California Highways

No current routing.

Until July 1, 1964, the following route was signed as US 466:

1. Present-day Route 41 between Route 1 and US 101 3 mi S of Paso Robles. This was LRN 125, defined in 1933.

2. Present-day Route 46 between US 101 near Paso Robles and present-day Route 99 near Famoso via Cholame Pass. Between Shandon and Cholame, the route was cosigned as Route 41/US 466. This segment was LRN 33, defined in 1915.

3. Present-day Route 58 between Bakersfield and Barstow. This was LRN 58, defined in 1919.

4. Present-day I-15 (former US 91) between Barstow and the Nevada state line. This was LRN 31, defined in 1925.

Additionally, LRN 141 was the planned rerouting for US 466 to bypass downtown Bakersfield (back when LRN 4/US 99 (and US 399) was on the Route 204/Business Route 99 alignment) back in 1933; this rerouting only occured in the 1960s however with the construction of the freeways which are now Route 58 and Route 58/Route 99 (explaining why the definition of the route is from LRN 4 to LRN 4: from Brundage at Route 204 to the current Route 99/Route 58/Route 178 interchange at Rosedale Highway/24th Street, where Oak Street ends). Looking at the bridge log, the Route 204/Business Route 99 (former LRN 4) freeway in downtown Bakersfield between LRN 141's two termini (current Route 58 and Route 99) was built in stages: the first section, the Union Avenue Y, was finished in 1957, followed by the Truxtun Avenue crossing in 1959. Most of the section north of L Street and the Chester Avenue traffic circle was also built in 1957; so the construction of the LRN 141 (99/58) freeways occured only once CalTrans decided that the old downtown bypass was more suitable for the through routes. The interchanges connecting Business Route 99 with Route 99 were built in 1962 and 1963, as part of the Bakersfield bypass. Thus by 1964, former LRN 141 had been upgraded to freeway between Brundage Lane and Rosedale Highway; however, the portion from Union Avenue (Route 204/Business Route 99) west to Route 99 would not be built until 1976, at which point Route 58 was moved off of former US 466/LRN 58 (Edison Highway) and onto the new freeway, which is part of the Bakersfield-Tehachapi Highway.

This route was signed in the mid 1930's.

• Casey Cooper's Finding US 91
• Casey Cooper's Finding US 466

No current routing.

In 1963, Route 480 was defined as "Route 80 at the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge approach in San Francisco to the junction of Route 280, Funston approach, and the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge in the Presidio of San Francisco passing near the intersection of Lombard Street and Van Ness Avenue."

In 1968, Chapter 282 transferred the portion from Route 80 to Route 280 near Harrison Street to Route 280: “Route 80 at the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge approach in San Francisco to the junction of Route 280, Route 280 near Harrison Street in San Francisco to the junction of Route 1, Funston approach, and the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge in the Presidio of San Francisco passing near the intersection of Lombard Street and Van Ness Avenue.”

In 1991, SB 181, Chapter 498 deleted the remainder of Route 480, from Route 280 near Harrison Street in San Francisco to the junction of Route 1, Funston approach, and the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge. The portion from Marina Boulevard to the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge was transferred to Route 101. The last signs for the route were removed in 1997.

Why did these changes occur? In 1955, it was planned to have the US 101/I-480 interchange (and co-signing) begin approximately at the Lombard/Van Ness junction (where the Embarcadero and Central Freeways would have intersected)—this is illustrated in the 1955 Trafficways Map. By 1965, there was a new plan (which was reflected in the 1968 changes) to have a Central Freeway crosstown tunnel from Turk Street to Richardson Avenue, resulting in a much shorter multiplex of Route 480 and US 101 on Doyle Drive only—as illustrated in this 1965 Caltrans Map. This is why it was Route 480 (not US 101) on Doyle Drive (for US 101 exited on Richardson and presumably to the crosstown tunnel).

This route was intended to provide a freeway connection between the Golden Gate and Bay bridges in San Francisco. It was a double-deck roadway design. The 1989 Loma Prieta quake condemned it, and it was later demolished. The route was never liked, and it was doomed in January 1959 when the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Resolution 45-59 passed, which indicated opposition to certain freeway routes. Route 480 is one of the freeways opposed by the city; and was never included in the California Freeway and Expressway System, although it was a part of the Interstate system.

The Embarcadero Freeway (Route 480) ran north along the waterfront for nearly a mile, two thick lines of concrete 70 feet high and 52 feet wide. It started at Folsom Street and ended bluntly at Broadway, running right in front of the historic Ferry Building. The freeway was designed to make a turn inland and head west past Aquatic Park, all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The history of the route is fascinating; read the planning studies in the LINKS section for details. There were some plans to build it as a tube in the bay, or as a very narrow depressed highway, where there was little or no clearance to construct the road.

In 1998, there were brief plans to rebuild the Embacadero Freeway as a brief cut and cover tunnel. The proposal was to only extend to roughtly the point of where the elvated freeway structure was truncated.

Some folks claim to have seen maps where I-480 looped around San Francisco after the Golden Gate Bridge, running S as the Park Presidio and Junipero Serra Freeways. This is unlikely. It is more likely that those freeways were to have been signed as part of Route 1. Note: According to Caltrans, Park-Presidio Boulevard possesses all the attributes of a freeway and was the first such thoroughfare in northern California. It was built through the Presidio of San Francisco as an approach to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Route 480 was LRN 224, defined in 1947.

Although the route no longer exists, the CalTrans bridge log indicates that the route is signed as US 101 between post mile 2.85 and post 5.48. The Fremont St. exit off I-80 W is the former CA 480 exit. There is also a sealed-off CA 480 exit off of I-80 E.

As for what happened to what remains of the old Route 480... it is becoming a farm. Specifically, at the old on/off ramp near Laguna Street in early 2010, a number of urban farmers spread steaming piles of mulch over the edge of the ramps formerly used by cars to enter and exit the elevated Central Freeway spur above Octavia Street, arranging the soil in rows for planting vegetables and filler crops. This has formed the "Hayes Valley Farm".
[Source: SF.Streetsblog.Org, 2/8/2010]

"Golden Gate" Freeway, Embarcadero Freeway.

Route 480 was approved as chargeable interstate sometime pre-1965; it was deleted as a chargeable route in August 1965 (hence, its signage after that date with a state shield (Route 480), as opposed to an interstate shield). The old Route 480 was demolished between 1991 and 1993.

This route was first proposed as I-110. After 3di numbering conventions were developed, this was proposed as I-380. AASHTO finally approved it as I-480.

• Planning Studies for Interstate 480
• 3 Digit Interstates: I-480
• Embarcadero Replacement Project
• 15 Seconds That Changed San Francisco

[SHC 263.1] Originally, the entire route. Since deleted.

From Route 80 near Vacaville to Route 5 near Dunnigan.

This was part of I-5W, which started at I-5/I-580 south of Stockton, followed I-580 to I-80 in Oakland, paired with I-80 east until I-505, and then reunited with I-5 where I-505 does now. I-580 and I-505 were signed with their current numbers around 1964 (although they were submitted and approved by AASHTO in 1947). Note that a 1968 map shows no freeway for I-505.

In 1963, Route 505 was defined as “Route 80 near Vacaville to Route 5 near Dunnigan”, and it retains its 1963 definition. Before 1972, it was signed as Temporary I-505, and was a two lane road between Vacaville to Dunnigan. The freeway was constructed in sections: the first one between Route 16 and Route 128; the next from I-5 to Route 16; and the final from Route 16 to I-80. The freeway was completed by 1978. Additionally, before 1972, there was actually two sections of constructed freeway: A 2 mile section at the junction of Route 128, and a 1 mile section at Route 16. At this time, the route was unsigned but had freeway status. I-505 freeway was finished in 1977.

This route was LRN 90, defined in 1933. It appears to have been unsigned before 1964.

In April 2007, the CTC considered relinquishment of right of way in the county of Yolo, at County Road 24, consisting of reconstructed and relocated county roads and frontage roads.

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

• High Priority Project #35: Replace the structurally unsafe Winters Bridge for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians between Yolo and Solano Counties. The Sacramento Bee stated that this was the I-505 bridge over Putah Creek Road. However, this could be wrong, as the Winters Bridge is actually in town about 1 mile west of I-505 , and was built somewhere around 1903. It has a few humps and sags, but is still in use. As bicycles and pedestrians cannot use I-505, this is likely in twon. The Winters bridge connects Railroad Avenue in town, with Winters Road and Putah Creek Road in Solano County.$1,600,000.

• Cal-NExUS Exit Numbering: Route 505
• Strip Chart: I-505 (Andrew Tompkins)
  [XML Support Required]

• California @ AARoads: Interstate 505
• 3 Digit Interstates: I-505

Approved as chargeable Interstate on 7/7/1947; Freeway. In August 1957, this was tentatively approved as I-5W. In November 1957, the designation I-7 was proposed as part of the first attempt to give urban routes numbers (there were no 3-digit routes at the time). In April 1958, it was proposed to be designated I-115 as part of the first attempts to assign 3-digit numbers. It was finally approved as I-5W, and later renumbered as I-505.

[SHC 253.1] Entire route. Added to the Freeway and Expressway system in 1959.

Overall statistics for Route 505:

• Total Length (1995): 33 miles
• Average Daily Traffic (1992): 8,900 to 20,800
• Milage Classification: Rural: 30; Sm. Urban: 0; Urbanized: 3.
• Previous Federal Aid Milage: FAI: 33 mi.
• Functional Classification: Prin. Arterial: 33 mi.
• Counties Traversed: Solano, Yolo.

1. From Route 5 southwest of Vernalis to Route 80 in Oakland via the vicinity of Dublin and Hayward.

   
   

   	At one time, this route was signed as I-5W. The I-5W designation was dropped in 1964 (when California regularized route numbers to match legislative definitions, and started dropping all "lettered" alternates to Interstates).
   	In 1963, I-580 was defined as "Route 5 southwest of Vernalis to Route 80 near Oakland via the vicinity of Dublin and Hayward." In 1984, Chapter 409 extended the route by transfer from Route 17: "(a) Route 5 southwest of Vernalis to Route 80 near Oakland via the vicinity of Dublin and Hayward. (b) Route 80 near Albany to Route 101 near San Rafael via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge." In 1990, Chapter 1187 clarified segment (a): "(a) Route 5 southwest of Vernalis to Route 80 in near Oakland via the vicinity of Dublin and Hayward."
   	The portion between the I-580/I-205 junction and I-80 was LRN 5, defined in 1909. This was originally US 50. This routing was at one time US 48. The portion of this route between I-5 and the I-580/I-205 junction was LRN 110, defined in 1959. This includes the original four-lane Altamont Pass Road, which opened on 8/4/1938. On the eastern grade of the Altamont Pass, the eastbound and westbound I-580 lanes follow different alignments. The EB lanes are the original US 50 alignment. Between the I-580/I-205 split and the Business Route 205 split, most of the width of I-205 (both directions) was the old US 50. It was four-lane divided for some time before the Great Renumbering, and that section is quite a bit narrower than I-580. Of course this may not be original 1927 US 50, but it existed before I-580. US-50 (and possibly US-48) headed into Tracy via Grant Line Road and Byron Road. 11th Street in Tracy is still a divided road in some portions and has a number of old state traffic signals, signs, and lamp poles, including some with the original mercury vapor lamps still intact. As for the railroad trackage: one of the two lines in the area is the former right-of-way of the Southern Pacific Railroad. These rails were abandoned in 1986 when SP obtained trackage rights over the current ACE route from the Union Pacific Railroad. The SP line, which was constructed in 1869, was actually the final link in the true Transcontinental Railroad. As the ACE Train crosses over, then under, the eastbound and westbound lanes of I-580, there is an abandoned tunnel on the SP right-of-way. The next large cut was actually WP's Tunnel 3. It was daylighted for clearance reasons in the early 1990's.
   	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. In December 2011, the CTC authorized relinquishment of right of way in the city of Richmond along Route 580 on Marina Bay Parkway, consisting of collateral facilities. In August 2012, the CTC approved SHOPP funding of $18,459,000 on I-580 PM 5.5/6.1 near Richmond, at Scofield Avenue (Bridge #28-140L/R) and at Western Drive (Bridge #28-141R). Outcome/Output: Rehabilitate three bridges by replacing bridge decks to maintain structure integrity and reduce the risk to lives and properties. 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 #1218: Upgrade and reconstruct I-580/Vasco Road Interchange, City of Livermore. $2,000,000. High Priority Project #1371: I-580 Interchange Improvements in Castro Valley. $960,000. High Priority Project #1653: Engineering, right of way and construction of HOV lanes on I-580 in the Livermore Valley. $9,600,000. High Priority Project #3493: Construction at I-580 and Route 84 (Isabel Avenue) Interchange. $2,000,000. In 2007, the CTC recommended $72.2M from the Corridor Mobility Improvement Account (CMIA) for an EB HOV Lane from Hacienda to Greenville, and $68M for a WB HOV Lane at the Isabel Ave (Route 84) interchange, and $101.7M for a WB HOV Lane from Greenville to Foothill. In May 2007, flames from an exploding gasoline tanker 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. Caltrans fast-tracked the repair construction, which was expected to take 5-6 months. However, the contractor (C.C. Myers) actually completed the work in twenty-six days, opening the I-580 bridge on 8:40 PM on May 24, 2007. How was this done? Less than two days after the I-580 connector collapsed, demolition crews removed the mangled section. A day later, Caltrans engineers clambered over the charred section of I-880, drilling concrete core samples, X-raying parts of the structure and dragging chains over the roadway -- all tests to determine the extent of repairs needed. The results came back the next day -- the fourth day after the collapse. I-880 had suffered no serious structural damage to the concrete, Caltrans concluded. The freeway connector could be jacked up and supported with temporary braces while workers used a heat-straightening technique to repair warped steel girders underneath. Contractor ACC West completed the work quickly, and I-880 was reopened to traffic after being closed for just eight days. As for the I-580 overpass, Caltrans officials worked to speed the process by preparing a list of potential contractors it knew could do the work quickly and by streamlining its process, clearing as much red tape as possible. Then they drew up a contract offering a $200,000 bonus -- with a limit of $5 million -- for each day the work was done in less than 50 days and levying a $200,000 penalty for each day after that deadline. The bids were opened and the winner was the fifth bid, from C.C. Myers Inc., which came in at $867,075. The original Caltrans estimate was $5.2 million. Within hours of the bid award, Myers had workers on the site of the maze collapse. Meanwhile, in Lathrop (San Joaquin County), concrete fabrication firm ConFab started building what is essentially a big, rectangular concrete block. The block, filled with steel reinforcement bars and cables, is what's known to road builders as a bent cap -- a 243,750-pound beam that sits atop two columns and supports the frame of the elevated roadway. While the beam was being built, steel was being rushed from Pennsylvania and Texas to Stinger Welding, a steel fabrication firm in Arizona. Carl Douglas, president of Stinger, found in Pennsylvania the nation's only supply of the 2-inch steel plate needed to make the bottom flange of the steel girders. He found the half-inch and 1-inch steel needed for the rest of the girders in Texas. It was loaded onto trucks with two drivers in each rig so they could make the trips with fewer stops. Once the steel reached Arizona, Stinger crews began working two 10-hour shifts daily to get the girders built. Caltrans sent inspectors and engineers -- all authorized to make on-the-spot decisions -- to answer questions and ensure the quality of the fabrication. The first two girders were done on May 14 -- just four days after Stinger started working and seven days into C.C. Myers' contract -- and around noon they were put on trucks bound for the Bay Area. Stinger finished the girders in nine days -- a job that would normally have taken about 45. The first two girders arrived early on May 15 at ABC Painting, an industrial paint shop on the old Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo. Crews blasted the girders with steel grit to rough them up enough to hold a good coat of paint. Then they applied a zinc primer in "Caltrans gray," a sort of greenish gray. As the girders were painted, the massive concrete bent cap began making its way from Lathrop on an 18-axle truck. The load was so heavy that the truck wasn't permitted on I-580 over the Altamont Pass and had to use rural roads to get to the Tri-Valley. Still, the bent cap arrived about 15 minutes before Caltrans' scheduled 8 p.m. closure May 15 of the I-880 connector for the installation, and had to wait on the side of I-80 in Berkeley. Shortly after 8 p.m., the rig pulled onto the closed I-880 connector and parked at an angle beneath the two I-580 columns that survived the collapse and needed only minor repairs. After the beam was untied and hooked to lifting cables, a pair of cranes raised it at 8:50 p.m. and had it in place by 9 p.m. Crane operators then dropped large steel "pins" into holes in the bent cap and injected grout to secure the connection. After the first four girders were lifted into place, two more arrived each subsequent night, and they were put in place without difficulty. As soon as each pair was secured, workers swarmed the steel beams and started installing the wooden forms and steel-reinforcement bar for the concrete roadway. On a typical job, the contractor would wait until the girders were all installed before preparing for the concrete pour. After curing for 48 hours, the concrete poured on Sunday had already attained the required strength -- 3,500 pounds per square inch -- for the road deck. But Caltrans wanted it to cure -- beneath burlap and plastic blankets to keep it damp -- for at least 96 hours. For this job, C.C. Myers will collect $5 million in bonus money. The job is estimated to have cost the firm $2.5 million. (Information obtained from a 5/25/2007 article in the San Francisco Chronicle) In October 2008, a segment of HOV lanes in Livermore opened. In April 2012, the CTC authorized SHOPP funding on I-580, in Alameda County, 04-Ala-580 R14.6/R21.6 Near Livermore, from 0.1 mile west of Greenville Road to 0.2 mile west of San Ramon-Foothill Road. $13,000,000 to rehabilitate 38.5 lane miles of pavement to improve ride quality, prevent further deterioration of the road surface, minimize the costly roadway repairs, and extend the pavement life. In May 2012, the CTC authorized SHOPP funding on I-580, in Alameda County, 04-Ala-580 R8.4/R14.6 Near Livermore, from 0.1 mile west of Greenville Road to 0.2 mile west of San Ramon -Foothill Road. $16,400,000 to rehabilitate 51 lane miles of roadway to improve the ride quality, prevent further deterioration of the road surface, minimize the costly roadway repairs and extend the pavement service life. TCRP Project #12.3 is studying improvements for the I-580 Livermore Corridor. In February 2009, the CTC amended the environmental work for the project. Specifically, on July 27, 2007, the CTC approved a resolution that revised the project schedule to show FY2008-09 as the completion date for Environmental portion of the project. At the same time, the CTC approved a resolution that allocated $3,000,000 for a Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR), which was proposed to be developed by December 2008. The purpose of the PEIR was to support the early acquisition of right of way along I-580 for a future transit corridor. However, the schedule required modification in 2009 as it was dependent on inclusion of a right of way preservation project-known as the “I-580 Transit Corridor”-in the regional transportation plan (RTP) currently being developed by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). MTC is scheduled to adopt the Final Plan, EIR, and Conformity Analysis for the RTP on March 25, 2009. The amendment changed the completion date for the environmental phase to December 2009. There are plans to add a new interchange as Isabel Avenue in Livermore, but this was deferred in June 2008 because the cost and scope of ED is not consistent with cost and scope of CMIA baseline agreement.. The project is fully programmed for $153 million with Corridor Mobility Improvement Account (CMIA) funds, federal Demonstration funds, and local funds. Construction is estimated to begin in Fiscal Year 2008-09.. There was a similar deferral of a project to construct roadway improvements on I-580 in the city of Livermore that would have extended out to I-205. The project is fully programmed for $154 million with Corridor Mobility Improvement Account (CMIA) funds; State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funds; State Highway Operation Protection Program (SHOPP) funds; Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) funds; Traffic Congestion Relief Program (TCRP) funds; and local funds. Construction is estimated to begin in Fiscal Year 2007-08. Specifically, the project will construct a new interchange at Isabel Avenue (Route 84) and Route 580 in the city of Livermore. The project will also remove the existing partial interchange at Portola Avenue and I- 580. This new interchange at Isabel Avenue will provide a permanent and more efficient connection between Route 580 and Route 84. These improvements will result in a congestion relief in the Route 580/Route 680 corridors by establishing an alternative route for traffic between the Central/Tri-Valleys and the South Bay areas. In October 2008, the CTC considered amending the project plan to reallocate funding between tasks and to divide the project into three segments. This was due to an increase in right of way (ROW) acquisition costs of $3.1 million, due to the refinement of ROW costs that are now based upon actual appraisals, negotiated property acquisition compensations, and updated utility relocation estimates. This brought the total ROW costs to $24M. Additionally, construction estimates have also increased by $10.9M to $96.6M. That's just for Construction Capital! Construction support is another $8M (but that's a decrease of $8M from the original estimate). The amendment proposed that the work relating to the construction of three foundations for the Isabel Avenue Overcrossing (estimated cost $1.75 million) be transferred from this project to another CMIA project, the Route 580 EB HOV Lane project (PPNO 0112A, Segment 2 [EA 04-290831]). Similarly, widening of the Arroyo Las Positas Bridge (estimated cost $1.70 million) was to be transferred from the Route 580 EB HOV Lane project to the Isabel Avenue interchange project. They also proposed splitting the project into three construction contracts, allowing the City of Livermore to administer construction of the work that is within its own right of way, and thus better deal with traffic controls and circulation impacts on the city roads. So, the project will include (a) construction of a new interchange at Isabel Avenue (Route 84) in the Route 580 Corridor, replacing the existing temporary connection at Route 580/Airway Blvd; (b) construction of a new Portola Avenue overpass; (c) construction of eastbound and westbound auxiliary lanes between Isabel Avenue and Airway Boulevard, (d) removal of the partial interchange at Route 580/Portola Ave. for enhanced mainline operational efficiency and safety.; (e) widening and realigning of SR 84 south of Route 580, including relocation of utilities; (f) construction of new local roads necessary for the interchange operation north of Route 580; (g) widening an existing Route 580 bridge over the Arroyo Las Positas creek to accommodate the Route 580 EB HOV Lane project. The Arroyo Las Positas Creek Bridge widening was added from Route 580 EB HOV Lane project. Some foundation work in the median for the Route 580/Isabel Avenue Interchange project was deleted from this project and added to the Route 580 EB HOV Lane project. The three construction contracts are: (04-171311) Widen and realign Route 84 south of I-580, including relocation of utilities; (04-171321) Construct new local roads north of the I-580/Isabel Avenue Interchange, for proper operations of the interchange; and (04-171331) (a) Construct new interchange at I-580 and Isabel Avenue (Route 84) replacing the existing temporary connection at I-580/Airway Blvd; (b) construct a new Portola Avenue overpass; (c) construct eastbound and westbound auxiliary lanes between Isabel Avenue and Airway Boulevard; (d) remove the partial interchange at I-580/Portola Ave. (e) widen an existing I-580 bridge over the Arroyo Las Positas creek to accommodate the I-580 EB HOV project. The first two of these (171311 and 171321) would be done by the City of Livermore; the last by Caltrans. In January 2010, it was noted that construction near I-580 and Route 84 was progressing nicely. it's visibly becoming an interchange with approach embankments looking done on both sides. Completion is scheduled for February 2011. In October 2011, the CTC recieved a request to amend the CMIA baseline agreements related to a project in this area; specifically, for Segment 1 (Widen and realign State Route 84 south of I-580 interchange and relocate utilities, PPNO 0115E), Segment 2 (Construct new local roads north of the I-580/Isabel Avenue Interchange, PPNO 0115F), and Segment 3 (Construct new interchange at Isabel Avenue and a new Portola Avenue Overcrossing, PPNO 0115B) of the I-580/Isabel Interchange project to: • Transfer a portion of the scope of work from Segment 3 to Segment 1. • Shift $600,000 CMIA and $400,000 local funds in close-out savings from Segment 2 to Segment 1 in order to complete this transferred scope of work. In November 2011, Caltrans opened the new I-580/Route 84 ramps and the newly realigned Route 84 south of I-580 that will connect with the new interchange, and closed the westbound I-580 Portola Avenue onramp. The two new onramps will serve as new freeway access from Las Positas College and the businesses north of I-580. Commuters will be able to use the new interchange in lieu of cutting through downtown Livermore. Another project to widen Route 84 south of the interchange between Jack London Boulevard and Vallecitos Road is slated to begin in spring 2012. In July 2010 it was reported that a 2.9-mile HOV lane segment opened in Livermore: EB from Airway Boulevard past Portola Road. Upon completion, the entire HOV lane will extend 11 miles from Hacienda Road in Pleasanton to Greenville Road in Livermore. It will eventually be turned into an express toll lane. The first lane segment from east of Portola Road to Greenville Road opened in October 2009. If construction continues as expected, the overall HOV project will open in Fall 2010, about one year ahead. In November 2010, it was reported that the second phase of the 11-mile carpool lane on eastbound I-580 between Pleasanton and Livermore was opened. The carpool lane is expected to ease traffic in the area, which currently sees more than 170,000 vehicles a day. The project cost $49 million, which is $23 million less than what had been budgeted, and was completed a year ahead of schedule. It was mostly funded by Proposition 1B, a $19.9 billion transportation bond that was approved by California voters in 2006. Transportation officials said the project was completed for far less than had been expected because of the highly competitive bidding market among contractors seeking business. The section that opened in November 2010 goes from Hacienda Drive in Pleasanton to Portola Road in Livermore. The first segment, which is from Portola Road to Greenville Road in Livermore, opened in October 2009. In June 2011, the CTC authorized relinquishment of right of way in the city of Pleasanton along Route 580 between Route 680 and Hopyard Road, consisting of collateral facilities. In January 2011, the CTC approved for future consideration of funding a project in Alameda County that will construct a truck climbing lane in the eastbound direction on I-580 from one mile east of North Flynn Road to Greenville Road Undercrossing. The project is programmed in the Trade Corridors Improvement Fund. Construction is estimated to begin in Fiscal Year 2011-12. Total estimated project cost is $63,000,000 for capital and support. The project will mitigate potential impacts to biological resources to a less than significant level. Potential impacts to seven animal species that are listed as threatened or endangered will be mitigated through replacement habitat. In addition, potential impacts to an existing wetland in the project area will be mitigated by restoration of the affected wetland. In October 2012, the CTC amended the schedule due to permitting problems. The new schedule shows construction completing in April 2015. In February 2010, the CTC approved allocating $8,000,000 in Traffic Congestion Relief Program (TCRP) funds for the Route 580 project to construct an eastbound HOV lane from Tassjara Road/Santa Rita Road to Vasco Road in Alameda County (TCRP 31). In August 2010, the CTC approved amending the CMIA baseline agreements for Segment 1 (Widen and realign SR-84/Isabel Avenue [PPNO 0115E]), Segment 2 (Construct new local roads north of I-580/Isabel Interchange [PPNO 0115F]) and Segment 3 (Construct new interchange at Isabel Avenue [PPNO 0115B]) of the I-580/ Isabel Interchange project to update the project delivery schedule for each project. All three segments received their allocations at the December 2008 Commission meeting. The contracts for Segment 1 and 2 were advertised on December 22, 2008. The Segment 3 was advertised in January 2009. But the bid openings had to be postponed because the Proposition 1B funding was suspended due to financial constraints of the State. For Segment 3, delay in bid opening was also caused by the issuance of three addenda. The contracts for Segment 1 and 2 were awarded in June 2009. The Segment 3 contract was awarded in July 2009. None of the changes affect the close-out dates, although the end of construction for Segment 1 is pushed out two months to March 2012. In April 2012, it was reported that construction had started on on a $2.4 million trail segment providing the first off-road trail for people to walk or ride under I-580 in the Tri-Valley area. The new segment will close a 784-foot-long gap between two trails that stop on opposite sides of I-580. On the Dublin side, there is the Alamo Canal Trail, which connects to the Iron Horse Trail leading the way to Martinez. On the Pleasanton side, the Centennial Trail runs parallel to I-680 and a flood-control channel and leads toward central Pleasanton. To build the trail, crews will cut a notch out of the creek bank under the interstate and the BART tracks. Caltrans insisted that the trail have a railing to prevent users from falling into the creek, while Zone 7 Water District officials worried that the railing would trap floating debris and aggravate flood risks during heavy storms. Trail designers came up with a compromise plan for a collapsible rail with posts that can be removed before waters rise. Several agencies -- including Dublin, Pleasanton, the Alameda County Transportation Commission and the regional park district -- contributed funding toward the trail, but the largest allocation was $1 million in federal transportation dollars. The I-580 Westbound HOV Lane — Greenville to Foothill project (PPNO 0112B). In April 2010, the CTC approved for future consideration of funding a project in Alameda County that will construct a westbound HOV lane on a 13.4 mile portion of Route 580 near the city of Dublin. The project is programmed in the Corridor Mobility Improvement Account and includes federal and local funds. Total estimated project cost is $137,886,000 for capital and support. Construction is estimated to begin in Fiscal Year 2011-12. There is a concurrent baseline amendment request to split the project into three contracts. The scope, as described for the preferred alternative, is consistent with the project scope set forth in the proposed project baseline agreement. Overall, this project will construct a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane from the San Ramon Road/Foothill Road Interchange to the Greenville Road Overhead; widen the inside and outside shoulders sufficiently to accommodate the HOV lane and allow for future conversion of the HOV lane to a high occupancy toll (HOT) lane; widen the existing bridge crossings over Tassajara Creek and Arroyo Las Positas Creek at various locations; and construct various westbound auxiliary lanes. It will also construct a westbound express bus ramp connection from the westbound HOV lane to the Dublin-Pleasanton BART Station; construct soundwalls as identified by the environmental document; and upgrade the drainage system in the freeway median to accommodate the HOV lane. In April 2010, the CTC approved amending the CMIA baseline agreement for the I-580 Westbound HOV Lane – Greenville to Foothill project (PPNO 0112B) to: (1) Update the project scope to eliminate the westbound I-580 express bus off-ramp to the Dublin-Pleasanton Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Station, funded by 12 million Regional Measure 2 (RM2) funds; add a westbound auxiliary lane at two locations: a) From Vasco Road to First Street and b) From Airway Boulevard to Fallon Road, to be funded by local funds; (2) Update the overall project funding plan; and (3) Split the updated project into three roadway contracts. The westbound express off-ramp to the BART station is being elminated because both the BART and the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority opposed the inclusion of these improvements in the project scope on concerns relating to pedestrian safety in the vicinity of the BART Station; this provided a cost savings of $12M. The auxiliary lanes were added to the scope of the overall project for coordination purposes; these lanes were originally a local project. Combining these two auxiliary lanes projects with the HOV lane project for construction will reduce throw-away costs such as roadway drainage improvements, signings, and erosion control measures and also avoid unnecessary disruption to the traveling public. The overall project is proposed to be split into three segments. Segment 1 (PPNO 0112B): In Alameda County in Livermore from Greenville Road to just east of Isabel Avenue. Construct a westbound HOV lane from the Greenville Overcrossing to Isabel Avenue Overcrossing. Widen the inside and outside shoulders sufficiently to accommodate the HOV lane and allow for future conversion to a HOT lane. Construct westbound auxiliary lanes from Vasco Road to First Street, from First to North Livermore Avenue, and from North Livermore Avenue to Isabel Avenue. Construct soundwalls as identified by the environmental document. Construct mitigation landscaping. Upgrade the freeway median drainage system in the freeway median to accommodate the HOV lane. Segment 2 (PPNO 0112F): In Alameda County in Livermore from just east of Isabel Avenue to just west of San Ramon Road/Foothill Road Interchange. Construct a westbound HOV lane from Isabel Avenue Overcrossing to San Ramon Road/Foothill Road Interchange. Widen the inside and outside shoulders sufficiently to accommodate the HOV lane and allow for future conversion to a HOT lane. Widen existing bridge crossing over Tassajara Creek. Construct westbound auxiliary lanes from Airway Boulevard to Fallon Road. Construct soundwalls as identified by the environmental document. Construct mitigation landscaping. Upgrade the freeway median drainage system in the freeway median to accommodate the HOV lane. Segment 3 (PPNO 0112G): In Alameda County in Livermore from just west of First Street Overcrossing to just west of Isabel Avenue Overcrossing. Widen existing bridge crossings over Arroyo Las Positas Creek in the eastbound direction (at two locations). In August 2010, the CTC approved amending the CMIA baseline agreement for Segment 2 (Construct HOV Lane, from Portola to Hacienda [PPNO 0112D]) of the Eastbound I-580 HOV Lane project to update the project delivery schedule, noting that construction started later than originally expected. In April 2012, it was reported that construction on the $182 million-dollar HOV lane between Livermore and Dublin is scheduled to begin in August 2012 and be completed in mid-2015. Eastbound commuters -- who have benefited from an 11-mile carpool lane from Hacienda Drive to Greenville since 2009 -- will see the lane transformed into a combination carpool-toll lane. The cost to add the technology for the lane, which was $15 million to build, is $19 million, and it will open at the same time the westbound lane debuts. In July 2008, Caltrans opened the I-580 truck bypass, separating slow-moving trucks from cars in the Altamont Pass. Two westbound truck-only lanes run for six miles from Mountain House Parkway to Grant Line Road on the right-hand side. This is part of widening I-205.
   	The portion of this route between Route 5 and Route 205 is named the "William Elton 'Brownie' Brown Freeway". It was named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 74, Chapter 127, in 1985. William Elton "Brownie" Brown, (1912-1995), a lifetime resident of Tracy, served for 6 years as the President of the Highway 33 Association, and was instrumental in having I-5 located on the far west side of the San Joaquin valley, thus saving valuable farm land. The portion of this route between Castro Valley and Livermore is named the "Arthur H. Breed Jr. Freeway". Elected to both the California Assembly and Senate between 1935 and 1959, Arthur J. Breed, Jr., was a tireless advocate for the development of a high quality highway system in California. This section was named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 5, Chapter 73 in 1983. The portion of this route from Airway Boulevard (eastbound milepost marker 14.98) to North Flynn Road (westbound milepost marker 6.00) in Livermore is named the "CHP Officer John P. Miller Memorial Highway" It was named in memory of California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer John Paul Miller. Born on January 29, 1975, to Larry and Caroline Miller, in Stockton, California, Officer Miller graduated from Linden High School in Linden, California, in 1994, and attended San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California, where he was a respected athlete and earned his Associate of Arts degree. Officer Miller was employed by Cherokee Freight Line of Stockton as a mechanic and delivery driver prior to becoming a California Highway Patrol Officer. Officer Miller was married to his best friend, Stephanie Bianchi, on July 21, 2001, and had two wonderful children, Chandler on March 18, 2003, and Reese on March 14, 2005. Officer Miller continued his education by attending California State University, Sacramento and the University of Phoenix where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration in 2004. Officer Miller entered the California Highway Patrol Academy on September 18, 2006, and upon graduation, was assigned to the Dublin Area Office in April 2007, serving the Dublin area for seven months. On November 16, 2007, Officer Miller was killed in the line of duty while he was attempting to apprehend a drunk driver in the Livermore Valley. As Officer Miller was driving south on North Livermore Avenue, north of I-580, he was involved in a patrol car collision causing fatal injuries. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 78, Resolution Chapter 110, on 9/23/2009. The portion of this route between Strobridge Avenue and East Castro Valley Boulevard is named the "Sergeant Daniel Sakai Memorial Highway". It was named in memory of Daniel Sakai of Castro Valley. Born April 6, 1973, he grew up in Big Bear in San Bernardino County, where he developed a love for everything outdoors. Daniel Sakai moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to attend the University of California at Berkeley, where he received a degree in 1996 in forestry and natural resources and also worked as a community service officer. After graduating from the university, Daniel Sakai spent a year in Japan teaching English. Daniel Sakai attended the Oakland Police Department Academy, where he met his soulmate and future wife, Jennifer. Daniel Sakai quickly rose to the rank of sergeant of police and served the Oakland Police Department in various roles, including as a patrol officer, canine handler, patrol rifle and academy firearms instructor, and special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team member. Daniel Sakai was described as a "special young man who was clearly a born leader. He was committed to public service and making a difference in other people's lives". He was also described as a "person that everyone looked up to and wanted to be. He had the highest ethics". On March 21, 2009, Sergeant Daniel Sakai was killed, along with another SWAT team member, Sergeant Ervin Romans, when the SWAT team attempted to apprehend a suspect that had earlier in the day shot and killed Sergeant Mark Dunakin and mortally wounded Officer John Hege, both of the Oakland Police Department, during a traffic stop. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 79, Resolution Chapter 111, on 9/23/2009. The portion of this route from San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge distribution structure (a/k/a "the Maze") in Oakland (Route 80/Route 580/Route 880 interchange) to Route 238 in Hayward/Castro Valley is named the "MacArthur Freeway". It is named for General Douglas MacArthur of WW II and the Korean War, as well as for MacArthur Boulevard which the freeway follows and was named for the general in the 1950's. It was named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 27, Chapter 156, in 1968. 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 known as the "Presidio Tunnel". [Information on General MacArthur from http://members.tripod.com/~DARTO/macarthur/macarthur.html]
   	The I-580 overpass at 38th Street in Oakland is named the "Officer James Williams Memorial Overpass". This overpass is named in memory of Oakland Police Officer James Williams, Jr., who died in the line of duty on January 10, 1999. The incident started when a shotgun was discarded onto the freeway by suspects who were fleeing from the police. Officer Williams was helping to locate the weapon and was assisting in its recovery when a sniper began firing at the responding officers from the southwest side of the 38th Avenue I-580 overpass in Oakland. Officer Williams was hit by the sniper's bullets and died of those injuries. Officer Williams had a wife, Sabrina, and three small children: ten-year-old Alexander, five-year-old Aaron, and four-year-old Ariana. He was formerly a police officer in New Orleans, had just graduated from the police academy and was still in training at the time of his death. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 82, Chapter 12, filed 1/28/2000. The Keller Avenue Bridge that crosses I-580 in the City of Oakland is officially named the “Sergeant Mark Dunakin, Sergeant Ervin Romans, and Officer John Hege Memorial Bridge”. This structure was named in honor of Sergeant Mark Dunakin, Sergeant Ervin Romans, and Officer John Hege, who proudly served the Oakland Police Department for 18 years, 13 years, and 10 years, respectively. Sergeant Dunakin began his career with the department in May 1991. During his career, he was assigned to several units of the department, including the Patrol Division, the Crime Prevention Unit, the Robbery Section, and the Homicide Unit. In 1999, Dunakin was promoted to the rank of Sergeant of Police. While serving in the Homicide Unit, Dunakin acted as one of the lead investigators of the "Nut Cases" gang, a group that terrorized Oakland in a 10-week crime wave in 2002 and 2003. Dunakin's tireless work paid off when the gang was successfully arrested. Sergeant Ervin Romans started his career with the Oakland Police Department in 1996. Romans' sense of duty and commitment to the department never wavered; in 1999, he received the Medal of Valor, the department's highest honor, for evacuating endangered residents from a fire in West Oakland. Romans' expertise and attention to detail served the City of Oakland well when he become a Departmental Range Master, a position in which he trained hundreds of officers in the ethical and proper use of firearms and less lethal weapons. In 2005, Romans was promoted to the rank of Sergeant of Police. As a sergeant, he supervised one of Oakland's crime reduction teams and served as the entry team leader on the department's Tactical Operations Team. Officer John Hege started his career with the department as a volunteer reserve police officer in 1993. He was hired as a full-time police officer in 1999. Upon graduating from the Oakland Police Academy, he was assigned to the Bureau of Field Operations/ After patrolling the streets of Oakland for 10 years, Hege fulfilled a lifelong dream when he was transferred to the Traffic Operations Section and assigned as a motorcycle officer. Hege gave his heart, soul, and a seemingly limitless amount of time to the Oakland Police Department, yet he always made time for his family and friends. Sergeant Dunakin, Sergeant Romans, and Officer Hege dedicated their lives to the pursuit of safety and justice; andon March 21, 2009, Sergeant Dunakin was shot and killed and Officer Hege was mortally wounded during a traffic stop. Efforts to apprehend the suspect resulted in the death of Sergeant Romans. Named by Assembly Concurrant Resolution (ACR) 146, 8/17/2010, Resolution Chapter 91.
   	There are plans for eastbound and westbound HOV lanes from Tassajara Road/Santa Rita Road to Vasco Road in Alameda County. This is TCRP Project #31, requested by the Alameda County Congestion Management Authority. In August 2005, the CTC considered a TCRP Application Amendment to revise the project scope for Project #31 – Route 580; construct eastbound and westbound HOV lanes from Tassajara Road/Santa Rita Road to Vasco Road in Alameda County. Initially, the overall project was to construct eastbound and westbound HOV lanes on I-580 from west of Tassajara Road in Pleasanton to east of Vasco Road in Livermore. However, the project will now be delivered as two segments; first the eastbound direction using the TCR funds, followed by the westbound direction. The westbound segment will require additional improvements beyond the project limits of the Legislative description and will be delivered with other funds to be determined. In July 2006, the CTC considered an update to the project schedule due to delays in completing the environmental document, previously completed environmental studies have lapsed or expired and are required to be redone. This reschedules Phase 1 of the project to FY 2005/2006. In September 2012, the CTC approved an addition $10,000 for this project. These funds will be used for two separate construction contracts: Segment 1 (Greenville to Isabel, PPNO 0112B, 04-2908C); Segment 2 (Isabel to Foothill, PPNO 0112F, 04-2908E).
   	Finding US 48 (Casey Cooper) Finding US 50 (Casey Cooper) Lincoln Highway (James Lin)
   	Although not specifically on Route 580, AB 348, Chaptered 9/21/2011 (Statute Chapter 290) designated (until January 1, 2017) the segment of county highway known as Vasco Road, between the Route 580 junction in Alameda County and the Walnut Boulevard intersection in Contra Costa County, as a Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zone upon the approval of the boards of supervisors of Alameda County and Contra Costa County.
   	[SHC 263.8] From Route 5 southwest of Vernalis to Route 80.
   	This route is part of the De Anza National Historic Trail. This was part of the Lincoln Highway. This portion of this segment from I-80 (former US 50) to I-205 was part of the coast-to-coast "Victory Highway".
   	Approved as chargeable Interstate on 7/7/1947, later adjusted in 1955 and 1957. In August 1957, this was tentatively approved as I-5W. In November 1957, the designation I-72 was proposed as part of the first attempt to give urban routes numbers (there were no 3-digit routes at the time). The proposal went back to I-5W in August 1958, and it was finally approved as I-5W, and later renumbered as I-580. In August 1958, the designation I-580 was proposed by the department for what is now I-680.

   
   

2. From Route 80 near Albany to Route 101 near San Rafael via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.

   
   

   	In 1984, Chapter 409 this segment was added by transfer from Route 17. The segment was originally submitted (1983) to have been I-180; however, state numbering rules changed it to be part of I-580. Before the transfer in 1984, the section from the junction of I-80 and I-580 ("McArthur Freeway" or "the Maze") to the interchange at Hoffman Blvd (approximately 3 miles), was signed as I-80 and Route 17. Before the completion of the freeway portion between the Hoffman Blvd/I-80 Interchange to the foot of the San Rafeal Bridge, the Route 17 routing was as follows: Hoffman Blvd, to Cutting Blvd, to Standard Ave, and then to the foot of the Richmond-San Rafael bridge. This was signed as "Temporary I-580" until construction of the freeway I-580 was completed. The 4.0-mile Richmond-San Rafael Bridge opened in 1956.
   	The most recent freeway routing of I-580 appears to have been LRN 257, defined in 1959. A previous routing was LRN 69, and the San Pablo surface street routing was LRN 114. Both LRN 69 and LRN 114 were defined in 1933. This was cosigned US 40/US 50.
   	In September 2010, the CTC proposed amending the CMIA baseline agreements for Westbound I-580 to Northbound US 101 Connector Improvements project (PPNO 0342M) to • De-allocate $200,000 CMIA savings from Right of Way (R/W). • Reprogram these $200,000 CMIA savings from R/W to Construction. This project is located at theUS 101/I-580 interchange in Marin County. The project scope includes • Widen connector from westbound I-580 to northbound US 101. • Extend Bellam Boulevard off-ramp from westbound I-580. • Modify Bellam Boulevard on-ramp to northbound US 101. • Replace Bellam Boulevard undercrossing on westbound I-580. • Construct associated bicycle and pedestrian improvements along Bellam Boulevard and East Francisco Street in this area. This project, funded 100 percent with CMIA funds, was allocated $13,200,000 CMIA for construction capital in May 2009. When the bids were opened in September 2009, the lowest bid came $2,148,000 below the allocated amount. The project allotment was $11,052,000. These award savings were subsequently de-allocated by the Commission at its May 2010 meeting. The construction contract was awarded in November 2009 and construction began in December 2009. Although the construction contract acceptance (CCA) milestone is scheduled for March 2011, it is anticipated that all the major construction activities will be completed and the facility opened to traffic by October 2010. The project is located on a site that was originally on the edge of the San Francisco Bay and currently sits atop an abandoned railroad alignment. These factors added to the risks associated with differing sub-surface conditions. Furthermore, the project location also experiences heavy pedestrian and bicycle traffic that comes from a disadvantaged community adjacent to the project site and also from a number of critical crossroads of regional and local traffic access to Route 580.
   	I-580 from I-80 to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge through Richmond is named the "John T. Knox Freeway". John J. Knox., elected to the California Assembly in 1960, made important legislative contributions to the upgrade of I-580 to meet interstate freeway standards. Named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 50, Chapter 78 in 1980.
   	Bridge 28-100, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 100 Chapter 243 in 1955) between Richmond and San Rafael in Contra Costa county. It was officially renamed the "John F. McCarthy Memorial Bridge". John F. McCarthy served in the California Senate from 1950 to 1970 where he was instrumental in the creation of the Bay Area Rapid Transit District. It was built in 1956, and renamed by Senate Concurrent Resolution 19, Chapter 76 in 1981.
   	In Contra Costa County, HOV lanes once ran eastbound from Marine Street to W of Central Avenue, for a length of 4.5 mi. They ran westbound from E of Central Avenue to Marine Street for a length of 5.3 mi. They were opened in 1989, extended in 1992, and were closed through Richmond by February 2000. There is also a HOV exclusive lane on the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge. It opened in October 1989. It requires three or more occupants (two for two-seater vehicles) and operates during rush hour.
   	Approved as chargeable interstate in April 1978; originally numbered as I-180; the portion between Castro Street in Richmond and Route 101 is 139(a) non-chargeable milage.

The following segments are designated as Classified Landscaped Freeway:

• Cal-NExUS Exit Numbering: Route 580 East
• Cal-NExUS Exit Numbering: Route 580 West
• I-580 Strip Chart (Andrew Tompkins; XML Required)

• California @ AARoads: Interstate 580
• 3 Digit Interstates: I-180
• 3 Digit Interstates: I-580

[SHC 253.1] Entire route. Added to the Freeway and Expressway system in 1959.

Overall statistics for Route 580:

• Total Length (1995): 76 miles
• Average Daily Traffic (1992): 14,100 to 286,000
• Milage Classification: Rural: 28; Sm. Urban: 0; Urbanized: 48.
• Previous Federal Aid Milage: FAI: 68 mi; FAP: 8 mi.
• Functional Classification: Prin. Arterial: 76 mi.
• Counties Traversed: San Joaquin, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin.

1. From Route 1 near Seal Beach to Route 405.

   
   

   	In 1963, Route 605 was defined as "Route 405 to Route 10 near the San Gabriel River." In 1968, Chapter 282 added segment (a) and (c): "(a) Route 1 near Seal Beach to Route 405. (b) Route 405 to Route 10 near the San Gabriel River. (c) Route 10 to Route 210 near Duarte." Segment (a) was a transfer from Route 240 (defined in 1964).
   	This was LRN 170. The portion between Route 22 and I-10 was defined in 1933; the portion between Route 1 and Route 22 in 1957; and the remainder in 1959.
   	This part is unconstructed.

   
   

2. From Route 405 to Route 210 near Duarte.

   
   

   	In 1963, Route 605 was defined as "Route 405 to Route 10 near the San Gabriel River." In 1968, Chapter 282 added segment (a) and (c): "(a) Route 1 near Seal Beach to Route 405. (b) Route 405 to Route 10 near the San Gabriel River. (c) Route 10 to Route 210 near Duarte." Segment (c) was transferred from Route 243. The Route 243 segment was approved for interstate construction as part of the December 1968 Federal Aid Highway act, which provided $19.0 million for the 5.5 mile segment. In 1984, Chapter 409 combined (b) and (c): "(b) Route 405 to Route 210 near Duarte." The freeway started construction in 1964, and was extended north to the I-210 in 1971.
   	This was LRN 170. The portion between Route 22 and I-10 was defined in 1933; the portion between Route 1 and Route 22 in 1957; and the remainder in 1959.
   	In December 2005, utilizing Measure M money, the OCTA authorized construction of HOV connector ramps between I-405 and I-605. In January 2011, the CTC authorized relinquishment of right of way in the city of Irwindale along Route 605 between West Ramona Boulevard and Rivergrade Road, consisting of collateral facilities. In August 2011, the CTC approved $2,033,000 in SHOPP funding for repairs in and near Pico Rivera, from 195th Street to Route 210, that will repair bridge decks and replace joint seals on 22 bridges to extend the service life of the structures. In April 2012, the CTC authorized SHOPP funding on I-605, in Los Angeles County, 07-LA-605 R0.1/R16.6 In Los Angeles County through various cities, from Coyote Creek Bridge to Peck Road. $588,000 to construct 11,500 feet of metal beam guardrail, and 2,000 feet of concrete barrier at locations of high embankments, trees, and fixed objects. The project will improve safety by reducing the severity of run-off-the road collisions. 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 #574: Construction funding for I-605 Interchange Capacity Improvements in Irwindale. $1,600,000. High Priority Project #3175: Route 91/I-605 Needs Assesment Study, Whittier, CA.$12,800. According to an article in the San Gabriel Tribune, the I-10/I-605 interchange was designed in 1964 and was supposed to accommodate traffic until 1984. No major changes have been undertaken there since it was built. An average of 438,000 cars use the interchange each day, making the intersection the 19th busiest in the state. According to a 1999 study by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the area directly around the interchange has one of the highest air-pollution- related cancer risk factors in the San Gabriel Valley. One of the main problems with the intersection is what engineers call "the weave,", where vehicles transferring from the I-10 west to the I-605 south have to weave across cars getting on the I-605 south from the I-10 east. Cars from both directions have only about 150 feet to change places with each other. Additionally, drivers who want to transfer from the southbound I-605 to the eastbound I-10 east have to take a left turn when leaving the I-605. According to Caltrans, the prospects for improvements are bleak. Caltrans is considering building a flyover from the I-605 south to the I-10 east, which would eliminate the weaving-in section. Construction for the $66 million direct connector should break ground in 2011. In June 2009, the CTC approved for future consideration of funding this project. It will construct an elevated direct connector from southbound I-605 to eastbound I-10 that would replace the existing southbound I-605 to eastbound I-10 connector. The project is fully funded and is programmed on the 2008 State Highway Operation Protection Program Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicles (GARVEE) list. The estimated project cost is $76,460,000, capital and support. Construction is estimated to begin in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010-11. In December 2012, construction started on the $66 million one-lane flyover ramp that will provide a direct connection from SB I-605 to the EB I-10. The ramp will be erected 70 feet above the freeway so that those driving along SB I-605 freeway will have their own ramp to connect with EB I-10 freeway without having to make lane changes that interfere with other drivers also merging on the interchange. The project is funded by the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP), with a combination of state and federal monies. In March 2012, Caltrans began construction of a $14-million sound wall project along the 605 freeway in the city of Whittier and unincorporated county. The project consists of approximately three miles of sound walls on both sides of the freeway with a scheduled completion of winter 2013. Metro funded the entire $14 million from Prop C and Measure R monies. In April 2012, the CTC approved $588,000 allocation for safety improvements on I-605 extending from Cerritos to Pico Rivera (Coyote Creek Bridge to Peck Road) to construct metal beam guardrail and concrete barrier at locations with high embankments, trees, and fixed objects.
   	The portion of this segment from Route 405 to Route 10 is officially designated as the "San Gabriel River Freeway." It was named by Senate Bill 99, Chapter 1101, in 1967. The first segment opened in 1964; the last in 1971. The portion between I-10 and I-210 was known during construction as the "Rivergrade Freeway", as it was virtually paved over the then-existing Rivergrade Road alignment that ran between Valley Blvd (South Terminus) and Arrow Highway (Northern Terminus). Today Rivergrade Road now only exists between Live Oak Ave and Arrow Highway, running along the eastern side of the San Gabriel River. The southern tiny portion at Valley Blvd is known as Perez Place which also intersects with Temple Ave. The interchange of I-605 and I-210 is named the Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff David W. March Memorial Interchange. It was named in memory of Deputy David W. March of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, who was killed in the line of duty at the age of 33 on April 29, 2002, in Irwindale while conducting a "routine" traffic stop. He was a longtime resident of Santa Clarita Valley and a 1988 graduate of Canyon High School where he played football and baseball. He served seven years as a law enforcement officer. It was named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 142, July 16, 2004. Chapter 122. The portion of I-605 between Carson Street and Del Amo Boulevard, in the County of Los Angeles, is named the "John Sanford Todd Memorial Highway". It was named in memory of John Sanford Todd, who was active in the battle to presever the independence of the city of Lakewood in the early 1953s in the face of annexation elections by the city of Long Beach. With other community members, John Sanford Todd mounted a spirited campaign to prevent "piecemeal annexation." It was his strategy of appealing each annexation election as soon as it was announced stalled the City of Long Beach's plans, although Lakewood Village and a few other neighborhoods accepted annexation. Todd was also responsible for Lakewood Cityhood, including the idea that unincorporated communities did not have to choose between annexation by a big city or building a costly civic infrastructure from scratch. Instead, Todd believed that city councils could turn to the county to deliver municipal services through a system of contracts. Todd served as Lakewood's City Attorney from 1954 until 2004, a period of 50 years. As the city's legal counsel over that period of 50 years, John Sanford Todd drafted hundreds of ordinances, policies, regulations, and resolutions. The quality of everyday life in Lakewood can be directly attributed to the body of law of which John Sanford Todd was the principal author. John Sanford Todd served in other ways, including as an officer in the contract cities association and in the statewide League of California Cities. He was, for a time, the City Attorney of Pico Rivera as well as Lakewood. He was also the first legal counsel of the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, an agency that provides member cities with insurance protection. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 15, Resolution Chapter 76, on 7/16/2009. The portion from Route 10 to Route 210 is unnamed.
   	The freeway interchange between Route 105 and Route 605 is officially designated the "Joe A. Gonsalves Memorial Interchange". Joe A. Gonsalves was born to Joaquim Gonsalves and Elvira Silva Gonsalves in Holtville, California, on October 13, 1919. He was elected to the City Council of the City of Dairy Valley, now known as the City of Cerritos, in 1958, and was twice elected the Mayor of Dairy Valley. In 1962, he was elected to the California State Assembly, representing the 66th Assembly District (making him the first person of Portuguese ancestry to be elected to the California State Legislature). During his 12 years in the California Legislature he served as Chair of the Assembly Rules Committee, Revenue and Taxation Committee, and the Joint Committee on Rules and, served as a member of the Assembly Education Committee, and the State Allocation Board. In 1963, during his legislative tenure, Section 405 of the Streets and Highways Code was enacted, describing Route 105 as running from Route 5, to the junction of Route 101 and Route 110, which would have caused Route 105 to cut through the Cities of Norwalk and La Mirada [Note: The above is from the resolution, and reflects poor research. The current incarnation of Route 105 wasn't defined as Route 105 in 1963; the closest routing was pre-1968 Route 42]. At the requests of the Cities of Norwalk and La Mirada and their residents, Joe A. Gonsalves was instrumental in having Section 405 of the Streets and Highways Code amended in 1968, so that Route 105 ended at Route 605 rather than cutting through the Cities of Norwalk and La Mirada (thus, those of you who complain that I-105 doesn't go through to I-5 have Mr. Gonsalves to blame). After leaving the legislature, Joe A. Gonsalves operated the only three-generation lobbying firm in Sacramento, with his son, Anthony Gonsalves, and his grandson, Jason Gonsalves. Joe A. Gonsalves passed away on July 7, 2000. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 96, Chapter 129, September 24, 2001.

• Cal-NExUS Exit Numbering: Route 605
• I-605 Strip Chart (Andrew Tompkins)
  [XML support required]

• California @ AARoads: Interstate 605
• 3 Digit Interstates: I-605

Commuter lanes are under construction on this route between Telegraph Road and I-10. They are scheduled to open in April 1998.

Lanes are planned between the Los Angeles/Orange County line and South Street; construction starts in 1999. That date, however, was optimistic. In June 2002, there was a STIP proposal on the CTC agenda for constructing HOV lanes from Route 405 to the Los Angeles County line. This also shows on the regional transportation improvement plan.

The following segments are designated as Classified Landscaped Freeway:

Approved as chargeable Interstate from Route 405 to Route 10 on 9/15/1955; the Route 10 to Route 210 portion was approved as chargeable in December 1968 as a result of the December 1968 Federal Aid Highway Act.

In November 1957, the California Department of Highways proposed this as I-13. When that was rejected for an urban route, the department tried it as a 3 digit interstate, I-105. This was before the numbering conventions were established, and sequential 3dis were being used. That number was also rejected. In August 1958, the department proposed I-605, which was accepted.

[SHC 253.1] Entire route. Added to the Freeway and Expressway system in 1959.

Overall statistics for I-605:

• Total Length (1995): 27 miles traversed; 3 miles unconstructed.
• Average Daily Traffic (1992): 34,000 to 247,000.
• Milage Classification: Rural: 0; Sm. Urban: 0; Urbanized: 30.
• Previous Federal Aid Milage: FAI: 27 mi.
• Functional Classification: Prin. Arterial: 27 mi.
• Counties Traversed: Los Angeles, Orange.

1. From Route 101 near San Jose to Route 780 at Benicia passing near Warm Springs, Mission San Jose, Scotts Corners and Sunol, and via Walnut Creek.

   
   

   	In 1963, Route 680 was defined as "Route 280 in San Jose to Route 80 in Vallejo passing near Warm Springs, Mission San Jose, Scotts Corners and Sunol, and via Walnut Creek and Benicia." In 1965, Chapter 1371 changed the origin of the route: "Route 280 Route 101 near San Jose to Route 80 in Vallejo passing near Warm Springs, Mission San Jose, Scotts Corners and Sunol, and via Walnut Creek and Benicia." In 1976, Chapter 1354 added a second segment and change terminus of (a): "(a) Route 101 near San Jose to Route 780 in Vallejo at Benicia passing near Warm Springs, Mission San Jose, Scotts Corners, and Sunol, and via Walnut Creek and Benecia. (b) Route 780 at Benicia to Route 80 near Cordelia." This was the result of a transfer from Route 21, combined with a concurrent transfer to new I-780. This segment was once signed as Route 21 (and for a while, during the numbering changeover, was cosigned as Route 21). The beginning of the 1963 segment (b) of Route 17 [Route 101 near San Jose...] (as opposed to "at Story Road", which is in the definition of I-280) could imply that instead of the second segment of Route 17 representing current I-680 between US 101 and Route 262, the 1963 notion represented the surface street routing along Oakland Road (later to be signed as Route 238), with I-680 being the only legislatively defined number for all of current Route 262 and all of the Route 17/I-880 from I-280 to Route 262. This might imply that the segment of I-680 from Route 262 to US 101 was first planned in 1965.* It appears the original plans were for Route 17 to have turned east in San Jose onto what is now I-280, crossed US 101, and then joined with I-680 in Fremont using the present-day I-680 alignment. I-280 would have turned north on present-day I-880 (then signed as Route 17) at Route 17, switched to I-680 at US 101, and then would have joined the proposed Route 17 at Fremont near Route 262. Apparently, Route 17 would have crossed over somewhere at that point to its then-existing routing up to Oakland. [*: Credit for the surmisings regarding 1963-1965 I-680 should go to Chris Sampang] At this time (i.e., before the section south of Fremont opened), I-680 was routed along present-day I-880 to US 101 in San Jose. The section from Mission Blvd to Route 237 opened in 1971, and the section south of that opened in 1974. The I-280/US 101 interchange opened in 1982. For a time, I-680 was routed along Route 17 (now I-880) to Route 237, across Route 237, and then up the current I-680 from Route 237. There is also a maintenance facility at the southwest corner of Scott Creek Road. It was originally acquired by Caltrans for a freeway that was going to connect I-680 to I-880. This freeway was killed by Gov. Jerry Brown in the 1970s. After the new I-680 alignment was finalized, Oakland Road and Main Street were signed as Route 238, since that portion of Mission Blvd south of the present terminus of Route 238 was signed as Route 238 to Warm Springs. Today's I-880 freeway was signed as Route 17 and Temporary I-680 north of US 101 to the junction of Route 262 and Route 17 and Temporary I-280 south of US 101 to the junction of US 280. Note that Mission Blvd crosses I-680 twice. At the first (northern) crossing it is signed as Route 238 and this is the present terminus of Route 238. At the second (southern) crossing it is signed as a connection to I-880; this is the eastern terminus of (unsigned) Route 262. Also, the city of Milpitas built a new alignment for Main Street, so present-day maps do not show how Oakland Road connected with Mission Blvd in Warm Springs via Main Street. When I-680 was built in the hills through Fremont's east side in the 1963-1964, an overpass and roadway was also constructed heading northwest where I-680 now turns east up through Mission Pass, between the Washington Boulevard and Auto Mall Parkway exits. That section, about 1,000 feet long, was the start of the aborted Mission Freeway that was to have run northwest under Lake Elizabeth through the middle of Fremont and Union City to connect with I-580 in Hayward. These plans were scuttled in the 1970s. This "bridge to nowhere" was demolished in 2002 to accomodate widening of I-680, and the southbound carpool lane construction. Caltrans still owns property on the north side of the curve east of Osgood that it has used for construction staging. However, the Caltrans Bridge Log dates the bridge as 1971, and refers to it as "FUTURE 238/680". This has left a mysterious exit-like area off I-680 in Fremont. The Benicia-Martinez bridge opened on September 15, 1962, replacing a ferry. They are working on a new Benicia Bridge, but it may not happen because of some the construction of the foundation piers may be interfering with salmon and delta smelt migration. The project experienced a delay in November 2002 due to rock boring problems and problems with the collapsing of mud in the underwater bores. These delays pushed back the opening seven years and increased the cost to nearly $1.3 billion. The first major construction problem came when the noise and vibration from pile-driving operations killed fish in the Carquinez Strait. The work stopped while engineers designed an air bubble curtain to protect aquatic life. Contractors then hit unexpectedly soft rock at the base of the pilings used to support the bridge's piers. To anchor the pilings deep beneath the riverbed, the contractor inserted steel sleeves into the pilings and filled them with concrete and rebar, a costly and time-consuming task. Later, as workers began pouring the first of 344 16-foot segments, the chemistry of the lightweight concrete produced too much heat. To cool down the concrete, the contractor pumped water from the river into a series of pipes to each segment until each cured properly. It opened at the end of August 2007. Details on the project can be found here and here. The basic project includes the following features: Construction of a new five lane bridge (four mixed-flow lanes one slow-vehicle lane), east of the existing bridge and rail span with provisions to accommodate future light rail Construction of a new 9-booth toll plaza – including one carpool bypass lane, two open road tolling lanes and accommodation for electronic toll collection – as well as an administration building at the southern approach to the new bridge in Contra Costa County Reconstruction of the Interstate 680 interchanges at I-780 in Benicia and Marina Vista/Waterfront Road in Martinez to accommodate the new bridge and toll plaza Modifications of the existing bridge to accommodate four mixed-flow lanes of southbound traffic and two-way bicycle/pedestrian lane Restoration of a 22.8 acre parcel of tidal marsh in the City of Benicia This was the first bridge in Northern California to have FasTrak Express lanes. Unlike existing FasTrak lanes, which use treadles mounted in the pavement and laser-light curtains to count axles and measure vehicles, the technology used for open-road tolling does the job from above in a fraction of a second. And if it doesn't recognize the vehicle, it snaps photographs of it and its license numbers. Drivers, if they're paying attention, will hear the familiar "beep-beep" from their FasTrak transponder as they pass the toll plaza and speed toward the bridge. The new equipment can collect tolls at speeds up to 100 mph. A California Highway Patrol officer, testing the system by zipping through the plaza at 85 mph, had his toll collected electronically. The equipment also snapped a clear image of his license plate. Bridge officials also have tested the lanes by flooding them with vehicles to make sure the equipment works in crowded conditions. And they've installed cameras and detectors over the wide shoulders to make sure drivers straddling the line or trying to sneak through without paying will be charged. The new Benicia-Martinez Bridge, funded with voter-approved toll increases, will carry northbound traffic, and the existing bridge will carry southbound traffic in three lanes. Over the next two years, crews will remove the median and convert the old span to four traffic lanes and one bicycle/pedestrian lane. Before 1976, the north end of I-680 went along present-day I-780 to I-80 in Vallejo, and Route 21 continued as a freeway to Fairfield. In May 2003, the CTC considered relinquishment of the segment from PM 12.9 to PM 14.1 in the County of Alameda. This is likely an original surface street or frontage routing.
   	The portion of this route between US 101 and present-day Route 238 was signed until 1964 as Alternate US 101. This was built from the following LRNs: The portion of LRN 5 between US 101 (Bypass US 101) and the vicinity of Irvington. This LRN was defined in 1909, and was originally part of Route 21. LRN 108 between Irvington and Sunol. This LRN was defined in 1933. LRN 107 between Sunol and Walnut Creek. This LRN was defined in 1933. The portion of LRN 75 between Walnut Creek and Benecia. This segment of LRN 75 was defined in 1933.
   	The CTC is funding a study for a cross connector freeway (Route 262) between I-680 and I-880 near Warm Springs. There are plans to add NB and SB auxilliary lanes on Route 680 in San Ramon from Bollinger Canyon Road to Crow Canyon Road and in Danville from Sycamore Valley Road to Diablo Road. September 2005 CTC Agenda. In August 2012, the CTC approved $18,910 for I-680 Auxiliary Lanes - Segment 2. In the Cities of Danville and San Ramon. Construct auxiliary lanes in two both directions, between Sycamore Valley Road in Danville and Crow Canyon Road in San Ramon. In December 2011, it was reported that Contra Costa County transit officials and Caltrans are exploring rebuilding the Norris Canyon Overpass to include new onramps and offramps tied directly to carpool lanes, with use restricted to buses and carpools. Neighbors near Norris Canyon Road, however, say it would worsen local traffic and make it unsafe for children to walk or bike across a freeway overpass. In 2007, the CTC considered a request for $10.5M from the Corridor Mobility Improvement Account (CMIA) to extend the NB HOV from North Main St. to Route 242 in Contra Costa County, but didn't recommend it for funding. In January 2008, the CTC relinquished right of way in the city of Walnut Creek, at North Main Street, from approximately 250 feet south of Sun Valley Drive to the Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill city limit line, consisting of reconstructed city streets. In August 2012, the CTC relinquished right of way in the city of Walnut Creek along Route 680 between Lancaster Road and San Luis Road, consisting of collateral and nonmotorized transportation facilities. In March 2008, the CTC relinquished right of way in the city of Pleasant Hill, on North Main Street, Contra Costa Boulevard, and Monument Boulevard, between the southerly city limit line and north to Monument Boulevard, consisting of relocated and reconstructed city streets, frontage roads, and other State constructed local roads. As of August 2009, it was noted that the toll HOV lane is under construction in Fremont. An additional lane was getting carved out of the Sunol Grade, and the Mission Boulevard/Route 238 overpass has been widened. In February 2010, the toll increased to $5 at all times on the Dumbarton, San Mateo, Richmond-San Rafael, Carquinez, Benicia-Martinez and Antioch bridges. In July 2010, the toll will be extended to carpoolers, who will pay $2.50. In July 2010, Caltrans removed a flag mural that had been painted on a concrete slab near the Sunol Grade after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Caltrans said it removed the mural, which was visible to passing motorists, after it belatedly discovered it was on state-owned land. Gov. Schwarzenegger said that it was "unconscionable" to remove the flag mural only a few days before the Fourth of July. The controversy grew. Caltrans then met with East Bay residents R.J. Waldron, Eric Noda and Thomas Hanley, who painted the mural in 2001, "to discuss a suitable location" for a flag mural. Meanwhile two other men repainted the flag mural without contacting Caltrans so it would be in place for the Fourth of July. In September 2010, HOT lanes opened at the Sunol Grade, offering solo drivers the opportunity to buy their way into the carpool lane. Tolls will planned to vary from less than a dollar to several dollars - with an average toll of $3 to $5. Specific toll amounts are determined using computerized models and the experience of existing toll bridges and roads that use the system, known as "dynamic pricing." Carpools, buses and hybrids with the appropriate permits will be able to use the lanes free. CHP officers will use a combination of visual and electronic monitoring to catch cheaters, who will face a $381 fine. Tolls are set according to information gathered by sensors installed in the pavement that measure traffic flow, including speed and level of congestion, in both the toll and unrestricted lanes. Tolls rise along with congestion - and the value of a trip around the backup. Drivers buying their way into the fast lane won't have the option of paying cash. Express lanes require users to have a FasTrak tag in their vehicle. Tolls will be collected electronically by a network of overhead antennas mounted on gantries. Drivers will be able to enter the express lane at Route 84 and at Washington Parkway and Mission Boulevard in Fremont. Exits will be available at Auto Mall Parkway in Fremont and Jacklin Road and Route 237 in Milpitas. 800-mile system The express lane will operate from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Outside of those hours, the lanes will be open to all drivers. The toll lane will not be separated by a barrier, cones or plastic stakes but by a 2-foot-wide stripe. The lanes have specific entry and exit points. Entries will be at the start of the lane, 1 mile south of Route 84, just past Mission Boulevard in Fremont and just past Auto Mall Parkway. Exits will be just past Auto Mall Parkway, just past Jacklin Road, and at the end of the lane south of Route 237. They will be marked with signs and special striping. [Source: San Francisco Chronicle, 6/24/10 and 9/13/10] 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 #1812: Upgrade and reconstruct the I-80/I-680/Route 12 Interchange, Solano County. $17,480,000. High Priority Project #3787: Construct High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes in Alameda County. $2,000,000.
   	The portion of this route from the Route 280/US101 junction to the Santa Clara/Alameda County line is named the "Sinclair Freeway". Joseph P. Sinclair was District Engineer for the District 4 Division of Highways (now Caltrans) from 1952 to 1964. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 104, Chapt. 168 in 1967. The portion of this route between Alcosta Boulevard and the intersection with I-580 is officially named the "Officer John Paul Monego Memorial Freeway." It was named after Dublin Police Officer John Paul Monego, who died on December 12, 1998, in the line of duty at the age of 33 years, while responding to a takeover robbery. Named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 60, enrolled August 18, 2000. The portion of this route from Route 24 to Route 4 is historically part of "El Camino Sierra" (The Road to the Mountains). The portion of this route from about the Livorna Road interchange in Walnut Creek/Alamo to the Alcosta Blvd. interchange in San Ramon appears to be named the "Donald D. Doyle Highway". While serving in the California Assembly from 1953 to 1958, Donald D. Doyle co-authored the Short-Doyle Mental Health Act and authored legislation creating the ferry boat transportation system between Benecia and Martinez. The signs indicating this were erected in 1998. The Grimmer Boulevard Bridge in the City of Fremont on I-680 is named the "CHP Officers Fredrick Wayne Enright and Adolfo Martinez Hernandez Memorial Bridge". It was named in memory of Officers Frederick Wayne Enright and Adolfo Martinez Hernandez, who made the ultimate sacrifice while performing their sworn duty. Officer Frederick Wayne Enright was born August 27, 1944, to Francis Xavier and Mary Alice, in Louisiana, Missouri. Officer Enright, badge number 7857, graduated from the CHP Academy in March of 1972 with the Cadet Training Class V-71, and upon graduation he was assigned to the West Valley area. After only six months with the CHP, Officer Enright achieved the rank of pilot and was transferred to the Golden Gate Division in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a helicopter pilot, Officer Enright responded to numerous land and water rescue operations and routinely flew commute traffic observation for bay area highways and freeways. During one of Officer Enright’s patrols, he encountered a drunk pilot, ordered him to land and escorted him to the ground, where the pilot was arrested. Not only was this a dangerous encounter, but the aircraft suffered power failure and Officer Enright successfully landed the helicopter without damage or injury. The CHP subsequently commended him for his exceptional skill and decisionmaking during this incident. Officer Adolfo Martinez Hernandez was born September 27, 1940, to Tiburcio and Juana in Etiwanda, California, and is one of 12 children. Officer Hernandez, badge number 4876, graduated from the CHP Academy in 1966, and proudly served the citizens of California for nine years. Officer Hernandez was a devoted officer, husband, and father. He was known for his big heart and immense love for his family and friends, even when some of them were “unlovable.” He enjoyed playing with his children, motorcycles, refurbishing a Volks Wagen van, making wood carvings, creating leather items including wallets, handbags, sandals, belts, and a special holder for his CHP badge. He also loved “do-it-yourself” projects and built a bicycle seat for his daughter, a bike rack for his car, and a bookcase and small end table that his son still has in his home today. On June 27, 1975, the State of California suffered a tragic loss when CHP Officers Frederick Wayne Enright and Adolfo Martinez Hernandez were killed in a helicopter crash caused by mechanical failure. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 100, Resolution Chapter 109, on September 4, 2012. The portion of I-680 that is between the Benicia-Martinez Bridge in Contra Costa County and Route 24 in the City of Walnut Creek is named the "Senator Daniel E. Boatwright Highway". This segment was named in honor of Senator Daniel E. Boatwright, who was elected to the California State Senate in 1980, and served for 16 years in the 7th Senate District, , as well as serving for eight years in the California State Assembly, to which he was first elected in 1972. Senator Boatwright was born in Harrison, Arkansas, but moved to Vallejo, California, as a child, where he attended public schools, where his education was interrupted by service in the United States Army as a combat member of the infantry in Korea. Boatwright attended Vallejo Junior College where he was chairman of the student council and Chairman of the California Community Colleges Student Council Association, and went on to receive both his B.A. degree and his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Boatwright served as deputy district attorney in Contra Costa County, becoming chief trial deputy under then District Attorney John Nejedly before opening his own law firm in Concord in 1970. Boatwright served as a city council member and Mayor of the City of Concord, Chairman of the Contra Costa County Consolidated Fire Board, and City Attorney for the City of Brentwood prior to his election to the California State Assembly. During his 24-year legislative career, he authored more than 350 laws and held several prominent committee chairmanships in each house, including chairmanships of the Assembly and Senate Revenue and Taxation Committees, the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, and the Senate Appropriations Committee, in which capacities he became legendary for his ability, year after year, to deliver state funding to cities, the county, and special districts for projects in his Contra Costa County-based district. From 1982 through 1992, Senator Boatwright worked tirelessly with the California Transportation Commission, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Finance to secure funding and accelerate the construction and completion of I-680 lane additions and the I-680 and Route 24 interchange in Contra Costa County. Following his retirement from the Legislature in 1996, Senator Boatwright served as the Senate's representative in 1997 and 1998 to the California Medical Assistance Commission, and has since resumed the practice of law and begun the practice of lobbying. Named by Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 4, Resolution Chapter 69, on 7/14/2009.
   	The interchange of I-680, I-280, and US 101 in the City of San Jose is named the "Joe Colla Interchange." This interchange was named in memory of Joseph Anthony Colla, who actively served the San Jose community during the 1970s as a pharmacist, bike racer, bike race promoter, and San Jose City Council Member. Councilman Joe Colla worked in the 1970s alongside future mayors Norman Mineta and Janet Gray Hayes to help the City of San Jose develop economically and culturally and become described as "San Jose, a City with a Future". Colla is best known for a stunt involving the US 101/I-680/I-280 interchange. Construction started on that interchange, and then stopped as then-Gov. Jerry Brown suspended most highway building in the state in a cost-cutting measure. Road crews disappeared and what remained was a 200-foot ramp suspended in the air with rebar sticking out of both ends. The ramp was dubbed San Jose's "Monument to Nowhere." In the pre-dawn hours of a sunny but chilly January day, Colla got a crane operator to lift a Chevy on top of the unfinished ramp. Then the feisty councilman and drugstore owner jumped in a helicopter, which dropped him off next to the car. A photograph was snapped of Colla with arms outstretched and the caption: "Where Do We Go From Here?"As a direct result of Councilman Joe Colla's exploits, including posing the question, "Where do I drive from here?" from atop the unfinished interchange, and identifying the monolith as "A Monument to Nowhere." This made Colla a true urban legend. After the car stunt, he organized a 300-car caravan to Sacramento to push for the interchange's completion. Eventually the City of San Jose received the necessary funding and the interchange project was completed. Named by Assembly Concurrant Resolution (ACR) 102, August 30, 2010, Resolution Chapter 107. Bridge 28-153 on Route 680 between Martinez and Benicia in Contra Costa and Solano counties is named the "George Miller Jr. Bridge", and is also known as the "Benicia-Martinez Bridge". George R. Miller, Jr., represented Contra Costa County in the State Assembly (1947-1949) and the State Senate (1947-1968). Benicia-Martinez refers to the cities connected by the bridge. They were named after the mid-19th century figures Ignacio Martinez—commandante of the Presidio at San Francisco and owner of Rancho El Pinole that extended from San Pablo Bay to Martinez—and General Mariano Vallejo's wife, Francisca Benicia. It was built in 1962, and was named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 59, Chapter 84 in 1975. The new northbound Benicia-Martinez Bridge is named the "Congressman George Miller Benicia-Martinez Bridge". This segment was named in honor of Congressman George Miller, who was born in Richmond, California, on May 17, 1945. Congressman Miller graduated from San Francisco State University and received his law degree from the University of California, Davis. He thereafter served on the staff of former State Senate Majority Leader George Moscone. He has been a member of the United States Congress, representing the Seventh District of California since 1975. His myriad achievements include authoring laws concerning environmental protection and resource management, energy policy, child care, mental health, aid to victims of domestic violence, and numerous education reforms. He has consistently championed federal support for California's diverse, multimodal transportation system. His work was instrumental in accomplishing all of the following: extending the BART rail system, upgrading the Vallejo Baylink ferry service, reconfiguring the interchange of I-680 and Route 24, establishing the intermodal rail and bus stations in Martinez and Richmond, widening Route 4 between Martinez and Hercules and between Pacheco and Pittsburg, and advancing the Vallejo Station complex. He has been a tireless advocate for children and was one of the four original authors of the historic No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which passed with strong bipartisan support in 2001 and was signed into law in 2002. Reflecting Congressman Miller's ability to reach across party lines, the act fulfilled many of his longstanding legislative efforts to improve teacher quality requirements, to hold schools accountable for the education of all children, and to provide federal financial support to meet the act's goals. In January 2007, Congressman Miller was elected by his colleagues to serve as chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, a panel on which he has served since his arrival in Congress and as Senior Democrat since 2001. Congressman Miller continues to serve on the House Natural Resources Committee, a panel he chaired from 1991 to 1994; in this capacity, he orchestrated a federal and state effort to meet technical and environmental challenges created by construction of the new Benicia-Martinez Bridge, an effort that led to several important engineering advances, including the use of pumped air to create a bubble curtain around underwater pile driving to protect migratory fish from potentially lethal shockwaves. The original Benicia-Martinez Bridge, which opened in 1962, was designated the George Miller, Jr., Memorial Bridge in 1975 to honor Congressman Miller's father, who represented Contra Costa County in the California State Assembly from 1947 to 1948, and in the California State Senate from 1949 until his death in 1969. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 62, Resolution Chapter 107, on 8/23/2007. The Fostoria Overcrossing on I-680 in the City of San Ramon is named the "Thomas E. Burnett, Jr. Memorial Bridge". Named in honor of Thomas E. Burnett, Jr., who lived with his wife Deena and daughters Halley, Madison, and Anna Claire in the City of San Ramon. On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four civilian aircraft, crashing two of them into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, and a third into the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., and a fourth hijacked aircraft that crashed in southwestern Pennsylvania. Thomas E. Burnett, Jr. was a passenger on the fourth flight (United Airlines 93), and led the passengers in trying to take control of the aircraft in order to prevent the hijackers from probably crashing the aircraft in Washington D.C.. These heroic actions taken by Thomas E. Burnett, Jr. and his fellow passengers likely prevented the further loss of life. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 38, Chaptered 7/2/2003, Chapter 84.
   	Approved as chargeable Interstate on 9/15/1955; routing in San Jose adjusted in 10/64; Freeway. In the first attempt to number urban routes, the California Department of Highways proposed this as I-5. The first proposal as a 3-digit route was as I-113. Once the numbering scheme for 3-digit interstates was finalized, the proposal changed to I-580. AASHTO finally approved this as I-680.
   	[SHC 263.8] From the Santa Clara-Alameda county line to Route 24 in Walnut Creek.

   
   

2. From Route 780 at Benicia to Route 80 near Cordelia.

   
   

   	In 1963, Route 680 was defined as "Route 280 in San Jose to Route 80 in Vallejo passing near Warm Springs, Mission San Jose, Scotts Corners and Sunol, and via Walnut Creek and Benicia." In 1965, Chapter 1371 changed the origin of the route: "Route 280 Route 101 near San Jose to Route 80 in Vallejo passing near Warm Springs, Mission San Jose, Scotts Corners and Sunol, and via Walnut Creek and Benicia." In 1976, Chapter 1354 added a second segment and change terminus of (a): "(a) Route 101 near San Jose to Route 780 in Vallejo at Benicia passing near Warm Springs, Mission San Jose, Scotts Corners, and Sunol, and via Walnut Creek and Benecia. (b) Route 780 at Benicia to Route 80 near Cordelia." This was the result of a transfer from Route 21, combined with a concurrent transfer to new I-780.
   	This was LRN 74 (former Route 29) between Benicia and I-80 (former US 40). This segment was defined in 1933.
   	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 his 2006 Strategic Growth Plan, Governor Schwartzenegger proposed constructing the I-80/I-680/Route 12 Interchange Complex, including HOV Connector Lanes. 80/I-680/Route 12 Project" src="maps/080-680-012-project.jpg" style="float: right" hspace="10" vspace="5">In January 2013, the CTC approved for future consideration of funding a project in Solano County that will improve the I-80/I-680/Route 12 Interchange, including the relocation of the westbound truck scales facility on I-80. For the preferred full-build alternative, the current total estimated cost for capital and support is $1,348,400,000. The project is not fully funded and will be developed in phases. Only Phase One of the full-build alternative is included in the financially constrained Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). Within Phase One, the first construction contract's total estimated cost for capital and support is $100,400,000, which is funded by the 2012 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), the Trade Corridor Improvement Funds (TCIF) and local funding. The scope of the first construction contract includes the reconstruction of the I-80/Green Valley Interchange and construction of a two lane westbound I-80 to westbound Route 12 Connector with a new bridge over the I-80 Green Valley Road onramp. Construction is estimated to begin in fiscal year 2013-2014. The scope of the preferred alternative is consistent with the scope of the first construction contract that is programmed in the 2012 STIP and the TCIF. According to Sean Tongson in June 2004, they are constructing a new Northbound Benicia Bridge. The current structure, that carries North and Soutbound traffic, will revert to a 5 lane, southbound only bridge. The toll plaza, currrently located on the Northbound lanes at the North end of the bridge, will be reconstructed, still using the Northbound lanes, to the south start of the Bridge. In addition, the I-680/I-780 interchange is being re-configured. In particular, the EB I-780 to NB I-680 left exit connector will be eliminated in favor of a huge flyover ramp, soaring over the current but soon to moved toll plaza. In January 2013, the CTC authorized relinquishment of right of way along Route 680 at St. Patrick Way, in the city of Dublin, consisting of collateral facilities.
   	Interstate 680 from Interstate 780 to Interstate 80 in Solano County is named the "Luther E. Gibson Freeway". Luther E. Gibson, State Senator from 1949 to 1966, was a long time proponent of transportation development and authored legislation which resulted in the construction of the Carquinez Bridge and the Benecia-Martinez Span. It was named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 21, Chapter 160 in 1967.
   	In Contra Costa County, HOV lanes run northbound from 0.4 mi S of the Alcosta on-ramp to the Livorna on-ramp, for a length of 11.9 mies. Southbound, they run from 0.5 mi N of the Livorna on-ramp to 0.6 mi S of the Alcosta Blvd on-ramp, for a length of 12.6 mi. These lanes were opened in 1994 and extended in 1995. These lanes operate weekdays between 6:00am and 9:00am, and between 3:00pm and 6:00pm. HOV lanes exist in Solano County on the Benicia/Martinez Bridge. These require three or more occupants, and operate weekdays between 5:00am and 10:00am, and between 3:00pm and 7:00pm. HOV lanes exist from the Junction of I-580 and I-680 in Dublin to near Alamo. As part of the Route 24/I-680 junction rebuild that has been going on for two years, commute lanes will be extended to above the junction of I-680 and Route 242 just north of Walnut Creek (Marina Vista Drive). Construction starts in January 1999. New car-pool lanes along Interstate 680 from Center Avenue in Concord to North Main Street in Walnut Creek opened in 2004. In November 2011, Caltrans opened a $1.9 million carpool lane extension from Rudgear Road in Walnut Creek to Livorna Road in Alamo. With this addition, the southbound carpool lane extends from Rudgear to the Alameda County line. The project was paid for with funds from the Measure J transportation sales tax in Contra Costa. The lane extension is a small part of a $49.8 million project to overhaul and repave I-680 in the San Ramon Valley and southern Walnut Creek There is also a project to construct a northbound HOV lane over the Sunol Grade, Milpitas to Route 84 in Santa Clara and Alameda Counties. This was first discussed during the June 2001 CTC meeting under Agenda Item 2.1c.(1). It is TCRP Project #4, requested by the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency and authorized for $60,000,000. On June 6, 2001, the Commission designated the northbound and southbound Route 680 HOV lanes over the Sunol Grade in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties as one corridor project (STIP Amendment 00S-031). Both projects are proceeding concurrently. The northbound project is in the environmental process and the southbound project is under construction. In November 2002, the first section of this project opened: a carpool lane from Washington Blvd in Fremont to Route 237 in Milpitas—a 7 mile section only in the southbound direction. The southbound interim section from Washington Blvd to Route 84 opened in December 2002. The fourth and final phase of the southbound work is currently in design with a Ready to List target of August 2007. The northbound project’s final environmental document was completed in June 2005. However, the northbound HOV project has experienced delays due to a lawsuit that was filed in response to the environmental document. In April 2006, the CTC considered a proposal to amend the scope of work to continue with design on the northbound project and utilize $58,000,000 in TCRP funds to fully fund the southbound project and provide delivery in an earlier fiscal year. The increase in scope and shift of funds was to allow time for the legal challenges of the northbound environmental document to be resolved. The revised completion dates are: Phase 1: FY 2005/2006; Phase 2: FY 2009/2010; Phase 3: FY 2009/2010; Phase 4: FY 2012/2013. In June 2008, the CTC approved an adjustment in the financial allocations. Note that High Occupancy/Toll lanes are proposed for I-680 SB from Route 84 to Route 237. For this project the current HOV lane (opened recently) would be converted to HOT, separated from general-purpose lanes by two double yellow lines, and outfitted with transponder devices a la EZPass/FastPass. Tolls would vary depending on congestion. Carpoolers would ride free. There are also plans to add HOV lanes from Walnut Creek to Martinez (N Main Street to Marina Vista). [June 2002 CTC Agenda]
   	Approved as 139(a) non-chargeable milage in 1973.

The following segments are designated as Classified Landscaped Freeway:

* Note: PM 0.51 is not the same thing as PM R0.50

• Cal-NExUS Exit Numbering: Route 680 North
• Cal-NExUS Exit Numbering: Route 680 South
• I-680 Strip Chart (Andrew Tompkins; XML Required)

• California @ AARoads: Interstate 680
• I-680 Page (Kurumi)

The portion of this route from the Alameda county line to the Benicia-Martinez Bridge was designated as a "Blue Star Memorial Highway" by Senate Concurrent Resolution 38, Ch. 175 in 1970.

[SHC 253.1] Entire route. Added to the Freeway and Expressway system in 1959.

Overall statistics for Route 680:

• Total Length (1995): 71 miles
• Average Daily Traffic (1993): 46,000 to 203,000
• Milage Classification: Rural: 13; Sm. Urban: 0; Urbanized: 58.
• Previous Federal Aid Milage: FAI: 58 mi; FAP: 13 mi.
• Functional Classification: Prin. Arterial: 71 mi.
• Counties Traversed: Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano.

From Route 1 to Route 210 in Pasadena. The route also includes that portion of the freeway between Route 1 and the northern end of Harbor Scenic Drive, that portion of Harbor Scenic Drive to Ocean Boulevard, that portion of Ocean Boulevard west of its intersection with Harbor Scenic Drive to its junction with Seaside Boulevard, and that portion of Seaside Boulevard from the junction with Ocean Boulevard to Route 47.

Until July 1, 1964, this routing was signed as Route 15. When the Route 15 signage had to be applied to the new Interstate that had previously been US 91 (between I-10 and Las Vegas), the routing was renumbered as Route 7:

In 1963, Route 7 was defined as "from Route 11 [Present-Day Route 110] in San Pedro to Route 210 in Pasadena via Long Beach and including a bridge, with at least four lanes, from San Pedro at or near Boschke Slough to Terminal Island." In 1965 the southern end was truncated by Chapter 1372, transferring the San Pedro portion and bridge to Route 47. This left the route definition as "from Route 1 to Route 210 in Pasadena." In 1982, Chapter 914 extended the definition to include that portion of the freeway between Route 1 and the northern end of Harbor Scenic Drive, that portion of Harbor Scenic Drive to Ocean Boulevard, that portion of Ocean Boulevard west of its intersection with Harbor Scenic Drive to its junction with Seaside Boulevard, and that portion of Seaside Boulevard from the junction with Ocean Boulevard to Route 47. It was noted that this extension didn't become operative unless the commission approves a financial plan.

In 1984, Chapter 409 defined Route 710 as "Route 1 to Route 210 in Pasadena." The additional conditions regarding the Harbor Scenic Drive and the financial conditions were also transferred. This reflected the approval of Route 7 as 139(a) non-chargable interstate for continuity of numbering with Route 10 (I-10), off of which it spurs. [One might argue that it could have been considered a loop route around the center of the city, and as such, would more appropriately have an (even digit)05 number. However, all of the (even-digit)05 numbers are in use: I-205 (Sacramento), I-405 (Los Angeles), I-605 (Los Angeles), I-805 (San Diego).

The legislative description of Route 710 includes a portion between Route 1 and the northern end of Harbor Scenic Drive, a portion of Harbor Scenic Drive to Ocean Blvd, a portion of Ocean Blvd west of its intersection with Harbor Scenic Drive to its junction with Seaside Blvd, and a portion of Seaside Blvd from the junction with Ocean Blvd to Route 47. This will apparently be signed as part of the route after planned port-related improvements by the cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The segment from Ocean Blvd to Route 1 is non-chargeable 139(b) milage.

Note that the south end of I-710 actually follows the west riverbank, not the east riverbank (into downtown Long Beach). Caltrans only maintains the east riverbank spur until the 9th Street exit; the City of Long Beach has control of the road (Shoreline Drive) past this point. Supposedly, once improvements are made, I-710 will then continue west along Ocean Boulevard to the Terminal Island Freeway (Route 47). The southern extension (towards the Queen Mary) is Harbor Scenic Drive.

The route is unconstructed and unsigned between Columbia St and I-210 in Pasadena, although there is a stub of Route 710 (not Interstate) at the Route 134/I-210 junction. There has been intense local opposition to completion of this freeway as it would have a potentially adverse impact on historic homes in Pasadena and South Pasadena. On the other hand, it is a critical link in the overall Southern California freeway system.

Streetsblog-LA has a nice timeline of the Route 710 project:

The following freeway-to-freeway connections were never constructed:

• NB I-710 to SB I-5. Rationale: Illogical Reverse Move. The angle between the two freeways is too acute.

This was formerly signed as Route 15, and was LRN 167, defined in 1933. Until the construction of the freeway, Route 15 ran between Pacific Coast Highway and US 99 along Atlantic Blvd. In 1964, the freeway routing was renumbered as Route 7, and was later renumbered as Route 710 and I-710.

An August 1941 report issued by the Regional Planning Commission of Los Angeles County entitled “A Report on the Feasibility of a Freeway Along the Channel of the Los Angeles River” proposed a four-lane roadway on each levee from Anaheim Street in Long Beach north to Sepulveda Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley; excepting between Soto Street and Dayton Street in downtown Los Angeles, where, due to a lack of right-of-way along the river, the alignment matches the future alignment of the US 101 portion of the Santa Ana Freeway. There is no mention in the report of a master plan of freeways like that issued in 1947, although the maps showed connections to the already-completed Arroyo Seco Parkway and the proposed Ramona and Rio Hondo Parkways.
(Thanks to Daniel Thomas for hunting down this information)

Gerald Desmond Bridge

Near Route 710, although not on Route 710, is the Gerald Desmond Bridge"^*. In August 2005, the SAFETEA-LEU act provided $100 million in funding to replace the Gerald Desmond Bridge. [*: That is, the original bridge. The replacement bridge was adopted into the highway system in November 2010.

In February 2010, it was reported that Port of Long Beach officials want to tear down the bridge and replace it with one that is taller and wider to accommodate the biggest cargo ships. Currently, the bridge is so low that some container vessels barely fit under the bridge. Additional problems are the bridge's strategic location as a primary link between Terminal Island cargo facilities and Long Beach (officials at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports estimate that the bridge carries 15% of all the nation's cargo that moves by sea). The bridge only has five traffic lanes, a walkway on one side, and no shoulders or emergency lanes. Any accident involving vehicles that can't be driven off can shut down one side or the other, diverting traffic onto adjacent streets that are easily jammed.

For years, there was no bridge at all, just a ferry. In 1944, the U.S. Navy erected a pontoon bridge that was supposed to be used for only six months. Instead, the pontoon bridge was in place for 24 years, sometimes with disastrous results. Some motorists, approaching it too fast, became airborne, landed in the water and drowned in their cars. In 1968, the Gerald Desmond Bridge was built, but planners expected only modest traffic -- mostly people going to and from the Long Beach Naval Shipyard on Terminal Island. But by the 1990s, the shipyards were closed and the fishing industry had all but disappeared. Long Beach then emerged as the nation's busiest container port, until 2001, when it was eclipsed by the neighboring port of Los Angeles. Due to the constant pounding of heavy trucks and commuter traffic, its Caltrans structural "sufficiency" rating is only 43 out of a possible 100 points as of August 2007, and the bridge wears nylon mesh "diapers" to catch chunks of concrete falling from its deck.

The plans for the new bridge would add a sixth traffic lane and two emergency lanes and would clear the water by 200', an increase from 165'. Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Long Beach) has used her membership on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to push for more than $375 million in federal funds for the project.
[Source: "Bridge poses a tight squeeze for cargo ships", Los Angeles Times, 2/9/2010]

In late September 2010, the Long Beach City Council approved the $1.1billion port plan to replace the Gerald Desmond Bridge, clearing the way for Long Beach's largest public-works project in decades. Construction was expected to begin sometime in 2011 and take 5 to 6 years. The replacement bridge includes emergency shoulders in each direction, and it expands from four to six the total number of lanes. It will rise more than 50 feet higher than the existing span. The replacement will be constructed just several feet from the existing span, which will remain open throughout construction. The old bridge will then be taken down during a yearlong deconstruction starting in 2015. The bridge replacement project is expected to support about 4,000 jobs annually through 2016. Officials say it could last as long as 100 years, though strict maintenance will be needed to ensure a long life. The cost of the new bridge is estimated at $950 million. Of that, roughly $500 million will come from state highway transportation funds, $300 million from federal sources, $114 million from the Port of Long Beach and $28 million from Los Angeles County Metro.

In September 2010, the CTC approved for future consideration of funding and route adoption a project that will replace the existing Gerald Desmond Bridge with a new structurally sound bridge linking Terminal Island and Long Beach/Route 710; provide sufficient roadway capacity to handle current and projected vehicular traffic volume demand; and provide sufficient vertical clearance for safe navigation through the Back Channel to the Inner Harbor. The replacement bridge will be constructed just north of the existing bridge in order to maintain access between Terminal Island and the Route 710 during construction. As part of the project, existing connections to the Route 710 interchange, and Ocean Boulevard in downtown Long Beach would be replaced, as would the connector ramps between Route 710 and the bridge. A new hook ramp or loop ramp would be used to replace the existing on-ramp between Pico Avenue and the WB Gerald Desmond Bridge. The current ramp between Pico Avenue would be partially reconstructed to join the new connectors from Route 710. As part of the Project, the bridge and Ocean Boulevard would become part of Route 710 and would operate as a freeway facility with controlled access. The improvements between the existing Route 710 and Route 47, including the bridge, would be transferred to Caltrans by easement following route adoption and execution of a freeway agreement. It is estimated that the transfer would be completed within 2 years after construction. The project is programmed with TCIF and SHOPP funds. At the time of programming, the project was estimated to cost $1,125,200,000 and was programmed with Federal ($318,000,000), TCIF/SHOPP ($250,000,000), Local ($17,300,000), POLB ($375,100,000) and Port Intermodal Cargo Fees ($164,800,000). However, according to the POLB, the most recent cost estimate, developed in January 2010, resulted in a reduced project cost of $950,000,000. The new estimate reflects recent cost reductions related to the redesign of some elements, as well as current market conditions. Once a funding plan is approved for the project by the POLB, the POLB will request an amendment to the TCIF baseline agreement to reflect the approved funding plan. The POLB, in coordination with Caltrans, is currently developing a funding plan based on a design-build delivery method pursuant to Senate Bill 4, Second Extraordinary Session. The POLB intends to request design-build approval at a future Commission meeting. The project is estimated to begin construction in FY 2012/13.

In December 2011, it was reported that the Final Environmental Impact Report for the new Gerald Desmond Bridge includes a bicycle and pedestrian walkway. The proposed bike and pedestrian path is one of two revisions to the draft EIR (the other includes sound mitigation measures for pile driving and drilling during construction). The EIR includes the following description of the bike path: “A single, continuous, non-motorized Class I bikeway (bike path) connecting Route 47 to Pico Avenue. The Class I bikeway shall be a minimum of 12 feet wide, and signed and striped for two-way movement. The Class I bikeway shall be located along the south side of the main span and approach bridges, and shall be essentially the same elevation as the bridge deck. Protective railings shall be of an open design that provides and protects public views from the bridge.” The proposed bike path does not connect to the LA River trail, which, in turn, connects to Downtown LA, although port planners have already begun to look for ways to make the connection. At one point, construction on the new bridge was expected to begin in 2011, but as it turns out, an RFP for a design-build of the new bridge was sent to four pre-qualified bidders earlier this fall. The bids are expected in February, with final contractor selection in March. Design will take 12 to 18 months, and the bridge is scheduled to open in March 2016.
(Source: Curbed LA, 12/13/11)

In May 2012, it was reported that a joint venture team is the "best value" bidder with a $649.5 million proposal to replace the Gerald Desmond Bridge. Major members of the joint venture team include Shimmick Construction Co. Inc., FCC Construction S.A., Impregilo S.p.A., Arup North America Ltd. and Biggs Cardosa Associates Inc. A decision by the board on the actual award of the contract is expected in late June, with construction to kick off in early 2013. The total cost of the overall bridge replacement project is estimated at about $1 billion.

In September 2012, the CTC updated the project schedule to reflect switching from Design-Bid-Build to Design Build delivery method. In addition, contract negotiations with the winning bidder added time to the schedule, as well as extensive utility relocations, and revalidation of the environmental documents caused by the addition of a Class 1 bicycle path to the project. The new schedule shows construction completion in June 2016 (6 months earlier), with closeout completed in September 2016.

In October 2012, the CTC approved $153,657,000 for bridge construction.

In January 2013, it was reported that ground was broken on the Gerald Desmond Bridge construction. The $1 billion project will replace the aging span with a new structure that will have towers reaching 500 feet above ground level, additional traffic lanes, a higher clearance to accommodate the new generation of cargo ships, dedicated bicycle paths and pedestrian walkways, including scenic overlooks 200 feet above the water, according to the port. The development is expected to create about 3,000 jobs a year between 2013 and 2016, and generate $2billion of regional economic activity, port officials say.

710 Corridor Mobility Improvements

Studies are currently ongoing (see the Gateway Council of Governments, http://www.gatewaycog.org/) regarding improving mobility in the 710 corridor. The plan is controversal ('natch), for some proposals involve the acquisition and demolition of nearly 700 homes and up to 259 businesses in Commerce, Bell Gardens, Bell, Long Beach and other cities. As many as 10,800 people could be affected in some way–of which 10,070 are minority residents. Commerce could lose two of its four parks, Bandini and Bristow. However, the actual improvement may be delayed due to the financial condition of the state, for according to the Los Angeles Times in October 2003:

"California's financial problems have stalled indefinitely a long-awaited $400- million plan to construct new barriers and shoulders along the Long Beach Freeway, sparking fresh concerns about safety on the truck-clogged route. The project would improve safety on most of the outmoded 24-mile freeway, including the area where six people recently died in a big-rig crash. Most of the freeway's medians and shoulders are narrower than state standards, and old wood-and-metal median barriers have not been replaced with the concrete barriers recommended for congested roadways with narrow medians, state Department of Transportation officials said. "

The project had been scheduled for completion in 2007. Most of the freeway has 16-foot medians, while current standards call for 22-foot medians. As for the shoulders, most of the freeway has 8-foot wide shoulders, while current standards call for 10-foot-wide shoulders. According to the LA Times article, I-710 carries 15% of the nation's seaborne cargo volume, or 47,000 trucks each day, a number projected to double or even triple in the coming years.

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, in late January 2005, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board approved a $5.5-billion plan to rebuild I-710, despite protests from residents. This plan would reconstruct an 18-mile stretch of the freeway from the harbors to rail yards in Commerce and East Los Angeles, transforming it from a 1950s-style road with six to 10 lanes to a modern 14-lane highway, with four lanes designed exclusively for trucks. Some portions of the truck lanes could be elevated. Construction would not begin until 2015 or later, and no one can say where funding would be found. Although most residents near the corridor agree the road needs to be rebuilt, many fear the project would create a massive truck artery without reducing air pollution. The Gateway Cities Council of Governments, made up of cities along the 710 corridor, made its first request to transportation officials to expand I-710 in 1999, and formal planning began a year later. But the process stalled in the spring of 2003, when residents learned that up to 800 homes could be demolished, and they accused officials of ignoring health concerns. The council then launched an elaborate process for community input. New design plans, meanwhile, call for the demolition of only five residential buildings and 61 industrial or commercial structures. Transportation officials say community health concerns will be addressed as part of the environmental review process, which could begin next year and take three to four years, at a cost of $35 million to $40 million.

In June 2006, the Metropolitan Transportation Agency Board of Directors authorized an environmental study of the project, which will cost $30 million and take three years. The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, the MTA, Caltrans and the Gateway Cities Council of Governments each contributed $5 million to help fund the study of the work; the overall project could cost up to $5.5 billion. The final project will involve building 10 mixed-flow lanes, four exclusive truck lanes, improving interchanges and arteries and direct truck ramps into railroad yards in Vernon and Commerce.

In December 2010, LA Metro provided an update. The environmental study was launched in 2008. Among the alternatives being studied for the project is widening the freeway to 10 lanes (five lanes in each direction); adding four elevated truck-only lanes adjacent to I-710 (two lanes in each direction); restricting the truck-only lanes to be used by trucks with zero tailpipe emissions; and possibly tolling the truck-only lanes. The goal is to release the study in Fall 2011.There are still money challenges. The construction cost of some of the alternatives ranges from $3.8 billion to $6.7 billion, depending on which alternative is selected. As part of the Measure R sales tax increase approved by L.A. County voters in 2008, $590 million is available for the I-710 project. In order to help address the funding shortfall, this project and five others, is being studied for a public-private partnership – i.e. deals in which private firms help pay for a project’s upfront cost in exchange for payments later. This is one reason the tolling option for trucks is being studied.

In June 2011, it was reported that the latest proposal would expand the 18-mile long roadway to 10 lanes without taking homes or disrupting adjacent Blue Line light- rail operations. Authorities expect the project to cost up to $8 billion and take more than a decade to complete, though tolls on trucks could significantly reduce public costs. The plan deviates significantly from a roundly dismissed proposal nearly 10 years ago that included destroying nearly 300 homes and businesses in North Long Beach and Compton, among other cities, to accommodate widening. The basic plan is to add new lanes on existing (electric) utility rights-of-way along the Los Angeles River, add a truck freight corridor, and improve interchanges and generally overall traffic flow. Traffic engineers expect truck traffic to increase from about 25,000 rigs per day now to as many as 90,000 daily by 2035. One proposal calls for adding a $10 toll on most large big rigs using a new, separated toll road during peak hours, generally from early morning to late afternoon, and $5 during off- peak hours. Passenger vehicles would not be taxed for using general-purpose lanes, though trucks using those lanes could be charged up to $20 per trip under details outlined in one plan. More details may be found at http://www.metro.net/710.

In June 2012, Caltrans released the Draft EIR for the mobility improvements. The defined alternatives assessed were:

• √ ALTERNATIVE 1: NO BUILD. Carried forward. Alternative 1 would maintain the current configuration of the existing I-710 Corridor.
• × ALTERNATIVE 2: TSM/TDM/TRANSIT/ITS. Not carried forward as standalone alternative. Transportation Systems Management/Transportation Demand Management (TSM/TDM), transit, and ITS improvements. The screening analysis demonstrated that these transportation improvements did not go far enough in resolving the worst of the congestion problems, air quality issues, design elements that need updating, and safety concerns that affect motorists and residents within the overall I-710 Corridor.
• × ALTERNATIVE 3: GOODS MOVEMENT ENHANCEMENT BY RAIL AND/OR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY. Not carried forward as standalone alternative. Alternative 3 did not sufficiently relieve traffic congestion on the I-710 mainline according to several of the mobility measures, nor did it address the existing safety and design elements that need updating on the I-710 compared to other alternatives.
• × ALTERNATIVE 4: ARTERIAL HIGHWAY AND I-710 CONGESTION RELIEF IMPROVEMENTS. Not carried forward as standalone alternative. This alternative would not accommodate the high future traffic volumes generated by population and employment growth and the forecasted cargo growth.
• √ ALTERNATIVE 5A: TEN GENERAL PURPOSE LANES. Recommended as standalone alternative. Contains all the components of Alternatives 1 through 4. Alternative 5A had the second-best performance on measures of congestion reduction (volume-to-capacity [v/c] ratio) and I-710 mainline travel time. It also ranked second among the screened alternatives in air emission reductions. Alternative 5A proposes to widen the I-710 mainline eight general purpose lanes south of I-405 and up to ten general purpose lanes north of I-405 (on I-710 northbound and on I-710 southbound). This alternative will modernize the design at the I-405 and Route 91 interchanges, modernize and reconfigure most local arterial interchanges throughout the I-710 corridor, modify freeway access at various locations, and shift the I-710 centerline at various locations to reduce right-of-way impacts. Specifically, it would widen the I-710 mainline (combined northbound and southbound) to eight general purpose lanes south of Pico Ave./Alondra Blvd. and ten general purpose lanes north of Del Amo Blvd. with the exception of the following: (1) Between the Alondra Blvd. northbound off-ramp and the westbound Route 91 to northbound I-710 connector; and (2) Within the I-105 interchange, between the eastbound and westbound I-105 connectors. It would shift the freeway centerline east horizontally at the following locations: Anaheim St. (100 feet), Pacific Coast Hwy. (200 feet), Willow St. (35 feet), Wardlow St. (45 feet), South of Artesia Blvd./Route 91 (40 feet), Atlantic Blvd./Alondra Blvd. (80 feet), Imperial Hwy. (200 feet), and South of Southern Ave. (70 feet). It would shift the freeway centerline west horizontally at the following locations: Del Amo Blvd. (120 feet), Long Beach Blvd. (45 feet), North of Firestone Blvd. (45 feet), Florence Ave. (100 feet). Additionally, the mainline will be raised as much as eight feet above existing grade around Washington Blvd. over the BNSF Railroad’s Hobart Yard and as much as five feet above existing grade over UP Railroad’s East Yard. Additional auxiliary lanes will be provided at various locations between the interchanges. The following improvements will be made to the I-710/I-405 interchange: The existing three-quadrant cloverleaf configuration will be replaced by a four-level configuration with direct connections; all eight existing connectors will be realigned and replaced; and all collector-distributor (CD) roads will be removed. The following improvements will be made to the I-710/Route 91 interchange: The existing internal loop for the northbound I-710 to westbound Route 91 connector will be replaced with a flyover connection; the westbound Route 91 to northbound I-710 connector will retain an alignment close to its existing alignment, but will be braided with the northbound Alondra Blvd. off-ramp and the eastbound Route 91 to the northbound I-710 connector; the eastbound Route 91 to northbound I-710 connector will be moved to tie in north of the westbound Route 91 to the northbound I-710 connector. This connector will also be braided with the northbound Alondra Blvd. off-ramp to separate the two movements. This will require new structures that continue over Atlantic Blvd. The southbound I-710 to eastbound Route 91 connector will be braided with the southbound Alondra Blvd. on-ramp to separate the two movements. There will also be a braid between the new flyover northbound I-710 to the westbound Route 91 connector and the Long Beach Blvd. on-ramp along westbound Route 91. The Route 91 connectors will separate from northbound I-710 altogether and split into a new flyover connector, followed by a split in the Artesia Blvd. off-ramp, and will continue to the existing alignment of the northbound I-710 to the eastbound Route 91 connector. Lastly, the following improvements will be made to the I-710/I-105 interchange: The northbound I-710 to the eastbound I-105 connector will diverge near the existing divergence location. A new separation structure is required on the connector approach to accommodate the new Rosecrans Ave. on-ramp alignment that will pass below. A new one-lane slip ramp will be added to connect the westbound I-105 to the southbound I-710 connector to the southbound Rosecrans Ave. off-ramp. The southbound divergence locations for the eastbound and westbound I-105 connectors will be reconstructed.
• × ALTERNATIVE 5B: EIGHT GENERAL PURPOSE LANES PLUS TWO HOV LANES. Not carried foward. The screening analysis demonstrated that Alternative 5B had lower benefits compared to Alternative 5A because the HOV lanes under Alternative 5B would not be utilized as much as the proposed general purpose lanes under Alternative 5A, most likely due to the parallel HOV lanes on both I-110 and I-605.
• √ ALTERNATIVE 6: ALTERNATIVE 5 WITH ADDITION OF FOUR SEPARATED FREIGHT MOVEMENT LANES. Carried forward. Alternative 6 was the only alternative estimated to reduce the peak-period v/c ratio on the I-710 mainline below the level indicating congestion conditions. It also was estimated to generate the lowest percentage of heavy-duty trucks sharing the general purpose lanes with automobiles and to result in the greatest reduction in freeway design elements that need updating, both of which are key indicators of improved traffic safety. Alternative 6 was recommended to have two variations: (1) Alternative 6A (previously labeled Alternative 6), which would include ten general purpose lanes and four separated freight movement lanes (freight corridor) for use by all heavy-duty trucks, whether powered by diesel engines or engines with lower or zero emissions; and (2) Alternative 6B, which would include ten general purpose lanes and incorporate Alternative 3’s advanced technology component by including four separated freight movement lanes. Alternative 6A includes all the components of Alternatives 1 and 5A as described above. In addition, this alternative includes a separated four-lane freight corridor to be used by conventional trucks. The freight corridor would be located on an elevated structure with two lanes in each direction between Ocean Blvd. and the intermodal rail yards in the cities of Vernon and Commerce. Dedicated entry and exit points to and from the freight corridor within the project limits would be at (1) Harbor Scenic Dr. (Southern Terminus); (2) Pico Ave; (3) Anaheim St.; (4) I-710/I-405 Interchange; (5) I-710/Route 91 Interchange; (6) I-710/I-105 Interchange; (7) I-710/Patata St.; (8) Atlantic Blvd./Bandini Blvd./Washington Blvd.; and (9) Sheila St. (Northern Terminus). Alternative 6B includes all the components of Alternative 6A described above and consists of the same footprint as Alternative 6A. Further, this alternative would restrict the use of the freight corridor to zero-emission trucks rather than conventionally powered trucks.

Subsequent to the completion of the Alternatives Screening Analysis described above, the I-710 Funding Partners agreed that a tolling option should be added to the freight corridor component of Alternatives 6A and 6B to provide a possible revenue source to fund the improvements. This alternative is known as Alternative 6C. Alternative 6C includes all the components of Alternative 6B as described above and consists of the same footprint as Alternatives 6A and 6B. Further, this alternative would toll trucks using the freight corridor. Per Federal statute, unless otherwise excepted, all Interstate highways must be toll-free. However, current exceptions relating to tolling of Interstate highways include Value Pricing Pilot Program; Express Lanes Demonstration Project; the Interstate System Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Pilot Program; and the Interstate System Construction Toll Pilot Program. Should Alternative 6C be selected as the preferred alternative, tolling would be implemented pursuant to one of these exceptions.

In August 2011, the CTC indicated that there were no comments to the Draft EIR, that the Findings were accepted and that consideration of funding should be brought forward to the CTC for approval of Public Private Partnership funds.

In February 2013, it was reported that, following thousands of comments from leaders within community health and environmental coalitions, the State-led project to expand I-710 from eight lanes to 14 lanes for 17 miles from Long Beach to Route 60 in East Los Angeles was delayed. The Project Committee, am advisory committee to Metro, Caltrans and the Southern California Association of Governments, halted the project with an astounding “no” on the proposed routes. Meanwhile, the Long Beach City Council I-710 Oversight Committee recommended that Caltrans and Metro recirculate the draft EIR, allowing for more public comment. At that meeting, two of the most exceptionally flawed alternatives–known as 5A and 6A–were recommended to be removed from the table.

Other Improvements

According to the Daily News, new pavement will be laid in a $164.5 million project along nine miles of I-710. The project includes shoulder reconstruction, new concrete barriers, a soundwall and widening of the Atlantic Boulevard undercrossing and of the southbound lanes at the Compton Creek bridge. Construction is scheduled to start in summer 2007.

The Los Angeles Times provided more information the new pavement in an article in September 2009. The project is called the "I-710 Long Life Pavement Project", and started in 2001. Part of the problem is the traffic load on the highway: On any given weekday, nearly 155,000 vehicles stream north and south on the 710 past Pacific Coast Highway, 16% of which are 18-wheelers carrying up to 40 tons to and from the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles. The pavement is using a new asphalt mix, the culmination of testing and experimenting that goes back to the 1960s. The mix involves different types of asphalt being layered onto the roadway, combined with significant thickness, almost 12 inches sitting upon the old concrete roadbed. This approach serves to disseminate weight from the point of impact, broadening and lessening the load into the deeper layers. As the old concrete beneath the road jumps -- inevitable, beneath the weight of moving traffic -- the asphalt flexes and recoils, preventing the formation of cracks. In addition, pieces of rubber have been stirred into the top layer to mute the sound of traffic and divert water to stop hydroplaning. With regular maintenance, scraping and replacing this layer every eight to 12 years, the pavement is expected to last at least 30 years (the typical asphalt pavement lasts 10 years, and concrete, such as the design used for I-710, can last 40 years with maintenance).
[Based on an article in the Los Angeles Times, "A smooth idea for the 710 Freeway", 2009-09-30]

In August 2011, it was reported that the Long Life Pavement Project will require a number of closures in late Summer 2011. Specifically, I-710 between I-105 and the Atlantic Boulevard exit will be completely shut down for several hours at a time two times per weekend on 10 consecutive weekends from August 5 through October 17, 2011. There will be no construction on Labor Day weekend. The full freeway closures in both directions will begin each weekend at 11:59 p.m. Fridays and run through 6 a.m. on Saturdays. They will begin again Sundays at 11 p.m. and run through 5 a.m. on Mondays. During the initial closure each weekend, moveable median barriers will be installed. They will guide motorists to shift to the northbound side of the freeway to commute in a reduced number of lanes while construction crews work on the southbound 710 over the weekend. During the final closure, the moveable median barriers will be removed in time for the Monday morning commute.

The CTC in November 2002 considered $8,540,000 in improvements to local streets in Los Angeles, Alhambra, and South Pasadena (07S-LA-710-26.7/32.1). This would be a grant to the cities to fund improvements.

In August 2011, the CTC approved $190,222,000 in SHOPP funding for I-710 from South Gate to Monterey Park from Los Angeles River Bridge to Ramona Boulevard that will rehabilitate 37 lane miles of roadway to improve safety and ride quality. The project will also replace ramp pavement, widen inside and outside shoulders and nine bridges to standard widths, and replace existing median barrier with concrete barrier. Lastly, the project will construct maintenance pullouts to reduce worker traffic exposure.

In May 2007, the Los Angeles Times reported that there are plans for a $20M project to create a connector from the current end of I-710 around Valley Boulevard to Mission Road. Supposedly, the City of Los Angeles will soon (Spring/Summer 2007) release a draft Environmental Impact Report on the project. The connector road would carry traffic another 1,400 feet from I-710 onto Mission Road, possibly sending 40,000 cars daily winding through residential streets like Westminster and Meridian Avenue. The road would alleviate traffic problems through some El Sereno neighborhoods, according to Los Angeles officials, but create others as Mission, a collector street, is not as wide as Valley, an arterial street. This road would be needed only until I-710 is completed and connected to I-210.

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 #266: Reconstruct the southern terminus off ramps of I-710 in Long Beach. This was noted in the Long Beach Press Telegraph, and actually disappointed Long Beach. The disappointment arose because the bill did not provide funding for a multi-billion project to rebuild the Long Beach Freeway. The city lobbied for $395 million and got nothing. Another $3.2 million was awarded to widen and realign Cherry Avenue from 19th Street to one block south of Pacific Coast Highway. There was $4.8 million set aside for freight transportation management systems, part of $1.3 billion dedicated to freight movement in the state in the new bill. Lastly, there was $100 million to replace the Gerald Desmond Bridge. $2,400,000.

• High Priority Project #701: Develop and implement traffic calming measures for traffic exiting I-710 into Long Beach. $1,600,000.

• High Priority Project #2178: Alameda Corridor East Gateway to America Trade Corridor Project, Highway-Railgrade separation along 35 mile corridor from Alameda Corridor (Hobart Junction) to Los Angeles/San Bernardino County Line. $12,400,000.

• High Priority Project #2193: I-710 Freeway study to evaluate technical feasibility and impacts of a Tunnel Alternative to close I-710 freeway gap. $2,400,000.

• High Priority Project #3018: Valley Boulevard (former US 60) Capacity Improvement between I-710 Freeway and Marguerita Avenue, Alhambra. This is the route that takes the current end-traffic from I-710. $1,600,000.

• High Priority Project #3773: Reconstruct I-710 interchanges at I-405, at Route 91, and at I-105. $5,500,000.

Route 710 Completion (Segment from I-10 to I-210)

Originally, construction of the the 6.2 mile, $670 million extension was planned to start after the year 2000. There would be six lanes and two HOV lanes, with room for light rail in the median. Interchanges are planned at Hellman Ave., Valley Boulevard/Alhambra Ave., Huntington Dr., California Blvd, Del Mar Blvd., and Green St. To decrease the impact on South Pasadena, the proposed interchange with I-110 has been removed. There are also two tunnels planned: a 1200-foot "cut and cover" near South Pasadena High School, and a 100-foot tunnel near the Buena Vista district. There may be more tunneling if this speeds the project without destroying homes. In fact, the MTA has asked a consultant to study two parallel, 4.5-mile tunnels to close the gap.

In April 2004, the Pasadena Star News reported that the city of South Pasadena dropped its lawsuit against the state after receiving assurances that the state had withdrawn its approval of the 4.5-mile stretch of road. Although South Pasadena believed this killed the freeway, it actually moved the issue into the Legislature and the Congress. The only thing about which both sides agree is that the California Transportation Commission action put the entire issue back to square one. The California Transportation Commission withdrew its support four months after the Federal Highway Administration issued a letter saying that the state's environmental reviews were outdated, inadequate and had to be redone. Caltrans has said it intends to move forward with the new environmental reviews. Caltrans still holds 600 homes in the 710 corridor, and it still says it intends to demolish them so that the freeway can be built.

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times on 10 August 2005, a potential solution to the completion of I-710 lies in the SAFETEA-LUA bill approved in August. This bill contains an appropriation of $2.4 million to study the possibility of extending the freeway through a five-mile, $2-billion tunnel that would run under South Pasadena and part of Pasadena. This would be the longest continuous highway tunnel in the United States. After the feasibility study would be environmental impact reports, engineering plans and financial wrangles. Part of the problem is real estate values. Over the last 30 years, Caltrans purchased more than 500 homes that occupy the potential freeway right of way, many at prices in the $50,000 range. One was recently appraised for $780,000. Building a tunnel would allow Caltrans to sell most of the homes, although a change in state law would be needed to sell them at full-market prices. If the freeway were to be completed above ground, an additional 400 homes would need to be purchased, at a price of about $1 million each. These costs (or income), combeind with new techniques pioneered in Europe that lower the price of tunneling and the cost to taxpayers of putting the road 100 feet to 200 feet below ground may be not much more expensive than building on the surface. The five-mile tunnel, if built, would begin where the freeway ends in a stump on Valley Boulevard in Alhambra. It would surface between California and Del Mar avenues in Pasadena before connecting to a mile strip of the freeway that already exists south of the Foothill Freeway. Engineers said the tunnel would be unbroken, except for a possible interchange at Huntington Drive in El Sereno. The route would be nearly twice as long as Boston's Big Dig or a similarly long passageway in Alaska, the longest road tunnels in the United States. Exhaust from the underground roadway would be released and filtered through an elaborate venting system at ground level. The so-called air scrubbers would filter enough of the exhaust that it could actually result in cleaner emissions than with a surface freeway. Engineers said the tunnel could have two levels – one for northbound traffic, the other for southbound traffic. The tunnel idea has already been the subject of a study by the Southern California Council of Governments, which enlisted help from consultants who built the Chunnel that links England and France below the English Channel. The consultants believed the tunnel could be built using a technique popular in Europe in which a large machine bores through the Earth and coats the tunnel way with a steel membrane That technique is considered less expensive than other tunnel-digging methods.

According to the Los Angeles Times in June 2006, there are three possible routes for twin 4½-mile tunnels that would connect I-210 in Pasadena with current terminus of I-710 in Alhambra. The proposed tunnel routes are:

• Along the same path that had been suggested for the street-level extension, known as the Meridian alignment because it runs mostly along Meridian Avenue. At four miles, it is the shortest and most direct route. It would be built under more than 1,000 homes in Pasadena, South Pasadena and the El Sereno district of Los Angeles.

• A slightly longer path that would pass under the existing Fremont Avenue corridor. It also would be under mostly residential and some commercial property.

• A more eastern path that would follow under the Huntington Drive and Fair Oaks Avenue corridor, a mix of residential and commercial property.

The tunnels would be as much as 72 feet in diameter to handle four lanes of traffic, and would be the world's largest. Parsons Brinckerhoff compared the proposal to giant tunnels being built underneath Seattle, Paris and Barcelona, Spain, and calculate that the L.A. tunnels would take nine to 11 years to construct. The study recommended that trucks be allowed to use the tunnels and that a proposed freeway exit at Huntington Drive be abandoned as too costly at an estimated $1 billion. The tunnels may require a toll to help pay for construction. The full report can be found at http://www.mta.net/images/710_final_report.pdf.

In April 2008, a radical proposal surfaced regarding Route 710. This proposal would have the underground highway funded entirely by the private sector. Metro officials have confirmed they have been approached by a financial broker representing major international corporations interested in investing in the plan, which would use giant tunnel-boring machines to build a completely subterranean 6-mile, multi- lane roadway. The route would link the current terminus of the northbound I-710 in Alhambra with a short northern Route 710 segment of the freeway in Pasadena. The discussions are very preliminary and more details about the plan need to be hashed out before a private-partnership could even be considered. Under some public-private partership agreements, the private contractor pays for and builds the infrastructure in exchange for future revenues, such as fees collected through tolls. This latest proposal addresses all the concerns of South Pasadena residents and elected officials, by being entirely subterranian, not cut and cover. However, Route 710 extension plans also have to contend with opposition from nearby La Cañada Flintridge, which has objected to any proposed tunnel plans because of officials' fears of increased traffic on I-210 through their city.
[Source: Whittier Daily News, April 7, 2007]

In January 2009, Caltrans and the LA MTA conducted geotechnical exploratory borings in two locations in the City of Alhambra. This is part of the Exploration Program phase of the two-year I-710 Tunnel Technical Study that will involve research, exploration and technical analysis of the soil and sub-surface conditions found while tunneling at depths of more than 250 feet. The net goal is to see whether construction of the I-710 tunnels is feasible. The map of the routes being explored is as follows:

The purpose of the study is to examine the possibility of constructing a tunnel to complete the route between the northern I-710 termini and the Foothill Freeway (I-210). The study is being conducted in a route neutral manner. This means that all reasonable and practicable alternatives for completing the route are being considered within the Study area, which encompasses the cities of Alhambra, Glendale, La Cañada-Flintridge, Los Angeles, Monterey Park, San Marino, South Pasadena and Pasadena. Information gathered throughout the Study will describe soil and sub-surface conditions and will determine the feasibility of building a tunnel to complete I-710.

In 2009, the LA Times (11/17/2009) reported that the tunnel study was completed. The study explored five zones, and concluded that a tunnel would be feasible (which is a far way from the start of construction). The draft report will be finalized in 2010, was based on the assumption that the tunnel would be about 200 feet below ground and about 50 feet in diameter. It looked at five potential construction zones:

Zone 1 (Northeast L.A.): There is one Superfund site in the northwest portion of the zone which could be a source of contaminated soil and groundwater in the tunnel. There is also a possibility of encountering naturally occurring gases such as methane and hydrogen sulfide. There are no active faults in the zone.

Zone 2 (Northeast L.A.): The active Raymond fault crosses the zone and there is also the potential of encountering naturally occurring gases. Some soil and groundwater contamination could result in hazardous materials being encountered.

Zone 3 (South Pasadena/Pasadena): The Raymond and San Rafael faults are groundwater barriers in this area, and there is one active and two potentially active faults in the area. There are two places with minor soil contamination in the northern limits of the zone.

Zone 4 (San Marino/Pasadena): Active faults that cross the zone are the Raymond and Alhambra Wash faults. There is one Superfund site in the southwestern end of the zone. There are also six other sites with various levels of soil contamination.

Zone 5 (Alhambra/San Gabriel/Temple City): The active Alhambra Wash fault is in this zone and so are the perennial Rio Hondo and San Gabriel rivers. There is one Superfund site in the south-central portion of the zone and seven other sites with various levels of soil and groundwater contamination.

The Glendale News Press reported in February 2010 that the debate over the alternative, an underground tunnel, was reinvigorated in late 2009 when Caltrans and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority released a $6-million route feasibility study. The report showed tunneling was feasible within five potential route zones, which include connections to I-210 and Route 2. That sparked a wave of renewed protest from local stakeholders, who said the perception that plans for a 710 connector was too far flung and expensive didn’t match with what was happening in political circles. Already, $780 million in Measure R sales tax revenue has been earmarked for the connector. And in January 2010, the MTA instructed officials to explore private partnerships for additional funding. The next step is a series of community meetings for the final draft of the technical study, which will be presented this spring to the MTA and California Transportation Commission, which will decide whether to move forward with more in-depth environmental studies. Tunnel opponents argue there are better ways to address what they contend is largely a commercial freight issue. Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-Pasadena) said moving to the environmental study process would be a misuse of millions in taxpayer dollars. He also criticized the technical study for lacking important details on how and why tunneling is feasible, including costs and construction methods. La Cañada and South Pasadena are in court fighting the use of Measure R funds for tunnel studies or construction, and the Glendale City Council joined the legal fight in early March.

Details on the Tunnel Study may be found at http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/710study/index.php.

In October 2011, it was reported that LA Metro approved a $37.3 million contract to CH2MHill to examine a range of alternatives, prepare technical assessments, and environmental and engineering studies about alternatives to close the gap between the Route 210 and Route 710 freeways. The studies are expected to be completed in the fall of 2014.

In January 2012, it was reported that South Pasadena was lobbying to kill the surface routing of Route 710. LA Metro was indicating they had no plans to construct a surface routing, but didn't want to pull it off the table as an option quite yet. The city is also lobbying Caltrans to sell the more than 500 homes the agency bought decades ago along the proposed route in preparation for building the Route 710 Freeway extension to connect with I-210. In particular, at the request of Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge), a Joint Legislative Audit Committee is conducting an inquiry into Caltrans’ continued ownership of the homes. The state stands to gain $500 million if it sells the homes in Pasadena, South Pasadena and Los Angeles. However, Caltrans is not able to sell the homes until the Federal Highway Administration accepted the proposed route for a tunnel or whatever project was approved and the state determined which properties were "excess" and therefore available to be sold. If they are sold, under a state law passed in 1979, current tenants and past owners would be the first in line to buy them.

In May 2012, it was reported that debate was still going on regarding alternatives. There are currently twelve alternative concepts to relieve traffic congestion, including a “no build” freeway option and other projects still listed in the Regional Transportation Plan. Those options include alternate bus, light rail and freeway routes, highway and street artery concepts, non-infrastructure improvements and hybrid combinations of the other plans. All of the freeway alternative concepts will connect the terminus of I-710, north of I-10. The alignment can be a tunnel, depressed, at-grade, elevated or any combination. The LRT-4 concept proposes a partially subterranean light rail line that would travel from the East LA Civic Center Gold Line station to the Fillmore station, go north on Mednick at street level and it could stop at Cal State LA. The rail is a tunnel on the north end; the concept also includes two bus routes. The freeway alternatives are:

• Alternative Concept F-2: Connects to Route 2 (Glendale Freeway) between Verdugo Road and Route 134 with a new interchange. Performs well for traffic operations across the board, although somewhat weaker at addressing the north-south travel needs because of the alignment. Results in different impacts than the other freeway alternatives because of its location.
• Alternative Concept F-5: Connects to Route 134 at a new interchange— just north of the intersection of Colorado Blvd/Avenue 64. Performs well for operations, similar to the other freeway alternatives. Results in different environmental and community impacts compared to the other alternative concepts.
• Alternative Concept F-6 and F-7: Share the same alignment—between the north and south terminus of the existing Route 710. F-7 is the tunnel alignment, although it has depressed and at-grade sections at the north/south ends, and performs well for travel time and travel served, and improves regional and local traffic operation. .F-6 is surface/depressed alignment (at-grade) very similar with even better operations and mobility, but results in more negative physical impacts.
• Alternative Concept H-6: This alignment is between the termini on Huntington Drive, Fair Oaks Avenue, Columbia Street, Pasadena Avenue and St. Johns Avenue. Improvements would carry Route 710 traffic over Valley Boulevard and then connect directly to Huntington Drive between Lowell Avenue and Sheffield Avenue. Performs well in traffic and transit operations, and was the strongest overall of the highway/arterial alternatives. It provides additional capacity as a direct route for north-south travel in the study area.
• Alternative Concept H-2: This alignment is situated to the west, but generally serves north-south traffic: Concord Avenue, Fremont Avenue, Monterey Road, Ave 64, Colorado Blvd. Improvements would carry Route 710 traffic over Valley Boulevard and the railroad, and then connect with Concord Avenue. Performs well in traffic and transit operations, serves a variety of different trips, and improves a wide range of roads. It has fewer impacts than H-6.

In August 2012, Metro and Caltrans eliminated 5 routes from the list of 12 possible routes:

• F-2: Route from SR 2 (Glendale Freeway) between Verdugo Road and Route 134 with a new interchange.
• F-5: Route to SR 134 at a new interchange—just north of the intersection of Colorado Blvd/Avenue 64.
• F-6: Route from north and south terminus of the existing I-710 to I-210
• H-2: Route from Concord Avenue, Fremont Avenue, Monterey Road, Ave 64, Colorado Blvd.
• H-6: Route between the termini on Huntington Drive, Fair Oaks Avenue, Columbia Street, Pasadena Avenue and St. Johns Avenue.

The five remaining proposals include routes using bus rapid transit, light rail, or freeway tunnel and intelligent traffic systems (which includes strategies such as ride sharing and encouraging off peak traffic). The remaining alternatives are:

• “No build” option.
• Bus rapid transit route (BRT-6): from Los Angeles to Pasadena.
• Light Rail (LR-4): route from East Los Angeles to Pasadena.
• Intelligent traffic systems option: is considered a “low build” alternative (TSM TDM), for example light synchronization; enhanced bus line enhancements.
• F-7: tunnel alignment, although it has depressed and at-grade sections at the north/south ends. Route would go from the north and south terminus of the existing I-710, to north terminus at I-210.

In September 2012, the Los Angeles city council voted to opposed any extension option -- surface or tunnel.

In January 2013, the LA MTA released its analysis of the first options above.

The portion of this route between Route 1 and the northern end of Harbor Scenic Drive, from Harbor Scenic Drive to Ocean Boulevard, from Ocean Boulevard west of its intersection with Harbor Scenic Drive to its junction with Seaside Boulevard, and from Seaside Boulevard from the junction with Ocean Boulevard to Route 47 is not officially named.

The bicycle pedestrian path on the replacement Gerald Desmond Bridge on Route 710, in the County of Los Angeles, is named the "Mark Bixby Memorial Bicycle Pedestrian Path". It was named in memory of Mark Llewellyn Bixby, who was a member of one of the founding families of the City of Long Beach. Bixby was also a past president of the Long Beach Rotary Club, which was instrumental in raising money to build Rotary Centennial Park, located on Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1) and Junipero Avenue in the City of Long Beach. Bixby was also the director of the BikeFest Tour of Long Beach and was a vocal proponent of adding bicycle lanes to the replacement Gerald Desmond Bridge. Tragically, Mark Bixby lost his life in a plane crash in 2011 at 44 years of age. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 100, Resolution Chapter 109, on September 4, 2012.

The portion of this route from Wardlow Road to the Pacific Coast Highway in the City of Long Beach is named the "Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Maria Cecilia Rosa Memorial Highway". It was named in memory of Deputy Maria Cecilia Rosa of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, who was killed in the line of duty on March 28, 2006 at the age of 30, in the City of Long Beach. Deputy Rosa was a resident of the City of Long Beach and was deeply committed to education. She was due to graduate from the California State University, Long Beach, with her Bachelors Degree. Deputy Rosa is remembered as a young woman who strived for perfection in life. She had a captivating smile that would brighten even the darkest of days. She was an extremely caring individual who was always willing to go the extra mile to cheer up a friend. In addition, she was a woman who committed her life to her family, friends, and her career to Los Angeles County and the safety of its residents. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 34, Resolution Chapter 48, on 6/9/2009.

The portion of this route from Route 1 to Route 5 is named the "Long Beach Freeway". It was named by the State Highway Commission on November 18, 1954. Long Beach refers to the route's terminus in Long Beach. Long Beach was first applied to the development (because of its beaches) in the boom year, 1887.

The portion of I-710 between East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Route 60 in the County of Los Angeles is named the Ruben Salazar Memorial Highway. This segment was named in memory of Ruben Salazar, who was born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, across the Rio Grande from El Paso on March 3, 1928. Eleven months later his parents, Luz Chavez and Salvador Salazar, a watch repairman, moved across the river to El Paso, Texas, where Ruben was raised. After high school he entered the United States Army, where he served a two-year tour of duty just before the Korean conflict. Out of the service and now an American citizen, Salazar entered the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and received his bachelor of arts in journalism in 1954. During his last two years as a student at UTEP he worked as a reporter for the El Paso Herald Post, where he demonstrated both great interest and skill in investigative reporting, While working as a reporter at the El Paso Herald Post, he became deeply aware of police mistreatment of Mexicans and wrote extensively on the brutality against Mexican-Americans in Texas prisons. After graduation, Salazar took a job with the Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, California. Three years later, he left the staff of the Press Democrat for a reportorial position with the San Francisco News. Having served his seven years of apprenticeship, in 1959 he moved south as a reporter on the city staff of the Los Angeles Times. During his six years at the Los Angeles Times in the city room, he persuaded his superiors to allow him to write a column, sometimes troublesome for the Times, in which he gave voice to the problems and concerns of eastside Chicanos. He continued to give evidence of his ability as a reporter, writing a series of articles on the Los Angeles Latino community in 1963, for which he received an award from the California State Fair, the Los Angeles Press Club, and the Equal Opportunity Foundation. In addition to his awards, the series also earned him a well-deserved reputation for conscientious and objective reporting. In 1965, Salazar was sent to cover the civil war in the Dominican Republic, where he described the views of the rebels and the reaction to the U.S. involvement. Later that year, Salazar was sent by the Times to Vietnam as a foreign correspondent to cover the rapidly escalating American involvement there, of special interest to the Latino community because of the proportionately large number of Mexican-Americans in the U.S. forces and among the casualties. He was one of two Times correspondents in Vietnam during the period of increased U.S. involvement. In late 1966, Ruben Salazar left Vietnam and was called back by the Times and placed as the bureau chief in Mexico City, thus becoming the first Mexican-American to hold such a position at a major newspaper. He covered stories throughout Latin America including the first conference of the Latin American Solidarity Organization in Cuba in 1967. In 1968, he covered a student demonstration in Mexico City when Mexican soldiers opened fire. In late 1968, Salazar returned to Los Angeles with a special assignment to cover the Mexican-American community, in which the Chicano movement was beginning to move into high gear. Aware of the increasing importance and rising militancy of Mexican-Americans, in the following year the Times took steps, involving Salazar, to focus more sharply on the Chicano community. In early 1970, he began writing a weekly column featured on the Friday Opinion page explaining and interpreting Chicano life and culture to the greater Los Angeles community. In January of 1970, Salazar decided to accept a position as news director of station KMEX-TV and planned to leave the Times. The response of the Times was to suggest that in his new position Salazar continue writing his weekly column. He decided he could handle both jobs and subsequently used both forums to articulate the many grievances that Mexican-Americans had nursed for so long. A political moderate, he nevertheless spoke out fearlessly, condemning racism, prejudice, and segregation. Abuses by the police became the special target of his hard-hitting weekly essays, and he repeatedly pointed out in his column the much higher than average Mexican-American casualty rate in the Vietnam War. As a result of his articles, he was under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and the FBI, and pressure was put on him to tone down his language. When the National Chicano Moratorium, a committee of Chicanos who opposed the Vietnam War, called a march for August 29, 1970, in Los Angeles, Ruben Salazar naturally was present at the event in his dual capacity. Approximately 20,000 members from all over the United States had gathered to decry the Vietnam War since Chicanos had the highest number of casualties in proportion to their population. With his crew from KMEX he covered the march from Belvedere Park to Laguna Park. As trouble began at a nearby liquor store, it quickly led to a confrontation between the police and marchers, which led to rioting and looting covering 28 blocks. The violence led to 200 arrests, 60 injured, and three deaths. As the day grew late into the afternoon, the riot moved east on Whittier Boulevard toward the Silver Dollar Cafe. Attempting to avoid the riot-ridden streets, Ruben Salazar and his news crew stopped to have a drink in the Silver Dollar Cafe. Shortly after they entered the Silver Dollar Cafe, a deputy fired a high-velocity 10-inch tear gas projectile meant for piercing walls, into the cafe and hit Salazar in the head. Ruben Salazar was killed instantly, suffering a projectile wound of the temple area causing massive injury to the brain. The subsequent 16-day coroner's inquest ruled Salazar's death a homicide, but there was never any legal action. Salazar's tragic death was a consequence of the contentious and often racially heated period of time. His informed, articulate, and level-headed voice for social change inspired many in the Latino community, and his legacy has encouraged Latinos to enter the field of journalism. In 1971, he was posthumously awarded a special Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for his columns, which communicated the culture and alienation of Chicanos effectively and compassionately. He received the highest Raza accolade, a corrido describing his contributions to La Raza . Ruben Salazar's life and death has been recognized and honored with awards, scholarships, public schools, and community centers in his name. Most notably, after the controversy of his death had subsided, Laguna Park was renamed Salazar Park in his honor. In July of 1976, Salazar was honored by the California State University of Los Angeles in the renaming of South Hall to Ruben Salazar Memorial Hall. On the 10th anniversary of his death, his widow, Sally Salazar, was the guest of honor at the dedication of the Ruben Salazar Library in Santa Rosa, California. Named by Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 37, Resolution Chapter 78, on 7/12/2005.

Before 1954, the route was named the "Los Angeles River Freeway". The first segment opened in 1952. The Los Angeles River was named Rio de Porciuncula by the Portolá expedition, August 2, 1769, for it was the day of Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Porciúncula (Our Lady of the Angels of Portiuncula). Portiuncula was the chapel in Assisi, Italy, cradle of the Franciscan Order. The full name of the river was recorded by Palou, December 10, 1773. The pueblo was founded in 1781 with the name Reina de los Angeles, but almost invariable appeared on maps and often in documents as Pueblo de los Angeles. Various forms of the name were used ("City of the Angels" in 1847) until the county and city became officially Los Angeles in 1850.

The portion of this route from Route 5 to Route 210 (not all constructed) is not officially named.

Bridge 53-958 on I-710, the I-710/Route 91 interchange, is named the "Edmond J. Russ Interchange". It was built in 1985, and was named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 135, Chapter 162. [Note: According to the CalTrans logs, this bridge is actually on Route 110; thus the named interchange is at the Route 110/Route 91 junction.] Ed Russ is a former mayor of Gardena; during his term (which ended in 1982) he was able to push for the extension of the then Redondo Beach Freeway to the Route 110. This extension relieved the traffic that plagued Atresia Blvd from the end of the freeway at Broadway to Route 110. When the extension was completed in 1985, it was given the legislative name in his honor, but it was up to the private sector to produce the funds to make and install the signs for the interchange. It wasn't until 1998-99 that a group of Gardena businesspeople and citizens, led by the Gardena Valley News, began a campaign to raise the money needed. The signs were installed in the latter half of 1999.

The I-5/I-710 interchange in Los Angeles County is officially named the "Marco Antonio Firebaugh Interchange". This interchange was named in memory of Marco Antonio Firebaugh, who at the age of 39 years was running for the California State Senate when he succumbed to health ailments on March 21, 2006. Born in Tijuana, Mexico on October 13, 1966, Firebaugh emigrated to the United States when he was a young boy. He worked hard to pay his own way through school and earned his bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley and a law degree from the UCLA School of Law. He was the first in his family to attend college and was committed to the notion that free universal public education is the cornerstone of our democratic society and worked hard to improve educational opportunities for all California students. Firebaugh was elected to the California State Assembly at the age of 32 years; and he served in the California State Assembly from 1998 to 2004, representing the 50th Assembly District located in southeast Los Angeles County. During his tenure in the Assembly, Firebaugh was recognized for his impressive legislative and advocacy record on behalf of California's working families and their children, establishing him as a leader and role model in the Latino community. He demonstrated outstanding leadership in introducing legislation aimed at improving the lives of immigrants and low-income families including undocumented immigrants who come to California to work and give their children a better life. He authored air quality legislation that provides funding for the state's most important air emissions reductions programs and that ensures that state funding be targeted to low-income communities that are most severely impacted by air pollution. He also authored legislation funding a mobile asthma treatment clinic known as a Breathmobile to provide free screenings and treatment for school children in southeast Los Angeles and fought hard in the Legislature to make California the first state to outlaw smoking in a vehicle carrying young children to protect them from the hazards created by breathing secondhand smoke. In 2002, he championed AB540, which allowed undocumented California high school students to pursue a college education and pay in-state tuition fees. From 2002 to 2004, Firebaugh served as Chairman of the California Latino Legislative Caucus where he was responsible for managing the development of the Latino Caucus' annual "Agenda for California's Working Families" as a policy document that focuses on issues affecting California's diverse population. Because of his effectiveness both as a policymaker and political leader, Marco Antonio Firebaugh was appointed Majority Floor Leader in 2002, and served as Floor Leader from 2002 to 2004, making him the highest ranking Latino in the Assembly and one of the chief negotiators for Assembly Democrats. Firebaugh also served six years on the State Allocation Board, which provides funding for public school construction and modernization. Named by Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 142, Resolution Chapter 132, on 9/7/2006.

Near Route 710, although not on Route 710, is the Gerald Desmond Bridge". Gerald Desmond was a prominent Long Beach civic leader who served on the Long Beach City Council and as Long Beach City Attorney.

HOV lanes are planned between I-10 and I-210.

The following segments are designated as Classified Landscaped Freeway:

Approved as 139(a) non-chargeable interstate in 1983; the portion from Ocean Blvd in Long Beach to Route 710 was approved as 139(b) non-chargeable milage in 1984. The portion from Route 10 to Route 210 is a subject of a long legal battle and is not yet constructed, except for the stub Route 710 at the I-210/Route 134/Route 710 interchange.

• Cal-NExUS Exit Numbering: Route 710 North
• Cal-NExUS Exit Numbering: Route 710 South
• I-710 Strip Chart (Andrew Tompkins)
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• Calfornia @ AARoads: Interstate 710
• 3 Digit Interstates: I-710

[SHC 253.1] Entire route. Added to the Freeway and Expressway system in 1959.

Overall statistics for Route 710:

• Total Length (1995): 22 miles traversable; 4 miles unconstructed.
• Average Daily Traffic (1992): 37,000 to 213,000.
• Milage Classification: Rural: 0; Sm. Urban: 0; Urbanized: 26.
• Previous Federal Aid Milage: FAP: 20 mi; FAU: 6 mi.
• Functional Classification: Prin. Arterial: 22 mi.
• Counties Traversed: Los Angeles.

This number is not assigned to a post-1964 route.

This route ran from US 395 (present-day I-215) near Perris to US 60/US 70/US 99 (present-day I-10) near Thousand Palms via Hemet and Palm Desert. It signed as Route 740 in the initial state signage of routes in 1934. This was later changed (sometime between 1939 and 1956) to Route 74. It was a 1933 extension to LRN 64.