1952 Threw Its Entire Resources Into the Bat Steep Slopes Above the Meyers Grade
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California Highways and Public Works Public Works Building Official lou'rnal of the Division of Highways, Twelfth and N Streets Department of Public Works, State of California Sacramento FRANK B. DURKEE GEORGE T. McCOY Director State Highway Engineer KENNETH C. ADAMS, Editor HELEN HALSTED, Associote Editor Published in the interest of highway development in Cali. fornia. Editors of newspopers and others are privileged to use matter contained herein. Cuts will be gladly loaned upon request. Address Communications to CALIFORNIA HIGHWAYS AND PUBLIC WORKS P. O. Box 1499 Sacramento, California Vol. 31 January-February Nos. 1,2 Page Typical Snow Battle Scene on U. S. 40 During Recent Record Storm. Photo by John Shaver, Photographic Section, M. R. Nickerson, ChieL Cover Epic Battle, II lustrated___________ _ _ By N. R. Bangert, Assistont Maintenance Engineer Man vs. Snow, Illustrated _ 8 By Art Hoppe, San Francisco Chronicle Sierra Crews Fight Drifts, Illustrated _ 11 By Jack Welter, San Froncisco Examiner Christm as Gift, Illustrated _ 13 By R. C. Kennedy, Secretary, California Highway Commission Ramona Freeway, III ustrated _ 17 By B. N. Frykland, Resident Engineer Santa Ana Freeway, Illustrated _ 20 By W. L. Fahey, District Engineer Ridge Route, lIIustrated____ _ _ 25 By C. P. Montgomery, District Construction Engineer U. S. 99 Job, II Iustrated _ 29 By W. M. Nett, Resident Engineer New State Highway Through Placerville, Illustrated _ 32 By Jerome F. Lipp, Right of Way Agent Bay Bridge Refi nancing 35 Street Sweepers, II lustrated__ 36 By Norman H. Heggie, Assistont Physical Testing Engineer New Index, 11,1 ustrated_______________ _ _ 40 By Richard H. Wilson, H. C. McCarty and R. R. Norton Mu nici po I Job, III ustrated _ 42 By Bernard P. Westkamper, City Engineer, City of Tulare Orinda Slide, Illustrated _ 45 By E. W. Herlinger and Gifford Stafford State Loses Four Maintenance Superintendents, Illustrated _ 48 New Expressway, III ustrated _ 53 By George T. McCoy, Jr., District Construction Engineer Hig hway Deficiencies __ 55 Important Appeal Court Ruling _ 58 In Memoriam, Edward Carlstad _ 61 Index to California Highways and Public Works _ 62 OCCU)trJt~L COllCGE Snow Removal Crews Wage f' ." en Epic Batt e Long Fight Against Record Storm v1AR 12 19::u: LIBRARY By N. R. BANGERT, Assistant Maintenance Engineer THE GREATEST s~owstormin more than and several of the trans-Sierra routes, further down the grade, engulfed an un- 50 years swept into Northern Cali- normally open to winter traffic, were occupied heavy push plow truck and car- fornia on Thursday, January 10th, closed for periods of a few hours to ried it 300 feet down the slope. eventually bringing to a halt all trans- several days by blizzards and snow- continental traffic on highways and slides. During the latter part of the Second Storm railroads. Howling winds sweeping at month, strong winds deposited great Crews were barely getting roads in velocities of 75 to 100 miles per hour depths of snow on the steep east slopes. the mountain areas back to normal drove freshly fallen snow into moun- These deposits gave way without winter condition when the big January tainous drifts, isolated many mountain warning and swept across' the high- storm began to brew. This storm was communities for days, and set the stage ways. preceded in the Sacramento Valley by The suddenness of the snowstorm tropped these trucks at Baxter on U. S. 40 on January 11th. Photo by San Francisco Chronicle. for many courageous and dramatic res One such avalanche, near the lower several days of rain. On the east side of cue efforts, many of which probably end of the Meyers Grade on U. S. 50, the Sierra, a preview of the storm to remain unrecorded. buried three maintenance men from the come took the form of high winds Storms during the month of Decem Echo Summit Station. One man, James S. which swept the snow fields traversed ber packed more than their normal Swafford, died before rescue workers were by U. S. 395 on January 10th, and re punch through the Sierra Range be able to dig through the 10 feet of packed quired the closing of this route until tween Bishop and the Feather River snow left on the road. Another avalanche, visibility improved. U. S. 50 was closed east of the summit the night of January Reinforcements Rushed 10th as a precautionary measure since I. N. S. SENDS THANKS At the first request for additional a new fall of snow threatened to pre Sacramento equipment, the equipment department cipitate fresh avalanches down the January 28, 1952 threw its entire resources into the bat steep slopes above the Meyers Grade. tle of plow assembly. Mechanics and U. S. 40, the main trans-mountain ar MR. FRANK B. DURKEE shop foremen worked 16 to 20 hours Director of Public Works tery between San Francisco and Salt a day to get the units out. The first of Sacramento Lake City and the most popular truck the six plows at Sacramento left the route through the Sierra, remained DEAR MR. DURKEE: As a veteran shop about 2 a.m. Monday, January open until 1.40 p.m., Friday, January member of the press, and an em 14th, the last on Friday, January 18th. 11th. Strong winds predicted for that ployee of International News Serv This equipment went into the field ice, I do wish sincerely to pay this day also materialized during the after tribute to you and your department without the customary "shakedown" noon hours and made travel along the and all its employees for their co run and many of the "bugs" which de ridge near Airport slow and hazardous operation during the recent bitter veloped during the first few days of for traffic attempting to reach lower high Sierra storms. operation under extreme conditions elevations. Especially, I am grateful for your would normally have been discovered prompt responses when the South and corrected before the machines left Other Routes Closed ern Pacific streamliner City of San the shop. The first auger plow from Eastbound traffic shut off by the Francisco was snowbound in the the southern shop was driven to Sac closure of U. S. 40 and U. S. 50 sought mountains. ramento in an overnight drive, and im passage over the more northern routes, Had it not been for your very effi mediately was sent on to the Truckee such as the Feather River road, State cient communications system headed area by ,;.ray of the Feather River road. Sign Route 24, and the Red Bluff by your keen and alert Arnold H. Carver-coupled with the excellent The shop men who delivered equipment Susanville lateral, State Sign Route 36. work of Public Information Editor into mountain areas often found it neces These roads gave some relief during Kenneth C. Adams, we all woukl sary to plow a road to their destination. the early stages of the storm but finally have been caught short. Others, upon becoming snowbound, joined closed on Sunday, January 13th, the It's a long serious story, but in a the regular crews in the "round-the-c1ock" first due to high winds and the latter few words with which a newspaper operation of clearing slides and drifts. because of drifts and traffic tieups. man can express his deep apprecia Mechanics at mountain stations spent U. S. 395, which skirts the eastern tion of your operation, let me say: countless hours at the grueling task of fringe of the Sierra, was closed by high "You did a swell job-and a million keeping the big machines roll)ng. Radio communication played a vital part in winds on January 14th for three days thanks." Best personal regards to you and speeding the ordering of parts when and again on January 20th for an eight breakdowns occurred. day period. your staff. Sincerely, Red Bluff-Susanville-Reno Lateral As the area affected by the storm was A. NEIL SHAW State Sign Route 36 received some so great and the road closures so com Bureau Manager of the heaviest snowfall in its history, plete, the. first efforts of highway crews Room 224, State Capitol especially between Morgan Summit were directed to bringing relief to as many Sacramento, California and Fredonyer Summit. During the snowbound communities as possibl.e in the first week of the storm, 80 mile an hour shortest time with the equipment available. winds raged at times through this The opening of main roads for transcon radio installations to include key equip mountain area. A snow depth of 18 tinental traffic became secondary in im ment in virtually every foreman's ter feet was recorded on the Morgan portance. ritory was strongly confirmed during Summit gauge on January 22. Chester Job for Communications this storm. received a snowfall of about nine feet. Two heavy bulldozers working side by The severity of the storm was well As equipment on the high mountain side were required to open the Toad appreciated by Headquarters O!fice, as roads became immobilized by break between Chester and Susanville. This field conditions were forthcoming to down or impassable drifts and as snow route received a second jolt on Friday, that focal point by radio and teletype, depths mounted in the foothill areas, January 18th, when gale winds began day and night. The staff of the com the need for equipment capable of to rage along the east slope of the munications office at Sacramento, as opening long sections of closed road mountains between Susanville and well as informants in the district offices became sharply apparent.