U.S. Route 99W (central California)

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U.S. Route 99W was a short-lived alternate of U.S. Route 99 in the Central Valley of California, United States, running from north of Manteca via French Camp to Stockton. At the same time, from roughly 1929 to 1933,^[1] U.S. Route 99E ran to the east, having the same termini as US 99W.

US 99W ran along French Camp Road and El Dorado Street, while US 99E used present State Route 99 and Mariposa Road. The northern end of each in Stockton is unclear; it may have been at Charter Way and Wilson Way or at Harding Way and Wilson Way.^[2]

[edit] History

Prior to the establishment of the United States Numbered Highways in 1926, the main Los Angeles-Sacramento route, pre-1964 Legislative Route 4, ran from Manteca to Stockton via French Camp (later US 99W). At French Camp, pre-1964 Legislative Route 5 split to the southwest to reach the San Francisco Bay Area via Altamont Pass.^[3]^[4]^[5] The Lincoln Highway used Route 4 from Sacramento to French Camp and Route 5 over Altamont Pass.

In November 1926, Route 4 was defined as part of U.S. Route 99 and Route 5 (to San Jose) became U.S. Route 48.^[6] California's U.S. Routes were not marked until 1928,^[7] and US 99 had not yet been split into US 99E and US 99W.^[8]

Around 1929, Route 4 was realigned between north of Manteca and Stockton. This became US 99E, and the old route became US 99W. Route 5 was extended north from French Camp to Stockton, but US 48 continued to end at US 99W. US 48 became an extension of U.S. Route 50 ca. 1931, running concurrent with US 99 from Sacramento to Stockton and US 99W to French Camp.^[9] Around 1933, US 99W was dropped, and US 99E became part of US 99. Most of former US 99E is now part of State Route 99 but former US 99W has been bypassed by Interstate 5.