The first unofficial attempt at a roadway through the dunes had been attempted in the early 20^th century by laying brush down on the sand for cars to drive over. While this solution worked quite well, the results were only temporary; the brush soon dried and cracked, leaving cars in a more disastrous situation than before.

Construction began on the first Plank Road in 1915. (Carrico 1989) The idea for a road made of wooden planks was conceived of by Edwin Boyd, the County Supervisor of Holtville. The project, in large part, was undertaken due to the influence of Ed Fletcher, the first Road Commissioner of San Diego County. Fletcher raised the money and made arrangements for lumber to be donated to the project.

The single lane road was built like railroad tracks. Bolted wooden boards ran parallel to each other approximately the width a car apart. The tracks were dragged out by teams of mules, and then laid end to end with only spiked crossbars connecting them. The road was purposely designed with such simplicity so that the planks could easily be detached from one another and moved. This portability was necessary because the sand dunes constantly shift; while a stationary road would quickly be covered by sand, the planks of the road could be pried apart and dragged back on top of the sand.

The Second Plank Road

In 1916, it was Ed Fletcher who proposed a newer and better road through the “Little Sahara.” One engineer called the second attempt at a road through the dunes “the most asinine thing he had ever heard of,” however, Fletcher prevailed. As with the previous road, he would have to provide the financial resources, as well as lumber. (Kupel 1986)

Construction of the second Plank Road, the remnants of which are still visible in the sand dunes today, was completed by 1917. (Carrico 1989) This time, the road was constructed of planks laid side by side in 12 foot, prefabricated sections. The sections were designed along the same lines as the first Plank Road so they could easily be detached from one another and moved as the sands drifted.

The second Plank Road differed from its predecessor, however, in that it contained some sections that were not wood at all. In the area around Gray’s Well (Buttercup Rest Area I-8), the road entered a section of the dunes where the sands drifted less, so a road of oiled earth was built. Further improvements were made in 1917, when turnouts were put in at one mile intervals to make passing easier on the one lane road. (Kupel 1986)

In order to ensure easier conditions for travelers, a maintenance crew of two men and four horses was always on duty to move the plank sections as the sands drifted over them yet fighting the destruction of the road was a losing battle. Maintenance had to be done at an almost constant rate throughout the year.  There were constant windstorms in the spring and fall covering the road with sand, and in the summer, the high heat dried the planks, causing them to splinter. The Plank Road, while an engineering feat, was not a permanent solution to the problem of getting automobiles across the sand dunes.    

Tales from the Plank Road

The constant maintenance and increase in traffic using the plank road led the California Highway Commission to evaluate options to alleviate these problems. A year-long locational study beginning in the winter of 1923 concluded that the current route of the plank road was the best path to construct a more permanent road through the sand dunes. In the spring of 1924, another study was conducted to determine the rate of change of the shifting sands in the dunes.

Destruction and Preservation

The years following the creation of Hwy 80 are filled with calls to preserve the plank road because of its significance to the nation's history. As early as 1930, only four years after its abandonment, residents from both Arizona and California made pleas to preserve the plank road from the  vandalism of travelers using the planks for firewood. In 1934, portions of the plank road were removed and sent off to various museums to be preserved.  Beginning in 1936 some of the plank road was destroyed to make way for the All-American Canal which was built along the same path the road previously ran.  In 1962, Interstate 8 was built, destroying more of the remaining plank road. As off-road vehicles became more popular as a recreation activity in the dunes, more of the remaining portions of the plank road were inadvertently damaged. Again seeing the need for preservation, the Bureau of Land Management, in partnership with the Imperial Valley Pioneer Historical Society, the Off-Road Vehicle Association and Air Force personnel relocated and fenced off about 1500 feet of the existing plank road to the Gray’s Well area in the early 1970’s.(BLM 1991)

The Plank Road Today

Today, not much of the plank road remains. The remaining fragments have been designated as an ACEC under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management. The historical significance the plank road has played in early American transportation and western migration history led the State of California to designate it as a California Historical Landmark on 01/21/1971; it was also determined eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. (Dept. of Parks and Recreation 2009)

Remnants of the Plank Road are protected and the fenced section may be viewed up close at the west end of Grays Well Road by exiting Interstate 8 at the Grays Well road exit. A Plank Road Monument and interpretive wayside panels are located there.  See map.