:California State Route 266

File:CA Route 266.JPG

SR 266 begins at the western terminus of SR 266 at the Nevada state line. The route travels west-northwest, then turns to the west for another {{convert|1.8|mi|km}} before approaching Oasis, the only community through which the route passes. At Oasis, SR 266 intersects SR 168, which serves as the gateway into the Owens Valley from Nevada. Upon leaving Oasis, SR 266 continues to the west briefly, then turns north-northwest. Within the last {{convert|7|mi|km}}, SR 266 slowly curves northwest as the route approaches the Nevada state line. The route ends at the state line at the southern terminus of SR 264. As the route has more connections to Nevada than the rest of California, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) have entered into a joint agreement on snow removal and other short term maintenance duties for the route.

The section of SR 266 from the western terminus to the junction with SR 168 is designated by the California State Legislature as eligible by law for the State Scenic Highway System;{{CA scenic}} but it is not officially designated as a scenic highway by Caltrans.{{Caltrans scenic|access-date=}} The entire route, consisting of two lanes for two-way traffic, traverses on the flat land in the Fish Lake Valley east of the White Mountains, and it can serve as transportation of agricultural goods between California and Nevada via the route's only junction (SR 168). In the event that SR 168 is closed, SR 266 connects to SR 264, which intersects with U.S. Route 6 (US 6) in order to provide an alternate access to California.{{cite web |url = http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist9/planning/docs/tcr_sr266.pdf |title = State Route 266 - Transportation Concept Report |date = June 2008 |publisher = California Department of Transportation }}

The southern half of modern SR 266 (from Oasis to SR 266 near Lida, Nevada) predates the era of numbered highways and formed part of the Midland Trail, one of the first auto trails crossing the entire country.{{cite web |last = Westgard |first = A.L. |title = Motor Routes to the California Expositions |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/westgard.cfm |work = Highway History |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |access-date = June 25, 2012 }} Construction for a road from Oasis to the Nevada state line to be added to the State Highway System was authorized in 1931. This road was initially designated Legislative Route 63 and later signed as SR 168.{{cite CAstat |year = 1931 |ch = 82 }}{{cite web |url = http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist9/planning/docs/tcr_sr168.pdf |title = State Route 168 Transportation Concept Report |access-date = January 30, 2012 |publisher = California Department of Transportation }} In 1965, Route 266 was designated incorporating what is the northern half of modern SR 266 connecting with modern SR 264, using the alignment of an existing Mono County road.{{cite CAstat |year = 1965 |ch = 1875 }} In 1986, the definition of SR 266 was extended to its modern form, with both termini at the Nevada state line, absorbing what was previously a portion of SR 168. With this change Nevada and California routes 266 connected at the state line.{{cite CAstat |year = 1986 |ch = 928 }}

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{{CAinttop|county=Mono|post_ref=
{{Caltrans bridgelog |date = July 2007 |access-date = February 10, 2008 }}{{cite web |title = All Traffic Volumes on CSHS |url = http://traffic-counts.dot.ca.gov/ |publisher = California Department of Transportation |year = 2005–2006 |access-date = February 10, 2008 }}

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{{CAint

|location=none

|postmile=0.00

|road={{jct|state=NV|SR|266|to2=1|US|95|dir1=east}}

|notes=Continuation into Nevada; southern end of SR 266

}}

{{CAint

|location=Oasis

|ctdab=Mono

|postmile=4.30

|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|168|dir1=west|city1=Big Pine}}

|notes=

}}

{{CAint

|location=none

|postmile=11.72

|road={{jct|state=NV|SR|264|to2=1|US|6|dir1=north|city1=Dyer}}

|notes=Continuation into Nevada; northern end of SR 266

}}

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{{CASR external links|SR|266}}

• [http://www.aaroads.com/california/ca-266.html California @ AARoads.com - State Route 266]
• [http://www.cahighways.org/265-272.html#266 California Highways: SR 266]

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State Route 266