California State Route 198

The road begins at a remote interchange with US 101 south of King City in the Salinas River Valley. Leaving US 101, SR 198 passes through the Priest Valley, climbs the Diablo Range as a two-lane road and crosses over an unnamed pass. It then descends along Warthan Canyon to the town of Coalinga in the agricultural Central Valley, where it briefly runs concurrently with SR 33 and crosses the Anticline Ridge. On both sides of Coalinga the road passes through the enormous Coalinga Oil Field.{{google maps|url=https://maps.google.com/maps?q=California+198,+California&hl=en&ll=36.197742,-120.044861&spn=1.061656,2.469177&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.352165,79.013672&t=h&geocode=FZGvKQIdgQPc-A&hnear=California+198,+California&z=9|title=State Route 198|access-date=21 July 2012}}

SR 198 then intersects Interstate 5 (I-5) in Fresno County near the Harris Ranch Airport before becoming a freeway west of Lemoore. The landscape becomes a bit less rural as it goes through Hanford and passes near the Hanford Municipal Airport, where it continues as a four-lane expressway from the intersection with SR 43 until SR 198 encounters a freeway-to-freeway interchange with SR 99 as it enters Visalia, the largest city it passes through, and goes by the Visalia Municipal Airport. It remains a freeway until east of Visalia, intersecting SR 65 and passing by College of the Sequoias. SR 198 starts to climb the forested Sierra Nevada and ends at the Sequoia National Park boundary, near Lake Kaweah, where the road continues through the park as the Generals Highway. This is one of the main routes providing access to Sequoia National Park, the other being SR 180 to the north.{{cite web|title=Directions – Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks|url=http://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/directions.htm|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=21 July 2012|author=Staff}}

SR 198 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System,{{CAFESystem}} and east of I-5 is part of the National Highway System,{{FHWA NHS map|region=californiasouth|access-date=September 16, 2017}} a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.{{FHWA NHS}} SR 198 is eligible to be included in the State Scenic Highway System,{{CA scenic}} but it is not officially designated as a scenic highway by the California Department of Transportation.{{Caltrans scenic|access-date=September 16, 2017}}

All of SR 198 was added to the state highway system in the three bond issues floated to pay for the construction of the system. The first bond issue, approved by the state's voters in 1910, included the road from Visalia west to Hanford, connecting the two county seats with the central north–south highway (Route 4, now SR 99). As part of the 1916 bond issue, the route was extended west from Hanford through Coalinga to the coast trunk highway (Route 2, now US 101) near San Lucas, and assigned it the Route 10 designation. The third bond issue, passed in 1919, included a further extension east from Visalia to Sequoia National Park.Howe & Peters, [https://books.google.com/books?id=G0w7AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA3#PRA1-PA3,M1 Engineers' Report to California State Automobile Association Covering the Work of the California Highway Commission for the Period 1911-1920], pp. 11-16 The entire length of Route 10 was marked as Sign Route 198 in 1934,{{cite journal |first = T.H. |last = Dennis |date = August 1934 |url = https://archive.org/details/californiahighwa193436calirich/page/n275/mode/2up/ |title = State Routes Will Be Numbered and Marked with Distinctive Bear Signs |journal = California Highways and Public Works |volume = 11 |issue = 8 |pages = 20–21, 32 |issn = 0008-1159 |via = Archive.org }} and this number was adopted legislatively in the 1964 renumbering.{{cite CAstat|year=1963|ch=385|p=1185}} The portion east of Interstate 5 near Coalinga was added to the California Freeway and Expressway System in 1959,{{cite CAstat|year=1959|ch=1062|p=3112}}: "Route 10 from Route 238 [I-5] near Coalinga to Sequoia National Park." and parts of it have been built as such. The construction of the freeway east of Visalia to Road 192 was approved in January 1961, with the remainder of the freeway unplanned at that time as contingent on the routing of SR 65.{{cite news|title=Highway Route 198 East of Visalia Is Approved|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=20 January 1961|pages=27}} The projected cost in 1958 of the entire freeway east of Visalia was $13 million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|13000000|1958|r=2}}}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}}) and was scheduled to be completed by 1964.{{cite web|title=$13 Million Freeway Outlined|work=Los Angeles Times|pages=24|date=19 September 1958}} The freeway through Visalia was completed by 1965, with an expressway connecting it to US 99. Also completed was the expressway heading west out of Hanford, with part of it access-controlled west of Lemoore.{{cite map|title=California State Highways|publisher=California Division of Highways|year=1961}}{{cite map|title=California|publisher=Shell Oil Company|year=1965}}

Construction began in November 2009 on a project to widen a two-lane, {{Convert|10|mi|km|adj=on}} section of SR 198 between SR 43 and SR 99 into a four-lane expressway. The $60 million project was completed in December 2012.{{cite news | url=http://www.hanfordsentinel.com/news/local/caltrans-celebrates-hanford-expressway-opening/article_38e84e1c-4a19-11e2-bc21-0019bb2963f4.html | title=Caltrans celebrates Hanford Expressway opening | work=The Sentinel | date=December 19, 2012 | access-date=December 19, 2012 | author=Eiman, Mark | location=Hanford, California}}

The Kings County Association of Governments has plans to improve the state highways within the county. Developers are interested in building distribution warehouses in Kings County because of its strategic location midway between the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas, but they are currently turned off by the lack of freeway access. For SR 198, the plan is to extend the freeway segment from Naval Air Station Lemoore to I-5. However, Kings County voters have shown little interest in passing any transportation taxes to fund these projects.{{cite web | url=http://hanfordsentinel.com/news/local/road-map-for-the-future/article_f1222a8e-17e1-11e3-9878-001a4bcf887a.html | title=Road map for the future? | first=Seth | last=Nidever | work=The Sentinel | date=September 7, 2013 | access-date=March 23, 2016}}

{{CAinttop|exit|post_ref=
{{Caltrans bridgelog|date=July 2007}}California Department of Transportation, [http://traffic-counts.dot.ca.gov/ All Traffic Volumes on CSHS], 2005 and 2006|exit_ref=
California Department of Transportation, California Numbered Exit Uniform System, [http://www.dot.ca.gov/trafficops/exit/docs/198.pdf State Route 198 Freeway Interchanges], Retrieved on 2009-02-07.

}}

{{CAint|exit

|county=Monterey

|cspan=3

|county_note=MON R0.00-25.79

|location=San Lucas

|lspan=2

|postmile=R0.00

|exit=

|road=Lockwood-San Lucas Road, Bunte Road

|notes=Continuation beyond US 101

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=R0.11

|exit=

|road={{Jct|state=CA|US|101}}

|notes=Interchange; west end of SR 198; US 101 exit 273

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=none

|postmile=14.00

|exit=

|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|25|dir1=north|location1=Pinnacles National Park|city2=Hollister}}

|notes=Southern terminus of SR 25

}}

{{CAint|exit

|county=Fresno

|cspan=5

|county_note=FRE 0.00-42.73

|location=Coalinga

|lspan=2

|postmile=22.37

|road={{Jct|state=CA|road|Polk Street|SR|33|dir2=south|to2=yes|city1=Stratford|city2=Taft}}

}}

{{CAint|exit

|type=concur

|postmile=22.65

|line=yes

|postmile2=15.71Indicates that the postmile represents the distance along SR 33 rather than SR 198.

|exit=

|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|33|dir1=south|to2=yes|I|5|dir2=south|name1=Fifth Street|road|Coalinga Plaza (Fifth Street)}}

|notes=West end of SR 33 overlap

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=none

|type=concur

|postmile=24.32

|line=yes

|postmile2=22.66

|exit=

|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|33|dir1=north|to2=yes|I|5|dir2=north|name1=Coalinga-Mendota Road|city1=Mendota|city2=Los Banos|city3=Fresno|road|Shell Road}}

|notes=East end of SR 33 overlap

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=none

|postmile=26.81

|exit=

|road={{Jct|state=CA|I|5|name1=West Side Freeway|city1=Sacramento|city2=Los Angeles}}

|notes=Interchange; I-5 exit 334

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=none

|postmile=34.66

|exit=

|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|269|name1=Lassen Avenue|location1=Five Points|city2=Huron}}

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|county=Kings

|cspan=18

|county_note=KIN 0.00-28.33

|location=Lemoore Station

|lspan=4

|postmile=3.01

|exit=

|road=Lemoore NAS (Reeves Boulevard)

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=none

|place=West end of freeway

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=4.99

|pmspan=2

|exit=73

|espan=2

|road=Stratford (Jackson Avenue)

|notes=Eastbound signage

}}

{{CAint

|mile=none

|road=Avenal (Avenal Cutoff Road)

|notes=Westbound signage

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=Lemoore

|lspan=3

|postmile=R8.90

|exit=77

|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|41|city1=Lemoore|city2=Paso Robles|city3=Fresno}}

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=none

|exit=78

|road=19th Avenue

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=R10.56

|exit=79

|road=18th Avenue, Lemoore Avenue – Central Lemoore

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=none

|postmile=R12.11

|exit=81

|road=Houston Avenue, D Street – Lemoore

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=Armona

|lspan=2

|postmile=R14.77

|exit=83

|road=14th Avenue – Armona

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=R15.75

|exit=84

|road=Hanford-Armona Road, 13th Avenue – Armona

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=Hanford

|lspan=7

|postmile=R16.91

|exit=85

|road=12th Avenue

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|type=incomplete

|postmile=R17.91

|exit=86

|road=11th Avenue

|notes=Eastbound exit and westbound entrance

}}

{{CAint|exit

|type=incomplete

|postmile=R18.3

|exit=87A

|road=Redington Street – Central Hanford

|notes=Westbound exit and entrance

}}

{{CAint|exit

|type=incomplete

|postmile=R18.51

|exit=87

|road=Douty Street – Central Hanford

|notes=No westbound exit

}}

{{CAint|exit

|type=incomplete

|postmile=R18.96

|exit=87B

|road=10th Avenue

|notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=none

|place=Short gap in freeway

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=R20.98

|exit=89

|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|43|city1=Selma|city2=Corcoran}}

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=none

|postmile=none

|place=East end of freeway

}}

{{CAint|exit

|county=Tulare

|cspan=17

|county_note=TUL 0.00-44.16

|location=none

|postmile=none

|place=West end of freeway

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=Visalia

|lspan=9

|postmile=R3.83

|exit=101

|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|99|city1=Los Angeles|city2=Sacramento}}

|notes=Signed as exits 101A (south) and 101B (north) westbound; former US 99; SR 99 north exits 96-97, south exit 97

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=R4.80

|exit=102

|road=Plaza Drive (CR J19)

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=5.76

|exit=103

|road=Shirk Road

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=6.76

|exit=104

|road=Akers Street

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=7.76

|exit=105A

|road=Demaree Street

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|type=concur

|postmile=R8.75

|exit=105B

|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|63|dir1=south|name1=Mooney Boulevard|city1=Tulare}}

|notes=West end of SR 63 overlap

}}

{{CAint|exit

|type=concur

|postmile=R9.97

|exit=107A

|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|63|dir1=north|name1=Court Street|city1=Cutler|city2=Orosi|city3=Kings Canyon|city4=Central Visalia}}

|notes=East end of SR 63 overlap

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=R10.73

|exit=107B

|road=Ben Maddox Way – Woodlake

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=R11.72

|exit=108

|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|216|dir1=east|name1=Lovers Lane / CR J15|city1=Visalia}}

|notes=Western terminus of SR 216

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=none

|postmile=R13.74

|exit=110

|road=Road 156 – Ivanhoe

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=Farmersville

|postmile=R14.65

|exit=111

|road=Farmersville Boulevard (CR J23)

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=none

|postmile=none

|place=East end of freeway

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=none

|postmile=R18.76

|exit=

|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|65|dir1=south|name1=Road 196 / CR J27|city1=Exeter|city2=Lindsay|city3=Porterville}}

|notes=Northern terminus of SR 65 south segment

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=none

|postmile=R19.76

|exit=

|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|245|dir1=north|city1=Woodlake|city2=Kings Canyon|road|Road 204}}

|notes=Southern terminus of SR 245

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=Lemon Cove

|postmile=27.96

|exit=

|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|216|dir1=west|city1=Woodlake}}

|notes=Eastern terminus of SR 216

}}

{{Jctint|exit

|location_special=Sequoia National Park boundary

|postmile=44.16

|exit=

|road=Generals Highway

|notes=East end of SR 198; continuation beyond the Sequoia National Park boundary

|

}}

{{Jctbtm|col=6|keys=concur,incomplete}}

{{reflist|group="N"}}

• {{portal-inline|California Roads}}

{{reflist|30em}}

{{commons category}}

{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}

{{CASR external links|SR|198}}

• [http://www.aaroads.com/california/ca-198.html California @ AARoads.com - State Route 198]
• [http://www.cahighways.org/193-200.html#198 California Highways: SR 198]

{{good article}}

198

State Route 198

State Route 198

State Route 198

State Route 198

198

Category:Streets in Visalia, California

Category:Transportation in Visalia, California

Category:U.S. Route 99