Grapevine, California | |
|---|---|
 The Grapevine, looking south (2009) | |
  Grapevine Location in California Show map of California Grapevine Grapevine (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:34°56′28″N118°55′52″W / 34.941°N 118.931°W /34.941; -118.931 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Kern County |
| Elevation | 1,499 ft (457 m) |
| ZIP code | 93243 |
| Area code | 661 |
| Official name | Top of Grapevine Pass[2] |
| Reference no. | 283 |
Grapevine is anunincorporated community inKern County, California, United States, at the southern end of theSan Joaquin Valley.[1] The small village is directly adjacent toInterstate 5 and consists mainly ofgas stations,motels and other roadside services. At an elevation of 1,499 feet (457 m),[1] the community is located at the foot of a grade known asthe Grapevine that lies inGrapevine Canyon through theTejon Pass.
The village and grade are named for the canyon the trail passed through, after the wildgrapes that grow along the original road.[3] Its Spanish name isLa Cañada de las Uvas, that is,Grapevine Ravine.[4]
TheZIP Code is 93243, and the community is insidearea code 661. A post office operated at Grapevine from 1923 to 1960.[5] The community ofWheeler Ridge lies three miles north of Grapevine on Interstate 5, withLebec nine miles south.
Before the road was straightened and widened during 1933–34 by the three-laneRidge Route Alternate (US 99), the Grapevine was infamous for its high accident rate. There are escape ramps branching off both sides of the downward part of the road for heavy trucks whose brakes fail on this five mile long, 6% grade, 1600-foot ascent - and now straight - grade.[citation needed]
The Grapevine is subject to severe weather and closure to traffic in winter. The stretch of I-5 through the Grapevine and the Tejon Pass is sometimes closed by theCalifornia Highway Patrol,[6] generally because of the icy conditions combined with the steep grade of the pass, and the high volume of traffic during the winter holidays. Occasionally, heavy rains will cause mud and rockslides, closing the freeway.[7] The Highway Patrol is also concerned, especially with the large number ofbig-rigs that pass through, that just one accident in the icy or snowy conditions might force traffic to slow down or come to a complete stop, leaving hundreds of vehicles stalled at once.[8] Whenever there is such a closure, traffic must either wait for it to reopen, or endure a slow multi-hour detour.[9][10]
The top of the Grapevine is registered asCalifornia Historical Landmark #283, whereDon Pedro Fages passed through in 1772 during his explorations through California.[2]
TheTejon Ranch Company is planning further development in the area, which it identified as at "the northern base of theInterstate 5 grapevine, starting at thefoothills in the southernmost portion of theSan Joaquin Valley, extending parallel to theTejon Ranch Commerce Center along I-5".[11] A company spokesman said the development would result in 12,000 to 14,000 homes and 5.1 million square feet of commercial development.[12] In addition, the company has identified seven thousand additional acres for a development to be called Grapevine North.[11]
[Highway Patrol Officer John Lutz] adds that the Highway Patrol regards this short-term closure as routine: "This happens nearly every year"
the California Highway Patrol on Tuesday strongly defended its decision to cut traffic off, saying that the icy road surface, steep grade of the Tejon Pass and heavy post-holiday traffic volume made the Grapevine simply too dangerous to navigate.
If an accident forces traffic to slow or come to a complete stop, and snow continues to fall, hundreds of vehicles can become stalled at once. The Tejon Pass is particularly vulnerable because of its steep hills and the number of big-rigs that travel on it
