its eastern terminus at Route 99. Here, eastbound 152 traffic merges into southbound 99 a few miles northwest of the city of Madera, and approximately 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Fresno. Motorists wishing to travel north on Route 99 are advised to take Route 233 north through Chowchilla to connect to northbound 99. Another possible northbound route exists by exiting Route 152 at State Route 59, and proceeding directly north to the city of Merced, where Route 59 meets Route 99. The landmarks located on Route 152 include the Pacheco Pass, the Gilroy Gardens, the San Luis Reservoir, the Casa de Fruta and the Merry Cherries. SR 152 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System, and east of US 101 is part of the National Highway System, a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration. SR 152 is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System, and from the Merced–Santa Clara county line to I-5 is officially designated as a scenic highway by the California Department of Transportation, meaning that it is a substantial section of highway passing through a "memorable landscape" with no "visual intrusions", where the potential designation has gained popular favor with the community. History The road became popular as a route east during the California Gold Rush. The Butterfield Overland Mail ran along this route from 1858 to 1861. A portion of Route 152 from Bell Station to Pacheco Pass was a toll road from 1857 until 1878. In that year, Merced County and Santa Clara County purchased the toll road and replaced it with a new road built as a public highway, part of which is now a segment of Whiskey Flat Trail in Pacheco State Park. In 1915, the road became part of the state highway system, and in 1923, the state completed the third road through the pass. Historic references say the portion of the route west of SR33 was named Legislative Route 32 before being designated State Route 152. The 1923 state route over the pass had numerous curves and steep grades. In 1934, 3.3 miles of the road eastward from the summit was realigned and widened. In 1939, a realignment of 2.6 miles of highway was completed eastward from the Pacheco Reservoir area (starting about a mile east of Bell Station). In 1950, the first four-lane expressway