California State Route 162

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State Route 162 and
Forest Highway 7

SR 162 highlighted in red; FH 7 in blue
Route information
Maintained by Caltrans and USFS
Length118.46 mi[1] (190.64 km)
not including FH 7
SR 162 western segment
West end US 101 at Longvale
East endMendocino Pass Road east of Covelo
FH 7
West endMendocino Pass Road at the Mendocino National Forest west boundary
East end SR 162 near Elk Creek
SR 162 eastern segment
West end FH 7 near Elk Creek
Major intersections
East endForeman Creek Road/Oro Quincy Highway at Brush Creek
Location
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountiesMendocino, Glenn, Butte
Highway system
← SR 161→ SR 163

State Route 162 (SR 162) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs roughly west–east through the Coast Ranges and the Sacramento Valley to the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada. It begins at U.S. Route 101 near Longvale, in Mendocino County, and ends at Brush Creek, in Butte County. For most of its length, it is a two lane, undivided highway. SR 162 is not signed as a contiguous route through Mendocino National Forest in Mendocino and Glenn counties. Instead, the portion inside the national forest is federally maintained by the U.S. Forest Service as Forest Highway 7 (FH 7), and is not included in the state route logs.

Route description

State Route 162 (SR 162) begins in Mendocino County at Longvale, 10 miles (16 km) south of the town of Laytonville along U.S. Route 101. It goes east through Long Valley next to the Middle Fork of the Eel River. On the opposite bank of the river is the right of way of the disused Northwestern Pacific Railroad. It is 28 miles (45 km) from Longvale to Covelo. This portion of SR 162 is called Covelo Road. Covelo is in Round Valley, home of the Round Valley Indian Reservation.[2] SR 162 is called Covelo Road, Commercial Street, and/or Mina Road as it goes north through the center of town. Beyond Covelo, there are 11 miles (18 km) of paved road, called Mendocino Pass Road, between Covelo and the Mendocino National Forest; most of this portion of Mendocino Pass Road is primarily controlled by Mendocino County instead of under state maintenance.

End of California Route 162

When entering the national forest the road becomes Forest Highway 7 (FH 7). FH 7 is maintained by the U.S. Forest Service as it continues across the Mendocino National Forest for approximately 50 miles (80 km) over Mendocino Pass (5,006 ft or 1,526 m), which is closed in winter due to heavy snowfall. The highest point on the road (6,805 ft or 2,074 m) is just north of Black Butte and about 4 miles (6.4 km) NW of Copper City. It is roughly 35 miles (56 km) along the unpaved road to Alder Springs, which is inside the Mendocino National Forest in Glenn County. Alder Springs is the location of the Alder Springs GASB site, which is part of the Consolidated Reporting of Earthquakes and Tsunamis (CREST) network run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). State Route 162 resumes near Alder Springs and it is 41 miles (66 km) from there to Willows. Along the way, SR 162 crosses Stoney Creek and runs east paralleling Nye Creek. Seven miles west (11 km) of Willows is Thunderhill Raceway Park. At Willows, SR 162 passes the Willows-Glenn County Airport and crosses Interstate 5.

From Willows and the intersection of Interstate 5, SR 162 runs east for 9 miles (14 km) to the town of Glenn. The track of SR 162 turns right and follows State Route 45 south for 4 miles (6.4 km) along the bank of the Sacramento River to Codora. The highway then turns left going east, crosses the Sacramento River and enters the town of Butte City. The highway jogs north as it passes through Butte City, then east again going 20 miles (32 km) due east to meet State Route 99 (formerly U.S. Route 99). This section is called the Butte City Highway. SR 162 turns north along SR 99 then east again as Oroville Dam Boulevard.

Exit 46 from northbound State Route 70 onto SR 162
SR 162 turns right, (SE), onto Olive Highway as it leaves Oroville

Travelling east, SR 162 passes the Thermalito Afterbay and the Oroville Municipal Airport,[3] before crossing the Feather River on the Randy Jennings Memorial Bridge. As the highway enters Oroville, it crosses under State Route 70. This section is named Oroville Dam Blvd or "Oro-Dam". SR 162 goes 2 miles (3.2 km) through the center of Oroville then turns right onto Olive Highway. Olive Highway goes east 7+1⁄4 miles (11.7 km) to Kelly Ridge Road where it turns north and crosses Lake Oroville over the Bidwell Bar Bridge. SR 162 ends along the Oroville-Quincy Highway at Foreman Creek Road along the eastern edge of the Lake Oroville National Recreation Area.

The junction of SR 162 and the Oroville-Quincy Highway near Lake Oroville SRA Headquarters

The Oroville-Quincy Highway begins in Oroville at Oro-Dam Blvd E just past Olive Highway and runs east. It continues east roughly paralleling Olive Highway until it merges with SR 162 just before Oakvale Ave. It breaks off from SR 162 at Wally B Lane running parallel to the highway for a mile or so before reconnecting at Kelly Ridge Road. The highway runs roughly north and crosses Lake Oroville over the Bidwell Bar Bridge. SR 162 ends near here at Foreman Creek Road, but the Oroville-Quincy Highway continues toward Berry Creek and Madrone Lake. Here it turns east again and runs 6.5 miles (10.5 km) to Brush Creek. From Brush Creek, the highway turns north for 12.5 miles (20.1 km) to Palmetto. Here the highway turns ENE 11 miles (18 km) to Buck's Lodge and Bucks Lake. It then goes 16.25 miles (26.15 km) east along Bucks Lake Road past Meadow Valley and Spanish Ranch before arriving at Quincy, a total distance of 62.75 miles (100.99 km).

SR 162 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System,[4] and east of State Route 70 in Oroville 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]

History

In 1915, the Oroville-Quincy Highway was designated as Legislative Route Number 30.[7] This route was abandoned by the state in 1924. In the late 1930s, there was a temporary routing of Alternate US 40 that ran from Davis through Yuba City to Oroville thence to Quincy along Oroville-Quincy Highway, and Bucks Lake Road.

From 1965 to 1972, the segment from US 101 to Interstate 5 was defined as Route 261.[8]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi
[9][1]		kmDestinationsNotes
MendocinoLongvale0.000.00 US 101 – Willits, LaytonvilleWest end of SR 162
​33.9954.70Mendocino Pass Road, Bauer Drewry RoadEastern end of western segment of SR 162
​Mendocino National Forest western boundaryWest end of FH 7
GlennMendocino PassMendocino Pass Road, Alder Springs RoadWestbound FH 7 continues as Mendocino Pass Road; eastbound FH 7 continues as Alder Springs Road
​33.9954.70Mendocino National Forest eastern boundaryWestern end of eastern segment of SR 162; east end of FH 7
Willows61.8699.55 I-5 – Redding, SacramentoInterchange; I-5 exit 603
62.97101.34 I-5 BL (Tehama Street)Former US 99W
Glenn72.61116.85
 SR 45 north – Hamilton City		West end of SR 45 overlap
Codora77.08124.05
 SR 45 south / Road 61 – Princeton, Colusa		East end of SR 45 overlap
Butte​95.12153.08
 SR 99 south – Yuba City		West end of SR 99 overlap; former US 99E south
​97.12156.30
 SR 99 north / Richvale Road – Chico, Richvale		East end of SR 99 overlap; former US 99E north
Oroville103.22166.12 SR 70 – Quincy, MarysvilleInterchange; west end of SR 70 Bus. overlap; SR 70 exit 46
104.69168.48

 SR 70 Bus. north (Myers Street)		East end of SR 70 Bus. overlap
​108.65174.86Canyon Drive (CR B2) – Oroville DamEastern terminus of CR B2
​114.26183.88Bidwell Bar Bridge over Lake Oroville (middle fork)
Brush Creek118.46190.64Foreman Creek RoadEast end of SR 162
118.46190.64Oroville-Quincy HighwayContinuation beyond Foreman Creek Road
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
Along California Route 162.

References

  1. ^ a b California Department of Transportation (2016). Postmile Services (Map). California Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  2. ^ "Round Valley Indian Reservation History". www.covelo.net. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  3. ^ "AirNav: KOVE - Oroville Municipal Airport". www.airnav.com. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  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. ^ "California Highways: Chronology of California Highways 1915-1932". www.cahighways.org. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  8. ^ "California Highways (www.cahighways.org): Route 261". www.cahighways.org. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  9. ^ California Department of Transportation (July 2007). "Log of Bridges on State Highways". Sacramento: California Department of Transportation.

External links

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