Highway 40 bridge construction, Colfax, 1938

This 1938 photo shows the construction for Highway 40 overpass that crosses the Union Pacific Railroad line, just north of downtown Colfax. In 1963 the State renamed this section Route 174, which took traffic away from the downtown run the Lincoln Highway had made and allowed traffic to skirt the downtown area and proceed more quickly to Grass Valley and beyond.

Map of area.

The above map shows the Lincoln Highway route, in purple, and the site of the Highway 40 bridge. The Quonset huts were a motel made from a series of surplus Quonset huts leftover from WWII. Here is a link to an article about the motel.

Photo: Donner Summit Historical Society, Norm Sayler collection.

Highway 40 Construction

A couple of beautiful photos showing the construction of Highway 40 between the towns of Rocklin and Roseville, Placer County, California. The first thing I noticed is the lack of any warning equipment or cones. I'm not sure if the cars even slowed down whizzing by.

Close up showing the workers shoveling rock and laying down pavement.,

The Lincoln Highway became Highway 40 in 1927, as all named roads started to be numbered. Once automobiles got faster and more numerous new construction took place. This section was laid down with

Close up of the right side of the photo.

The following photo shows the same highway construction but from a different angle.

The following photo shows a monument in Ophir recognizing the importance of these two highways, the Lincoln and Highway 40. What your looking at is a cross-section of the two roads concrete roadbeds. The Lincoln Highway had 4-inch thick concrete while Highway 40 was placed on top and was 6 inches thick. You can still ride on the old pavement today.

Black and White photos generously loaned by the Placer County Museums.