Old Roadbed Along the Eel River

Posted by Stephen Phillips (San Francisco, United States) on 21 November 2008 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.

This was my favorite section of the old Redwood Highway (California State Highway 101) - as it snaked along the South Fork of the Eel River in southern Humboldt County, California.

A new high-speed highway replaced this section a couple of decades back - and I have wanted to document this crumbling and deteriorating roadway for some while. Built by the historic 'Works Project Administration' under President Franklin Roosevelt - this was a masterpiece of engineering design and construction. Today, it is slowly being re-claimed by the mountain it once tamed.

( series: one of six )

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Comments (11)

Zygene from morlaix, France

Il ne doit plus y passer beaucoup de monde sur cette vieille route ?

21 Nov 2008 5:28am

@Zygene: Oh, mon Dieu - je ne pouvais pas tout à fait traduire votre note. Si vous vous posez sur la façon dont on traverse maintenant ici:
Une grande partie de la montagne a été coupé et emporté de sorte que la route pourrait passer ici est de - une distance plus courte qui passe par ce lieu.

Paco Díaz from Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Great document! I think nobody goes by this road, and it's a very interesting photo.
I expect to see the next five.

21 Nov 2008 6:39am

@Paco Díaz: Thanks for stopping by and the comment.

yz from Budapest, Hungary

Yes, nature takes back everything - it is just a matter of time. Nice capture!

21 Nov 2008 8:04am

Betty from New Jersey, United States

Very well captured. Looking forward to the series on this highway. Looks like it's not used hardly at all!

21 Nov 2008 10:57am

@Betty: Not used a bit, Betty.This section has been closed for about twenty years. It has been by-passed by a new road on a new route. There are no homes or towns nearby - so not even a jogger is seen here.

Lorraine from Gatineau, Canada

What a beautiful road, the curve is splendid :)

21 Nov 2008 3:51pm

Calusarus from St Sorlin en Valloire, France

I't like a road after a storm, or an earthquake.

21 Nov 2008 5:30pm

gbe from kansas city, United States

great composition. and i like this time - you expressed it better than i can, but that period when the built world is clear, but beginning to be reclaimed.

21 Nov 2008 6:53pm

Observing from West Cheshire, United Kingdom

A lovely stretch of historic mountain road, maybe the only traffic these day's are joggers !

21 Nov 2008 9:16pm

@Observing: Not a town - not even a home is around here - so even a jogger would be a surprise.

Alun Lambert from cheshire, United Kingdom

very good shot

21 Nov 2008 10:56pm

Suzanne from Huntington Bch, United States

Beautiful photo, Stephen. I vaguely recall going on that road with my parents...many many years ago.

22 Nov 2008 4:40am

@Suzanne: Wow. I know that traveling along here - even now - creates and unforgettable impression. How old would you have likely been?

JJ from Jersey City, United States

wonderful capture of the decaying road, I much prefer the old roads than the big highways myself

22 Nov 2008 8:16pm

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