State Route 108 (SR 108) is a
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
that runs from the
Central Valley and across the
Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primar ...
via the
Sonora Pass
Sonora Pass (el. 9,624 ft. / 2,933 m.) is a mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada in California. It is the second-highest in California and in the Sierra Nevada. lower by 321 ft. (about 98 m.) than Tioga Pass to the south. State Route 108 ...
. It generally runs northeast from downtown
Modesto
Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton ...
near the
SR 99/
SR 132 interchange, to
U.S. Route 395
U.S. Route 395 (US 395) is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canada–US border near Laurier, where the road ...
near the
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
state line. The route was once recommended to continue south of Modesto to
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...
, although today that portion exists as a county road. Parts of SR 108 are closed annually during the winter due to inclement weather along the summit.
Route description
State Route 108 begins in downtown
Modesto
Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton ...
at the junction of
SR 99 and
SR 132,
overlap
Overlap may refer to:
* In set theory, an overlap of elements shared between sets is called an intersection, as in a Venn diagram.
* In music theory, overlap is a synonym for reinterpretation of a chord at the boundary of two musical phrases
* O ...
ping SR 132 for several blocks northeast on L Street to 9th Street. There it splits into a short
one-way pair
A one-way pair, one-way couple, or couplet refers to that portion of a bi-directional traffic facilitysuch as a road, bus, streetcar, or light rail linewhere its opposing flows exist as two independent and roughly parallel facilities.
Descript ...
, with eastbound SR 108 turning southeast with SR 132 on 9th Street to K Street and then northeast to Needham Street; the westbound direction remains on L Street to Needham Street. After several blocks eastward on Needham Street, SR 108 reaches McHenry Avenue, which it follows north out of the city. There is no route marker eastbound indicating where the route turns left from 9th Street to K Street, nor is there a route marker indicating where the westbound traffic turns left from Needham Street to L Street.
From Modesto, SR 108 runs north along McHenry Avenue for about before turning eastward on Patterson Road to follow the
Stanislaus River
The Stanislaus River is a tributary of the San Joaquin River in north-central California in the United States. The main stem of the river is long, and measured to its furthest headwaters it is about long. Originating as three forks in the hig ...
east-northeast. In
Riverbank,
County Route J7 comes from the north and departs to the south after about a one-mile (1.6 km) co-routing. After following the river about , SR 108 passes straight through the heart of downtown
Oakdale.
At the main intersection in Oakdale,
SR 120 joins SR 108 from the north and they are co-signed as they continue northeast, climbing into the foothills and passing just south of
Knights Ferry. SR 120 brings with it the title Northern Yosemite Highway for this segment; with
State Route 140 being the middle route from the west and
State Route 41 being the southern route to
Yosemite
Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ar ...
. Just past Knights Ferry, SR 108 crosses from
Stanislaus County
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Images, from top down, left to right: Modesto Arch, Knights Ferry's General Store, a view of the Tuolumne River from Waterford
, image_flag =
, ...
into
Tuolumne County
Tuolumne County (), officially the County of Tuolumne, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,620. The county seat and only incorporated city is Sonora.
Tuolumne County comprises th ...
, and the road changes from two lanes to four-lane separated highway for about . This is advantageous as steep grade is located along this stretch of the road and the extra lanes are useful as passing lanes both ascending and descending the mountain range. About a mile after the end of the separated pavement,
La Grange Road (County road J59) heads south, passing just west of
Lake Don Pedro and meeting SR 132 near the town of
La Grange. Another eastward, at Yosemite Junction, SR 120 finally separates from SR 108 and heads southward toward to a co-routing with
State Route 49 through
Chinese Camp and across the upper end of Lake Don Pedro.
Another eastward, SR 49 joins from the south and is co-routed with SR 108 through
Jamestown and into
Sonora
Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into 72 municipalities; the ...
, where SR 49 departs to the north. SR 108 continues eastward and gains elevation as it passes through
Twain Harte,
Mi-Wuk Village, Long Barn, Cold Springs, Strawberry-
Pinecrest Lake and
Dodge Ridge Ski Area
Dodge Ridge Wintersports Area is a ski area near Pinecrest, California in Tuolumne County, off of Highway 108, east of Sonora. The resort is located in the Stanislaus National Forest and operates under a special use permit. Many skiers in No ...
, then on to
Dardanelle and Kennedy Meadow. SR 108 passes through
Alpine County
, other_name =
, settlement_type = County
, image_skyline =
, image_flag = Flag of Alpine County, California.svg
, flag_size =
, image_seal = Seal of Alpine Co ...
for approximately 0.8 miles immediately west of the
Sonora Pass
Sonora Pass (el. 9,624 ft. / 2,933 m.) is a mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada in California. It is the second-highest in California and in the Sierra Nevada. lower by 321 ft. (about 98 m.) than Tioga Pass to the south. State Route 108 ...
. At the pass, the highway crosses the summit of the
Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primar ...
and enters
Mono County
Mono County ( ) is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,195, making it the fourth-least populous county in California. The county seat is Bridgeport. The coun ...
, then descends past the
Mountain Warfare Training Center
The Mountain Warfare Training Center (MWTC) is a United States Marine Corps installation located in Pickel Meadows on California State Route 108 at above sea level in the Toiyabe National Forest, northwest of Bridgeport, California. The train ...
at Pickel Meadows, finally reaching the eastern terminus at Sonora Junction where it meets
U.S. Route 395
U.S. Route 395 (US 395) is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canada–US border near Laurier, where the road ...
. Sonora Pass usually closes during the winter months, often from November through as late as May.
SR 108 is part of the
California Freeway and Expressway System
The California Freeway and Expressway System is a system of existing or planned freeways and expressways in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses both State highways and federal highways in California. It is defined by Article 2 (comme ...
,
and west of the eastern junction with SR 49 is part of the
National Highway System,
a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program ...
.
SR 108 is eligible to be included in the
State Scenic Highway System,
but it is not officially designated as a scenic highway by the
California Department of Transportation
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is an executive department of the U.S. state of California. The department is part of the cabinet-level California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA). Caltrans is headquartered in Sacram ...
.
Major intersections
See also
*
References
External links
{{Attached KML, display=title,inline
Caltrans: Route 108 Road Conditions
108
State Route 108
State Route 108
State Route 108
Transportation in Modesto, California