US95, Needles to Blythe: need condition info

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Pat

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Posts
1,234
Location
Payson AZ
I'm trying to decide between US 95 from Needles to Blythe or US93 from Kingman to the Phoenix area. 

Seems to me a couple years ago I did a little bit of 95, and it was a narrow, 2-lane rollercoaster in poor condition.  100 miles of that from Needles to Blythe is a bit much. 

Any opinions?  Any info on the actual condition of 95?

Thanks

--pat
 
US 95 on the CA side is quite rolling, but AZ 95 on the AZ side is a nice drive and joins I-10 at Quartzsite.  93 is also a good road, but you have to go north to Kingman to pick it up if you're coming from Needles.
 
Personally I never have been favorably impressed with the rollercoaster road on the Calif side.  But the AZ side has a lot to be desired too.  If it were us we would go down the AZ side.
 
Pat said:
Any opinions?   Any info on the actual condition of 95?

All Civil Engineering colleges teach the concept of "cut and fill" in their highway design classes. The high ground is cut to fill the low ground along the road center line. Unfortunately, the engineers that designed CA 95 cut class that day. :(  The entire road is not that way though, only segments, and I prefer that side to the AZ side myself. I "do" cut over to Parker at the junction and continue down the AZ to QZ on 10. That appears shorter to me than having to continue on past Needles to the AZ side to pick up 95.
 
Bob Buchanan said:
All Civil Engineering colleges teach the concept of "cut and fill" in their highway design classes. The high ground is cut to fill the low ground along the road center line. Unfortunately, the engineers that designed CA 95 cut class that day.
I jkust knew there had to be a reason.  Sam just hates the Calif side and we usually avoid it.
 
It depends on from where you are starting. If you are in Needles, I would recommend AZ 95, my wife won't let me drive on US 95 in CA, makes her sick from the roller coaster ride.

As Ned mentioned, from Needles you have to go north to Kingman to get to US 93, but that is the best route of all.
 
Bob Buchanan said:
and I prefer that side to the AZ side myself. I "do" cut over to Parker at the junction and continue down the AZ to QZ on 10. That appears shorter to me than having to continue on past Needles to the AZ side to pick up 95.

Pat,

I drove the route Bob mentioned two days ago with a 16 foot rental truck , towing a boat and in high winds.  While the road is 2 lane and a bit of a roller coaster, I found the surface to be in good shape and the drive  quite nice.  Of course I was getting pretty close to home and everything was looking good.

Betty
 
Betty Brewer said:
I drove the route Bob mentioned two days ago with a 16 foot rental truck , towing a boat ....

Sounds like the Clampetts moving to Beverly Hills  ;D

How come Terry got to drive in the comfort of the coach?
 
I did the Quartzite to Needles bypass the time I got that glimpse of US95.  I thought the whole route was made by engineers who spent that class day in the pool. 

My cat gets carsick.   

Maybe 93 is preferable.  It's about 40 extra miles, because I-40 loops around a wilderness there.  Wish they'd attach a couple more lanes to it.  It's not like there's a shortage a land along it.

I prefer the I-10 approach to Phoenix over the I-17 entrance.  The 202 runs right into my exit.  I-17 is a bit of a madhouse.

What about CA58 to US395 to I-15 to I-215 to I-10?  Late at night.  Although, heading west, I've never had to slow down from I-15 on regardless of time of day.  It's kind of a fun drive.  I measured the downhill out of mountains in San Bernardino once.  It was something like 13 miles.  I know it's flaky, but I enjoy LA freeway traffic when it's moving right along.  And there's a Chevron station along 10 in Palm Springs that has great hot dogs.

I did the 210 heading south last year.  Never again.  It was late at night, so I couldn't actually see the climbs in the Grapevine.  Just as well.

--pat
 
I am asking for an update to the information in this thread.

Has anyone traveled either of these legs of the 95 lately?

US 95 from needles to Blythe?

or 95 South from the 40 past Lake Havasu on down to I-10?

I'd appreciate knowing the current condition of the roads.

Thank you,

Denise

 
We drove Needles to Blythe in January and it was okay.  Some years are better than others and this year was alright.  It's still narrow in places but is better than a few years in the past as far as the road surface is concerned.

ArdraF
 
From my OTR truck'n days... take CA-95 south from Needles, to Vidal junction, then thru Parker, Az., and go passed AZ-95 about 30 miles (Southeast), to Vicksburg Rd.. turn right (south), go about 6-8 miles to I-10. Nice truck stop with Food, Fuel, Eats, and real good, wide parking areas... to take a break.

A lot less traffic too.
 
 
Ok, thanks everyone for the most recent news on 95.  I think I would like to try the AZ 95 and see Lake Havasu.

it had me head scratching because on the map the 95 on the AZ looks like a little nothing road. The CA US 95 looks like a more substantial road. Maybe it's just the designation of US versus non- US that had me perplexed.

Appreciate the input!!

Denise
 
CA 95 is two lane and is used by trucks going from I-40 to I-10 because it's the most direct route.

AZ 95 is 2 lanes but with wider shoulders than the California route and is 4 lanes through Lake Havasu City.  It's a more scenic route but a slower drive due to the local traffic and several stoplights going though Lake Havasu City and Parker.
 
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