Threatened: Stone Guard Rail, Highway 20 Corridor, Clearlake Oaks, CA.

Stone guard rail along Highway 20.  Photo by Thomas Eddy

Whether written, cast, etched, or built in, stone evokes permanence.  Headstones give us a sense of immortality, and stone buildings provide us with solid shelter.  During California's early highway building, stone guard rails provided a sense of security that belied accidents' realities.  Here, between the towns of Clearlake Oaks and Glenhaven, a big rig made news when it effortlessly broke through one of these guard rails.  Traffic cones in neon orange have replaced the missing sections of the guard rail, challenging our notions of permanence.

This section of highway was built in the early 1930s to connect our northerly coast line to the Central Valley and the Sierras, ultimately developing a unique byway crossing some of the state's diverse microclimates.   Their arches seem impossibly delicate when made of stone and mortar.  Unfortunately, they are no match for big rigs or other wayward vehicles.  The traffic cones expose only part of their damage...driving along, one can see many pilaster caps broken and missing some of the stones.

At the time of writing this post, an inquiry to CalTrans' District 1 has been sent asking the fate of the stone guard rails.  Their response will be posted.