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TheConejo Grade is a 7%grade incline on a section of US 101 (theVentura Freeway). Also known as theCamarillo Grade,[1] it linksThousand Oaks and cities of theConejo Valley, withCamarillo and the cities on theOxnard Plain. With a summit elevation of 841.1 feet (256.4 m),California Highway Patrol inspection stations for trucks are situated on both sides of the highway at the upper terminus of the grade.[2]
TheConejo Mountain has functioned as a barrier by separatingVentura County into East County and West County.[3] Historically, the mountain was known for its manyjackrabbits and prickly pear cacti. The surrounding area was formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, a rare geological formation in Southern California. Within the traditional lands of theChumash people, they had a trading trail through the pass, and it later served as a trading route for farmers and their wagons down the Conejo Grade to theHueneme wharf. The grade experienced improvements by the newly established State Highway Department in 1912, when the road measured six miles (9.7 km) long and had 49 curves. Traffic kept increasing and the road was straightened and relocated in 1935. The new road was a mile shorter and only had twelve curves.[4]
Designated as part of the commemorative route ofEl Camino Real, the steep slope or grade was called the "cuesta del conejo" (slope of the rabbit).[5] Early European settlers in the Conejo Valley, known as theNorwegian Colony, needed a safe way to move bales of hay and sacks of wheat and barley to theHueneme Wharf on the Oxnard Plain. After several mishaps while hauling crops down here and at the Potrero grade, they decided to construct a new route into theSanta Rosa Valley. TheNorwegian Grade was carved out of a steep canyon hillside by members of the community and their hired help between 1900 and 1911.[6]
Land for the highway was originally part of theRancho El Conejo, with contributions fromAdolfo Camarillo. A road was in place by no later than 1929, as a re-alignment had been done then. Further widening and reduction ofblind curves occurred in the 1930s.[7]Caltrans worked on the current grade setup, when the highway was brought tofreeway standards in the 1950s.[8] Portions of the original highway continue to receive use as side roads.
By 2017, theNational Park Service has recorded a dozenmountain lions struck and killed by motorists on this section of freeway since 2002 when they began the study. Brother and sister, P-32 and P-33, crossed the freeway in 2015 and became the firstSanta Monica Mountains pumas with atracking collar to cross a freeway in six years.[9] A young male mountain lion, P-55, left the Santa Monica Mountains in 2017 by crossing the freeway on the grade during the night. The animals was wearing a tracking collar used by the National Park researchers studying the mountain lions in theSanta Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.[10] The proposedWallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is intended to primarily benefit the mountain lion population indigenous to the Santa Monica Mountains, which has declined due to the Ventura Freeway acting as a barrier in thewildlife corridor between theSimi Hills to the north and the Santa Monica Mountains to the south.[11] TheVentura County Transportation Commission,Caltrans, and theNational Park Service, with support from theNational Wildlife Federation, are considering building another wildlife crossing here to connect the natural habitat on both sides of the freeway.[12]
TheHill Fire temporarily closed the freeway on November 8, 2018, asSanta Ana winds pushed the fire to the south towardsNewbury Park andCalifornia State University Channel Islands. The fire was contained with minimal damage on November 16.[13] TheWoolsey Fire started the same day, closed the freeway nearOak Park, grew to over 98,362 acres (39,806 hectares), destroyed an estimated 616 structures, and killed three people.
34°12′1″N118°57′34″W / 34.20028°N 118.95944°W /34.20028; -118.95944