13.2/33.84.
PPNO 01-4946; ProjID 0124000225; EA 0P370. Route 96 In Humboldt County,
from Route 299 to Siskiyou County line; also in Siskiyou County, from
Humboldt County line to Route 5 (PM 0.0/105.823); also on Route 169, from
Ploxsow Lane to Route 96 (PM 13.2/33.84). This project will study
alternatives that include rockfall mitigation, installation of
Transportation Management System (TMS) elements, roadway widening, and
vegetation management to improve the evacuation route preparedness of
Routes 96 and 169, and increase resiliency of these roadways against
wildfires, extreme weather impacts, and other climate related
incidents. Construct wire mesh drapery at PM 4.37 on Route 96.
Includes federal PROTECT Grant amount of 4,100,000ドル. Concurrent Amendment
under SHOPP Amendment 24H-015; October 2025. Pre-Construction Phase
Allocation: Budgeted (Actual, if different): PA&ED
3,000,000ドル.
(Source: October 2025 CTC Agenda, Agenda Item 2.5b.(2a) #1)
In August 2016, the CTC approved for future consideration of funding a project on Route 169 (01-Hum-169, PM 26.4/29.9) in Humboldt County that will repair slipouts on a portion of Route 169 near the community of Weitchpec within the Yurok Tribe Reservation. The project is programmed in the 2014 State Highway Operation and Protection Program. The total programmed amount is 7,790,000ドル for capital and support. Construction is estimated to begin in Fiscal Year 2016-17. The scope, as described for the preferred alternative, is consistent with the project scope programmed by the Commission in the 2014 State Highway Operation and Protection Program.
Bridge 01-0045 (now Bridge 01-0077, DN 002.58, rebuilt in 2006) at Terwer Creek in Del Norte county, is named the "Perry and Emma McBeth Memorial Bridge". It was built in 1949, and was named by Senate Resolution 138 the same year. Perry and Emma McBeth settled in Del Norte County in 1911 where they lived lives of generosity and selfless service to all the inhabitants of the lower Klamath.
Overall statistics for Route 169:
In 1933, Chapter 767 added the route from "Spring Street to Firestone Boulevard via Somerset Avenue" to the highway system. In 1935, this was added to the highway code as LRN 169 with the routing:
"Spring Street to [LRN 174] (Firestone Boulevard) via Somerset Avenue"
In 1945, Chapter 1269 deleted this routing. Somerset Avenue was later renamed Bellflower Blvd, and the Spring Street referenced was in Long Beach, so this routing ran roughly from Long Beach to Firestone, paralleling what later became I-605.
In 1959, Chapter 1860 added a new definition for LRN 169: "[LRN 56] to [LRN 117] via Canyon Del Rey." This is present-day Route 218.
Acronyms and Explanations:
Back Arrow Route 168 Forward Arrow Route 170
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Maintained by: Daniel P. Faigin
<webmaster@cahighways.org>.