California Roads - CA 111/old US 99

CA 111 and former US 99


All photos on CA 111 were taken heading southbound.


CA 111 is historic US 99 in two spots: Calexico and Indio. These photos are in Indio, with northward views of the Little San Bernardino Mountains.


US 99 followed former and current CA 86 out of Indio on the west side of Salton Sea, while CA 111 goes around the east side. They run parallel for a long time until 86 finally gives up and comes over to end in Heber. US 99 is here represented as the CA 111 SB service road on its bridge over the Central Main Canal into Calexico. The distance sign has the border 3 miles away and San Felipe 126 miles away. San Felipe, CA is 91 miles west and back north on a county road, so this must be to the city in Baja California.


All of these photos are approaching CA 98. The easterly border crossing to send trucks around the center of Mexicali opened in 1996, which is about right for the vintage of this sign. (CA 7 wasn't completed up to I-8 until 2005.) The END shield for trucks is poorly placed, as it implies the truck route ends to the left and right. It ends ahead. Trucks should turn. México is in the distance, represented by Sierra Cucapá.


CA 98 WB has its own 1996-era sign. It makes sense to sign I-8 as part of the 1996-2005 truck routing from the border.


At 7th St., what else was once on this gantry?


Your last chance to turn away is 2nd St. Actually, now everyone has to turn away, because the border crossing was shifted west to César Chávez Blvd. to provide more room.


As of 2014, this is what it was like to continue straight toward México. Unfortunately, I could not get a photo of any Mexican-standard sign from the U.S. side before U-turning. I think the monetary warnings are reminding travelers not to come back from México with large sums of money, because there would be no reason to declare to US Customs on the way out.

More old US 99 photos in Inperial County
Back north on old US 99 to CA 86


To I-8
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