This set of pictures was taken in October 1986, soon after
this
old stretch of US101 was replaced. This part of US101, from Cochrane Road
to
Ford Road, was the official US101 before 1985. The accident rate was high. At first there was only one traffic
light
from Ford Road to Cochrane Road, then there were about seven. The
road
was
three lanes wide (total), then was widened to a four lane highway
with a concrete divider. Also this section of US101 was "blood alley." I first saw it in September 1980 when I first moved to California. It was slow in places but it was not jammed up. Also there were a lot of fruit stands at the side of the road. The freeway replaced a
part
of Monterey Road South of Cochrane in 1973 down to Monterey Street south of Gilroy. The north section of 85 was built at the same time.
In 1989 the US101 shields were removed and the speed limit
increased
from 50 MPH to 55 MPH from Peebles Ave in Morgan Hill to Blossom Hill Road. In April 1995
the
speed limit was briefly 55 MPH from Blossom Hill to Cochrane, but the
last
bit of Monterey Road North of Cochrane is probably too congested for
that.
The US101 shields did not have a direction sign with them. I've replaced these sets but I will keep the old photos up because
people still look at them.
Just north of Palm Ave, and this stand is long gone.
This is taken halfway between Palm Ave and Metcalf Road.
More
Monterey Road Pics
US101
Index Page
Monterey Highway
Index Page
Home