Vintage Los Gatos Postcard: Santa Cruz Mountain Highway

Before Highway 17 was built over the hills between Santa Cruz and Los Gatos, the route was a simple two lane road. In 1957 the new highway was completed providing a safer and less crowded ride over the Santa Cruz Mountains. In Los Gatos, the old route (the Los Gatos-Santa Cruz Road) went right through the middle of town on what is now Santa Cruz Avenue. Summer traffic jams in town were horrendous. The Los Gatos by-pass was a blessing in one way by reducing traffic, but, as happens when highways circumvent in-town roads, it also reduced the number of folks stopping in town to shop and dine. That's not a problem today, as Los Gatos is busy and bustling all the time.

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