Highway 50 Corridor

I mean it’s a freeway with no traffic (so far) on a Friday evening. Heck yea you get 5 stars!

I honestly have a fondness for Highway 50 because it connects my work to Downtown Sacramento, Sacramento to Folsom and Folsom to Lake Tahoe. Can you ask for more from one Highway?!
Currently we here in Sacramento are experiencing «carmageddon part two» for the next two months as work is done to retrofit part of the Highway 50 bridge near downtown Sacramento. Because of this, the affected part of Highway 50 should be avoided during peak commute times. Even at lunch there was a small but inconvenient backup. Fortunately only one side of the highway will be affected at any given time from April 22^nd to May 21^st 2014.
I really love this Highway as it connects with all the other major Highways in the area and connects one side of Sacramento to the other. And most importantly, connects my work to the heart of Sacramento (and some of my favorite restaurants). Long live Highway 50!

How to rate a highway? What once was a marvel of modern engineering is now a slightly uneven, heavily trafficked and occasionally potholed busy thoroughfare (at least the Sacramento portion) that has become the bane of local commuters. But with great highways come great vistas, and once you get past the headaches related to big-​city driving, you will discover the stunning beauty of the Lake Tahoe region. Miles and miles of breathtaking mountain ranges, shimmering lakes and roaring rivers will fold out before you as you climb higher in elevation. It’s a classic highway that makes you appreciate all the effort that went into its construction so long ago. If the larger portions could get some more TLC from the powers that be, Highway 50 would be my favored route while cruising around my region.

Signage Clusterf*ck, But Fun Sentiment
SITREP
So the «spirit» of the Highway 50 route extends out to West Sacramento where you see the mileage sign that indicates the terminus of Highway 50 in Ocean City, MD:
The problem is that clear signage for Highway 50 doesn’t really start until the freeway interchange in the middle of downtown Sacramento where North Business 80 is switched over to South Highway 99, and West Business 80 is switched over to East Highway 50 (the subject of this review)
THE SETUP
Highway 50 is the stretch of road that extends all the way from West Sacramento to 3073 miles away to 50’s terminus in Ocean City, MD.
And I love Ocean City, MD. I love the boardwalk, I love the beach, I love watching the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean, I love the vibe of an early beach city. When I loved in Washington, D.C., it was the shores of Ocean City that beckoned me to the Atlantic Ocean, and I miss both the city and the ocean.
CALI-​50
For me though, Highway 50 is basically the corridor that I drive when I want to get from downtown Sacramento to Historic Folsom, and to lovely Sienna in the El Dorado Foothills, and to the delicious orchards & wineries of Apple Hill.
ROAD CONDITION
I have to say that I don’t see Highway 50 always in a state of disrepair like I do I-​80 or I-​680 when heading to the Bay Area, and for that I’m thankful.
THE LOWDOWN
Highway 50 is the stalwart, meat & potatoes highway that connects the Sacramento Valley with Nevada and all points beyond.

This is a great road. Like the 80 it is one of those roads you use so much it is familiar without thinking about it. Highway 50 runs east from West Sacramento to the Nevada border. It spans over 3500 miles and incorporates Sacramento, the outlying cities like Rancho Cordova, Folsom, El Dorado Hills to the foothills of Cameron Park, Shingle Springs and Placerville to the hills of the Sierra Nevada up to the Tahoe basin and finally to the NV Border. It is generally clean and well maintained as well as patrolled by the CHP heavily. It is home to trucks and cars but not nearly as many trucks as the I-​80. It has 3 – 4 lanes each direction depending on the stretch. Over the years it has been expanded especially in the foothills, has seen maintenance of it get more funding especially in the last 5 years, and seems to have adjusted to carpool lanes well. For some this road makes you like you are on autopilot, for others they are sign watchers learning their way (and it is easy to do on this well marked highway). One can forget how pretty some stretches are like coming down into El Dorado Hills/​Folsom area or the breathtaking Tahoe scenes but for others it is merely a city to city drive. With all complaints aside, it is a road well traveled and best enjoyed no matter where it takes you.

This Highway is not The 50, but it does follow the Pioneer Branch of the old Lincoln Highway.
The US 50 corridor is a historic one, used by many 49ers who came to California during the Gold Rush as well as the Pony Express. Gayle also remembers taking a shortcut at Pollock Pines to US 88 (aka Alternate US 50 because of seasonal flooding of the American River Canyon). That would be Sly Park Road (aka Mormon Emigrant Trail), which is closed in the winter, and is a scenic alternative to the Hope Valley.
Like Olivia L., I don’t like this road around Cameron Park or within Downtown Sacramento. But once you’re past Placerville (going East), this is a wonderfully scenic and diverse road, which ends at the top of the the ultimate highway «Roller Coaster» (Echo Summit). I also like the various areas along the river, gateway views of the Desolation Wilderness, and around Kyburz, Strawberry, and Twin Bridges. It’s also a road that demands respect and prudent precaution, even in the best of weather or use of passing lanes.

Highway 50 is a long road … and now it’s a long road paved to hell — and I’m not sure whether or not Caltrans has good intentions. I’m boot-​stompin’, tire-​kickin’ mad about the situation and feel completely hopeless (save for Unilocal) to do anything about it.
So, if you have driven any stretch of this freeway, between Cameron Park and San Francisco, you know what I’m talking about.
Your average motorist has now gone into either stunt driver mode avoiding potholes (and we’ve gotten quite good at this), or off-​roading enthusiast as we wait and wait … and WAIT for Caltrans to freaking put back together the roads they have torn up.
The clincher: I blew a tire right on 50 right before Sunrise. Not sure if you’ve ever had the opportunity to experience this kind of fun, but I highly recommend it if you need a little terror in your world — and if you need to drop a couple hundred bucks on something super exciting like big rubber balls.
Clincher #2: If blowing a tire wasn’t enough … now there is what I’m calling the Little Grand Canyon, westbound on 50, right around El Dorado Hills. Every time I drive over this, my car’s front bumper bottoms out and slams against the nicely rutted and grooved pavement. This little daily event causes me to curse for the next half mile. JERKS! OTHER EXPLICATIVE!!! AND ANOTHER ONE!!! ONE MORE FOR KICKS! And still, all the cursing in the world won’t fix whatever is now rattling on my car.
Hey Caltrans, are you going to reimburse me —- and every other driver — for the damage you’ve done?