California State Route 166
State Route 166 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
SR 166 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by Caltrans | ||||
| Length | 112.69 mi[1] (181.36 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  SR 1 in Guadalupe | |||
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| East end |  SR 99 at Mettler | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | California | |||
| Counties | Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Kern | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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State Route 166 (SR 166) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It connects the Central Coast to the southern San Joaquin Valley, running from State Route 1 in Guadalupe and through Santa Maria in Santa Barbara County to State Route 99 in Mettler in Kern County.
Route description
Route 166 starts off in Guadalupe in northwestern Santa Barbara County and heads east towards Santa Maria, the largest city on its eastern journey. It then joins with U.S. Route 101 for the last few miles in Santa Barbara County before crossing the Santa Maria River and splitting off in San Luis Obispo County. For the next 75 miles (121 km), SR 166 crosses the Santa Barbara/San Luis Obispo county line a total of five times. This stretch follows the Cuyama River through a canyon separating the Sierra Madre Mountains from mountains in San Luis Obispo County, and then opens out into the Cuyama Valley, passing cattle ranches, going through the Russell Ranch Oil Field, and passing Aliso Canyon Road, the turnoff to the South Cuyama Oil Field. On the north during this stretch is the mile-high Caliente Range, which contains Caliente Mountain, the highest peak in San Luis Obispo County.
After going through the towns of New Cuyama and Cuyama, the highway meets SR 33 north of Ventucopa. SR 33 and SR 166 merge until reaching Maricopa, where SR 166 heads due east for its last 20 miles (32 km), intersecting with I-5 about 9 miles (14 km) north of the Grapevine. SR 166 ends at SR 99 in Mettler, and it is the last exit for both I-5 and SR 99 southbound before they merge near Wheeler Ridge.
In Kern County, Highway 166 is known as the Maricopa Highway. West of Maricopa, where it skirts Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, it is called the Cuyama Highway. In the cities of Santa Maria and Guadalupe, it is known as Main Street.
SR 166 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System.[2] The route is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System,[3] but it is not officially designated as a scenic highway by the California Department of Transportation.[4] From US 101 to SR 33, SR 166 is known as the "CHP Officers Irvine and Stovall Memorial Highway". In February 1998, a large storm swelled the Cuyama River and caused it to wash out a section of the highway. Officers Britt Irvine and Rick Stovall were responding to an early morning call about a truck accident when their CHP cruiser drove off the washed out section.[5]
History
Before 1964, the portion of SR 166 merged with SR 33 was part of US 399.
Major intersections
| County | Location | mi [6][1] | km | Exit [7] | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara | Guadalupe | 0.00 | 0.00 | West Main Street | Continuation beyond SR 1 | |
| 0.00 | 0.00 | SR 1 (Guadalupe Street) | West end of SR 166 | |||
| Santa Maria | 7.87 | 12.67 |  SR 135 (Broadway, US 101 Bus.) | |||
| 8.92 | 14.36 |   US 101 south / Main Street | Interchange; west end of US 101 overlap; US 101 north exit 171 | |||
| 8.92 | 14.36 | West end of freeway on US 101 | ||||
| 10.01 | 16.11 | 172 | Donovan Road | |||
| 11.07 | 17.82 | 173 |  SR 135 south (Broadway, US 101 Bus. south) – Santa Maria | |||
| San Luis Obispo | | 12.12 | 19.51 | East end of freeway on US 101 | ||
| | 12.12 | 19.51 |  US 101 north / Cuyama Lane | Interchange; east end of US 101 overlap; US 101 south exit 175 | ||
| Santa Barbara | No major intersections | |||||
| San Luis Obispo | No major intersections | |||||
| Santa Barbara | No major intersections | |||||
| San Luis Obispo | | 74.37 | 119.69 |  SR 33 south – Ojai, Ventura | West end of SR 33 overlap; former US 399 south | |
| Kern | Maricopa | 88.07 | 141.73 |  SR 33 north (California Street) – Central District, Taft | East end of SR 33 overlap; former US 399 north | |
| | 110.87 | 178.43 |  I-5 (West Side Freeway) | Interchange; I-5 exit 225 | ||
| Mettler | 112.69 | 181.36 | Mettler Frontage Road West – Mettler | |||
| 112.69 | 181.36 | SR 99 – Los Angeles, Bakersfield | Interchange; east end of SR 166; former US 99; SR 99 exit 3 | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- ^ a b California Department of Transportation (2016). Postmile Services (Map). California Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- ^ "Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Division 1". California Streets and Highways Code. Sacramento: California Office of Legislative Counsel. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ^ "Article 2.5 of Chapter 2 of Division 1". California Streets & Highways Code. Sacramento: California Office of Legislative Counsel. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ^ California Department of Transportation (August 2019). "Officially Designated State Scenic Highways and Historic Parkways" (XLSX). Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ^ California Department of Transportation; California State Transportation Agency (January 2021). 2020 Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances in California (PDF). Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. pp. 80, 282, 347. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 10, 2022.
- ^ California Department of Transportation (July 2007). "Log of Bridges on State Highways". Sacramento: California Department of Transportation.
- ^ Clarion, Christian (August 3, 2020). "US Route 101 Freeway Interchanges" (PDF). California Numbered Exit Uniform System. California Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
External links
