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A portion of the former Redwood Highway through and connecting a number of state park units, from Route 101 near the Sylvandale interchange to Route 101 south of Stafford.

This route was added in 1963 by Chapter 890 as “the Avenue of the Giants, comprising a portion of the former Redwood Highway through and connecting a number of state parks, from Route 101 near the Sylvandale interchange to Route 101 near the Redcrest interchange.” A duplication section defining this was added by 1963 Chapter 901, but repealed by 1965 Chapter 155. Note that these chapters also added this route as LRN 296, but that definition did not take effect.

In 1967, Chapter 1331 extended the definition: “the Avenue of the Giants, comprising a portion of the former Redwood Highway through and connecting a number of state parks, from Route 101 near the Sylvandale interchange to Route 101 near the Redcrest interchange one-tenth of a mile north of Jordan Creek.” This change added the portion from the Redcrest interchange to one-tenth of a mile north of Jordan Creek.

In 1968, Chapter 282 relaxed the definition: “the Avenue of the Giants, comprising a portion of the former Redwood Highway through and connecting a number of state parks, from Route 101 near the Sylvandale interchange to Route 101 one-tenth of a mile north of Jordan Creek.

In 1990, Chapter 1187 clarified the definition: “the Avenue of the Giants, comprising a portion of the former Redwood Highway through and connecting a number of state park units, from Route 101 near the Sylvandale interchange to one-tenth of a mile north of Jordan Creek south of Stafford.” This change added the portion from one-tenth mile north of Jordan Creek to Route 101 south of Stafford.

In 1992, Chapter 1243 relaxed the definition: “the Avenue of the Giants, comprising a portion of the former Redwood Highway through and connecting a number of state park units, from Route 101 near the Sylvandale interchange to Route 101 one-tenth of a mile north of Jordan Creek south of Stafford.”

This route is a former segment of US-101 that has been bypassed by freeway.

This was part of LRN 1, defined in 1909.

In August 2016, the CTC approved for future consideration of funding a project on Route 254 in Humboldt County that will upgrade the railings on four bridges on Route 254 near Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Specifically, this project in Humboldt County will upgrade the railings on Ohman Creek Bridge (HUM 000.88), Elk Creek Bridge (HUM 010.43), Bridge Creek Bridge (HUM 010.80), and Bear Creek Bridge (HUM 043.02). The project is programmed in the 2014 State Highway Operation and Protection Program. The total programmed amount is $7,509,000 for capital and support. Construction is estimated to begin in Fiscal Year 2016-17. The scope, as described for the preferred alternative, is consistent with the project scope programmed by the Commission in the 2014 State Highway Operation and Protection Program.

In July 2010, the CTC vacated right of way in the county of Humboldt along Route 254 at 0.15 miles north of Trouble Lane near Miranda (~ HUM 6.585), consisting of highway right of way no longer needed for State highway purposes. The County of Humboldt was given a 90-day notice of intent to vacate, without protesting such action.

In August 2011, the CTC approved $729,000 in SHOPP funding to repair slipout and failed drainage facilities damaged by heavy rainfall near Redcrest, 1.7 miles north of South Fork Eel River Bridge and at 2.9 miles south of Bear Creek Bridge (~ HUM 022.34). They also approved $1,662,000 to reconstruct embankment, construct Tie- Back Slope Protection wall, repair drainage system and dewater and fill the voids in the roadway prism at 1 location to repair washed out embankment cause by heavy rain near Miranda, 0.6 mile south of Post Office.

This segment is named the "Avenue of the Giants". It was named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 10 in 1960. The highway is named for the Coast Redwoods that overshadow the road and surround the area. The road winds alongside the scenic Eel River, and connects several small towns such as Phillipsville, Miranda, Myers Flat, Burlington, Weott, Englewood, Redcrest and Pepperwood. According to the Save the Redwoods League, "On August 27, 1960, Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown stood beside some of the tallest trees in the world. His mission: to dedicate the “Avenue of the Giants Parkway.” The 32-mile-long road was not new—it had been around since the days when stagecoaches wended their way through these spectacular redwoods 200 miles north of San Francisco. What was new was a nearby high-speed highway, which made it possible for the old road to become “a serene drive,” Brown said proudly, “where kids and families can cross the road at will, where traffic moves at a far slower pace than on the bypass which is just a few hundred feet away.”" The road started in 1917, when Save the Redwoods League founders John C. Merriam, Madison Grant, and Henry Fairfield Osborn visit the site of what is now Humboldt Redwoods State Park. In 1918, the League was founded; by 1920, with funds from private donors, including Congressman William Kent and National Park Service Director Stephen Mather, the League acquires the first redwood groves along what is now the Avenue of the Giants Parkway. In 1921, the League and other civic groups convince the state legislature to appropriate “$300,000 to establish “Humboldt State Redwood Park" From 1926 on, the League and the state slowly acquired more lands for the park, thanks to many donors and hard work."
(Image source: The Bill Beaver Project)

[SHC 263.1] Entire route.

This route was designated as a "Blue Star Memorial Highway" by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 61, Chapter 61 in 1996.

• California @ AARoads: California 254

Overall statistics for Route 254:

• Total Length (1995): 32 miles
• Average Daily Traffic (1993): 540 to 1,200
• Mileage Classification: Rural: 32; Sm. Urban: 0; Urbanized: 0.
• Previous Federal Aid Mileage: FAS: 32 mi.
• Functional Classification: Collector: 32 mi.
• Counties Traversed: Humboldt.

In 1959, Chapter 1062 defined LRN 254 as:

1. [LRN 235] to [LRN 75] near Orinda
2. [LRN 75] near Orinda to to [LRN 69] in Richmond via San Pablo.

This was all signed as part of proposed Route 93.

• ⦅Routing⦆
• ⦅Post 1964 Signage History⦆
• ⦅Pre 1964 Signage History⦆
• ⦅Status⦆
• ⦅Naming⦆
• ⦅Scenic Route⦆
• ⦅Blue Star Memorial Highway⦆
• ⦅Other WWW Links⦆
• ⦅Statistics⦆
• ⦅Pre-1964 Legislative Route⦆
• ⦅Acronyms and Explanations⦆