The Old Ridge Route, a historic route that runs from Castaic to Gorman and is parallel to Interstate 5, is getting a makeover on its 110th year of existence.
Opened in 1915, the route was considered the predecessor for “the section of the I-5 we now refer to as the Grapevine,” according to Sydney Croasmun, public relations director of the Ridge Route Preservation Organization.
According to Croasmun, the organization is focused on the restoration of a once integral part of California climate, where the role of the road was to unite a “physically, politically and economically split California,” according to Croasmun.
Atop the mountains where model Ts once traveled, 6 miles of the road are in the process of restoration work started Friday by SoCal Gas. The process is expected to take up to a week, according to Croasmun.
The Ridge Route Preservation Organization has focused on fully reopening the road — one that hasn’t been largely maintained since 1933. Until then, the organization, in addition to SoCal Gas, will focus on restoring the parts of the road that are open to the public by filling potholes, as well as ensuring that the road does not crumble by adding the support of asphalt, according to Croasmun.
“[With SoCal Gas] doing so, they ensure easy access to their pipelines, while keeping the road passable for future generations to see the historic road firsthand,” Croasmun said. “The Ridge Route Preservation Organization has been working on this for a while, and we’re really thankful to SoCal Gas for providing the materials and crew to do the repairs.”
The crew will repair the north end of the road, which is the open section from Gorman.
“So that makes it a lot more accessible to the public, to anybody who’s interested in history, and most importantly, to the fire department and emergency services. It also allows SoCal gas to get up there and repair their pipelines quickly. So it’s kind of a win-win for everybody,” Croasmun said.
The organization started the “Pothole Project” in December 2023, when it approached SoCal Gas maintenance workers who happened to be doing work on the road.
“We were up there doing a drive-through of the road to make sure it was OK after a windstorm, and they were up there doing work on their fire roads that go down to the pipeline. So we just ran into their foreman and sat there and talked for a little bit about the road and what the work they’re doing. It was kind of by chance, but it worked out perfectly,” Croasmun said.
