Western Railroad Discussion > Cajon Pass Freeway traffic suggestions anyone? OT?

I came down Cajon Pass on the I-15 Thursday afternoon and the freeway traffic was HORRIBLE!  It took over an hour to go about 5 miles, from just before the summit to past the old Cajon Station area, this due to Caltrans road work on the Westbound (downhill) side.  They have closed off several lanes, and opened up a "Split-lane" that actually runs on the uphill side.  A word of warning - don't get stuck in that slow lane like I did, or you get to see all the traffic blowing by while you sit!

Can any TO ers offer an alternate route down the Hill?   I will do it twice more this Summer, once towing a big boat.  Thanks in advance.

Southbound - go after 3:00 PM.  The lane closures will be picked up and the majority of the traffic will be going northbound.  Northbound - go after 10:00 AM but before 2:00 PM.

OK to spell out the timeline of cajon pass disruptions
that nasty "North Fire"  was on July 17, 2015  (Friday) and they are still repairing
the southbound 15 freeway from that one???

I do not believe this exact damage was caused by
the 'Scales Fire" of Aug 1, 2015 (saturday).
The location of the Scales fire was the 
southeast quadrant of the 138 + 15 junction and in the lower Cajon Pass area.
This is an anazingly and Painfully LONG recovery time for
this major-mega artery in and out of La-la Land.
I hope the 15 freeway gets fully repaired soon.

Two news articles I found -1 for each fire :
http://www.pe.com/articles/fire-773663-cajon-pass.html

http://www.vvdailypress.com/article/20150801/NEWS/150809989

---- Daniel
. 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/15 14:33 by daniel3197.

No, this has nothing to do with that recent brush fire where the vehicles burned.  Yes, I dropped down through the fire area, it was only maybe 150 yards (5-10 minutes!) long, and there was no real road damage, just some damaged guardrails that were now protected by concrete k-rails.

Thanks for tip on the timing, I'll look into that.   I may have hit it right around 3 PM, usually, earlier is better.

Now you know what it will be like when the "big one" hits.
Cajon Pass from the 138 south to about Devore IS the San Andgeas fault which created Cajon Pass which separates the San Gabriels from the San Bernardinos and in turn separates the San Bernardinos from the San Jancintos. (Beaument pass).

BobP Wrote:
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> "Now you know what it will be like when the "big
> one" hits."

After the big one hits, three of the four rail lines out of Sourthen Cal will be wrecked and could be out of action for days, if not weeks.

Here's a northbound alternate route:  Take I-15 north to Hwy. 138, go 9 miles west to Sheep Creek Road, right turn 2 miles to Phelan Road, right turn 12 miles back to I-15 (note Phelan Road changes into Main St. before I-15).  That's about 23 miles compared to 10 1/2 miles for the direct route via I-15.  
The southbound alternate route is slightly longer because you cannot enter Hwy. 138 from Sheep Creek Road.  Take I-15 south to Main St. in Hesperia, west (right) 12 miles to Beekley Road, left turn 1 mile to Hwy. 138, left turn 10 miles back to I-15.
At least when you're on I-15, you can see trains much of the way.  Check Sigalert.com  <http://www.sigalert.com/Map.asp?region=Inland+Empire#lat=33.9894&amp;lon=-117.52727&amp;z=2&gt;  to see how bad it is on I-15.  I have no idea if this alternate is as bad or worse than staying on I-15.  Has anyone tried this alternative during busy times?

mapboy
 

mapboy Wrote:
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> Here's a northbound alternate route:  Take I-15
> north to Hwy. 138, go 9 miles west to Sheep Creek
> Road, right turn 2 miles to Phelan Road, right
> turn 12 miles back to I-15 (note Phelan Road
> changes into Main St. before I-15).  That's about
> 23 miles compared to 10 1/2 miles for the direct
> route via I-15.  
> The southbound alternate route is slightly longer
> because you cannot enter Hwy. 138 from Sheep Creek
> Road.  Take I-15 south to Main St. in Hesperia,
> west (right) 12 miles to Beekley Road, left turn 1
> mile to Hwy. 138, left turn 10 miles back to
> I-15.
> At least when you're on I-15, you can see trains
> much of the way.  Check Sigalert.com    to see
> how bad it is on I-15.  I have no idea if this
> alternate is as bad or worse than staying on I-15.
>  Has anyone tried this alternative during busy
> times?
>
> mapboy
>  

The alternative you posted is only viable when a major problem occurs between those points on the 15, which is about 35% of the time. So a majority of the time the alternative will only lenghthen your trip.

The best time to traverse Cajon Pass on I-15 is between 11 PM and 5 AM Monday - Thursday nights. That is the time the traffic will be most predictiable.

Otherwise, be paitant. We have about 9 months left of major construction and about 6 months after that of minor construction and this much needed project will be done.

Take 58 to 14 and hang a left.

Out

callum_out Wrote:
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> Take 58 to 14 and hang a left.
>
> Out
<SIGH>

Only if the delay is estimated to be more than one hour. Even then, you risk Nehwall Pass traffic as well as San Fernando Valley traffic.

Where exactly are you headed after you get down the hill? That may expand your alternatives. Otherwise, it's going to be a mess for a while as others have said.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

Very round-about route on dirt roads, requires high clearance or a tight sphincter and careful driving:  off I-15 just north of Cajon Summit at Oak Hill Road, then south on the frontage road to the east side of the freeway.  Go past the gas stations and Summit Inn to where the frontage road becomes dirt (it is pretty rutted sometimes, and is probably the worst part of this adventure) that then turns left along the top of the escarpment for a mile toward some houses way off to the east.  Right at the first intersection onto Forest Route 3N45 and down the canyon to where you cross the UP, duck under the BNSF #1 & 2 tracks, cross over the BNSF #3 track, on what has been called the Power Line Road.  Then continue straight down the dirt Power Line Road until you hit SR138.  Go west on SR138 across I-15 and the BNSF, then under the UP, to Lone Pine Canyon Road, then left (watch that oncoming traffic on SR138!  It goes fast!) and up over the hill to where the dirt road goes left down Lone Pine Canyon.  That is Swarthout Canyon Road.    Eventually (after several miles of pretty good dirt) you pass "Lost Lake" to your left) and then hit pavement again and cross all the railroad tracks at grade and come out on old Route 66 just above Blue Cut.  Turn right and go down to Kenwood Road, then left up and under the freeway and on through Devore on the main road through the residential area. At Cajon Blvd (old Route 66 again), go straight onto Glen Helen Parkway and westward past Glen Helen Park and get back on I-15 at Summit Road just west of Lytle Creek.  You have gone around the construction and the most nasty part of the traffic.

This side trip will take 30-40 minutes, but beats a parking lot that was once called a freeway.  I've done it several times in my stock '96 4Runner.  You get your car really dusty on the dirt, but my old rig is always dusty.  You also see the tracks and perhaps some trains along the way.

If the traffic is backed up further north on I-15, you can get off I-15 north of Oak Hill Road and use the frontage road (Mariposa Road) that runs along the east side of the freeway to get up to Oak Hill Road, where the above description begins.

Another, longer alternative is to get off I-15 at Main Street in Hesperia, go east to Lake Arrowhead Road, then go south on that.  It turns into SR173, which dead ends into SR138 near Silverwood lake.  Take the slow, winding SR138 over the hill to Crestline, then get on Waterman Canyon and go down the hill to San Berdoo and SR210.  Take SR210 west to I-15.  This is a much slower, but far more scenic route.

Unfortunately, neither of these routes sounds like a candidate for towing a big boat.

 

Kit Courter
Menefee, CA
LunarLight Photography



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/15 07:24 by CimaScrambler.

Thanks everyone!  Yeah, not sure about the dirt roads, because of wife and boat...   Trip is Lake Tahoe to Orange County via highways 395, 15, 91, etc.  Yes, I know about 14 through Mojave etc. but then we get all the greater LA area traffic. 

Is there way up/down past Summit on 138 - not for boat, of course?

Kimball Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks everyone!  Yeah, not sure about the dirt
> roads, because of wife and boat...   Trip is
> Lake Tahoe to Orange County via highways 395, 15,
> 91, etc.  Yes, I know about 14 through Mojave
> etc. but then we get all the greater LA area
> traffic. 
>
> Is there way up/down past Summit on 138 - not for
> boat, of course?

Short answer? No.

---

jst3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Kimball Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thanks everyone!  Yeah, not sure about the
> dirt
> > roads, because of wife and boat...   Trip is
> > Lake Tahoe to Orange County via highways 395,
> 15,
> > 91, etc.  Yes, I know about 14 through Mojave
> > etc. but then we get all the greater LA area
> > traffic. 
> >
> > Is there way up/down past Summit on 138 - not
> for
> > boat, of course?
>
> Short answer? No.

The long answer:
Right now on Sigalert.com, the backup southbound is to Ranchero Road.  Coming south on US 395, as soon as you're on I-15, exit at Ranchero Road.  Make a left turn (east), go until you go under the BNSF tracks.  Immediately turn right on Santa Fe Ave., which becomes Summit Valley Road along the tracks.  It dead ends at Hwy. 138, turn right, pass Summit, eventually you will reach I-15.  You could also turn sooner off 395 at Main St., take it till you cross over BNSF, then follow along the tracks to Summit Valley Road.  Hwy. 138 between Summit and I-15 is very curvy.

mapboy

>  Hwy. 138 between Summit and I-15 is very curvy.
It also sees a lot of boat-on-trailer traffic from folks going between I-15 and Lake Silverwood.

Kit Courter
Menefee, CA
LunarLight Photography