Resurrection of a 1959 plan to construct a freeway along the Sierra Nevada foothills in California's Central Valley is in the works.
Originally laid out in the state highway system as Highway 65 but never constructed, the proposed 'Foothill Freeway' is being revisited thanks to efforts by the current San Joaquin Valley Blueprint, a group which meets to discuss vision for the multi-county region, whose population is expected to grow at a high rate in the next 50 years. Extending from Exeter in Tulare County to Chowchilla in Madera County, proponents of Highway 65 say it will be the solution to alleviate north-south traffic from the region's main arterial, Highway 99. However, opponents of the revisited plan say that it will be yet another instrument to further facilitate urban sprawl in the Central Valley, especially in the foothills which have not been tainted by intensive development at this time. In a region struggling with air quality issues and lacking in mass transportation, many wonder, is yet another freeway the right option?
Thanks to Danielle Thiesen
