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 From Route 101 near Division Street in San Francisco to Route 280
near First Street in San Francisco.
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Approved as chargeable Interstate on 7/7/1947; deleted as chargeable
interstate in August 1965.
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As defined in 1963, Route 80 was defined to run from "Route 280 in San
Francisco to the Nevada state line near Verdi, Nevada, passing near Division
Street in San Francisco, passing near Oakland, via Albany, via Sacramento,
passing near North Sacramento, passing near Roseville, via Auburn, via Emigrant
Gap, via Truckee and via the Truckee River Canyon." Note that I-280 is
present-day Route 1.
In 1968, Chapter 282 transferred the portion from I-280 (present-day
Route 1) to US 101 (LRN 223) to Route 241. This was originally part of a much
longer route, and would have formed the handle of the "Panhandle" Freeway.
Additional history on the planned freeways for the San Francisco Bay area can
be found here. This ended up splitting the
definition of Route 80, giving the current segment. Note that, technically,
this segment is not part of the interstate system; it is unclear how it is
signed.
According to Sean Tongson, there is further evidence of the planned I-80
extension onto the Central Freeway into Golden Gate Park. The mileposts at the
termination of I-80 at US-101 read '4.05'. This indicates that further
extension definetely was in mind, with the additional 4 miles accounting for
the unconstructed segment going into Golden Gate Park. The mileposts at the
junction with former Route 480/I-280 read '5.09'.
Before 1968, maps indicate that I-80 was routed on the Central Freeway,
and was cosigned with US 101 up to Fell Street.
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  This segment was originally cosigned as US 40/US 50, dating
back to the signage of US highways. It was LRN 68, defined in 1923.
This segment was part of the Lincoln Highway, which originally
terminated in Lincoln Park, six miles west of the ferry landing at the foot of
Market Street. The Lincoln Highway ended opposite the Palace of the Legion of
Honor at a small monument marking the spot. The last few miles (of the highway)
were California Street.
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Signage for I-80 starts as one heads northbound on US-101 just past
Vermont St. where the road splits. There's a "Jct 80" sign on the right
shoulder and just north/east of there is an I-80 reassurance shield in the
center divider. This is about at the 9th St. exit.
There appear to be some plans to make a portion of the originally
planned freeway routing in San Francisco (which is mostly unbuilt) into 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.
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This segment of I-80 is named the "James Lick Skyway". James Lick
(1796-1876) worked in his youth as an expert organ and piano maker, following
this trade some twenty years in Argentina, Chile and Peru. He arrived in San
Francisco just before the gold rush with about $30,000 and made investments in
what was then outlying real estate. He built the famous hotel known as the Lick
House and continued to purchase real estate which kept being absorbed by the
city as it grew. He also built a large flour mill in San Jose. As a result of
investments he was very wealthy at the time of his death and left several
million dollars for scientific, charitable and educational purposes. He
financed the observatory atop Mt. Hamilton. Named by Assembly Concurrent
Resolution 37, Chapt. 122 in 1951.
The entire route in California has been submitted to be part of the
National Purple Heart Trail. The Military Order of the Purple Heart is
working to establish a national commemorative trail for recipients of the
Purple Heart medal, which honors veterans who were wounded in combat. All
states in the union will designate highways for inclusion in the commemorative
trail, and all of the designated highways will be interconnected to form the
National Purple Heart Trail. Named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 14,
Resolution Chapter 79, July 10, 2001.
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- Freeways of San
Francisco. Chris Sampang's site gives a lot of information about proposals
for this route in the San Francisco area, including exit lists with
hypothetical connections. This includes subpages on the James Lick, San
Francisco Skyway, and Western freeways.
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 From Route 280 near First Street in San Francisco to the Nevada
state line near Verdi, Nevada, passing near Oakland, via Albany, via
Sacramento, passing near Roseville, via Auburn, via Emigrant Gap, via Truckee
and via the Truckee River Canyon.
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As defined in 1963, Route 80 was defined to run from "Route 280 in San
Francisco to the Nevada state line near Verdi, Nevada, passing near Division
Street in San Francisco, passing near Oakland, via Albany, via Sacramento,
passing near North Sacramento, passing near Roseville, via Auburn, via Emigrant
Gap, via Truckee and via the Truckee River Canyon." Note that I-280 is
present-day Route 1. Within Sacramento, the route ran along what had been LRN 6
and LRN 11, and also included all of LRN 98.
In 1968, Chapter 282 transferred the portion from I-280 (present-day
Route 1) to US 101 (LRN 223) to Route 241. This ended up splitting the
definition of Route 80, giving the current segment.
In Sacramento, this route (at times) was to have been Route 880. Here is
the history related to that numbering. Note that none of this changed
the actual legislative definition of Route 80, only the routing:
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1964. I-80 first appears in Sacramento, using the old US
40/US 99E joint section of freeway and a portion of the US 99E freeway (this
latter portion is the former Elvas Freeway, a brief history of which is
found under Route 51).
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1965. A plan is put forth to bypass the existing I-80 with a
new alignment that would run in the median of I-880 in a dual freeway design
from the I-80/I-880 split northeast of Sacarmento. The alignment would then
separate onto the new alignment parallel to the Southern Pacific Railroad
mainline to just south of the American River, where it would rejoin the
existing I-80. A dual freeway design would have then been used to the north end
of Downtown Sacramento. The realignment was needed because the existing I-80
alignment did not meet Interstate standards. A 1969 map shows this as under
construction for I-880, with a portion parallel to I-80 (present Business Route 50) along
Roseville Road, Auburn Blvd, and continuing across the American River. It
appears a portion of this was constructed between Del Paso Park and near
Catskill Way; it is unclear what this is today.
At this time, there were a number of differences from the
present-day interchanges, visible from the historic aerials site. The I-80/Riverside
interchange had a left exit from the EB lanes. There were also shows ramps from
EB lanes to Auburn Blvd via what is now Whyte Avenue, as well as ramps at what
is now Cirby Way. At the I-80/Watt Ave South interchange, the EB offramp was
aligned directly onto EB Auburn Blvd. For traffic on WB Auburn Blvd to continue
WB, the right lane swung right and then back to the left to an intersection
with the traffic exiting the EB freeway. I-80 NE corridor (current BR-80/CA 51)
had old configurations for almost all interchanges. The only interchanges that
remain the same in 2009 are the junction with Route 160, Marconi Ave, Howe Ave
EB, and Auburn/Bell EB.
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1972. I-880 (present-day I-80) was completed; I-80 in the
median was completed but was not opened to traffic, ending at a long viaduct to
nowhere just south of where it left then I-880. Note: The I-880 numbering
actually makes sense, and the route would have connected with Route 244 (never
constructed) and then with Route 143, forming a loop back to US 50. It would
have continued as Route 244, and continued to Route 65.
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1979. The Sacramento City Council voted to delete the new
I-80 alignment and use the funding and right-of-way for rail transit. The
portion of ROW that was constructed between Roseville Road at Catskill Way and
the Split (244/51/80) is now used for three SacRT rail stations: the Roseville
Road, Watt/I-80 West and Watt/I-80 stations. (Watt/I-80 is the easternmost
SacRT light rail station, placed directly in the median of I-80 over Watt
Avenue in what would've been the new I-80 lanes.)
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1980. The new alignment was withdrawn from the Interstate
system. The need for route continuity for I-80 means that I-880 was
redesignated I-80. The portion of I-80 from the end of the new alignment south
of the American River to Highway 99 was classified as FAP (Federal Aid Primary)
51 (present-day Route 51). The portion of I-80 west of Route 99 to the former
I-80/I-880 junction in West Sacramento is kept in the interstate system and
classified as FAI (Federal-aid Interstate) 305 (briefly I-305, part of
present-day US 50). No signage changes take place because the changes have not
been made in the state highway system.
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1981. The 1980 FHWA action made no change to FAU
(Federal-aid Urban) 6380 (the old I-80 alignment) other than reclassifying it
as part of FAP 51. State Senate Bill 191 makes changes in the state highway
system refelcting the FHWA actions. I-880 is deleted and I-80 is rerouted over
it. The FAP 51 segment of the old I-80 alignment is officially numbered as
Route 51. The FAI 305 segment was designated as an extension of US 50. All of
the old I-80 alignment was signed as Business Loop 80. FAI 305 was never signed
as I-305, but its interstate designation remains today.
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1982. Signage changes are completed.
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1983. Caltrans asks FHWA to renumber Route 17 from San Jose
to Oakland as I-880. FHWA classifies the route as FAP 880. Other changes made
include signing the freeway portion of Route 238 as I-238 and extending I-580
over I-880. No signage change takes place because the changes have not been
made in the state highway system.
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1984. State Assembly Bill 2741 renumbers Route 17 from San
Jose to Oakland as I-880, as well as extending I-580.
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1985. The new signage of the routes affected by AB 2471 is
completed.
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1987. RT Metro light rail opens in Sacramento, using the
completed portions of the attempted I-80 realignment, as well as much of its
right-of-way.
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1996. Business Route 80 in Sacramento is officially named Capitol
City Freeway, though no changes are made to state route numbers, federal
classifications, or the Business Loop designation. The new name is posted at
several locations.
Nathan Edgars looked at traffic counts, and came up with the
following:
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1964: Route 16: I Street Bridge, down 3rd-5th and over
Broadway to Route 160, then a break until the split from US 50
Route 80: Tower Bridge, over Capitol/N to 29th-30th, then a break to
Broadway at 29th-30th and up 29th-30th
Route 99: from the south to Broadway, then west on Broadway, then a
break to the east end of the I Street Bridge and up Jibboom Street
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By 1966: Another piece of Route 99 added along P and Q
Streets between Route 160 and Route 16. The changes to Route 80 are unclear.
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By 1968: Route 80 moved to the new route, with the west part
becoming Route 275
Route 16 cut back to I-5 at the east end of the I Street Bridge
Route 99 removed from P and Q Streets and instead routed back west
on Broadway, replacing Route 16, but only to Route 275, where it broke until
Jibboom Street
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By 1970: Route 99 removed from Jibboom Street etc.
In Roseville, it appears that I-80 had an exit that no longer exists.
According to an article in the Sacramento Bee, back in the 1960s, EB I-80 had
an exit to NB Riverside Boulevard, that was a left exit that went through a
tunnel under the westbound lanes and up to Riverside.
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This segment of the route was originally signed as follows:
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As cosigned US 40/US 50 between San Franciso and Emeryville
(current I-80/I-880 junction). This was LRN 68. This was mostly defined in
1923; the Bay Bridge was added in 1929.
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As US 40/Route 17 between Oakland (I-80/I-880 junction) and
Richmond (former Route 17/US 40 junction, near the present I-580/I-80
junction). This was LRN 14, defined in 1909. The surface routing is now Route
123. This was bypassed by LRN 69, in 1923.
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As US 40 from near El Cerrito and 2 mi SW of Davis (junction Alt US
40/US 99W; now Route 113). This was signed as US 40; it is present-day I-80.
This was LRN 7, defined in 1909.
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As cosigned US 40/US 99W between Davis and Sacramento. This was LRN
6, defined in 1909.
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As cosigned US 40/US 50/US 99E between Sacramento and Roseville.
This was LRN 3, defined in 1909.
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The freeway routing N of Sacramento did not exist before 1963, but
was proposed LRN 242, defined in 1957.
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As US 40 between Sacramento and Auburn. This was LRN 17, defined in
1909.
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As US 40 between Auburn and Truckee. This was LRN 37, defined in
1919.
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As US 40 between Truckee and the Nevada state line. This was LRN
38, defined in 1923.
The segment of US 40 (present-day I-80) between Reno and Sacramento was
part of the Lincoln Highway.
There was also an Alternate US 40, also signed (apparently) in the
mid-1930s. This ran N from 2 mi SW of Davis along present-day Route 113 to near
Tudor (LRN 7 between US 40 and Route 16; LRN 87 between Route 16 and Tudor);
then along present-day Route 70 between Marysville and US 395 (LRN 87 between
Marysville and Oroville; LRN 21 between Oroville and US 395). It was cosigned
with US 395 into Reno, NV.
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Oakland-Bay Bridge.
There is work afoot on the Oakland-Bay Bridge. According to
Tollroadnews, the new east span of
the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is already estimated to cost $3.4b with
the price anticipated to rise with bids on the cable stayed or anchored
suspension section. The East Span, a doubledecker of 5-lanes on top of 5-lanes
was built by the California Toll Bridge Authority and opened in 1936. During
the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, the bolts on the upper deck of one truss
section sheered off and that deck section hinged down onto the lower deck
closing the whole bridge for several weeks. Several of the main piers are
weakened. Most are on wooden deep piles which are rotting. There was general
agreement it was best to build a new span. But the agreement ended when it came
to the design of the bridge. The cost has been going up, and there has been
endless infighting on who will pay for what. It has gotten worse and worse.
According to the
Oakland
Tribune, the most complete estimate as of January 2005 for the full cost to
build, engineer and oversee construction of the new eastern span of the Bay
Bridge: $5.9 billion. The skyway is costing $160,000 per foot. Extending it
could cost $460,000 per foot. There are all sorts of accusations flying around
about whether Caltrans hid the cost. For example, starting in August 2002, a
consultant's mock bid placed the cost of the remaining tower at $934 million.
By December 2003, Caltrans' own bridge cost specialist placed the bid at $1
billion and revised it to $1.3 billion in April. All the while, the agency
stuck to its official figure of $780 million. The bid price May 26 was $1.4
billion. Currently, information on the Bay Bridge project may be found on the
frontpage of the Caltrans Website. In July
2005, final agreement was reached. On July 18, 2005, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
signed legislation allowing construction to resume on a self-anchored
suspension span to complete the new eastern portion of the bridge. The
legislation calls for the state to contribute an additional $630 million to
help cover the $3.6 billion in cost overruns on the new eastern span. Motorists
will have to start paying a $1 extra in 2007 on all toll bridges in the Bay
Area except for the Golden Gate to cover much of the rest of the cost of the
$6.3 billion project. The increase will mean $4 bridge tolls.
In late March 2006, it was reported that Caltrans received two bids to
build the single-tower suspension span to complete the bridge, and the low
offer was $1.43 billion, slightly less than estimated. The low bid comes from a
joint venture between American Bridge Co. and Fluor Corp. of Coraopolis, Pa.
Caltrans engineers had estimated the cost at $1.45 billion. The second bid,
$1.68 billion, was from a joint venture between contractors Kiewit and Manson,
two of the three companies in the consortium building the concrete skyway
section of the bridge, and Koch and Skanska. Caltrans officials then began
reviewing the bids, checking figures, examining lists of subcontractors and
making sure the details match the agency's requirements. If all goes well, the
contract would be offered to American Bridge/Fluor. If the low bid is
determined to be flawed, Caltrans could either accept the higher offer or
reject both bids and start over. Construction activity on the Bay Bridge
probably won't be visible until mid-to-late 2007. The new eastern part of the
Bay Bridge will be the world's largest self-anchored suspension span. The
bridge is expected to open to westbound traffic in spring of 2012 with
eastbound lanes opening about a year later. The state has two additional
contracts to award on the bridge: one for the Oakland touchdown ramps, and a
second to build connector lanes to Yerba Buena Island.
In early 2009,
it
was reported that work on the Eastern span was delayed, due to problematic
welds. Specifically, according to Caltrans records, inspectors hired by
Caltrans to monitor the fabrication of steel girders that will support the
tower's roadway reported finding cracked welds in 2008. Caltrans and others in
charge of the bridge construction say the welds are safe and that fixes have
been made - but also say the inspectors interpreted the welding standards too
rigidly. Meanwhile, the inspection outfit that sounded the alarm has since been
replaced. The welds in question are contained in 900 bridge panels that are
being assembled into football field-size deck sections that will stretch across
the 1,800-foot-long tower portion. The sections were supposed to have begun
arriving from China in October 2008, but due to delays they weren't expected to
arrive until at least April 2009. The panels are being made by the Zhenhua Port
Machinery Co. of Shanghai, which is fabricating most of the steel for the $1.4
billion signature tower on behalf of the span's joint-venture builder, American
Bridge-Fluor Enterprises. ZPMC, as the company is commonly known, is the same
firm that built the mammoth cranes that tower over the Port of Oakland -
indeed, it builds 80 percent of the container cranes used around the world.
Soon after ZPMC started production in late 2007, however, the inspectors hired
by Caltrans began finding problems - specifically, an unacceptably large number
of welding flaws in the new panels. Specifically, as many as 65% of the more
than 30 welded panel sections examined - either visually or using ultrasonic
testing - failed to meet specifications. The memos also reveal that the
inspectors questioned ZPMC's ability to handle the complex bridge construction
job - and that they were frustrated by Caltrans officials' demands that the
project proceed despite the allegedly substandard welds. Caltrans officials,
working with ZPMC and MacTec inspectors, say they eventually worked out a
program to tag and repair all the bad welds. But e-mails from inspectors show
problems persisted. After consulting with a structural steel expert from Lehigh
University in Pennsylvania, Caltrans officials concluded the decks will be
safe, and that the earlier problems were the result of strict weld standards
that essentially allowed for no cracks. In other words, a few minor cracks are
OK.
![[Replacement of Roadway]](images/080-bay-bridge.replacement.jpg) The construction technique used is
interesting. Portions of the replacement roadway are constructed to the side of
the bridge. The bridge is then closed, the old roadway demolished, and the new
roadway rolled into place. This is illustrated to the right. It was done over
Labor Day Weekend 2007, when at 8 p.m. Aug. 31, after the last Friday commute
stragglers passed, Caltrans took the unprecedented step of completely closing
the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge for 3½ days and nights of major
reconstruction. Crews then demolished a 100-yard bridge section just east of
the Yerba Buena Island tunnel. Once the demolition was done and the rubble
carted away, the new section was be rolled on seven rails into place,
controlled by a computer. The 6,500-ton, five-lane section had already been
constructed on the island adjacent to the bridge deck. The new piece was be
jacked a few inches higher than the existing roadbed, and when it was in place,
it was lowered onto new concrete supports. There was only 3 inches of clearance
where the new deck met the existing deck. Unlike the old deck, the new one was
designed with equal-length columns, sitting on top of pilings that are encased
in an isolation base, surrounded by a few inches of open space in a concrete
housing. This allows them to move side to side in an earthquake, hopefully
without damage. The bridge reopened before 5:00am Tuesday for the
return-to-work commute.
 By May 2008, work had begun on Yerba Buena
Island on both a temporary bridge and a temporary bypass (see map on right;
click on the image for
the
original from the SF Chronicle)). The temporary bypass is on the south side
of the bridge; it will carry traffic in both directions for three years. In
March 2008, crews installed the first piece of the bypass atop a pair of those
columns. A double-deck steel span will take traffic on a curving 1,200-foot
detour just south of the existing bridge. The bypass will extend from the end
of the trestle section of the existing bridge to the tunnels. It will allow
crews to demolish the current link to the island and build a connection for the
new span. The bypass is being built on the ground, then will be hoisted into
the air one piece at a time. The fifth and final piece will require a weekend
bridge closure - possibly over Labor Day 2009 - as crews cut the existing span
and slide it off its supports on a set of rails erected 150 feet in the sky.
Then the new piece will be lifted onto another set of rails and rolled into
place atop the bridge supports. To the north, a temporary bridge will be
constructed. Workers are planting seven sets of temporary steel towers in the
bay and the eastern end of the island. In June, steel girders arrived from
Washington and were formed into a bridge reaching from near Yerba Buena Island
to the already-completed skyway section of the new eastern span. This will look
like a bridge, and will be a bridge, but won't ever carry traffic in this form.
Instead, it will be used to assemble and support the 28 winglike steel pieces -
14 for eastbound lanes and 14 for westbound - that will make up the deck of the
new Bay Bridge. Those sections will begin arriving from Shanghai, where the
bridge is being manufactured, late 2008 along with the four steel sections of
the tower. Once the 525-foot tower is assembled, a suspension cable will be
hung and draped around the bridge deck. The temporary towers and girders will
be removed, and the bridge will support itself.
(Source:
SF
Chronicle, May 28, 2008)
In August 2008, Caltrans released a bid to construct bridges, roadway
and install electrical systems in the City and County of San Francisco from the
Yerba Buena Tunnel to 0.6 km East of Yerba Buena Tunnel. This likely includes
reconfiguration of the interchange and replacement of the original US 40/US 50
tunnel.
 On Yerba Buena Island, there are plans to
remove the westbound on-ramp and the westbound off-ramp located on the eastern
side of the island and replace them with a new westbound on-ramp and a new
westbound off-ramp that would address design standards and traffic safety
requirements. This project has been proposed to address the geometric and
operational deficiencies of the existing westbound on-ramp and existing
westbound off-ramp on the eastern side of Yerba Buena Island and their effects
on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (I-80) mainline, without degrading the
mainline operation as compared to the noaction alternative. An EIR was being
prepared as of October 2008. The Yerba Buena Island Ramps Improvement Project
is estimated to cost $113,000,000. Funding is anticipated through the
Proposition 1B Local Bridge Seismic Retrofit Program, Federal Highway Bridge
Replacement and Rehabilitation Program and other local funding sources.
Construction is scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2011/12. There are two
alternatives being considered (in addition to no-build):
(2B) Alternative 2B would include removal of the existing westbound
on- and off-ramps on the east side of Yerba Buena Island, construction of a
westbound off-ramp to Macalla Court on the east side of Yerba Buena Island, and
construction of a westbound hook on-ramp from Macalla Court on the east side of
Yerba Buena Island. The feasibility of incorporating improvements to the
current eastbound off-ramp on the eastern side of Yerba Buena Island to
Hillcrest Road will be studied.
(4) Alternative 4 would include removal of the existing westbound on-
and off-ramps on the east side of Yerba Buena Island, construction of a
westbound on-ramp from Hillcrest Road, and construction of a westbound off-ramp
from Macalla Court on the east side of Yerba Buena Island. The feasibility of
incorporating improvements to the current eastbound off-ramp on the eastern
side of Yerba Buena Island to Hillcrest Road will be studied.
According to the San Jose Mercury News, there are plans in early 2009 to
raise tolls on the Bay Bridge, likely $1, and likely to be applied to
carpoolers as well. They may also add congestion pricing. This is being done to
help support the cost of retrofitting the Dumbarton and Antioch spans for
earthquake improvements
In order to build the suspension bridge, a large amount of temporary
construction is required. These include steel trusses starting to cross San
Francisco Bay between Yerba Buena Island to the west and the new 1.2-mile-long
precast concrete Skyway to the east, alongside the existing eastern steel truss
span of the old Bay Bridge. The truss bridge muyt support the 28 steel-deck
sections being fabricated in China. In addition to falsework for the SAS span,
part of a $1.4-billion contract held by a joint venture of American Bridge
Inc., Coroapolis, Pa., and Fluor Enterprises Inc., Aliso Viejo, Calif. Rancho
Cordova, Calif.-based C.C. Myers Inc. will demolish and replace a 300-ft-long
double-deck section of transition bridge over one weekend later this year. The
1.2-mile Skyway portion of the east span is just completed, and a $429-million
seismic reconstruction of the west approach wrapped up in early 2009.
Construction feats as of early 2009 include a 1,700-ton, 150-ft megapick of a
steel-tub girder in 11 hours, a 2,100-ton steel foundation box for the
525-ft-tall single tower and a Labor Day lift-out of a 6,500-ton section of
roadway. Later in the year, a custom-built crane from China will arrive with a
328-ft-long boom and the capacity to lift 1,700 metric tons. Even the barge had
to be custom-built: it is 400 feet long, 100 feet wide and 22 feet deep.
In May 2009, a group of about 70 architects pronounced the new east span
of the Bay Bride "a beautiful landmark emerging from the morass of political
and bureaucratic ugliness that has defined its creation." The architects used
the terms "beautiful," "sleek" and "elegant" to describe the $6.3 billion new
span, expected to open in 2013. Some of the highlights included the bicycle and
pedestrian path, the steel structures on the underside of the new skyway to
provide homes for cormorants, and the plans to illuminate the 525-foot tower
and the cables supporting the new suspension span.
(San
Francisco Chronicle)
In September 2009, the Bay Bridge closed to traffic to permit a complex
construction maneuver 150 feet in the air. Specifically, over this weekend,
workers cut a portion of the existing eastern span near Yerba Buena Island and
slid it out. They rolled in a new section, rerouting traffic (via an S-curve)
onto a temporary bypass for three to four years. Once the temporary bypass is
completed, speeds will be limited to 40 mph, 10 mph below the current limit.
Crews will demolish the existing tunnel approach and build a connection to the
new bridge. This seems similar to what was done on the other end of the span.
Note that during this construction some problems were found, necessistating
closure of the Bay Bridge for a few days while they were repaired. This
happened again in November 2009.
![[S-Curve]](maps/080-s-curve.jpg) In October 2009,
Caltrans begin installing more prominent warning signs near the Bay Bridge's
recently opened S-curve to try to force drivers to slow down in the aftermath
of a messy big-rig crash on the new stretch in early October that tied up
westbound traffic for hours. State officials had already approved a plan to
step up warnings to motorists that the speed limit on the S-curve is 40 mph,
down from 50 mph on the rest of the span. One change will be radar-activated
signs that alert drivers to their real-time speed along with the posted limit,
to be in place by the end of October 2009. On the lower deck, Caltrans will
install a large, yellow "40 mph" sign with a curved arrow, replacing the sign
that had designated the now-closed Yerba Buena Island exit. If that doesn't do
the trick, Caltrans may install reflective bumps on the pavement, known as
"rumble strips," before the S-curve. Besides the warnings, Caltrans is planning
to treat the metal panels at the beginning and the end of the curve with a
mixture of epoxy and sand to improve traction. As of 11/9, there have been more
than 42 accidents in the curved area since it opened Sept. 8 as part of the
eastern span replacement project. On 11/9, the first fatal accident occurred
when a big rig plunged 200 feet off the Bay Bridge, killing the driver and
obliterating the truck. The truck was carrying a load of pears to San Francisco
when the crash occurred about 3:30 a.m. that morning. The impact shattered the
truck into pieces. Metal debris and boxes of pears littered the landing where
the truck crashed. A mattress, presumably from the truck's cab, hung on a
railing 200 feet above. The CHP said the truck driver lost control on the
curve, possibly because he was traveling about 50 mph, about 10 mph above the
posted speed limit.
(11/2009 Information Source: SJMN
11/10/2009)
Bay Bridge to Carquinez
In May 2007, flames from an exploding gasoline tanker travelling S on
the transition road from I-80 to SB I-880 melted the steel underbelly of the
I-580 bridge that carried EB traffic from the Bay Bridge to I-580, I-980, and
Route 24. The single-vehicle crash occurred on the lower roadway when the
tanker, loaded with 8,600 gallons of unleaded gasoline and heading from a
refinery in Benicia to a gas station on Hegenberger Road in Oakland, hit a
guardrail. Amazingly, damage to the I-80 transition roadbed was minor, and
Caltrans was able to reopen the span within two weeks.
Note that there are some portions here that have interesting
trailblazers: West I-80 and East I-580 (or East I-80 and West I-580). You can
find
a
picture of this here.
The California Transportion Commission, in September 2000, considered a
Traffic Congestion Relief Program proposal to reconstruct the I-80/I-680/Route
12 interchange; it would be a 12-interchange complex constructed in seven
stages. The proposal was $1 million for stage 1; the total estimated cost was
$13 million. This is TCRP Project #25, requested by the Solano Transportation
Authority.
In June 2008, the CTC approved relinquishment of right of way in the
city of Vacaville, on the southeast side of East Monte Vista Avenue, between
Browns Valley Parkway and the west bound State Route 80 off ramp, consisting of
collateral facilities.
![[Fairfield HOV lanes]](maps/080-fairfield-hov.jpg) In January 2009,
the CTC approved for future funding a project to construct High Occupancy
Vehicle (HOV) lanes in both directions between Red Top Road and Air Base
Parkway on Route 80 in Fairfield. The project will construct HOV lanes in both
directions in the existing median along an 8.7 mile section of Route 80 in
Solano County. The project is programmed with CMIA funds, federal demonstration
funds, and Regional Measure 2 funds. The total estimated project cost is
$80,000,000. The project has been split into three segments. The construction
of the final segment (8320C) is estimated to begin in FY 2009-10. The scope as
described for the preferred alternative is consistent with the project scope
set forth in the approved project baseline agreement.
In his
2006
Strategic Growth Plan, Governor Schwartzenegger proposed constructing the
I-80/I-680/Route 12 Interchange Complex, including HOV Connector Lanes. He also
proposed constructing HOV lanes in Sacramento County.
Carquinez Straights Bridge
There were two projects to retrofit and replace portions of the
Carquinez Straights Bridge. This is because the Carquinez Bridges do not meet
current seismic design or traffic safety standards:
-
The first project involves retrofitted the existing eastbound
bridge built in 1958 for safety and seismic stability. This bridge was built as
part of the route's upgrade to interstate status. As of October 2003, it
carries 53,000 vehicles per day in four eastbound lanes. The total bridge width
is 52 feet, including 12-foot lanes and two 2-foot shoulders. The cantilever
steel truss spans a total of 3,300 feet in length at 140 feet above the
channel. The elements of the project are to replace and strengthen the steel
truss members in the bridge superstructure and towers, reinforce pile
foundations at Pier No. 5 at the south end of the bridge, retrofit the abutment
where the bridge touches down on the northern end, and strengthen the Crockett
Interchange eastbound on and off ramps and approach structure. The cost of
retrofitting the 1958 structure was $70 million. The contract for this project
was awarded on Friday, June 19, 1998 to Balfour Beatty Construction, Inc. of
Vallejo, CA. Balfour Beatty began preliminary work on Monday, June 22, 1998.
Retrofit construction on the 1958 bridge finished in August 2001.
-
The second project replaced the existing westbound 1927 bridge with
a suspension style bridge that incorporates the latest construction technology
with public amenities such as a pedestrian bike lane and two new vista points.
The 1927 bridge was constructed as a private toll bridge, and provided three
lanes of westbound (to San Francisco) traffic. This structure had exhibited
deterioration of its metal components, and accessibility to and maintenance of
the bridge's structural members was difficult, with major rehabilitation
virtually impossible. Retrofit of the existing structure was rejected in favor
of replacement. The replacement required State Historic Preservation Officer
and Advisory Council on Historic Preservation approval because the existing
1927 westbound main span and westbound Crockett off-ramp are listed in the
National Register of Historic Places. The replacement opened November 11, 2003,
which allowed the committee to side-step the problem of which Governor to
invite to the opening: Governor Davis or Governor Schwartzenegger. The last
date to certify the election was November 15, 2003.
In mid-March 2006, after nearly 79 years on the job, the 1927 span of
the Carquinez Bridge was retired. This was the Bay Area's first modern steel
bridge, and is the center bridge of the three that carry I-80 traffic over the
Carquinez Strait. It opened May 21, 1927, and was rendered unnecessary with the
opening of the westbound Al Zampa Bridge in 2003. The original span's age
prompted transportation officials to replace it rather than strengthening it
against earthquakes. Crews have begun removing the deck of the 1927 bridge, and
in a couple of weeks will lower part of the span onto barges and ship it to a
nearby yard for final dismantling. The rest of the span will be lowered later,
and the towers and piers are expected to disappear by late 2007. The bridge
cannot be quickly demolished because the new Al Zampa Memorial Bridge sits to
the west of the old bridge, and a 1958 span carrying westbound I-80 traffic
sits to the east, leaving only so much room for crews to maneuver. Furthermore,
workers also must be careful not to drop anything into the waters below, which
serve as a salmon run and natural habitat for delta smelt. Parts of the old
span are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and will be saved.
After the spans have been lowered and removed by barge, attention will turn to
the three towers, with their attached roadways, and the approaches to the
bridge. Crews will install temporary support towers on the Crockett side to
support the bridge approach during the dismantling. Then, using cranes, they'll
remove the three towers and, finally, the approaches. Work is scheduled to be
finished in September 2007. The cost of taking apart the bridge -- essentially
in reverse order of its construction, according to Haus -- will cost an
estimated $18 million, $10 million more than it cost to build.
Carquinez to Sacramento
 In 2007, the CTC considered a
number of requests for funding from the Corridor Mobility Improvement Account
(CMIA). Two requests were funded: Integrated fwy/local road management near the
Carquinez-Bay Bridge ($55.3M) and construction of HOV lanes from Fairfield
(Route 80/I-680/Route 12 to Putah Creek) ($56.21M). In February 2008, the
latter project was divided into three phases:
-
Construction of 8.7 mi of HOV lanes in each direction.
-
Addition of a new roadbed layer across all lanes.
-
Addition of Ramp Metering.
A request to reconstruct the Route 80/I-680/Route 12 interchange
($93.79M) was not recommended for funding. In the Sacramento area and points
east, Phase 3A of the WB HOV and auxiliary lanes from Eureka to Route 65
($31.3M) were recommended for funding. Not recommended for funding were HOV
lanes from the Sacramento River to Longview Dr ($100M) and the Yolo bypass
bicycle bridge ($25.3M). In July 2007, the CTC amended the program to fund the
Placer Route 80 HOV and Aux lanes project.
In December 2009, the CTC approved for future consideration of funding a
project that will construct ramp metering facilities and roadway improvements
at existing interchange entrance and connector ramps of I-80 from Red Top Road
to Air Base Parkway in the city of Fairfield. The project is programmed in the
Corridor Mobility Improvement Account and includes local funds. Total estimated
project cost is $10,026,000, capital and support. This ramp metering project is
a child project of the parent I-80 HOV Lanes Project (PPNO 8320B). There was no
Notice of Determination filed for this project. Instead, an Addendum to the MND
for the parent project was prepared. The scope as described for the preferred
alternative is consistent with the project scope set forth in the approved
project baseline agreement.
Near I-80 in Vacaville (at the Weber Road interchange) is the former
Vaca Valley Raceway, which is currently abandoned as the SF chapter of the
Sports Car Club of America cannot afford to refurbish it (although they may do
so someday). It existed in the early 1970s near the now-abandoned Vaca-Dixon
Airport.
In September 2003, the CTC considered relinquishment of right of way in
the City of Vacaville (City), at Bella Vista Road, consisting of frontage road.
Sacramento to Placerville
 In July 2007, the
CTC received notice of a draft EIR having been prepared for roadway
improvements in and near Sacramento. The alternative under consideration would
connect to the existing bus/carpool lanes that extend east from Watt Avenue to
Placer County. It would add a 12-foot bus/carpool lane in each direction from
Watt Avenue to West El Camino Avenue, add 12-foot eastbound and westbound
auxiliary lanes in two locations, from West El Camino Avenue to I-5 and between
Northgate Boulevard and Norwood Avenue, and install ramp metering and
bus/carpool bypass lane on-ramps at selected interchanges if feasible. However,
the project is not fully funded. The project is currently funded for Project
Approval and Environmental Document and Plans, Specifications and Estimates for
$9 million in Congestion Mitigation Air Quality funding. The total estimated
project cost is $200 million. Construction is estimated to begin in Fiscal Year
(FY) 2009-10. These were up for future consideration of funding, the EIR having
been completed, in April 2008.
There are plans for freeway improvements in the area of Citrus Heights
and Rocklin. Alternatives being discussed are in the
CTC
Background. The goal is to improve traffic flow between Auburn and Douglas
Blvds in that area.
In 2006, the CTC discussed the scope of work for the I-80
Capacity/Operational Improvements parent project (PPNO 0146D), which includes
the construction of eastbound and westbound HOV and auxiliary lanes from the
Sacramento/Placer County line (PM 0.0) to Route 65 (PM 5.1). The project scope
also includes upgrading the traffic monitoring system through the use of
traffic sensors, closed circuit cameras, and changeable message signs. The
estimate for the total project is currently $193,200,000. In December 2008,
funding was reallocated to redistribute construction contract award savings
realized from a low construction bid. The construction contract award savings
will be used to cover the final expenditure costs of the environmental
clearance and design components on Phase 2.
In May 2009, Caltrans advertised a project involving I-80 HOV lanes in
Roseville and Rocklin ($35 million).
In March 2008, right of way in Roseville, on Riverside Avenue between
Cirby Way and I-80 was relinquished.
Placerville to the Nevada State Line
In Farad, there is a yellow warehouse building visible from I-80. This
is the Farad Powerhouse, operated by Sierra Pacific Power Company. There was a
dam on the Truckee River down at Floriston where water was diverted into a
wooden flume that runs along the river between there and Farad. The dam was
destroyed in a 1997 flood. There were plans to replace it.
In November 2002, a new "Truckee Bypass" opened. According to Joe Rouse,
the old Route 89/Route 267 interchange is now Exit 188A, an eastbound
off/westbound on only, signed as "Truckee". The bypass is Exit 188B eastbound,
Exit 188 westbound. The onramp to westbound I-80 from the bypass is the only
unopened portion of the project. The old Route 89 and Route 267 into downtown
Truckee are called Donner Pass Rd; old Route 267 from downtown Truckee south to
the bypass is now called Brockway Road.
Joe also reported in August 2002 that the huge West Boca-Boca-Floriston
job east of Truckee is progressing slowly but surely. This project extends from
the Truckee Bypass all the way to Floriston. It involves replacement of 12
bridges (6 pairs of bridges, 3 across the Truckee River and 3 across local
roads) as well as a realignment of a small segment of I-80 east of the Donner
Pass CHP Inspection Facility. The median portions of the replacement bridges
were built first and those have all been completed and traffic has been
switched onto them. The outside portions of the bridges are now being built. It
appears that the eastbound lanes of the realignment have been paved.
 I-80 is the only place
to see California' first attempt at official mile marking, the G61R sign. There
were two versions. The G61R-1 had white 6 inch whole numbers and a white 4 inch
decimal on a green background and no other information. The G61R-2 was
identical to the G61R-1 but it added a white 3 inch county abbreviation at the
top, much like what we see on California postmile markers today. If the mileage
had more than 3 digits, the county abbreviation was to be removed. The G61R-2
was not to be used on Interstate routes. An example of a G61R (see the picture
to the right, courtesy of Jason Elliot of
Oregon Roads and
Reno Roads) may be seen
along I-80 travelling east towards Reno from Truckee, at about 1–1½
miles from the California-Nevada border on the California side, there is one of
the original mile marker signs. This sign has a dark-green background with
darkened text and reads 2080. The numbers on the side are rotated
the same direction and way as modern postmiles. There is/was another along I-80
eastbound in Placer County, between PM 36.0 and 37.0: it reads 1430.
According to Eric Buchanan's Highway Photo Page, there is another one around
mile 155 (probably around PM 48.0 Placer or so) as well as one on Business Route 80 "just
past 99 south."
In October 2006, the CTC considered a resolution to vacate right of way
near I-80 in the town of Truckee, between Truckee Airport Road and the Truckee
River, consisting of highway right of way easement no longer needed for State
highway purposes.
SAFETEA-LU
The SAFETEA-LU act, enacted in August 2005 as the reauthorization of
TEA-21, provided the following expenditures on or near this route:
-
High Priority Project #592: Reconstruct the interchange for
south-bound traffic entering I-80 from Central Avenue in the City of Richmond.
$3,120,000.
-
High Priority Project #806: Replace the I-880 overpass at
Davis St. in San Leandro. $600,000.
-
High Priority Project #1744: Construct I-80 Gilman Street
interchange improvements in Berkeley. $1,200,000.
-
High Priority Project #1812: Upgrade and reconstruct the
I-80/I-680/Route 12 Interchange, Solano County. $17,480,000.
-
High Priority Project #2209: Construct I-80 HOV lanes and
interchange in Vallejo. HPP #3796 seems to provide additional funds.$800,000.
-
High Priority Project #2399: Improve access to I-80 at Eureka
Road Interchange. $1,600,000.
-
High Priority Project #3649: Increase capacity on I-80
between Sacramento/Placer Cty Line and Route 65. This is related to NCI #13,
below.$21,600,000.
-
High Priority Project #3791: Construct interchange at Harbor
Boulevard/I-80 in West Sacramento. $1,000,000.
-
High Priority Project #3796: Construct I-80 HOV lanes and
interchange in Vallejo. This seems to be additional funding for HPP #2209.
$2,000,000.
-
National Corridor Infrastructure (NCI) Improvement Program
#13: Increase capacity on I-80 between Sacramento/Placer City Line and
Route 65. This is related to HPP #3649. $50,000,000.
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- Sacramento: The Capitol City Freeway, consisting of portions
of US 50 and unsigned Route 51.
- Truckee: Donner Pass Road (old US 40) and Route 267.
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Approved as chargeable Interstate on 7/7/1947, with a routing through
Sacramento that followed what is now US 50 (the unsigned I-305 portion) to the
Route 99/US 50 interchange, and then what is designated as Business 80
(Unsigned Route 51) north to the point where it rejoins I-80. The current
routing of I-80 between the US 50/I-80 interchange and the Business Route 80 (Route
51)/I-80 interchange was originally designated at I-880 and was approved as
chargeable interstate in July of 1958. I-305 was approved as chargeable
interstate in May 1980; at the same time, the business route portion was
removed from the interstate system. I-305 is currently signed as Business Route 80.
In August 1957, this was tentatively approved as I-80; however, in
November 1957 the California Department of Highways suggested that it be
designated as I-76 to eliminate confusion with the existing US 80 in
California. This was rejected by AASHTO, as was probably one of the factors
leading to the "great renumbering".
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The portion of part (2) of I-80 in San Francisco is named the "James
Lick Skyway". James Lick (1796-1876) was a piano and organ maker from
Pennsylvania who financed the observatory atop Mt. Hamilton. He moved to San
Francisco in 1848 and made his fortune in real estate. Named by Assembly
Concurrent Resolution 37, Chapt. 122 in 1951.
The entire route in California has been submitted to be part of the
National Purple Heart Trail. The Military Order of the Purple Heart is
working to establish a national commemorative trail for recipients of the
Purple Heart medal, which honors veterans who were wounded in combat. All
states in the union will designate highways for inclusion in the commemorative
trail, and all of the designated highways will be interconnected to form the
National Purple Heart Trail. Named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 14,
Resolution Chapter 79, July 10, 2001.
The bicycle-pedestrian path on the proposed new span of the San
Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (I-80) is named the "Alexander Zuckermann
Bicycle-Pedestrian Path". Named in honor of Alexander Zuckermann, a member
of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Advisory Council and a founder of
the East Bay Bicycle Coalition and a leader of the Regional Bicycle Advocacy
Coalition, who was a tireless and articulate advocate in the design process to
replace the east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (collapsed by the
1989 Loma Priata Earthquake). The well-organized and persistent efforts of
Alexander Zuckermann were key factors in the final decision to include a
bicycle-pedestrian path on the southern edge of the eastbound deck of the San
Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge between Yerba Buena Island and Oakland. Named by
Assembly Concurrent Resolution 39, Chaptered 7/11/2003, Chapter 94.
There is the possibility that the Bay Bridge will be named the
Emperor Norton Bridge. Currently, this effort is at the county level,
where the San Francisco City/County Board of Supervisors voted 8-2 in December
2004 to recommend the name change. The resolution, if approved by Mayor Gavin
Newsom, next will travel to the Oakland City Council and on to the California
Legislature. The drive to rename the bridge was publicized by Chronicle
cartoonist Phil Frank in his strip "Farley". Norton, who occupied a
10-by-6-foot front room of a Sacramento Street lodging house, would have been a
present-day constituent of Supervisor Aaron Peskin. And so it was Peskin who
picked up Frank's idea, molded it into a resolution and brought it to the Board
of Supervisors. The naming would be in memory of Joshua Abraham Norton—who
hailed from Scotland, and was a businessman who came to San Francisco by way of
South Africa in 1849 to try his luck in the Gold Rush. It is said that he lost
his fortune—and his mental stability—after making a bum investment in
the rice market a few years later. In 1859, he proclaimed himself Emperor of
the United States and, shortly thereafter, the Protector of Mexico. For the
next 20 years, he issued proclamations defending minorities and championing
civil rights, which were reproduced in local newspapers. He roamed the city
accompanied by his dogs, Bummer and Lazarus, and some eateries honored Norton's
own specially printed paper money. In 1872, Norton ordered "a bridge be built
from Oakland Point to Goat (Yerba Buena) Island and thence to Telegraph Hill."
Though his proclamation received little notice at the time, such a bridge would
open in 1936, described by President Herbert Hoover as "the greatest bridge
ever erected by the human race." Another of Norton's noted proclamations
decreed that "Whoever after due and proper warning shall be heard to utter the
abominable word 'Frisco,' which has no linguistic or other warrant, shall be
deemed guilty of a High Misdemeanor." The penalty: $25.
[Information on Emperor Norton from
SFGate.Com,
you can find more information at
The Virtual Museum of the
City of San Francisco.]
The portion of I-80 from the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge through
Richmond is named the "East Shore" Freeway. This section of freeway was
named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 99, Chapt. 229 in 1968. It was named
because it runs along the east short of the bay. This was the original name
before the Nimitz name came into use.
The portion of I-80 from the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge through
Alameda County to the Contra Costa County Line is named the "Kent D. Pursel
Memorial Freeway". Mr. Pursel was a Berkeley druggist and councilman. He
was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1948. He held a
succession of elected offices until his death on August 15, 1967. This should
not be confused with Charles Purcell who oversaw the construction of the San
Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 99, Chapter
229 in 1968.
The eastbound I-80/Route 37 interchange is named the "Gary L. Hughes
Memorial Interchange". Officer Hughes was a CHP officer killed in the line
of duty by a drunk driver during a traffic stop near the bridge. Named by
Assembly Concurrent Resolution 100, Chapter 124, in 1998.
I-80 from Route 4 to the Carquinez Bridge in Contra Costa County is
named the "Linus F. Claeys" Freeway. Linus F. Claeys, a 1932 graduate of
St. Mary's College in Moraga, was a rancher, businessman, philanthropist and
descendant of California pioneers whose land SR 80 traverses. Two residence
halls at St. Mary's College bear his name. Named by Senate Concurrent
Resolution 85, Chapter 80 in 1990.
The portion of I-80 that passes through Vallejo, from the Carquinez
Bridge to Columbus Parkway, is named the "Jeffrey Lynn Azuar Memorial
Highway". Jeffrey Lynn Azuar was a Vallejo Police Officer who was killed in
the line of duty on April 12, 2000. He was born and raised in Vallejo and
served the community as an officer with the Vallejo Police Department for over
21 years, serving as a patrol officer, a narcotics officer, a member of the
SWAT team, a member of the Honor Guard, and a K-9 officer. Named by Senate
Concurrent Resolution 85, Chapter 155, on September 20, 2000.
The portion of I-80 W of the intersection with Route 51 (signed as
Business 80) in Sacramento is named the "West Sacramento" Freeway. It
was named after the city of West Sacramento. This city originally known as
"East Yolo" in the early parts of the 20th century, later developed into three
or four seperate communities: Bryte and Broderick, accessed by
former Route 16/Route 84; West Sacramento, on West Capitol Avenue, and
Southport, which developed when the Port of Sacramento was built in the
1950s. These communities merged to form an independent city in 1987. Sacramento
refers to the City of Sacramento CA, which is based off of the name of the main
river in the city. The Spanish name, "Holy Sacrament," was applied to the
Feather River in 1808; it was later assumed that the lower Sacramento was the
same stream. In 1817 the two main rivers of the valley were recorded as
Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, but the course of the former was not
identified with the name until the 1830s. The city was laid out in 1848-1849
and named after the river by John A. Sutter, Jr., and Sam Brannan. The county,
one of the original 27, was named in 1850.
The portion of this route from Sacramento to Route 65 was historically
called the "Capitol Highway". Capitol refers to the fact that Sacramento
is the Capital of California, and the Capitol is located there.
The portion of I-80 between the Sacramento county line and the Nevada
border is officially named the "Alan S. Hart" Freeway. During his 42
years of service as an engineer for Caltrans, Alan S. Hart accomplished the
modernization of the Trans Sierra Highway (I-80 over Donner Summit) and the
adoption of 50 miles of freeway on SR 101 through the redwoods of Humboldt
County. Named by Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 102, Chapter 164, in 1986.
The portion of this route between Route 113 in Davis and Route 65 in
Roseville (i.e., the portions originally signed as part of US 99) are
designated as part of "Historic US Highway 99" by Assembly Concurrent
Resolution 19, Chapter 73, in 1993.
The portion of this route that is former US 99 is, in local usage,
called the "East Side Highway". This is because the US 99 routing ran
along the east side of the valley.
The portion of I-80 from Emigrant Gap to Donner Lake was originally
named the "Dutch Flat-Donner Lake Wagon Road". This name was specified
by Resolution Chapter 224 in 1909. It was named by location.
The entire freeway between San Francisco and Nevada is named the
"Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway". Dwight Eisenhower was the 34th President
of the United States, and is believed to be the driving force behind the
interstate system. He died in 1969. For more information, see President
Eisenhower's
official
biography or visit the Eisenhower Library. Named by the
Federal Highway Administration in 1973.
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Bridge 34-003 over San Francisco Bay is called the "San
Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge", although it was never formally named. It was
opened in 1936. The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is also unofficially named
the "James "Sunny Jim" Rolph Bridge". James Rolph was mayor of San
Francisco for 19 years from 1911 to 1931. He was elected Governor of California
in 1931 and served until his death in 1934. The bridge wasn't dedicated to
Rolph until 1986 because of a rivalry with Oakland Tribune publisher Joseph
Knowland. Called "Sunny Jim" for his disposition, the former shipyard owner was
known for his generosity and his success with projects such as building San
Francisco's city hall in 1915 and promoting expansion of the Municipal Railway.
Tunnel 34-004 under San Francisco Bay at the San Francisco-Oakland Bay
Bridge is called the "Yerba Buena Tunnel". It was built in 1936.
The Carquinez Bridge was purchased in 1940. Tolls were eliminated in
1945. The parallel structure was opened in 1958. Tolls were reinstated at that
time.
The westbound span of the Carquinez Bridge is named the "Alfred Zampa
Memorial Bridge" in honor and recognition of Alfred "Al" Zampa. Alfred "Al"
Zampa was born on March 12, 1905, in Selby, California. After graduating from
high school, Al Zampa went into business and became the owner of a meat market
in Crockett, California until about 1924, when a customer asked him if he
wanted to go to work for that customer on the bridge they were building from
Crockett to Vallejo. Al Zampa decided to give it a try; and the first Carquinez
Bridge opened in May of 1927, in part due to Al Zampa's efforts. That bridge
was to be the first of many bridges Al Zampa would work on in his illustrious
career as an iron worker. Al Zampa continued working with the company that
built the Carquinez Bridge and worked on projects and bridges in Stockton,
California and later in Arizona and Texas, returning to California in the early
1930's to work on the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate
Bridge. On October 20, 1936, this outstanding iron worker fell into the safety
net while working on the Golden Gate Bridge and broke four vertebrae in his
back. He later returned to iron work and worked on the second Carquinez Bridge
in the 1950's with his two sons, Richard L. (Dick) and Gene. Al Zampa also
worked on the Martinez Bridge and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and continued
to work as a respected iron worker until he retired at the age of 65. In 1987,
he was the subject of a stage play entitled "The Ace" that was performed at
Fort Mason in San Francisco. Al Zampa was also interviewed for the History
Channel on top of the building of the Golden Gate Bridge and more recently for
a new show entitled "Suicide Missions: Skywalkers" which depicts the history of
the Iron Worker Union. Al Zampa passed away on April 23, 2000, at the age of
95. Named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 97, Chapter 135, September 12, 2000.
Bridge 23-0015 over the Carquinez Strait between Contra Costa and Solano
counties is called the "Carquinez Bridge". It was built in 1927. On this
bridge is the "Roger Van Den Broeke Memorial Plaque", named by Assembly
Concurrent Resolution 105, Chapter 99, in 1994. Robert Van Den Broeke, Caltrans
Equipment Operator, was killed by an errant motorist while removing a disabled
vehicle from the Carquinez Bridge toll plaza in Vallejo on August 12, 1983.
According to Joe Rouse, the new Carquinez Bridge will be called the
Alfred Zampa Bridge, named after an ironworker who helped build the
original Carquinez Bridge as well as the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges.
The Yolo Causeway (including bridges 22-044 and 22-045) on Route 80 in
the County of Yolo is officially designated the "Blecher-Freeman Memorial
Causeway". Roy P. Blecher and W. Michael Freeman were veteran California
Highway Patrol officers shot to death during an enforcement stop on Route 80
near the Yolo Causeway in the early morning hours of December 22, 1978 at the
hands of an armed felon. It was built in 1962, and named by Assembly Concurrent
Resolution No. 119, Chapter 147, in 1994.
The Sacramento River Bridge and Overhead on I-80 in Sacramento and Yolo
Counties, commonly known as the Bryte Bend Bridge, is officially named the
"Caltrans Maintenance Worker Memorial Bridge", in honor of the deceased
and injured workers of the Division of Maintenance of the Department of
Transportation. The thousands of men and women who serve at all levels in the
Division of Maintenance of the Department of Transportation are persons of
knowledge, ability, and integrity. These employees are among those who must
regularly work within the public right-of-way and in close proximity to traffic
while performing their responsibilities, including the maintenance of streets,
the maintenance and repair of water and sewer lines, the maintenance and
replacement of traffic signs and signals, the application of pavement markings,
and the maintenance and landscaping of street medians. They have paid a
particularly harsh price for their dedicated service while working in
conditions that have resulted in the highest death and accident rates in state
service, with numerous deaths and injuries in the past 10 years. Accidents in
highway work zones resulted in 1,093 deaths nationwide in 2000. This naming was
done to promote the safety of Caltrans employees, and to encourage motorists
traveling in and through the state to exercise caution and care when
encountering a work zone. Named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 105, Chapter
161, September 11, 2002.
The dedicated access enabling motorists to enter eastbound I-80 from
Sunrise Boulevard, in the County of Placer, is officially named the "Harry
Crabb Tunnel". The tunnel was named in honor of Former Roseville Mayor
Harry Crabb, who retired in 2000 after 20 years of service as a city council
member for the City of Roseville. He served on the Roseville City Council from
1980-1987, 1989-2000. During his 20 years on the Roseville City Council, Harry
Crabb was a tireless supporter of the City of Roseville. Due to his experience
working with the Department of Transportation, Harry Crabb also understood the
importance of having well planned roads. The intersection of Douglas Boulevard
and Sunrise Boulevard is Roseville's busiest intersection with more than
100,000 vehicles passing through it daily; Roseville began planning more than
15 years ago to improve circulation through the intersection. In anticipation
of funding future road improvement projects, the Roseville City Council began
collecting traffic mitigation fees from developers building in the City of
Roseville; this fund, along with state and federal funds, provided funding for
the construction of the $35 million Douglas Boulevard/I-80 project. This
included an improvement plan that not only includes on and off ramps, but also
provides a dedicated access for motorists trying to get to eastbound I-80 from
Sunrise Boulevard. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 124,
Resolution Chapter 87, on 07/11/2006.
The "Elisha Stephens Historical Plaque" is located at the Donner
Lake Overlook, in Nevada County, W of Truckee. It was named by Assembly
Concurrent Resolution 24, Chapter 76, in 1993. Elisha Stephens was the first
man to lead a wagon train across the Sierras in 1844. All 50 of the pioneers
survived the trip, as well as two infants born during the journey.
This route also has the following Safety Roadside Rest Areas:
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Hunter Hill, in Solano County, 7 mi. E of Vallejo.
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Gold Run, in Placer County, near the Sawmill and Gold Run
overcrossing.
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Donner Summit, in Nevada County on Donner Pass. The name "Donner"
refers to the Donner Party, which attempted to cross the Sierras in this area.
The Donner Party was the most famous tragedy in the history of the westward
migration. Almost ninety wagon train emigrants were unable to cross the Sierra
Nevada before winter, and almost one-half starved to death. A good summary of
the history of the Donner Party may be found at
http://members.aol.com/DanMRosen/donner/.
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 This route is part of the De Anza
National Historic Trail.
 As US 40, the portion of this route between the Nevada
border and Sacramento was part of the "Lincoln Highway (Alternate)"
(which started in Reno).
Additionally, the segment of US 40 between San Francisco
and Oakland was part of the "Lincoln Highway", which originally
terminated in Lincoln Park, six miles west of the ferry landing at the foot of
Market Street. The Lincoln Highway ended opposite the Palace of the Legion of
Honor at a small monument marking the spot. The last few miles (of the highway)
were California Street.
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There are a number of segments of this route that have commuter lanes,
or for which commuter lanes are planned:
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In Solano County, commuter lanes exist on the Carquinez Bride.
These require three or more occupants (two for two-seater vehicles), and are in
operation between 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM on weekdays.
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In Alameda County, commuter lanes exist on westbound I-80 between
West Grand Avenue and the Maritime on-ramp. Lanes also exist on the San
Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge. These opened in April 1970, require three or more
people (two for two-seater vehicles), and are in operation weekdays between
5:00 AM and 10:00 AM, and between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Other lane segments and
dates of opening are:
- Eastbound: Between Cutting Boulevard and Pinole Valley Road
(February 1997)
- Westbound: Between Pinole Valley Road and Cutting Blvd (March
1997)
- Both directions between Cutting Blvd and Central Ave (May 1997)
- Eastbound: Between Pinole Valley Road and Route 4 (August 1997)
- Westbound: Route 4 to Pinole Valley Road (September 1997)
- Westbound: Central Ave to Bay Bridge Toll Plaza (February 1998)
- Eastbound: Gilman Street to Central Ave (July 1998)
- Eastbound: Powell Street to Gilman Ave (November 1998)
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In Contra Costa County, commuter lanes exist between San Pablo Dame
Road and Pinole Valley Road. These opened in February 1997 (EB) and March 1997
(WB), require three or more people, and are in operation weekdays between 5:00
AM and 10:00 AM (westbound), and between 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (eastbound).
Additional lanes are from Pinole Valley Road to Route 4, Eastbound and from
Pinole Valley Road to Route 4, Westbound.
HOV lanes are planned or under construction as follows:
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Longview Road overcrossing in Sacramento to the Placer County line.
Construction will begin in October 2001. Sacramento County. In October 2003, a
five-mile portion of these lanes opened.
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Long range plans are to have HOV lanes on I-80 from the Placer
County line to Route 65.
-
There are plans to construct an HOV lane near Crockett, in Contra
Costa County, from PM 9.4 to PM 13.6 (just before the Carquinez
Bridge).
In June 2002, the CTC had on its agenda a proposal to widen Route 80
from five to six lanes to extend HOV lane eastbound from the San
Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge Toll Plaza to Powell St.
In July 2005, the CTC considered adding additional lanes for HOV to link
westbound HOV lane west of Route 4 with the westbound HOV lane included in the
Carquinez Bridge from Route 4 to Carquinez Bridge.
 In September 2006, the CTC discussed the I-80
Capacity/Operational Improvements parent project (PPNO 0146D), which includes
the construction of eastbound and westbound HOV and auxiliary lanes from the
Sacramento/Placer County line (PM 0.0) to Route 65 (PM 5.1). The project scope
also includes upgrading the traffic monitoring system through the use of
traffic sensors, closed circuit cameras, and changeable message signs. The
estimate for the total project is currently $193,200,000. The proposal was to
split the parent project into two phases within available funding. Due to
capital construction and right of way funding constraints, it is not feasible
to fund the entire project within the time frame necessary to address the
immediate needs. Phase I (PPNO 0146B), planned for construction this year,
includes operational improvements and an eastbound auxiliary lane from the
Sacramento/Placer County line Auburn Boulevard/Riverside
onramp to the Douglas Boulevard northbound offramp. Phase II (PPNO
0146C) of the project, to start later (Spring 2008), includes eastbound and
westbound HOV lanes, auxiliary lanes, and Traffic Operation System (TOS)
elements from Auburn Boulevard/Riverside Avenue to just east of the
Route 65 interchange west of Miner’s Ravine. The
westbound direction other segment will be funded at a
later date.
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[SHC 263.5] From I-280 near First Street in San Francisco to Route 61 in
Oakland; and from Route 20 near Emigrant Gap to the Nevada state line near
Verdi, Nevada.
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 Before the 1964 signage/legislative route alignment, signed
route 80 was US 80, which roughly followed the route of the current I-8. US 80
was first signed as a route in California in 1928. The routing for US 80 began
in California near Winterhaven at the Arizona State line, and continued W
through Midway Wellls, Holtville, El Centro, Seeley, Dixieland, Plaster City,
Jacumba, Boulevard, Paposta, Pine Valley, Guatay, Descanso, El Cajon, and into
San Diego. This was LRN 12 (defined in 1909) between San Diego and El Centro,
and LRN 27 (defined in 1915) between El Centro and Winterhaven. In San Diego,
US 80 followed El Cajon and University to 4th Street, then went south on 4th
Street to San Diego and US 101.
 Note that there is a County Route S80 near El Centro; this is likely a former
routing of US 80.
There is a plank road just off of the old US 80 routing; this it appears
to be actually associated with the earlier Southern National Highway, which
created the first all-season southern route across the U.S, between Washington,
D.C., and San Diego. The named highway had its origins in the early 1910s, and
came into prominence in 1915, predating the Old Spanish Trail by more than
eight years. To arouse interest in the Pan-Pacific Exposition of 1915, a
cross-country caravan set out from San Diego along the Southern National
Highway in November 2, 1915, and reached D.C. in 32 days. More information on
the plank road, including photographs, can be found in the
Auto Club
article.
According to
![[LJ User]](logos/ljuserinfo.gif) patgund, if you drive
Historic US 80, stop at Desert View Tower. A little way down a slope is a
fairly intact section of the old highway with the 1920's contractor stamps
still in place. Also, heading east, (Eastbound I-8 is mostly Historic US 80),
stop at Mountain Springs to see two very well preserved portions of the 1910's
alignment, and the 1930's alignment. Also, along Historic US 80 between
Ocotillo and Plaster City, you'll see a stretch of concrete between the road
and the railroad tracks. That's also part of the 1910's alignment.
On US 80, just east of Viejas Indian reservation and east of Alpine,
there was a structure called the Viejas Grade Tunnel. It was used through the
early to mid 1960's before the section of I-8 was completed just below it.
In San Diego, US 80 covered multiple LRNs, in particular, LRN 12, LRN
26, and LRN 27. LRN 12 is west of El Centro and LRN 27 is east of El Centro,
but US 80 traveled on LRN 26 through El Centro. The same is true for LRN
12 in San Diego. It is not continuous. It existed in Point Loma from Barnett
Ave west to Cabrillo National Monument, and from Market St and 12th St (Park
Blvd) north then east to El Centro. It did not exist between those two
segements, as that was LRN 2, US 101. In 1934, while US 101 was still going
along Market, US 80 terminated at Market and 12th. Later during the war (in
1943) LRN 2 (US 101) was aligned down Harbor Blvd. This was not the current
Harbor Blvd, but went closer to the shoreline behind the current convention
center. At this time evidently, US 80 was extended west along Market to
terminate at Market and Pacific Highway. In 1930, according to the state
highway inset map of San Diego, LRN 2 seems to have gone down Broadway and
16th, not Market and 12th. It is likely that for just a couple years, US 80 had
a terminus at Broadway and 12th St. (current Park Blvd). Before that it went
down 4th St to terminate town on Broadway (for a short time in the 1920s).
The bypass along El Cajon Blvd (now mostly I-8) north of La Mesa was not
built until 1937 and 1939. Before that, the state highway followed the main
street, La Mesa Blvd (formerly Lookout), right through downtown. There is now
an historic US 80 sign in the center of downtown on La Mesa Blvd. The right of
way maps show the route, and later notations indicate when the road was
relinquished by law back to the City of La Mesa. Per Steve Varner, there is a
possible error as far as the University Ave alignment. One right of way map he
has shows Euclid being relinquished back to the city in 1928. Dozens of
commercial maps sent to him show University as the main route until well into
the 1930s. The 1934 route description and the 1934 state map showed west El
Cajon Blvd as US 80. Information from Sacramento showed the same thing. The
final word, accord to Steve, is that a war for business traffic was going on.
The businesses on University that had enjoyed the auto trail traffic wanted US
80 on University. However, the people on El Cajon Blvd formed the El Cajon
Business Association in 1926, and pushed for US 80 to be routed down El Cajon.
They won. LRN 12 was aligned down west El Cajon with the inception of US 80.
The road later was improved and widened in two major construction projects.
Thus, it seems that US 80 as a numbered US highway never officially went down
University.
Note that the route was not signed as US 80 until 1932.
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The portion of this freeway between MacArthur Blvd and I-
This highway is a toll road between MacArthur Blvd and I-
In 2007, work was begun on the
In 1965, Chapter 1372 extended this segment to terminate at
“Route 
There are plans to
widen this route. The goal is to widen Route 76 from two to four lanes between
Melrose Drive in Oceanside and I-![[Bonsall]](maps/076-bonsall2.jpg)
In March 2009, the CTC approved
for future consideration of funding a project to widen Route 76 from two to
four lanes and construct roadway improvements from Melrose Drive and South
Mission Road near the community of Bonsall. The project includes local Transnet
and federal Demonstration funds. The total estimated cost is $230,908,000,
capital and support. The Department and San Diego Association of Governments
may consider pursuing federal stimulus dollars in lieu of local or other
federal funds. Construction is estimated to begin in Fiscal Year 2009-10.
US 80 was part of the "Atlantic-Pacific Highway".
US 80 was part of the "Old Spanish Trail". This
trail essentially followed the alignment of historic Spanish Colonial trails
across Florida, Louisiana and Texas, and became the precursor to the
present-day east-west route across the southern tier of the US. The early
highway, which later became US 80 in California (now I-
US 80 appears to
have been part of the "Bankhead Highway", the "Dixie Overland
Highway", the "Lee Highway", and the "Lone Star Trail". 
