Page 15 - lw3356

Before and after views of the bridge across Verdugo Creek on State H ighway 61 in Los Angeles County. Fed by small
tributary streams in the San Gabriel Mountains the creek became a raging torrent that cut a new channel, swept away the bridge
approach and damaged the abutment.
carried an unusually large run-off. Gorgonio Wash east of Banning on routes in the San Bernardino Moun-
The bridge built by the city over that Route 26 established new channels tains.
river on Lankershim B o u 1 e v a r d which will require bridges and pro- A number of the bridges dam.aged
(Highway Route 159) was lost. tection work. The Whitewater River during the flood are located on Fed-
In addition to the Los Angeles-San at two crossings of Highway Route eral Aid Routes and are considered
. Bernardino and coastal plain area, 187 between Indio and Mecca took out qualified for Federal Emergency Re-
floods occurred on the Mojave River, portions of two old timber bridges, lief funds. The balance of the cost
damaging the highways near Bar- one of which was included for re- will be financed from State Highway
stow, probably necessitating a bridge placement in the budget for the Construction and M a i n t e n a n c e
over at least one new channel and present biennium. Smaller bridges Funds.
taking out bridges at Cronise Valley were lost also on the '' Pines to Palms
· and Baker. The Owl Wash and San Road'' east of Hemet and on various

STREAMS TEAR OUT HIGHWAYS IN DISTRICT XI

By E. E. WALLACE, District Engineer

The severe rain storm which hit prevented serious damage or inter- washed out. The dip carried water
Southern California between Febru- ruption to traffic except at the San up to a depth of about five feet, but
ary 26 and March 5 did heavy dam- Dieguito River Bridge, just north of failed when a peak of more than six
age to some of the State highways in Del Mar, where 40 feet of the north feet occurred. 'l'raffic was restored by
portions of District XI, which en- approach fill slumped out under the the construction of a temporary fill
com passes San Diego, Imperial and footing of the north abutment and be- after the water subsided sufficiently,
the east half of Riverside counties. tween the pilings, due to severe scour- three days later.
On State Route 2, U. S. Highway ing action in front of the abutment. On Route 195, between Bonsall and
101, between San Diego and the l\Iorettis, there were numerous slides
northerly county line, there were sev- SLIDES AND WASH OUTS and washes, particularly on Cuca
eral incipient failures of bridge ap- On Route 78, at the Puerta La Cr,..uz Grade, where severe shoulder erosion
proaches due to slumping and erosion crossing of the San Luis Rey River occurred. At the Pala Dip and
of approaches and pot holing around north of ,Varners Hot Springs, the Pauma 'Nash, the shoulders vvere
the bridge piers. Protective measures central 100 feet of an overflow dip ( Continued on page 2 2 )

Highway dip washed out by Santa Maria River east of Ramona. Another dip west of Ramona overflowed.

California Highways a.nd Public Works (April 1938) [Thirteen]