Thousand Oaks officials to dedicate newly re-opened Norwegian Grade

Road was built in early 1900s


The city of Thousand Oaks Public Works Department will host a monument dedication ceremony and grand opening of the recently improved Norwegian Grade at 1:30 p.m. Wed., Jan. 26 in the McCrea Ranch parking lot, 4500 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks.

A rain date is scheduled for Feb. 9.

The section of Moorpark Road between Thousand Oaks and the Santa Rosa Valley, commonly known as the Norwegian Grade, was recently reconstructed with guard rails added for enhanced public safety. The $1.5-million project was partially funded with a federal highway safety grant and completed by C.A. Rasmussen Inc. of Valencia.

The Norwegian Grade was built between 1900 and 1911 as a safer route to transport bales of hay and sacks of wheat and barley to farmers on the Oxnard Plain and Port Hueneme Wharf. Members of the Norwegian Colony and their hired help built the road by hand using picks, shovels, crowbars, farm equipment and $60 worth of dynamite given by Ventura County.

To recognize the historical significance of the road, members from the Olsen family, Sons of Norway and the Scandinavian Society designed and funded two commemorative plaques that will be placed at the top and bottom of the grade. These monuments will be dedicated at the ceremony.

For more information about the event, call Engineering Division manager Tom Pizza at (805) 449-2430 or send an e-mail to tpizza@toaks.org.



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *