 |
| Landmark #845 | Imperial County | Visited: Sept. 16, 2013 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | The remains of a plank road that made it possible to cross the mighty Algodones Dunes between Yuma and San Diego! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: This unique plank road, seven miles long, was the only means early motorists had of crossing the treacherous Imperial sand dunes. The 8-by-12-foot sections were moved with a team of horses whenever the shifting sands covered portions of the road. Double sections were placed at intervals to permit vehicles to pass.
OTHER TIDBITS: Before the plank road was installed, westbound motorists had to go through Mexico or Brawley to reach San Diego, which cost border town business a lot of money, and even meant some motorists bypassed San Diego altogether and went to Los Angeles! Something had to be done! Cars started crossing the dunes on a path made of brush, but the brush was far too fragile and became a serious problem! In 1915, Edwin Boyd concocted a plan to use interchangeable wooden planks that could be reshaped as the dunes shifted, but the desert proved too harsh for this project! Ed Fletcher suggested the second plank road the next year and used a similar design but built it on top of oiled earth! This road lasted much longer than its predecessor, but it required constant maintenance and ultimately lost the battle with the dunes! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
|
| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: Grays Well Road 3.3 mi west from I-8, eastbound (P.M. 77.4) 18 mi W of Winterhaven, CA 92283 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~256mi (412km) — 4.3hrs |
| When should I go? | You can visit whenever you like, but since there are no lights here, you’ll want to go during the daytime! |
