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California Highways

Routes 1 through 8

 
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Click here for a key to the symbols used. "LRN" refers to the Pre-1964 Legislative Route Number. "US" refers to a US Shield signed route. "I" refers to an Eisenhower Interstate signed route. "Route" usually indicates a state shield signed route, but said route may be signed as US or I. Previous Federal Aid (pre-1992) categories: Federal Aid Interstate (FAI); Federal Aid Primary (FAP); Federal Aid Urban (FAU); and Federal Aid Secondary (FAS). Current Functional Classifications (used for aid purposes): Principal Arterial (PA); Minor Arterial (MA); Collector (Col); Rural Minor Collector/Local Road (RMC/LR). Note that ISTEA repealed the previous Federal-Aid System, effective in 1992, and established the functional classification system for all public roads.


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State Shield

State Route 1



Routing
    • Legislative: From Route 5 south of San Juan Capistrano to Route 101 near El Rio.

      Note: The legislature has authorized relinquishment of the portion of Route 1 that is located within the city limits of Dana Point and is between the western edge of the San Juan Creek channel overcrossing and the city limits of the City of Laguna Beach to the City of Dana Point (AB 635, Chapter 757, 10/11/2001). It was up for relinquishement in January 2005... and again in July 2005.

      Note: The legislature has authorized relinquishment of the portion of Route 1 that is located between Jamboree Road and the southern city limits of the City of Newport Beach to the City of Newport Beach, per SB 290, Chapter 825, 10/13/2001. This was up for consideration by the CTC in June 2004.

    • Actual:

      1. From Route 5 south of San Juan Capistrano to the western edge of the San Juan Creek channel overcrossing in the city limits of Dana Point.

      2. From the border between the City of Dana Point and the city limits of the City of Laguna Beach to the southern city limits of the City of Newport Beach.

      3. From Jamboree Road near Newport Beach to Route 101 near El Rio.

     


    Post 1964 Signage History

    This segment was defined in 1963 (Chap. 385).

    As of July 1, 1964, part (1) was planned as freeway for the entire route. Construction of this as freeway was killed around the same time as the Whitnall Fwy, Route 64.

    According to a 1971 report by the City of Long Beach about the Pacific Coast Freeway (Route 1), most of the freeway proposals for the route in adjoining cities had been killed (with the exceptions of the route adoptions in Huntington Beach and Newport Beach), so that the freeway, once envisioned as running from Oxnard to San Juan Capistrano, would only run from the Harbor Freeway across Long Beach to the San Gabriel River Freeway (indeed, the report refers to the route as the Crosstown Freeway as often as it refers to it as the Pacific Coast Freeway). Since the truncated freeway would be of little benefit, the Long Beach City Manager requested that the State Division of Highways remove the route from the Freeway and Expressway system. The proposed route in Long Beach would have run to the south of Pacific Coast Highway (between Anaheim Street and 10th Street) and a portion of the Pacific Electric right-of-way; the truncated route would have then turned northeast to connect to the western stub of the Route 22 freeway (7th Street) and I-405 and I-605.
    (Thanks to Daniel Thomas for finding this information)

    Remarkably, plans were under review to construct this freeway as an ocean causeway in the Malibu area (and you thought oil-rigs were bad!) California Highway and Public Works, March-April 1964, said:

    This is the longest freeway planned in District VII; it will extend about 113 miles from the Ventura Freeway north of Oxnard to Serra Junction at Capistrano Beach, in Orange County. The only portions constructed to date are a 6.8 mile section south of Oxnard, and a connection between the Pacific Coast Highway and the San Diego Freeway in Capistrano Beach. Briefly, the status of the route, from north to south in the district, is as follows:

    El Rio to Oxnard: location of the route is being considered in connection with the Oxnard Bypass, on which two public hearings have been held.

    Oxnard to Calleguas Creek, 6.8 miles constructed in 1957.

    Conversion of the existing three-lane Pacific Coast Highway to freeway standards in the vicinity of Point Mugu Naval Station is planned for the future.

    Calleguas Creek to Malibu Canyon Road: California Highway Commission hearing on adoption of route, about 22 miles, was held in Santa Monica February 25, 1964, and two district hearings were held in 1961.

    Malibu Canyon Road to terminus of the Santa Monica Freeway in the City of Santa Monica: In addition to conventional inland locations, route location studies on this 13-mile section are considering the possibility of locating all or part of the freeway on a causeway offshore in the ocean; an alignment along the existing shoreline on a widened beach; or various combinations of causeway and shoreline locations.

    In 1961, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was engaged by the Division of Highways to study the feasibility of the marine location. A report of this study, received in November 1963, is being reviwed by the division and other interested state agencies. The report covers only the marine phase of the project. Conventional land locations are being studied by the division.

    The Corps of Engineers investigated nine alternate offshore and onshore freeway alignments involving earth fills and embankments, beach widening and structures. [...] The report concluded that:

    1. It is engineering feasible to construct the proposed freeway on a marine alignment.
    2. A joint highway-recreational facility extending from Santa Monica to Malibu would enhance the recreational potential of the area.
    3. Maintenance of sand bypassing operations in connection with each of the plans considered are feasible.
    4. It is not expected that builidng any of the considered projects would post any insurmountable problems to the construction industry.

    From Santa Monica south to the end of the route, location studies are being made except in the following areas: 10 miles in Orange County (Huntington Beach-Newport Beach) already adopted; 14 miles between El Segundo and the Harbor Freeway in Wilmington; and about 3 miles between the Marina Del Rey and Olympic Boulevard on the Santa Monica Freeway.

    Here are some more details on this, from the Santa Monica Surf in 2003:

    [Causeway]Along with the company Seaway Enterprises Incorporated of Beverly Hills, John Drescher (a local businessman), crafted an ambitious scheme. On July 19, 1961, Seaway Enterprises presented the City Council with a thirty-page document, complete with artist renderings, proposing the construction of an island causeway off the coast. Located 4,000 feet from shore, the 30,000-foot long causeway would run parallel to the coastline from Santa Monica beach all the way north to Malibu. In the middle of this artificial archipelago would stretch a 200-foot wide freeway called “Sunset Seaway.” It was a remarkable concept. Not only would the brand new highway alleviate the pressure on the coastal road but it would also provide an additional 2.5 million square feet of public beach facing the ocean. The new beaches would accommodate “up to 50,000 persons on peak days,” according to the Seaway Enterprises document. In addition to the new land, the area of water between the natural shoreline and the artificial causeway would become a series of marinas accommodating 1,700 small craft.

    On August 29 1961, with Santa Monica City Manager Ernest N. Mobley leading the charge, the Santa Monica City Council established a Causeway and Freeway Committee to “consider and recommend on the desirability and feasibility of the causeway proposal made by Seaway Enterprises and/or any similar proposal.” One of the most challenging questions facing committee members was: “Where would all the rock come from?” When the Santa Monica breakwater was constructed in the early thirties, quarry stone had been shipped in barges all the way from Catalina Island; specifically, it was on barges that were towed by tugs and then dumped into the bay at the side of the breakwater. In the case of Sunset Seaway, the estimated tonnage clocked in at a staggering 97 million cubic yards of landfill for the causeway alone and an additional 2.5 million tons of rock to construct a submerged reef to protect it. According to Drescher’s proposal, the causeway would be a phased operation. Rock from the nearby mountains would first be used to create a protective reef. Once in place, the initial landfill for the causeway would come from terracing the mountains, creating an ideal location for new property while at the same time providing some much-needed tonnage. To do this, there would be a conveyor system crossing over Pacific Coast Highway; resulting in millions of tons of rock passing over the heads of motorists below.

    What killed the project was reality. The reality, learned from experience in the Marina Del Rey project, that tidal forces would require regular and costly dredging for silt. The reality of opposition from residents. The reality of construction costs. The reality of legal and legislative headaches, requiring watertight inter-agency agreement just to get the project into planning phases. The reality of the environmental effects of taking 97 million cubic yards of landfill from the nearby Santa Monica Mountains and piling it into the ocean to create a six mile landmass on which to build a highway. The reality of LA Councilman Marvin Braude opposing any city contributions to the project. In September 1965, Governor Edmund “Pat” Brown vetoed the causeway bill. The Causeway Freeway Commission was disbanded in 1966.

     

    Pre 1964 Signage History

    State Shield US Highway Shield The portion of this segment segment from San Juan Capistrano to Oxnard was added to the state highway system in 1919 as LRN 60. The legislative route was extended in 1925 as far as El Rio (Chapter 309). The segment was first signed in 1934 as part of the initial state signing of highways. It was originally signed as Route 3, and ran down the "Roosevelt Highway" south from El Rio. The highway was named after President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1964, this was resigned as Route 1. Between 1934 and 1964, this was signed as Alt US 101 (or US 101A), and for portions was co-signed with US 6 and US 91.

    As for the numbering as US101A: On July 20, 1935, the highway department notified AASHTO:

    In accordance with the rights delegated to the individual states, we have designated the State Highway from Junction US 101 north of El Rio in Ventura County south along the coast to a junction with US 101 at Serra as Alternate US 101.

    Practically all of the area this route traverses is incorporated, and the designation conforms to that given for an Alternate Route.

    We would like to have this route shown in the description of US Numbered Routes.

    AASHTO subsequently approved this alternate route on September 26, 1937, with an effective date of January 1, 1938.

    There has been some interesting discussions regarding the route of Route 1 in the Los Angeles South Bay in the early 1940s. According to one map, Route 1 angling slightly northeasterly the current alignment in the middle of Redondo Beach, directly intersecting Camino Real (Sepulveda coming in from Torrance), then sharply angling northwest and then northeast at the north end of Redondo Beach. One explanation for this is an alignment that leaves the current route at Francesca Avenue, then follows Francesca (which angles just east of north then curves back northwest) and crosses the current alignment again to intersect Catalina Avenue (formerly Pacific Avenue), then back to the current alignment at the Hermosa Beach line. Another probable old alignment through Torrance is Newton Street, which skirts the base of the Palos Verdes Hills and intersects (or intersected) PCH at an angle on both ends. This runs through the once-independent village of Walteria, now essentially indistinguishable from the rest of Torrance. [Above information from Steve Riner]

     

    Status

    There is a regional transportation improvement project to widen the following portions of Route 1 in Los Angeles County: between 92nd and Grand; between 33rd Street and Rosecrans Avenue; between Hughest Terrace to La Tijera Blvd; between Figi Way and Hughest Terrace. This will also include demolishing the Culver Blvd overcrossing and constructing a new six-lane overcrossing with longer spans, as well as removal of some medians to turn them into traffic lanes.

    In late March 2007, the City of Torrance indicated its desire to take over the segment of this route within its city limits. Specifically, the Torrance City Council voted unanimously to send a letter indicating its interest in having the state Department of Transportation relinquish control of the 5-mile segment of Pacific Coast Highway and 6-mile stretch of Hawthorne Boulevard within Torrance limits. Sending the letter is a precursor to an estimate the city is required to provide to Caltrans of the cost of bringing each road up to a "state of good repair." City staff members believe it will cost $25M to $30M for each road, which the state would provide to the city in the form of a one-time payment. Bringing the route under city control will allow the city to improve the timing of signal lights to improve traffic flow and reduce the bureaucracy needed to upgrade the roads.
    (Source: Daily Breeze, 3/29/2007)

    The intersection with Route 107 in Torrance is being reconstructed under TCRP Project #46. This project was to reconstruct the intersection of Hawthorne Boulevard (Route 107) and Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1) by adding turn pockets. The cost to complete PA&ED was significantly underestimated in the original application, and additional TCRP funds are required to complete the phase. With R/W estimated to be over $26,000,000, the overall project cost has exceeded the total TCRP funds available. Per the September 2006 CTC Agenda, until such time as the City of Torrance and the Department can identify additional funds to complete PS&E, R/W, and Construction, those phases have been put on hold. In order to complete PA&ED and closeout the phase, an additional $467,000 of TCRP funds is required. Note: According to the Daily Breeze on 3/29/2007, this project was originally began by the City of Torrance, and was to consist of a right turn lane from northbound Hawthorne Boulevard to eastbound Pacific Coast Highway. The project was estimated to cost about $2 million. Caltrans took over the project, changed the scope of the improvements to include the entire intersection, studied and designed it at a cost of $2 million, and concluded that upgrading the entire intersection would cost $15 million.

    Route 1 in Oxnard is currently undegoing extensive construction at the Pleasant Valley Road Interchange. When this construction is complete in June 2003, Route 1 will be routed onto Rice Ave vice Oxnard Blvd.

    A small portion in Malibu was up for vacation in April 2003: 07-LA-1-PM 50.9 Route 1 in the City of Malibu.

     

    Naming

    Officially named "Pacific Coast Highway" per State Highway Code §635. The name derives from the fact the highway runs along the Pacific Coast. This designation came from Assembly Bill 1769, Chapter 1569, in 1959.

    Maps based on the 1956 freeway plan show a coastal freeway, named the "Pacific Coast Freeway" or "Ocean Freeway" between Malibu Canyon and Seal Beach. This route would have run to the W of Los Angeles International Airport along Vista Del Mar. The portion of this route constructed to freeway standards in Ventura County is named the "Pacific Coast Freeway" (per the book LA Freeways), and opened in 1957.

    The portion of this route from its southern terminus in the City of San Juan Capistrano to its intersection with Golden West Street in the City of Huntington Beach is named the "Orange County Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway". It was named in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Korean War, for June 25, 2000, marked the 50th anniversary of the invasion of South Korea by North Korea and the start of the three-year Korean War with combat hostilities ending upon the signing of an armistice agreement by the United Nations and North Korea on July 27, 1953.

    The portion of this route from the intersection of Golden West Street in Huntington Beach to the intersection of Westminster Avenue in Long Beach is officially named the "U.S. Submarine Veterans of WWII Memorial Highway." This segment is near the U.S. Submarine Veterans WWII National Memorial West located at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station, which honors the 52 boats and over 3,500 sailors lost on World War II submarines and the two submarines lost in the Cold War, the Thresher and the Scorpion. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 98, Chapter 103, August 14, 2000.

    The portion of this route in Los Angeles County is also officially named the "Los Angeles County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway". Additionally, the portion in Ventura County is named the "Ventura County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway". It was named this because Route 1 has a strong historical significance for the military personnel of the Vietnam War era as it passes beside a significant number of California military bases (United States Naval Weapons Station at Seal Beach, the United States Coast Guard Headquarters at Long Beach, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Point Mugu Naval Weapons Station, the United States Coast Guard Station at Oxnard, the Ventura County Naval Base, Camp San Luis Obispo Military Reserve, the Ventura County California Air National Guard Base, the United States Naval Reservation at Monterey, and Fort Hunter Liggett) on which military personnel were trained and dispatched to Vietnam. More than 350,000 California veterans served in the Vietnam War, which resulted in 40,000 of them being wounded and 5,822 killed or missing in action, representing more than 10 percent of the nation's total casualties. Los Angeles County has the largest number of Vietnam veterans in California and 1,857 of its residents were killed or missing in action during that war. More Californians received the Medal of Honor, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart than veterans of any other state. The Los Angeles County portion was named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 115, Chapter 94, July 12, 2000. The Ventura County portion was named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 135, Chapter 89, June 27, 2002.

    Route 1 was originally named the "Roosevelt Highway", after President Theodore Roosevelt.

     

    Named Structures

    Tunnel 53-008, in Santa Monica, is named the "Robert E. McClure Tunnel". It was built in 1939, and was named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 234, Chapter 393, in 1969. Robert McClure was the editor and publisher of the Santa Monica Evening Outlook, a delegate to the 1964 Republican Convention, and a member of the California Highway Commission from 1954 to 1962. He is remembered as "the father of the Santa Monica Freeway".

     

    Freeway

    [SHC 253.2] From the Los Angeles-Ventura County line to Route 101 near El Rio; constructed as freeway for 8 mi S of Oxnard.

    • 1959: Entire segment was added to the Freeway and Expressway system (Chap. 1062).
    • 1965: Deleted: Route 107 to Route 91 (Chapter 1372).
    • 1967: Deleted: Route 91 to Route 105 (I-105) (Chapter 674)
    • 1970: Deleted: Route 90 to Santa Monica (Dewey Street) (Chapter 634)
    • 1971: Deleted: Santa Monica to Los Angeles-Ventura County line (Chapter 179)
    • 1971: Deleted: South border of LAX to Route 90 (Chapter 963)
    • 1972: Deleted: Route 22 to Route 47 (Chapter 150)
    • 1972: Deleted San Juan Capistrano to Route 22; Route 47 to Route 107 (Chapter 784)
    • 1981: Deleted I-105 to South border of LAX (Chapter 292)

     

    Scenic Highway

    [SHC 263.2] From Route 5 south of San Juan Capistrano to Route 19 near Long Beach; and from Route 187 near Santa Monica to Route 101 near El Rio.


  1. From Route 101 at Emma Wood State Beach, 1.3 mi north of Route 33, to Route 101, 2.8 mi south of the Ventura-Santa Barbara county line at Mobil Pier Undercrossing.


    Post 1964 Signage History

    This segment was added to Route 1 in 1980 (Chap. 740). It was likely added to reflect completion of the freeway portion of US 101 in the area, as the routing was former US 101. In 1992, Chap. 1243 changed "State Park" to "State Beach".

     

    Pre 1964 Signage History

    This segment was originally added to the state highway system in 1909 as part of US 101, LRN 2.

     

    Naming

    This segment appears to be called "Pacific Coast Highway".


  2. From Route 101 near Las Cruces to Route 101 in Pismo Beach via the vicinity of Lompoc, Vandenberg Air Force Base, and Guadalupe.


    Post 1964 Signage History

    In 1963, this segment was defined as being from "near Las Cruces to Route 101 near Pismo Beach via the vicinity of Lompoc and Guadalupe". In 1984, it was clarified via an added section that Route 1 also included that portion of the Lompoc-Casmalia Road and Vandenburg Road in the County of Santa Barbara from the intersection of the Lompoc-Casmalia Road and Route 1 north of Lompoc near Mission Hills to the intersection of Vandenburg Road and Route 1 south of Orcutt.

    In 1988, the route was relocated to serve Vandenberg AFB by incorporation of the route of former County Route S20. The previous alignment of Route 1 became Harris Grade Road from the intersection of the former County Route S20 with Route 1 to the junction with Route 135, and Route 135 from that junction to Route 135. In 1992, Chap. 1243 deleted the clarification and changed the definition of this segment to the "Route 101 near Las Cruces to Route 101 near Pismo Beach via the vicinity of Lompoc, Vandenberg Air Force Base, and Guadalupe."

     

    Pre 1964 Signage History

    State Shield Pre-1964 State Shield A small portion (the segment between the two current Route 135 portions) was originally defined as LRN 2 in 1910, but was later transferred to LRN 56. In 1933, LRN 56 was extended to include the remainder of this segment (Chapter 767). By 1935, this route was under construction between Orcutt and Pismo Beach (in segments). This was signed as Route 1 in the initial 1934 state signage of routes, although a small segment may have been part of US 101.

     

    Naming

    This segment is officially named "Cabrillo Highway" in the State Highway Code, §635. Juan Rodríquez Cabrillo was the leader of one of the first European expeditions to California. In 1542, Cabrillo led the first European expedition to explore what is now the west coast of the United States. Cabrillo was commissioned by Pedro de Alvarado, Governor of Guatemala, for a voyage up the California coast under the flag of Spain. Cabrillo hoped to find the fabulously wealthy cities known as Cibola, believed to be somewhere on the Pacific coast beyond New Spain, and a route connecting the North Pacific to the North Atlantic. Cabrillo reached "a very good enclosed port" which is now San Diego bay, on September 28, 1542, naming it "San Miguel". He probably anchored his flagship, the San Salvador at Ballast Point on Point Loma's east shore. Six days later, he departed San Diego sailing northward and exploring the uncharted coast line of California. The expedition reached San Pedro on October 6, Santa Monica on the 9th, San Buenaventura on the 10th, Santa Barbara on the 13th and Pt. Concepcion on the 17th. Because of adverse winds Cabrillo turned back, harboring at San Miguel Island, and did not progress beyond Santa Maria until November 11. With a favorable wind later that day they reach the "Sierra de San Martin," probably Cape San Martin and the Santa Lucia Mountains in southern Monterey County. Struck by a storm and blown out to sea, the two vessels are separated and do not rejoin until the 15th, probably near Año Nuevo north of Santa Cruz. The next day they drifted southward, discovering "Bahía de los Pinos" and "Cabo de Pinos." These are most likely Monterey Bay and Point Pinos. On the 18th they turned south, passing snow-capped mountains (the Santa Lucias), and on November 23 returned to their harbor at San Miguel Island, where they remained for nearly three months. Cabrillo died January 3, 1543, on San Miguel Island, and may have been buried on Catalina Island. He died from complications of a broken leg incurred from a fall during a brief skirmish with natives. It was named by Assembly Bill 1769, Chapter 569, in 1959.
    [Information on Juan Cabrillo is from the San Diego History website]

     

    Freeway

    [SHC 253.2] From Route 101 near Las Cruces to Route 227 south of Oceano.

    • 1959: Entire segment defined as F&E (Chapter 1062).
    • 1967: Deleted: segment north of Route 227 (Chapter 1584)

     

    Scenic Highway

    [SHC 263.2] From Route 101 at Las Cruces to Route 246 near Lompoc; and from Route 227 south of Oceano to Route 101 near Pismo Beach.

     

    National Trails

    De Anza Auto Route This route is part of the De Anza National Historic Trail.


  3. From Route 101 in San Luis Obispo to Route 280 south of San Francisco along the coast via Cambria, San Simeon, and Santa Cruz.


    Post 1964 Signage History

    The original definition of this segment in 1963 (Chap. 385) was "San Luis Obispo to Route 280 south of San Francisco along the coast via Cambria, San Simeon and Santa Cruz." In 1968, this was clarified by Chap. 282. to note that the route was from Route 101 in San Luis Obispo.

    There were once plans to reroute this segment in Carmel across a new freeway in Hatton Canyon. This section was for a realignment of Route 1 from Carmel Valley Road to the Pacific Grove Interchange of Route 1 and Route 68. The Hatton Canyon is a scenic and environmentally sensitive area, comprised of undeveloped land that includes one of the few genetically pure Monterey Pine forests left in the world, significant coastal habitat and recreation areas, as well as diverse wildlife. Although originally planned for a freeway alignment, the Department of Transportation determined that a freeway bypass in the Hatton Canyon was not currently viable. As a result, AB 434 (Chapter 136, 7/31/2002) rescinded the route adoption, dated January 9, 1956, for the realignment of Route 1 in Hatton Canyon near the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea; furthermore, it nullified the freeway agreement, dated April 8, 1997, related to that realignment. The property located in Hatton Canyon was declared to be surplus state property located within the coastal zone, as defined in Section 30103 of the Public Resources Code, and the Department of Transportation was directed sell its ownership interest in the Hatton Canyon for the purpose of creating or adding to a state park.

    Until the early 1980s, Route 1 entered Castroville from the south via Route 156 eastbound (the current freeway), then exited at the diamond interchange for Merritt Street and continued northwest via Merritt. However, by the mid-1980s, the current Castroville bypass was constructed; as a consequence, the portion of freeway on Route 1 between Merritt Street and the bypass became an extension of Route 156, and Merritt Street became part of Route 183.

     

    Pre 1964 Signage History

    State Shield The portion of this segment from San Simeon to Carmel was added to the state highway system in 1919 as the first segment of LRN 56. It was extended southward to Cambria in 1921 (Chapter 837). It was extended further southward to San Luis Obispo in 1931 (Chapter 82). It was also extended northerly (again as LRN 56) to San Francisco in 1933 (Chapter 767). It was signed as Route 1 from the start of state signage in 1934.

    The portion of the route in the Monterey area originally ran along Munras and North Fremont in Monterey, Freemont in Seaside, merging at the N end of Seaside into Del Monte Ave. Del Monte ran along the current freeway routing through Fort Ord into Marina, where it ran along the current Del Monte Ave.

    Freedom Boulevard between Aptos and Freedom was the original Route 1 before the current bypass (originally a surface road, now freeway) was proposed. In Watsonville, Main Street and Salinas Road were the original Route 1 routings before the freeway bypass and new bridge over the Pajaro were built.

    According to CHPW, the original rerouting of Route 1 from Edgemar to Skyline Boulevard was completed by 1960; it was constructed after traffic engineers felt the Thornton-Edgemar route would be too congested as Daly City grew, and after 17 major closures between 1950 and 1957 (the worst being a 120 day closure). However, the original interchange with Skyline and Route 1 was a trumpet; this was modified when the Route 1 freeway was extended to I-280, to bypass Thornton Beach and the Westlake district of Daly City completly. At the time, Route 5 (now Skyline Boulevard/Route 35) was expressway in the portions that became co-signed with Route 1 (from Pacifica north to John Daly Boulevard, which was then Alemany Boulevard) until I-280 was finished. The route from Edgemar to Skyline Boulevard was originally adopted on November 17, 1952; LRN 55 between Alemany (John Daly) and the Edgemar area was completed in December 1954, and the contract for construction of the Route 1 freeway was awarded on May 3, 1957 to the McCammon, Wunderlich, and Wunderlich Company of Palo Alto.

    Parts of the route between Thornton Beach and Santa Cruz were recycled in the 1920's and 1930's from the abandoned r/w of the Ocean Shore Railroad. At least one book on the Ocean Shore was published that can shed some light on the process. The portion along the cliffs in Daly City (abandoned after the 1957 earthquake, and therefore logically shown on the 1955 map) was directly on the railroad alignment, as were some other pre-freeway portions of the road in Pacifica, Montara-Half Moon Bay, and Scott Creek-Santa Cruz. The southern part of the Devils Slide segment is on the railroad alignment, but overall the RR took a lower-altitude line across the slide than the present highway. For details, see: Jack R. Wagner, "The Last Whistle"; 1974, Howell-North Books, Berkeley, CA.

    By 1957, Route 1 ran northward up the coast through an unincorporated group of communities that later incorporated as Pacifica. The highway then entered Daly City near the coast, and ran northward along the bottom of the high cliff next to the beach west of the Palisades section of Daly City. At what is now the abandoned Thornton Beach area, Route 1 sharply veered eastward and crossed what was then Skyline Blvd (Pre-1964 Route 5, later Route 35). Route 1 then ran eastward through the Westlake part of Daly City on a wide divided road that was then known as Alemany Blvd. Route 1 proceeded eastward on Alemany Blvd in Daly City until it reached Junipero Serra Blvd. The highway then turned northward at a 90° angle at Junipero Serra Blvd. Route 1 entered San Francisco as Juniepro Serra Blvd, as it does today. Later Alemany Blvd. (which ended at Junipero Serra in Daly City just south of the San Francisco border, and restarted about ¼ mile north inside of San Francisco and proceded eastward) was renamed as John Daly Blvd. The name of Knowles Road in Daly City (which was a continuation of Alemany in Daly City, beginning at the Alemany/Junipero Serra junction) was also changed to the John Daly Blvd., which essentailly fused two streets that continued into each other, anyway. The earthquake of 1957 destroyed the cliffside portion of Route 1 in Daly City and so that year it was rerouted fom the Daly City-Pacifica border from staying along the coast to instead proceeding northwest at the border and joining present-day Route 35 near the current Route 1/ Route 35 interchange. Route 1 then came to run northward to the east of the Palisades section of Daly City and no longer to the west of this district. In the 1960's there was a sign on Route 1 (when divers were headed South) near the Route 35 interchange indicating that Santa Cruz was 70 miles away (down Route 1). Also Skyline Drive never joined or intersected with either of these routes at its northern dead end. Skyline Drive was always a dead end there. Two maps (here and here) show a distinct route W of Skyline between Edgemar and Thornton, but there appears to be no present day street in that position.

    References indicate that a in 1957 the area near Mussel Rock marked the epicenter the Daly City Earthquake, measuring 5.3, which resulted in ground shaking and landsliding above the coastal bluffs in the Westlake Palisades area with an estimated $1 million damage. A picture from the archives of the 1957 Daly City Earthquake clearly shows a highway or road starting at what is now John Daly Boulevard, heading south on the steep cliff along the water's edge. Today there is nothing left of the road on the hillside—neither a lip or ledge. This is because Route 1 was rerouted after the earthquake. The section of Alemany Blvd west of the interchange was later reopend for a few years from the old Route 1/Route 35 interchange heading straight west to the ocean and Thornton State Beach was built there where this road met the ocean. The road was not reopened soouthward from this State Beach where Route 1 had previously run northward rom Pacifica south of this beach. After a few years, the road to this Beach from the interchange became unstable, and the road was closed once again, and now all that is left of this connection to the Beach is a tiny stub of road heading west from the Route 1/Route 35 interchange approximately 1 block long leading to a fenced off dead end. A portion of the pre-1957 alignment is still accessible; it is used as a vista point now and some of it leads off into a cliff into nowhere. It is accessible near the Edgemar neighborhood (the exits for Manor Drive and Monterey Road). The portion between Westline Drive and Thornton Beach is now covered by Mussel Rock Park and Northridge Park; a portion still remains (albeit closed off almost always) west of Route 35/John Daly at Thornton State Beach as an access road (usually fenced off with "ROAD CLOSED" sign) into the beach. An old grass median is visible; it is a two lane road that does not seem to be well-maintained at all (due to lack of usage). A small finger of the road is visible from John Daly Boulevard, as what looks to be a continuation of the road behind a fence with a Road Closed sign. Skyline Boulevard just north of the I-280 exists as a four-lane expressway for a short stretch. Where the two sides merge, the grade for the southbound side continues north for a few feet, paved, and is actually a part of the paved hiking trail to its side.

    Main Street in Half Moon Bay is old Route 1; this was supplanted in the early 1960s by the Half Moon Bay Bypass.

     

    Status

    [Map]There are plans to make some roadway improvements near Cambria that include passing and left turn lanes. The project is fully funded in the 2006 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The total estimated project cost, support and capital, is $4,389,000. It is estimated to begin construction in Fiscal Year 2008-09. The CTC received the report of a negative mitiaged EIR in December 2007.

    Some portions of this road are being funding for emergency repair near San Simeon due to the fact that the current roadway is likely to be lost in the Winter 2002 storms. In the segment from PM 65.4 to 66.5 in SLO, ocean surf has eroded a 20-foot high bluff to within 2 feet of the edge of the pavement (this is 1.6 mi N of Piedras Blancas Lighthouse Road). In the same area (PM 64.1 to 64.7, 0.3 mi N of Piedras Blancas Lighthouse Road), the surf has eroded a 25 foot high bluff to within 10 feet of the edge of the pavement. [CTC Agenda, August 2002].

    There are plans for a $270 million project to build a tunnel for Route 1 between Pacifica and Montara. The rocks of Devils Slide have defined life on the coast since 1937, when the "Sea-Level Boulevard" was built on a former railroad bed. It has steadfastly refused to hold a highway. Pounded by waves, the soil slips into the sea. All that keeps the road in place, clinging precariously to the cliffs, are giant bolts and cables. Nine times, Route 1 at Devils Slide has closed. In 2006, it was shut for four months, sending commuters on long detours and threatening coastal businesses. A closing in 1995 lasted nearly six months. The plan is to replace the highway with a tunnel. For more information, see this article. According to the article, the realization of the Devil's Slide tunnel would culminate a saga that began with environmentalists and residents battling a planned six-lane highway between San Francisco and San Luis Obispo in the 1960s and led to them convincing the state's giant transportation department to build the twin-bore tube through Montara Mountain. According to the Half Moon Bay Review in 2006, the construction bids for the tunnel came in over $32 million over the original Caltrans estimate. Caltrans had first pegged the price of the tunnel at $240 million, estimating construction time at about five years. The low bid, presented by Kiewit Pacific, came in at $272.4 million with construction expected to take 1,500 calendar days. A second bid - made by a joint venture of construction companies Shea, Traylor and Atkinson - came in nearly $50 million more than Kiewit's and asked for an additional year to complete the work. After the contact is ready, preparation work may begin in spring 2007 to provide the site with adequate drainage and better stability. The proposed 4,200-foot-long twin tunnels will bypass the Devil's Slide section of Highway 1 by an inland route through Montara Mountain. The boring for the tunnel began in September 2007. The twin tunnels will connect to a graceful and lofty set of bridges spanning a scenic canyon. The $322 million project will be ready for traffic by late 2010. The tunnels, four-fifths of a mile long, will be built in stable rock far from the cliffs that are sliding into the sea. The bridge construction spares precious wetlands. The long-haunted stretch of old Route 1 will be turned into a 1.2-mile recreation area, while the new road will be a reliable thoroughfare.

    In 2007, the CTC recommended funding of the following projects from the Corridor Mobility Improvement Account (CMIA): 2-lane expressway, Salinas Rd interchange in Monterey County ($37,061K requested and recommended) and auxiliary lanes, Morrissey to Soquel Ave. in Santa Cruz County ($16,190K requested and recommended). They did not recommend funding auxiliary lanes from 41st Ave to Soquel Ave. in Santa Cruz County ($17,973K requested) or from Park Ave to Bay/Porter in Santa Cruz County ($21,389K requested).

    The SAFETEA-LU act, enacted in August 2005 as the reauthorization of TEA-21, provided the following expenditures for this route:

    • High Priority Project #51: Route 1 San Pedro Creek Bridge replacement in Pacifica. San Pedro Creek is currently flood-prone, and the bridge needs to be replaced in order to provide 100-year storm capacity. This is noted in the Pacifica Tribune Online. $2,500,000.

    • High Priority Project #719: Route 1 improvements between Soquel and Morrissey Blvd, including merge lanes and the La Fonda overpass near Santa Cruz. $2,936,000.

    In August 2005, the CTC considered relinquishment of the portion of Route 1 right of way in the County of Santa Cruz, at Harkins Slough Road, consisting of a bridge wingwall built and maintained by the County within State Right of Way.

     

     

    Naming

    This segment is officially named "Cabrillo Highway" in SHC 635. It was named by Assembly Bill 1769, Chapter 569, in 1959.

    Historically, this segment was named the "San Simeon Highway". This is because the segment starts at San Simeon, the home of Hearst Castle.

    A portion of Route 1 midway between Pacifica and Montara in San Mateo County is named the "Devil's Slide". The origin of name is not confirmed but believed to come from the practice of prohibition days gangsters using the once-deserted area to dispose of their enemies into the sea at this precipitous location. However, San Mateo County historian Barbara VanderWerf, who has written two books on the area, asserts in Montara Mountain that "Originally, Devil's Slide meant only the promontory and its inland ridge. In the 1880s, travellers in horse-drawn wagons on the Half Moon Bay-Colma Road, which ran along the top of the ocean bluffs, paused to note the chute-like ridge ending in the massive rock dome. They thought it looked fit for a Devil's Slide and named it so." To avoid the slides, there will soon be a tunnel here.

    The portion of Route 1 between 0.1 mile north of the Green Valley Road and 0.1 mile north of the Pajaro River bridge is named the "CHP Officer John Pedro Memorial Freeway." It was named in memory of CHP Officer John Pedro (1965-2002) from Watsonville, California. John Pedro served in the United States in the Army Reserves from 1987 to 1997, and served in the Air Force Reserves from 1991 to the time of his death. He played in the band for the Air Force. He joined the California Highway Patrol on July 31, 1989, as a cadet and graduated from the California Highway Patrol Academy on December 21, 1989. After he graduated from the Academy, John Pedro was assigned to the San Jose area, and he was transferred in 1992 to the Redwood City area, in 1993 back to San Jose area, and in 1994 to the Santa Cruz area. On June 3, 2002, John Pedro was killed, while on duty, in a traffic collision. Named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 67, July 16, 2004, Chapter 118.

    The portion of Route 1 in San Mateo County from the interchange at Skyline Boulevard to the southern city limits of the City of Pacifica is officially named the "Louis J. Papan Highway". Louis J. Papan was first elected to the Daly City City Council in November 1970. In November 1972, he was elected to the California State Assembly, and was reelected seven times, serving in the California State Assembly until 1986. He was again elected to the Assembly in 1996, and was reelected twice, serving as the Dean of the Assembly until 2002. In the Assembly, Assemblyman Papan was critical in securing funding for the purchase of Linda Mar Beach and the Pacifica Pier in the City of Pacifica; and authored legislation necessary to create CalTrain to serve commuters in San Mateo County. Together with his wife, he founded John's Closet, a nonprofit organization that to date has helped provide new clothes for over 7,000 low-income children in San Mateo County. He has also worked as a tireless and successful advocate for the development and improvement of all modes of transportation in California; as well as fighting for the needs of disabled children, and the funding for special education, child abuse programs. He oversaw the restoration of the Historic Capitol Building, has served as Chair of the Assembly Committees on Rules and on Banking and Finance. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 234, Chapter 176, September 16, 2002.

     

    Named Structures

    The bridge at Burns Creek in the Big Sur area of Monterey County is officially dedicated to the memory of Thomas M. Sanders. Thomas M. Sanders, a Department of Transportation Maintenance Supervisor, was killed in 1991 in the line of duty, at the age of 58, while repairing a section of guardrail in a coned off area of Route 1 in the Big Sur area of Monterey County by an automobile operated by a driver under the influence of drugs, who was attempting to flee from a California Highway Patrol officer. Named by Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 48, Chapter 107, in 1997.

     

    Business Routes
    • In Monterey: Munras Street and North Fremont Blvd.
    • In Seaside: Fremont Blvd.
    • In Marina: Del Monte Ave.
    • Cayucos
    • Cambria: Windsor Boulevard and Main Street

     

    Freeway

    [SHC 253.2] From Route 101 near San Luis Obispo to San Simeon; the northern limits of Carmel to the west city limits of Santa Cruz; the Higgins-Purisima Road to Route 280 south of San Francisco. Constructed as freeway for 5 miles near Morro Bay, from Route 68 to Route 156, from south of Watsonville to Santa Cruz, and from Pacifica to Route 280. Added to the Freeway and Expressway system in 1959 (Chapter 1062).

    • 1959: Added to the Freeway and Expressway system (Chapter 1062).
    • 1971: Deleted the segment from San Mateo-Santa Cruz County line to Higgins-Purisima Road (Chapter 1247)
    • 1972: Deleted the segment from Santa Cruz to the county line (Chapter 812).
    • 1992: Changed the second segment to the N limits of Carmel (previous wording: "from Carmel to the W limits of Santa Cruz"). This was changed to exclude the Hatton Canyon Alignment by AB 434, Chapter 136, on 7/31/2002.

     

    National Trails

    De Anza Auto Route This route is part of the De Anza National Historic Trail.

     

    Scenic Highway

    [SHC 263.2] From Route 101 near San Luis Obispo to Route 35 near Daly City.


  4. Route 280 near the south boundary of the City and County of San Francisco to Route 101 near the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.


    Post 1964 Signage History

    The original definition of this section in 1963 was "A connection from Route 280 to Route 82 near the south boundary of the City and County of San Francisco." In 1968, Chap. 282 changed the routing, moving a routing of Route 1 from Route 280 to Route 82 was transferred to Route 280. This portion of the routing was part of the "Southern Freeway", and was the LRN 225 portion of I-280. As a result, the definition was changed to "Route 280 near the south boundary of the City and County of San Francisco to Route 480 in San Francisco."

    In 1991, Chap. 493 reflected the deletion of Route 480, changing the end of the segment to "Route 101 near the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco."

    Shortly N of this portion, there appears to have been an alternate routing where Route 1 would have diverged from 19th Avenue, ran slightly to the East, moving to meet the Crosstown Freeway, and then continuing North to the Golden Gate approach. It appears that this routing was, at one time, planned for freeway construction as the "Park Presidio Freeway" and "Junipero Serra Freeway". It appears to have been part of a 1955 traffic plan, which was later deleted as freeway.

    There are still remnants of this planning in the segment of Route 1 between 19th Ave. and I-280 Interchange, built in the early 1950s. It is hypothesized that this quasi-freeway section was to have been part of the extension of the Junipero Serra Freeway to Golden Gate Park, and of the Park Presidio Freeway going to the Golden Gate Bridge and eventually to Novato. There are two interchanges on this small stub of freeway, Brotherhood Way and Alemany Boulevard. This segment appears to have been planned to be I-280.

     

    Pre 1964 Signage History

    State Shield This segment was first defined as part of LRN 56 in 1933. It was signed as Route 1 from the start of state signage in 1934.

     

    Status

    There appear to be some plans to make a portion of this route an underground tollway. The San Francisco Chronicle published an article on 2/18/2001 where it indicated that transportation planners "said the city should look into building ``supercorridor'' roads under Van Ness Avenue, 19th Avenue, and Fell and Oak streets." The suggested 19th Avenue tunnel would run five miles, from Junipero Serra Boulevard through Golden Gate Park and up to Lake Street, with exits at Brotherhood Way, Ocean Avenue, Quintara Street, Lincoln Way and Geary Boulevard. The Van Ness tunnel would run almost two miles, from about Fell to Lombard Street, with exits at Broadway and Geary Boulevard. Along Oak and Fell, the planners suggest an underground road running more than half a mile from Laguna to Divisadero streets. However, the roads would would violate the long-standing general plan for San Francisco, which calls for no new highway capacity.

     

    Naming

    Officially named "Cabrillo Highway" per SHC 635.

    Route 1 and Route 101 from Lake Street (at Route 1) in San Francisco to Waldo Point (Jct Route 1/US 101, north end of Sausalito) across the Golden Gate Bridge is named the "Golden Gate Bridge Freeway". It was named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 11, Chapter 39 in 1954. This was originally planned to run along 19th Street in San Francisco.

     

    Named Structures

    Tunnel 34-016, at Park Presidio Blvd in San Francisco through the Presidio of San Francisco between Lake Street and Golden Gate Bridge is named the "General Douglas MacArthur Tunnel". The tunnel was constructed from 1938-1940 as part of the "Funston Avenue Approach" to the Golden Gate Bridge. It opened, with the rest of the Funston Approach, on April 22, 1940. It was named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 86, Chapter 94 in 1986. Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) was a brilliant and controversial five-star U.S. Army General. Strongly dedicated to country and duty, and gifted with superior command ability, MacArthur's military service included important command assignments in the both World Wars and the Korean War. During World War One, MacArthur commanded the 42nd "Rainbow" Division of the Allied Expeditionary Force in France. After the War, MacArthur was superintendant of West Point from 1919-1922. In January of 1930 he was promoted to full General, 4 stars and named the U.S. Army's Chief of Staff. MacArthur retired from the Army in 1937, one year after the President of the Phillipines, Manuel Quezon, appointed him Field Marshall of the Phillipine Army. In 1941 MacArthur was recalled to active duty as the U.S. prepared to enter World War Two. By 1942 MacArthur was Supreme Allied Commander of the Southwest Pacific theater. In January of 1945, MacArthur was promoted to the rank of five star General. On September 2, 1945 on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, MacArthur accepted Japan's unconditional surrender. In June 1950, with the beginning of the Korean War, MacArthur was appointed the Supreme United Nations commander. However, on April 11, 1951 he was relieved of his command by President Truman. This tunnel had been previously unofficially named as the "Presidio Tunnel", as it passes through the Presidio. [Information on General MacArthur from http://members.tripod.com/~DARTO/macarthur/macarthur.html]

     

    Freeway

    [SHC 253.2] From Route 280 to the San Francisco county line.

     

    Scenic Highway

    [SHC 263.2] From Route 35 in San Francisco to Route 101 near the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.


  5. From Route 101 near the southerly end of Marin Peninsula to Route 101 near Leggett via the coast route through Jenner and Westport.


    Post 1964 Signage History

    The 1963 definition of this segment was "Route 101 near the southerly end of Marin Peninsula to Route 101 near Fernbridge via the coast route through Jenner, Westport, and Ferndale." In 1984, Chapter 489 transferred the portion from Rockport to Route 101 near Fernbridge to Route 211. The portion from Rockport to Route 101 near Leggett was transferred from former Route 208, truncating the end to " Route 101 near Leggett via the coast route through Jenner and Westport."

     

    Pre 1964 Signage History

    State Shield The portion of this segment from San Francisco to the Marin-Sonoma County Line was added to LRN 56 as part of the 1933 extension of the legislative route. Also added in 1933 was the portion from Jenner to Westport. In 1951, LRN 56 was extended southward to the Marin-Sonoma County Line and northward to US 101 near Leggett by Chapter 1588. This segment was signed as Route 1 from the start of state signage in 1934, except for the portion from Route 211 to US 101, which was briefly Route 208 post-1964.

     

    Status

    A bypass was opened in Feb 1994 months around Cloverdale on Route 101. This connects to the former end of Route 101 2 mi south of Cloverdale to an approx. 3 mile stretch of freeway about 1 mile north of Cloverdale.

    There are currently plans to replace the Route 1 Noyo River bridge (the original Larsen Memorial Bridge), at a cost of $31 million.

    There are plans to realign this route near Point Arena in Mendocino County. This is between Schooner and Hearn Gulch, N of Iverson Point.

     

    Naming

    Route 1 and Route 211 from Mill Valley (Marin County) to Ferndale (Humboldt County) are named the "Shoreline Highway. This is because they go along the shoreline. The portion of the route between Rockport and Ferndale (Route 211) is not constructed. The road runs along the Pacific Shore. Named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 91, Chapter 239 in 1957.

     

    Named Structures

    Bridge 10-130 over the Navarro River in Mendocino county is named the "Armed Forces of Mendocino County° Memorial Bridge. It was constructed in 1949, and was named by Senate Resolution 169 in 1949.

    Bridge 10-151, at Russian Gulch in Mendocino county, is named the "Frederick W. Panhorst Bridge". It was built in 1940, and was named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 145 in 1974. Frederick Panhorst was a Caltrans employee responsible for the construction of the Alameda Creek Bridge. He is a former director of ASCE. In 1960, he received a California State Assembly Resolution of Commendation and California Highway Commission Resolution of Acknowledgement and Appreciation. He served as as an engineer with the Bridge Department of the California Division of Highways from 1927 to 1960. He has a collection of papers on file at the University of Illinois.

    Bridge 10-153, over Casper Creek in Mendocino county, is named the "Ray E. Ware Memorial Bridge". It was built in 1966, and was named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 32 in 1973. Ray E. Ware served as Judge of the Ten Mile Justice Court from 1952 to 1971 and was a tireless advocate for an all weather highway system for California.

    Bridge 10-161, at 10 Mile River in Mendocino county, is named the "Frank J. Hyman Memorial Bridge". It was built in 1954, and was named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 33 in 1973. Frank J. Hyman activated the Paul Bunyan Association and was instrumental in forming the Noyo Harbor Commission and the Fort Bragg Rural Fire District in the 1950's.

    Bridge 10-175, over Hare Creek in Mendocino county, is named the "Sgt. Emil Evenson Memorial Bridge". It was built in 1947, and named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 27, Chapter 44, in 1948. Sgt. Emil Evenson, a native of the Ft. Bragg area, was killed in action on the island of Attu in the Pacific during World War II.

    Bridge 10-176, at the Noyo River in Mendocino county, is named the "Lieutenant Charles Larsen Memorial Bridge". It was built in 1948, and named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 27, Chapter 44, the same year. Lt. Charles Larsen was lost in the Pacific while flying a combat mission during World War II.

     

    Freeway

    [SHC 253.2] From Route 101 near the southerly end of Marin Peninsula to the vicinity of Valley Ford; from Route 128 near the mouth of the Navarro River to Route 101 near Leggett. Added to the F&E system in 1959 (Chap. 1062).

     

    Scenic Highway

    [SHC 263.2] From Route 101 near Marin City to Route 101 near Leggett.

Blue Star Memorial Highway

Route 1, from its junction with I-5 at Dana Point in Orange County to its junction with US 101 at Leggett in Mendocino County was designated as a Blue Star Memorial Highway. This designation was made by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 58, Chapter 108, July 29, 2003.

 

exitinfo.gif
  • Cal-NExUS Exit Numbering: Route 1
  • Western Exit Guide: Route 1 (Jeff Stapleton)
  • Exit Lists: Route 1 (Chris Sampang)

 

Other WWW Links

 

Interregional Route

[SHC 164.10] Entire route.

 


Overall statistics for Route 1:

  • Total Length (1995): 656 miles
  • Average Daily Traffic (1993): 750 to 97,000
  • Milage Classification: Rural: 454; Sm. Urban: 19; Urbanized: 183.
  • Previous Federal Aid Milage: FAP: 592 mi; FAU: 57 mi; FAS: 7 mi.
  • Functional Classification: Prin. Arterial: 226 mi; Minor Arterial: 426 mi; Collector: 7 mi.
  • Counties Traversed: Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino

 

Pre-1964 Legislative Route

The basic routing for what became LRN 1 was first defined in the 1909 First Bond Act, as part of a route from San Francisco to Crescent City. It was extended to the Oregon Border by the 1919 Third Bond Act.

By 1935, LRN 1 had been codified into the SHC as "from a point in Marin County opposite San Francisco to the Oregon State Line via Crescent City and the Smith River". It was a primary route in its entirety.

LRN 1 corresponds to present-day Route 101 (US 101) and Route 199 (US 199). It was signed as US 101 between the Golden Gate Bridge and the vicinity of Crescent City, and then as US 199 to the Oregon border. Portions of the original route are current Route 254, Route 271, and Route 283.


State Shield

State Route 2



Routing
    • Legislative: The point where Santa Monica Boulevard crosses the city limits of Santa Monica at Centinela Avenue to Route 101 in Los Angeles, except the relinquished portions described in subdivision (b). Subdivision (b) defines these portions as the relinquished former portions of Route 2 within the city limits of West Hollywood and Santa Monica, and between Route 405 and Moreno Drive in Los Angeles. Those relinquished portions are not a state highway and are not eligible for re-adoption as a state highway. Those cities shall maintain signs within their respective jurisdictions directing motorists to the continuation of Route 2.

      The Transportation Commission is also permitted to relinquish to the City of Beverly Hills the portion of Route 2 that is located between the city's west city limit at Moreno Drive and the city's east city limit at Doheny Drive, upon terms and conditions the commission finds to be in the best interests of the state. The City of Beverly Hills shall maintain within its jurisdiction signs directing motorists to the continuation of Route 2. Additionally, the commission may relinquish to the City of Los Angeles the conventional highway portion of Route 2 that is located within the city limits of Los Angeles, upon terms and conditions the commission finds to be in the best interests of the state, including, but not limited to, a condition that the City of Los Angeles maintain within its jurisdiction signs directing motorists to the continuation of Route 2. This section was up for relinquishment in August 2005.

    • Actual:

      1. The point where Santa Monica Boulevard crosses the city limits of Santa Monica at Centinela Avenue to Route 405 in Los Angeles

      2. The eastern city limits of West Hollywood and Route 101 in Los Angeles.

      (Note that the discontinuity is due to the following relinquishments, in order: Route 405 to Moreno Drive; Moreno Drive (western limit of Beverly Hills) to Doheny Drive (eastern limit of Beverly Hills); portion in the city of West Hollywood)

     


    Post 1964 Signage History

    In 1963, this route was defined by Chapter 385 to run from "Route 1 near Santa Monica to Route 138 via the vicinity of Avenue 36 in Los Angeles and via Glendale and Wrightwood."

    In 1965, Chapter 1371 split the route into two segments: (a) Route 1 near Santa Monica to Route 101; (b) Route 101 to Route 138 via the vicinity of Avenue 36 in Los Angeles and via Glendale and Wrightwood.

    In 1990, Chapter 1187 made the endpoint of this route more specific, changing it to "Route 101 in Los Angeles".

    In 1998, Chapter 877 changed the starting point to eliminate the route within the City of Santa Monica but changing "Route 1 near Santa Monica" to "The point where Santa Monica Boulevard crosses the city limits of the City of Santa Monica at Centinela Avenue". This change also added text to permit the relinquishment of the portions of Route 2 located within the City of West Hollywood and the City of Santa Monica, effective on the date the agreement is approved. The cities were required the cities to maintain within their jurisdictions signs directing motorists to the continuation of State Highway Route 2. These portions (Doheny Dr to La Brea Avenue in West Hollywood, Route 1 to PM2.32 in Santa Monica) have subsequently been relinquished to the containing cities. Note that TCRP Project #142 will do some additional repair and maintenance on this segment.

    In 2001, the legislature authorized relinquishment of the portion of Route 2 that is located between I-405 and Moreno Drive to the City of Los Angeles, per SB 290, Chapter 825, 10/13/2001. In June 2002, the CTC had the relinquishment of the segment 07-LA-2-PM 3.9/5.9 in the City of Los Angeles on its agenda. That is likely this segment.

    In 2003, SB 315, Chapter 594, 9/29/2003, changed the legislative definition to exclude the portions in West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and the city of Los Angeles (between I-405 and Moreno Drive), and to permit relinquishment in Beverly Hills.

    In 2004, AB 3047, Chapter 650, 9/21/2004, cleaned up the relinquishement language, and added the ability to relinquish the conventional highway portion in the City of Los Angeles. For those not keeping score, once the relinquishments in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles occur, the first segment of this route will be gone. According to the Beverly Hills Weekly in July 2005, the Beverly Hills City Council approved a resolution in late July 2005 that will result in the relinquishment of a the designated portion of Route 2, and a total of $4.3 million to the city for the maintenance and repair of the highway. The Beverly Hills stretch of highway covers 1.8 miles and receives a high volume of traffic. According to Dave Gustavson, Director of Public Works and Transportation for Beverly Hills, the part of the highway west of Wilshire accommodates 35,000 vehicles per day, while east of Wilshire sees 51,000 vehicles per day.

    According to a September 1965 CalTrans planning map, this was to be freeway from I-405 to US 101; right now, there's only a stub as freeway that starts just before I-5 (and continues to I-210 as the Glendale Freeway). They could never get permission to build through Beverly Hills (for the longest time, there were discussions about having the freeway go underground through Beverly Hills). Of all the freeways in the Southern California area that were never built, the Beverly Hills Freeway (Route 2) probably would have had the greatest impact on both traffic volume and the surrounding neighborhoods (not all of it for the better).

    In 1965, this was designated as a continuous route from Route 1 to Route 138.

    According to an article in the Beverly Hills Weekly, the very plans for a proposed freeway to serve Beverly Hills were the original plans for the Santa Monica Freeway. The route selected by the publisher of the Santa Monica Outlook and chair of the state's Highway Commission was near Pico Boulevard. However, this was opposed by the major business interests of the Beverly Hills; the rationale was that with a Santa Monica freeway running near the southern borders of the city, customers for Beverly Hills stores could more easily reach both the downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica shopping districts, and the freeway could make the development of competing office buildings on the booming Westside more accessible. As a result of these protests, the route was changed to the current routing. In the 1960s, the Beverly Hills City Council offered strong support for a freeway between the two Santa Monica Boulevards that would connect to the Hollywood Freeway on the east, and north and be a second link to the beach. However, this was too close to the pricy real estate just N of Santa Monica Blvd. It was also seen as a permanent divider between the north and south areas of the city. To resolve the issue, the Department of Highways proposed a "cut and cover" freeway. The problem was the cost of such construction, which was four times normal costs. The City Council could also not ensure it would be below ground. So, even though the route was on the books, the state could not give assurances of below-ground construction. The political realities were not lost on Anthony Beilenson, who sure the Beverly Hills Freeway died a quiet demise in the assembly. The freeway was officially cancelled in 1975.

     

    Pre 1964 Signage History

    This segment was added to the state highway system in 1933 as LRN 162. It originally ran along Santa Monica Blvd from Ocean Ave. in Santa Monica, then North along Hyperion Ave, then S on Glendale, and then N on Fletcher to San Fernando Road (later cosigned US 99/US 101). It was signed as Route 2 in the initial state routing in 1934. When US 66 was established, it was resigned as US 66, and remained with that signage until 1964.

     

    Naming

    The proposed name for the freeway segment between Route 1 and the current Glendale Freeway was the "Beverly Hills" Freeway. This is because the original freeway routing would have traversed the city of Beverly Hills. Beverly Hills was named in 1907 by B.E. Green after Beverly Farms, Massachusetts.

    This segment is part of "Historic Highway Route 66", designated by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 6, Chapter 52, in 1991.

     

    National Trails

    Arrowhead Trail Sign This segment was part of the "Arrowhead Trail (Ocean to Ocean Trail)". It was named by Resolution Chapter 369 in 1925.

    National Old Trails Road Sign This segment was part of the "National Old Trails Road".

    New Santa Fe Trail Sign This segment was part of the "New Santa Fe Trail".

    National Park to Park Highway Sign Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean Highway Sign This segment appears to have been part of the "National Park to Park Highway", and the "Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean Highway".

     

    Other WWW Links

     

    Freeway

    [SHC 253.2] From Glendale Boulevard to [(b)].

    • 1959: The entire portion from I-405 to Route 138 was defined as freeway (Chapter 1062).
    • 1975: Deleted: I-405 to US 101 (Chapter 1106)
    • 1975: Changed: Western terminus changed to Glendale Blvd (Chapter 1107)


  1. From Route 101 in Los Angeles to Route 210 in La Cañada Flintridge via Glendale.


    Post 1964 Signage History

    In 1963, this route was defined by Chapter 385 to run from "Route 1 near Santa Monica to Route 138 via the vicinity of Avenue 36 in Los Angeles and via Glendale and Wrightwood."

    In 1965, Chapter 1371 split the route into two segments: (a) Route 1 near Santa Monica to Route 101; (b) Route 101 to Route 138 via the vicinity of Avenue 36 in Los Angeles and via Glendale and Wrightwood. This change created this segment.

    In 1984, Chapter 409 permitted for variation in the route, changing the segment to "Route 101 to Route 138 via Glendale and Wrightwood."

    In 1990, Chapter 1187 further split the segment into (b) Route 101 in Los Angeles to Route 210 in La Canada Flintridge via Glendale and (c) Route 210 in La Canada Flintridge to Route 138 via Wrightwood.

     

    Pre 1964 Signage History

    The portion of this segment between Avenue 36 (Fletcher Drive) in Glendale and I-210 was defined as part of the state highway system in 1933 as LRN 61; the portion from US 101 to Avenue 36 was defined in the same year, but was part of LRN 162. It ran N from San Fernando Road along Alverado to Eagle Rock Blvd, along Canada Blvd, then N along Verdugo Road to Foothill Blvd (Route 118). It has been signed as Route 2 since the start of state signage in 1934.

     

    Naming

    The segment of Route 2 from US 101 to Route 210 is named the "Glendale" Freeway. This is because this segment goes through the City of Glendale. It was named by the State Highway Commission on August 17, 1955.

    From historical usage, this has also been named the "Allesandro" Freeway (the portion parallel to Allesandro Street). Allesandro was a character in the Helen Hunt Jackson novel Ramona, which was a seminal novel in the early 20th century in creating the romance of California.

    The segment between Route 134 and Route 210 is also named the "Frank G. Lanterman Freeway". Frank Lanterman was an Assemblyman from the La Cañada Flintridge region for 28 years. He was the leading spokesperson for Republicans on all social welfare issues and health issues. He was a member of one of the founding families of the La Cañada Flintridge community, and was responsible for obtaining Colorado River water for La Cañada in 1955. In 1969, he authored the Lanterman Mental Retardation Services Act, which established a statewide system of regional centers. In 1974, he sponsored additional legislation that expanded the clientele served by the regional centers to include persons with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, and other significantly handicapping conditions found to be closely related to mental retardation. He was the author of HB 3896, which prohibited the expenditure of Rapid Transit District funds from the ½¢ sales tax for purposes other than planning and design, such as capital development, unless approved by the affected local jurisdictions. The highway was named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 131, Chapter 126, in 1978.

     

    Double Fine Zones

    Between the city limits of La Cañada Flintridge and the intersection with Route 39. Authorized by Senate Bill 1526, Chapter 446, September 14, 2000.

     

    Status

    The first freeway segment opened in 1958; the last segment opened in 1978.

     

    Freeway

    [SHC 253.2] Between Glendale Blvd (a) and Route 210.

    • 1959: The entire portion from I-405 to Route 138 was defined as freeway (Chapter 1062).
    • 1965: Deleted: Route 210 to Hartner Lane (Chapter 1372)
    • 1978: Deleted: Portions E of Hartner Lane (Chapter 278)


  2. Route 210 in La Cañada Flintridge to Route 138 via Wrightwood.


    Post 1964 Signage History

    This segment was created in 1990 by Chapter 1187, which split it off of the former (b) segment. Planned as freeway in 1965, but never upgraded, through the Angeles National Forest.

     

    Pre 1964 Signage History

    The portion of this segment between I-210 and the Red Box Divide was part of the original 1919 third-bond act definition of LRN 61. In 1931, LRN 61 was extended to reach Route 39. In 1933, it was further extended to reach Route 138.

    Before the days of the freeway, this ran N along Haskell St from Foothill Blvd (signed as Route 118, but LRN 9) to the Angeles Crest Highway, and thence over the mountains (as construction allowed). It has been signed as Route 2 since the start of state signage in 1934. Angeles Crest Highway began construction in 1929 after ten years of planning, it made it to Red Box in 1934. A year later, in 1935, the road from Red Box to Mt. Wilson was paved and ready for use.

    Additionally, the route continued beyond the junction with Route 138, continuing along current Route 138 to US 91 (present I-15). This former portion was cosigned as Route 138 and Route 2, and was part of the 1931 extension of LRN 59.

    From US 91, the route, signed as Route 2, continued along the current Route 138 routing to Route 18. This portion was LRN 59 up to the current Route 138/(unsigned) Route 173 junction at the N end of the Cedar Springs Reservoir, and LRN 188 S to Route 18 (LRN 43). The LRN 59 portion was added to the state highway system in 1957; the LRN 188 portion was defined as part of the state highway system in 1933.

    The Angeles Crest Highway (the portion from Route 210 to Route 138) is 66 miles long from I-210 to Route 138. The highway was originally envisioned in 1912 as "the most scenic and picturesque mountain road in the state", but the need for a road for fire-fighting was at least equally important. Funds were allocated beginning in 1919, construction began in 1929, continuing piece by piece until 1956, except from 1941 to 1946 during WWII. The road is typically closed to car traffic and unplowed between Islip Saddle and Big Pines after the first snowfall (typically October through December) until May or June.

     

    Status

    Los Angeles County is exploring constructing a tunnel between Route 2 and Palmdale, under the mountains. The cost of the route would run into the billions; a prior study conducted in 2001 predicted a $1.8 billion price tag. The route might be a six-lane toll road with a high-speed train track running down the middle.

     

    Naming

    The portion of this segment from La Canada to Mount Wilson Road is named the "Angeles Crest Highway". This is a historical name.

     

    Other WWW Links

     

    Freeway

    This segment was originally part of the Freeway and Expressway system in 1959, but was removed in 1965 and 1978.

    • 1959: The entire portion from I-405 to Route 138 was defined as freeway (Chapter 1062).
    • 1965: Deleted: Route 210 to Hartner Lane (Chapter 1372)
    • 1978: Deleted: Portions E of Hartner Lane (Chapter 278)

     

    Scenic Highway

    [SHC 263.2] Portion (3).

exitinfo.gif

 

Interregional Route

[SHC 164.10] From the north urban limits of Los Angeles and Route 138.

 


Overall statistics for Route 2:

  • Total Length (1995): 87 miles
  • Average Daily Traffic (1992): 310 to 130,000
  • Milage Classification: Rural: 59; Urbanized: 28.
  • Previous Federal Aid Milage: FAP: 72 mi; FAU: 15 mi.
  • Functional Classification: Prin. Arterial: 28 mi; Minor Arterial: 59 mi.
  • Significant Summits: Dawson Saddle (7903 ft), Blue Ridge Summit (7386 ft) and Cloud Burst Summit (7018 ft).
  • Counties Traversed: Los Angeles, San Bernardino.

 

Pre-1964 Legislative Route

The route that would become LRN 2, from San Francisco to San Diego, was added to the state highway system in the 1909 First Bond Act. It was extended from San Diego to the Mexico Border in 1931 (Chapter 82).

By 1935, it had been codified into the SHC as:

  1. San Francisco to the International Boundary Line near Tia Juana via San Diego and National City.
  2. Orcutt to [LRN 2] S of Santa Maria.
  3. Harriston to [LRN 2] near Los Alimos

The portion from San Diego to San Francisco was considered a primary state highway.

In 1945, Chapter 1214 specified that the northern end of the route was the Golden Gate approach (“the junction of [LRN 56] (Funston Approach) and the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge in the Presidio of San Francisco”)

In 1957, Chapter 1911 changed segment (2) to end N of Santa Maria.

After the 1959 changes establishing the F&E system, the route was defined as follows:

  1. From the Mexican line near Tijuana via San Diego and National City to LRN 56 (signed as Route 1) in San Francisco.

    This routing was signed as US 101. The original portion (i.e., surface street) from Ventura to Sea Cliff was transferred to Route 1 in 1980.

    Before the freeway was constructed, this ran along Ventura Blvd, across Cahuenga Pass. It split from LRN 160 at Highland, and went down to Sunset Blvd, continuing along Macy, down Boyle, to Whittier.

    In Los Angeles, this is present-day I-5 between Los Angeles and San Diego. It was previously signed as US 101. Once US 101 was constructed, LRN 2 ran along US 101 until Downey Road, took a jog at Downey Road (LRN 166) to Whittier Blvd (present-day Route 72), and then along Whittier Blvd.

    A small portion near the S end of present-day Route 72 was briefly (1964-1965) Route 51.

    In San Jose, the freeway US 101 was signed as Bypass US 101. The LRN 2 US 101 is present-day Route 82; Bypass US 101 (LRN 68) is present-day US 101.

  2. From Orcutt to LRN 2 N of Santa Maria.

    This is present-day Route 135, and portions were part of Route 1.

  3. From Harriston to LRN 2 near Los Alimos.

    This is also part of present-day Route 135.


State Shield

State Route 3



Routing
  1. From Route 36 near Peanut to Route 299 near Douglas City.


    Post 1964 Signage History

    This was added to the state highway system in 1963 (Chapter 385)

     

    Pre 1964 Signage History

    The portion of this route in the vicinity of Peanut was added to the state highway system in 1907 as LRN 35. It was part of "An act to provide for the survey, location and construction of a state highway connecting the present county road systems of any one or all of the counties of Trinity, Tehama and Shasta with the road system of Humboldt County...", approved March 23, 1907, chapter 117. It was extended to Route 299 near Douglas City in 1933. Its signage is unknown.

     

    Naming

    "Weaverville-Scott Mountain" Road.

    The portion of Route 3 between Callahan at post-mile 8.8 and Etna at post-mile 19.7 in the County of Siskiyou is named the "Crynthia and Erling Hjertager Memorial Highway". This segment was named in honor of Crynthia and Erling Hjertager, two exceptionally generous individuals who continuously and unreservedly contributed to the community of Scott Valley over a period of fifty years. They donated their time and capital to the community of Scott Valley in times of dire need and emergency. For example, Erling Hjertager was known to personally fly individuals, at a moments notice and free of charge, to San Francisco that were in need of medical attention. Erling Hjertager was a successful entrepreneur and owner of a sawmill that employed many in the County of Siskiyou and provided an incredible amount of lumber to the World War II effort. Both Crynthia and Erling Hjertager were true community leaders that headed the Boy Scouts, sponsored local basketball teams, lead the Masonic society, anonymously donated to numerous charities, and delivered wood to the elderly during the winter season. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 108, Resolution Chapter 84, on 07/11/2006.

     

    Named Structures

    The Wildcat Creek Bridge on Route 3 in the County of Siskiyou is officially named the "Erling Hjertager Memorial Bridge". This bridge was named in honor of Erling Hjertager, an exceptionally generous individual who continuously and unreservedly contributed to the community of Scott Valley over a period of fifty years. He donated their time and capital to the community of Scott Valley in times of dire need and emergency. Erling Hjertager was known to personally fly individuals, at a moments notice and free of charge, to San Francisco that were in need of medical attention. Erling Hjertager was a successful entrepreneur and owner of a sawmill that employed many in the County of Siskiyou and provided an incredible amount of lumber to the World War II effort. Erling Hjertager was a true community leader that headed the Boy Scouts, sponsored local basketball teams, lead the Masonic society, anonymously donated to numerous charities, and delivered wood to the elderly during the winter season. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 108, Resolution Chapter 84, on 07/11/2006.


  2. From Route 299 near Weaverville to Montague via Main Street in Yreka.


    Post 1964 Signage History

    In 1963, Chapter 385 established this as two segments: (b) Route 299 near Weaverville to Route 5 near Yreka. (c) Route 5 near Yreka to Montague.

    In 1974, Chapter 123 combined segments (b) and (c) to make the continguous.

     

    Pre 1964 Signage History

    State Shield The small portion of this route in Yreka, between I-5 and Route 263, was originally part of US 99, defined in 1910 as part of LRN 3. This portion of this segment from Route 5 near Etna to Montague was defined as part of the state highway system in 1933 as LRN 82. Its signage in 1934 is unknown. The remainder of this segment, from Weaverville to Route 5 near Etna, was added to LRN 82 in 1959.

    Pre-1964 State Shield In the initial 1934 state signage, Route 3 was the routing that is present-day Route 1 from US 101 near El Rio to US 101 (present-day I-5) near San Juan Capestrano (LRN 60). This was renumbered as US 101A, somewhere between 1935 and 1959, and was later renumbered as Route 1.

     

    Other WWW Links

     

    Freeway

    [SHC 253.2] From Route 299 near Weaverville to Route 5 near Yreka. Added to the Freeway and Expressway system in 1959 by Chapter 1062.

Scenic Highway

[SHC 263.2] Entire route.

 

Interstate Submissions

The designation I-3 was proposed in November 1957 for what is now I-280. In April 1958, I-3 was proposed again for what is now I-405. Neither was accepted by AASHTO.

 


Overall statistics for Route 3:

  • Total Length (1995): 146 miles
  • Average Daily Traffic (1992): 140 to 12,500
  • Milage Classification: Rural: 140; Sm. Urban 6.
  • Previous Federal Aid Milage: FAP: 140 mi; FAU: 2 mi; FAS: 4 mi.
  • Functional Classification: Prin. Arterial: 4 mi; Minor Arterial: 138 mi; Collector: 4 mi; Rural Minor Collector/Local Road: 0.7 mi.
  • Significant Summits: Hayfork Summit (3660 ft) and Scott Mountain (5025 ft).
  • Counties Traversed: Trinity, Siskiyou.

 

Pre-1964 Legislative Route

LRN 3 was defined as part of the 1909 First Bond Issue to run from Sacramento to the Oregon Line.

By 1935, it was codified into the SHC as:

[LRN 3] is from Sacramento to the Oregon State Line.

The bridge which extends across the Yuba River from the city of Marysville on the north to the State Highway on the south, and the bridge which extends across the Feather River between the city of Marysville and the city of Yuba City, are parts of [LRN 3] and are under the supervision and control of the department which shall maintain them. In the case of the bridge and highway thereon across the Feather River, the State assumes only that obligation of maintenance imposed upon the counties of Yuba and Sutter under any contract existing on August 14, 1931, with any railroad company for maintenance thereof. The department acting through the comission may, by resolution of the commission, at such time as the department finds it necessary and proper, relinquish the State's interest to the counties of Yuba and Sutter and thereupon the State's supervision and control over such bridge and highway thereon shall entirely revest in those counties.

The route was considered a primary route in its entirety.

In 1949, the text about the bridges was removed by Chapters 909 and 1467, but the routing was changed to indicate the route ran "from Sacramento to the Oregon State line via Yreka".

This route was signed as US 99E, US 99, and as Route 65 (between Roseville and Lincoln). Post-1964 signage is as Route 256 (1964-1994), Route 65, Route 99, and I-5. Portions were cosigned with US 40 (between Sacramento and Roseville). A small portion in Yreka between I-5 and Route 263 was later redesignated as part of Route 3.


State Shield

State Route 4



Routing
  1. Route 80 in Hercules to Route 5 in Stockton via north of Concord and via Antioch.


    Post 1964 Signage History

    In 1963, this segment was defined to run from "Route 80 near Hercules to Route 99 near Stockton via north of Concord and via Antioch" by Chapter 385.

    In 1990, the language was tightened slightly to refer to "in Hercules" by Chapter 1187.

    In 1994, the segment was split into two portions: (a) Route 80 in Hercules to Route 5 in Stockton via north of Concord and via Antioch. (b) Route 5 to Route 99.

     

    Pre 1964 Signage History

    The portion of this segment between Martinez and Route 5 was defined as part of the state highway system in 1931 as part of LRN 75. It was cosigned with Route 24 from the junction with Route 24 to 4 mi E of Antioch. The portion between Concord and the Antioch Bridge was originally signed as Route 24.

    Willow Pass Road, which is also part of Route 4 in Contra Costa County, had previously been a county road (since 1853). This highway served industrial traffic to and from Port Chicago, Pittsburg, and Antioch in the 1930s-1940s, especially during World War II. It became known as the Arnold Industrial Highway and John Muir Parkway. It became a state highway in 1933.

    The portion of this segment between Route 80 (US 40) and Route 24 was added to the state highway system in 1933 as part of LRN 106. The bypasses of Antioch and Brentwood were constructed after 1955, however, they were proposed by that date.

    This entire segment was signed as Route 4 in the initial state signage of highways in 1934.

     

    Status

    Constructed to freeway standards from 5 miles east of Route 80 to Route 160. Route 4 between I-80 and I-680 will be upgraded to an expressway with provisions included to upgrade it to freeway later. Also, the freeway portion of Route 4 is being extended to bypass Brentwood. There are plans under consideration to eventually build a freeway from Brentwood to Stockton roughly parallel to Route 4's current alignment. There are also plans to widen this route in Pittsburg (March 2001 CTC Agenda). Some original portions of the route (PM R15.3) in the City of Concord were up for relinquishment in December 2001. This may eventually connect to I-580.

    In his 2006 Strategic Growth Plan, Governor Schwartzenegger proposed widening the route in Contra Costa County. In 2007, the CTC recommended using $85M from the Corridor Mobility Improvement Account (CMIA) to fund widening the route from Somersville to Route 160

    According to Ronald Kappesser, Route 4 East of Antioch should be upgraded to a freeway to at least Vasco by 2011-2015. It is being built by a special purpose construction authority that is funded by development fees (see http://www.sr4bypass.org/ for info). The first segment was completed and opened to traffic in February 2008 (specifically between Route 160 and Lone Tree Way). As for what to do at the new freeway end, Caltrans is studying building the long-delayed route Route 239, which would be a road extending from somewhere around Antioch (say the end of the newly extended freeway portion of Route 4) to Tracy and upgrading the rest of Route 4 to Stockton. Neither of these is certain. Also, there has been a proposal to declare Vasco Road to be Route 84 and using state highway funds to improve the Alameda county section. If this is done, some believe that Route 84 might be redesignated or cosigned with Route 4. Note that this differs from the 1953 planned freeway, which would have bypassed Brentwood to the north, then continued due east over the Orwood Tract and Woodward Island, eventually ending on the Upper Jones Tract at the terminus for the Woodward Island Ferry. Apparantly, Island Road on the Upper Jones Tract up to Route 4 would have been assimilated into the route as well.

    As of May 2002, the $86 million project to convert the 2-lane section of Route 4 between I-80 in Hercules and Cummings Skyway to four lanes has been completed. New westbound lanes were built on a new alignment just north of the existing road, which was converted for eastbound traffic. The new westbound alignment has been open for a while, but each direction didn't have two lanes for the entire section until May 15, 2002. . The project had been on the drawing board for decades. This section of Route 4 is now much safer than it was just a few years ago, since opposing traffic is separated and all cross-traffic has been eliminated. However, it is not up to full freeway standards: many intersections are full right turns instead of gentle on- and off-ramps. Eventually, new eastbound lanes will be built, and the current eastbound lanes (the original road) will revert to a two-way frontage road. There is currently no funding for the full freeway conversion project. However, the project is not completed. In particular, the right lane eastbound is still marked exit-only at Sycamore Ave. (including at the exit itself) even though it isn't any longer; the speed limits are marked inconsistently in both directions (going from 50 to 65 to 50 westbound, 50 to 65 to 55 eastbound); eastbound is still marked as a double fine zone, but westbound is not; and westbound traffic, just after Cummings Skyway, still sees a pair of signs indicating an S-curve to the right, but the curve isn't there anymore.
    [Thanks to Jim Lin's posting on m.t.r for this information, and to those that responded to Jim's post.]

    [160/4 interchange]According to James Bradley, as of August 2004, the Route 4 Bypass Authority has approved and begun construction on the new Route 4 Bypass, to be completed in THREE segments. Segment TWO was completed in 2002 and is open for traffic as a two lane roadway. It runs from Lone Tree Way at the Antioch/Brentwood border to Balfour Road in Brentwood. Segment ONE began construction in 2004, and was completed in February 2008. It runs from the current Route 4/Route 160 junction in Antioch to the completed portion at Lone Tree Way. Segment THREE is scheduled to begin construction in the Spring of 2005, with completion scheduled late Spring or early Summer, 2008. It runs from the ending of Segment TWO at Balfour Road in Brentwood, along Concord Ave, and will terminate at Vasco Road (future Route 84). A connecting road between the new bypass and the current Route 4 (Marsh Creek Road) will be widened and upgraded to highway status. There will be several new interchanges constructed. The interchanges will be as follows: Route 4/Route 160 in Antioch (a picture of this interchange has been provided by Carl Rodgers), Laurel Road/Slatten Ranch Road in Oakley, Lone Tree Way in Antioch/Brentwood, Sand Creek Road in Brentwood, Balfour Road in Brentwood, Marsh Creek Road in Brentwood, and Vasco Road/Walnut Blvd./Route 84. Another update is in the Pittsburg area. Construction is underway in Pittsburg for the Route 4 widening project from Baily Road to Loveridge Road. The highway is being widened from 4 to 8 lanes, including a BART extension to Railroad Ave. Some of the new exit signing (with exit numbers) has already been erected at Railroad Ave. The new overpass at Harbor Ave. is now open to traffic. As of February 2008, segment THREE had grading completed from the end of Segment TWO at Balfour Road to Marsh Creek Road. The new roadway is paved from Marsh Creek Road to Vasco Road, but not yet striped. Traffic signals have been installed at the intersections of Marsh Creek Road at Route 4 Bypass/Vasco Road, and Marsh Creek Road at Walnut Blvd. The UPRR crossing of Marsh Creek Road has been widened and new signals installed. Marsh Creek Road has been widened and paved from the new Bypass Road/Vasco Road intersection to Sellers Ave. Grading has started where Marsh Creek Road intersects with the current Route 4, and Marsh Creek Road is currently being widened from Sellers Avenue to Route 4. Also in February 2008, segment TWO of the bypass had undergone construction to lower the intersection with Sand Creek Road by several feet. This was done to accomodate the overpasses that will be built when Segment TWO is widened to four lanes in 2009-2010. The Sand Creek Road and Balfour Road interchanges will be built at that time.

    In connection with this, Route 4 through Oakley (Route 160 to Delta Road) has been named "Main Street" by the City of Oakley, and "Brentwood Blvd" through Brentwood (Delta Road to Sellers Avenue) by the City of Brentwood. This is in anticipation of the highway relinquishment when the new bypass opens.

    004 BypassThere are also plans to add a road connection for a Route 4 Bypass Road. This connection will relieve local traffic congestion and support planned development and growth in the area. The Bypass Road is being constructed in three segments. The northernmost segment, which includes the Route 4/ Bypass Road interchange, opened to traffic in February 2008. At the completion of the remaining segments, it is proposed that the Bypass Road be adopted as Route 4 and existing Route 4 be relinquished to the local agencies. However, as of the time of opening, "Bypass Road" was not yet officially Route 4, it has been signed as Highway 4 from the Lone Tree Way onramp to the interchange with NB Route 160. Some of the "Freeway Entrance" signs say Route 4 West, and others simply say "Bypass Road".

    Bypass Road diverges from Route 4 at the proposed new connection interchange in Antioch and reconnects to Route 4 at its intersection with Marsh Creek Road, a distance of 12.5 miles. Bypass Road is an access-controlled six- and four-lane freeway to just north of the Lone Tree Way interchange and continues as a two-lane expressway with limited access control to the intersection of the Bypass Road and Marsh Creek Road. The transfer will consist of relinquishment of a portion of existing Route 4 to the Cities of Oakley and Brentwood and Contra Costa County and adoption of the Bypass Road as the new Route 4 by the Department. The proposed new connection is a partial freeway-to-freeway interchange. This interchange will be located on a curve where Route 4 changes direction from west-east to south-north. The six-lane Bypass Road will extend to the east of the interchange as connector ramps will continue to Route 4/Route 160 junction to the north. Existing Route 4 is two-lanes in each direction and it will transition to three-lanes in each direction prior to the proposed connection to the Bypass Road. Connector ramps will be two-lanes wide for most of their length and will narrow to single lanes as they either exit or enter Route 4 at the proposed interchange.

    TCRP Project #16 involved widening to six or more lanes from east of Loveridge Road through Hillcrest. The project was requested by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority. In June 2006, a negative environmental impact (a good thing) was received by the CTC for subproject #16.2. This project would widen Route 4 from about 1 mile west of Loveridge Road to about 1 mile east of Hillcrest Avenue interchange near Route 160. The proposed project would widen Route 4 from 4-lanes to 8-lanes, with two of the lanes being used for high occupancy vehicle lanes. The improvements would conform with the improvements being made on Route 4 to the west of Loveridge Road, as well as planned improvements to the east of Hillcrest Avenue interchange. There are also plans (TCRP #16.4) to widen the freeway to eight lanes from Railroad through Loveridge Road in Contra Costa County. (June 2002 CTC Agenda Item 2.1c.(2)).

    In November 2007, there was an update on Project #16.2. On April 19, 2007, the Union Pacific Rail Road (UPRR) rejected the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) and CCTA’s final and best offer to acquire the Moccoco line where a future BART extension would have transitioned out of the Route 4 median at Loveridge Road interchange onto the Moccoco line located to the north of Route 4. As a result of the UPRR rejection, the alignment of the future BART extension has been revised to go inside the Route 4 (east) median where it will run through the Loveridge Road and Somersville Road interchanges. With the new BART alignment, right-of-way and utility costs on TCRP Project #16.2 have increased. Additional right of way is needed to accom