BajaNomad

History of the Baja California Hwy

TMW - 8-3-2011 at 10:05 AM

The Baja California Highway
Homer Aschmann

A paper from Fred Metcalf files.


In 1956 a remarkable individual road-making achievement was carried out. Arturo Gross, a part time miner, prospector, and mine promoter, and long a resident of the Laguna Chapala and Calamajué district was offered 10,000 pesos ($800) by the State government if he could drive his truck up the East Coast from Calamajué to San Felipe. Carrying a pick, shovel, and some blasting material he did it. Within weeks tourists followed with four-wheel-drive vehicles. The northern part of the road has been improved, and now there are tourist fishing camps on the formerly completely uninhabited coast.

Cardon Man - 8-3-2011 at 05:08 PM

Was Arturo Gross a Mexican National, a gringo, other?

David K - 8-3-2011 at 05:16 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Cardon Man
Was Arturo Gross a Mexican National, a gringo, other?


He was Mama Espinoza's oldest brother... founded Rancho Laguna Chapala and operated many gold mines in the region.

Baja Bucko - 8-3-2011 at 05:17 PM

I think he means Arturo Grosso-from Mama Espinoza's family....

HWY. 5

David K - 8-3-2011 at 05:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by TW
The Baja California Highway
Homer Aschmann

A paper from Fred Metcalf files.


In 1956 a remarkable individual road-making achievement was carried out. Arturo Grosso, a part time miner, prospector, and mine promoter, and long a resident of the Laguna Chapala and Calamajué district was offered 10,000 pesos ($800) by the State government if he could drive his truck up the East Coast from Calamajué to San Felipe. Carrying a pick, shovel, and some blasting material he did it. Within weeks tourists followed with four-wheel-drive vehicles. The northern part of the road has been improved, and now there are tourist fishing camps on the formerly completely uninhabited coast.


(the final o added to Gross, above)...

While it may have been years instead of weeks for tourists to flow to Gonzaga Bay, the Mexican government did follow Grosso's pilot Jeep trail a year after he blasted out and bulldozed the pilot road, but it was still very steep in many places and oly 4WDs, trucks and buggies were safe to use it to about the late 1970's. Lack of use (since the completion of Hwy. 1 in Dec. 1973) because Gonzaga traffic was all coming in from the south, caused it to become nearly impassable for several years.

In 1986, they rebuilt the 1957 road to 'near-highway' standards and for the first time, passenger cars could safely drive south from Puertecitos... Lack of maintenance made the newest road very difficult to drive after 2006. A new, 'super engineered' paved highway has been under construction south from Puertecitos since 2008 and has reached a point 24 miles from Puertecitos as of July, 2011.

[Edited on 8-4-2011 by David K]

motoged - 8-3-2011 at 09:59 PM

Thanks for the info...:saint:

TMW - 8-4-2011 at 09:02 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Baja Bucko
I think he means Arturo Grosso-from Mama Espinoza's family....


Yes I'm sure it was a typo in the paper.