The new road, designed with an ideal grade of 6 percent (but with several 7 percent grades, including at Grapevine,) cut the distance by over the Tejon Pass Route or over the Midway Route. A speed limit of was enforced between Castaic and Quail Lake, making the trip from Los Angeles to Bakersfield take about 12 hours. On the Ridge Route between Castaic Junction and Grapevine, the curves added up to about 109.5 complete circles, with a minimum radius of . The unpaved road, which had cost $450,000 (about $ in ), opened in October 1915.