State Route 126 runs from U.S. Route 101 in Ventura to Interstate 5 in Santa Clarita. From 1964 until 2002, a second segment of Route 126 ran from I-5 to State Route 14 via Magic Mountain Parkway and San Fernando Road in Santa Clarita; it has since been decommissioned. This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System2 and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System3.
Route descriptionState Route 126 generally follows the Santa Clara River through the valley, passing through the towns of Fillmore and Santa Paula. The section connecting Santa Paula and Ventura is a freeway, with Route 126 becoming a four-lane throughway east of Santa Paula to its eastern terminus. It is legally known as the Santa Paula Freeway. The section through the city of Fillmore is known as Ventura Street and upon entering Los Angeles County west of Castaic, it is known as Henry Mayo Drive. State Route 126 is the main route from Ventura County to the San Joaquin Valley via Interstate 5. The section between the City of Santa Paula and I-5 is officially designated "The Korean War Veterans' Memorial Highway" The Santa Paula Freeway is a minor freeway in Ventura County. Ironically, the freeway connects Ventura to Santa Clarita, only passing through Santa Paula. There is occasionally confusion that the freeway ends in Santa Paula. It is signed as State Route 126 throughout its length. The freeway begins in Ventura at U.S. Route 101. It proceeds northeast through the city, and then through the agricultural area to its northeast, before entering Santa Paula and terminating at Hallock Drive east of State Route 150. SR 126 continues thereafter as Telegraph Road. HistoryIn the 1960s, the freeway was originally planned to continue all the way to the Antelope Valley Freeway in what is now Santa Clarita. In the face of anti-development pressure from Ventura County citizens, and suffering from severe financial problems as a result of the 1971 Sylmar earthquake and the late-1970s California tax revolt, Caltrans abandoned these plans. The only remnants of these plans are the two long ramps to and from the Antelope Valley Freeway at the Sierra Highway exit in Santa Clarita. Points of interest
Major intersections and exit list
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References
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