California 125 - California Travel Information

California 125

California 125, part of the inner and outer loop system of freeways around San Diego, is currently proposed to be constructed in four segments between 1996 and 2020.

The first (and southernmost) California 125 segment is the San Miguel Parkway, which runs from California 905 north to California 54. TransNet will fund California 125 from California 54 south to San Miguel Road in Bonita, while the remainder of the route be will operated as a tollway. California 125 was authorized to be a potential tollway by Assembly Bill 680 from July 1989, which allows for public-private ventures for tollway construction. Under this plan, a private corporation will charge tolls on this segment of California 125 for 35 years after construction is completed.

Initial construction will be a four-lane freeway at a cost of $264,000,000. Future construction will upgrade this segment of California 125 to eight lanes with two HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes for an additional $110,000,000. SANDAG forecasts that California 125 will carry between 60,000 to 70,000 vehicles per day around Otay Mesa and between 80,000 to 100,000 vehicles per day in the north Chula Vista area. Much of the traffic count is dependent upon the future housing developments planned in the area, including Otay Ranch and Eastlake.

Immediately north of the California 54 interchange is the Sweetwater segment of California 125, so named because it parallels Sweetwater Road through Spring Valley. Between California 94 and Fletcher Parkway (Amaya Drive), California 125 will follow the existing freeway with some interchange modifications, including a revamping of the California 94/125 interchange.

Between Fletcher Parkway (Amaya Drive) and California 52 is the Fanita segment of California 125, again named for the road that it closely parallels.

North of California 52, California 125 is currently proposed as an expressway north to Scripps-Poway Parkway and Poway Road. However, this routing is currently very controversial, leaving it unclear if California 125 will ever be extended north of California 52. As currently planned, this expressway will take pressure off Pomerado Road and allow direct travel between El Cajon and Poway without using either Interstate 15 or California 67. This highway, which is part of the San Diego Outer Loop, is projected to carry between 40,000 to 70,000 vehicles per day by 2020 according to SANDAG estimates. California 125 is planned as a six-lane expressway from California 52 to Scripps-Poway Road with a four-lane connection to Poway Road. This has a price tag of $132,000,000. The Scripps-Poway Road extension to California 67 was completed in 1998.

Originally, California 125 was planned to be a complete freeway between California 52 and Interstate 15. At its junction with Interstate 15, California 125 was planned to merge seamlessly with Select Arterial 680 (SA-680), which was planned to continue northwest to Interstate 5. However, the segment of California 125 northwest of California 56 (Ted Williams Parkway) and SA-680 were deleted due to local opposition from residents of Poway and Encinitas. California 125 between California 52 and California 56 was downgraded to an expressway in planning documents.

In March 2003, San Diego County Supervisor Bill Horn presented his vision of a new north-south freeway corridor that would lead from the current planned northern terminus of California 125 in Poway north to Interstate 10 in Riverside County, roughly paralleling Interstates 15 and 215 past Escondido, Temecula, and Perris. Supervisor Horn did not refer to this corridor as California 125, even though that would be the logical designation for such a route. The following map provides a rough proposal of what would be this freeway's route. This freeway is not on official planning documents, and it is not likely to be constructed for many years. Since much of the land is currently undeveloped along the corridor, the biggest impacts will be environmental and economics. Even though this proposal is still in its infancy, opposition has already emerged against it.

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According to the 1996 San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) Regional Plan, new interchanges along California 125 are planned at the California 11/SR-905/Otay Mesa Road junction, La Media/Lonestar Road, Otay Valley Road, Rock Mountain Road, East Urban Center North, Orange Avenue, Telegraph Canyon Road, Eastlake Parkway, East H Street, San Miguel Road (To Bonita Road), California 54, Elkelton/Jamacha Boulevard, Jamacha Road, California 94, and Navajo Road.

California 125 North
	Northbound California 125 at jamacha Boulevard and Paradise Valley Road. Photo taken 07/14/02.
	Northbound California 125 approaching Jamacha Road, the next exit after Jamacha Boulevard/Paradise Valley Road. Photo taken 07/14/02.
	Northbound California 125 at Jamacha Road. The segment from here north to California 94 is now complete, and it opened in Fall 2003. Photo taken 07/14/02.
	After Jamacha Road, there are no further exits from California 125 northbound until reaching the mega-interchange at California 94. This sign is located one mile south of that interchange. Photo taken 09/06/03.
	This sign allocates lanes for northbound California 125, eastbound California 94, and westbound California 94. Photo taken 09/06/03.
	The two left lanes carry California 125 straight ahead toward La Mesa, while the three right lanes carry California 94 traffic. Photo taken 09/06/03.
	On the transition ramp from northbound California 125 to California 94 is this division point. The left lanes lead to westbound California 94/Martin Luther King, Jr. Freeway and the right lanes lead to eastbound California 94 and Spring Street (which leads north to downtown La Mesa). Photo taken 09/06/03.
	View of the ramp flying high over Sweetwater Road and California 94 far below. This ramp ultimately connects with westbound California 94/Martin Luther King, Jr. Freeway. Photo taken 09/06/03.
	Northbound California 125 at the Eastbound California 94 split. Photo taken 03/06/02.
	Northbound California 125 approaching Lemon Avenue, one-half mile. First photo taken 03/06/02; second photo taken 07/14/02.

	Northbound California 125 approaching Lemon Avenue (next right) and Junction Interstate 8, one mile. This overpass would have to be widened or removed in order to accommodate anticipated expansion of this portion of California 125 to eight lanes plus two high occupancy vehicle lanes. Photo taken 03/06/02.
	Northbound California 125 at Lemon Avenue approaching Grossmont Boulevard. Photo taken 03/06/02.
	Northbound California 125 approaching Grossmont Boulevard, which leads east into El Cajon and west into La Mesa, with a connection to Grossmont Center, a large regional shopping center in the northwestern quadrant of the Interstate 8/California 125 interchange. Photo taken 03/06/02.
	Northbound California 125 at Grossmont Boulevard approaching Junction Interstate 8. There is indeed a three-lane exit from northbound onto eastbound Interstate 8, primarily to accommodate traffic using eastbound California 94 to northbound California 125 to eastbound Interstate 8. Photo taken 03/06/02; second photo taken 07/14/02.

	Northbound California 125 at Junction eastbound Interstate 8 approaching westbound Interstate 8. Photo taken 03/06/02; second photo taken 07/14/02.

	Northbound California 125 at junction Westbound Interstate 8, approaching Fletcher Parkway one-half mile. Photo taken 07/14/02.
	Northbound California 125 approaching Fletcher Parkway, one-quarter mile. Photo taken 03/06/02.
	Northbound California 125 approaching Fletcher Parkway, next right. Compare this picture with the next photo, taken before California 125 was extended through Fletcher Hills. Photo taken 03/06/02.
	Northbound California 125 approaching the formerly temporary end of the freeway, which used to be at Fletcher Parkway. Compare this to the previous picture. Photo taken 06/99.
	Northbound California 125 at Fletcher Parkway. First photo taken 03/06/02; second photo taken 07/14/02.

	Northbound California 125 approaching Navajo Road, three-quarters of a mile. The short, one-quarter mile section between Navajo Road and Grossmont College Drive was not constructed at the time this picture was taken, so traffic must exit and use Fanita Parkway between these two roads. First photo taken 03/06/02; second photo taken 07/14/02.

	Northbound California 125 approaching Navajo Road; the next exit is Grossmont College Drive. First photo taken 03/06/02; second photo taken 07/14/02.

	Northbound California 125 approaching Navajo Road. The freeway temporarily ends here, pending construction of the connection between Navajo Road and Grossmont College Drive. Photo taken 03/06/02.
	Northbound California 125 offramp connector to Navajo Road. All traffic must use this exit until the extension is completed. First photo taken 03/06/02; second photo taken 07/14/02.

	View of future northbound California 125 at Dallas Street. Photo taken 06/06/99.
	Views of the under construction California 125 at Navajo Road. Photos taken 06/06/99.

	Northbound Fanita Parkway/Temporary California 125 approaching Grossmont College Drive traffic signal. The California 125 segment between Navajo Road and Grossmont College Drive was opened to traffic in December 2002. Photo taken 03/06/02.
	Northbound California 125 approaching Grossmont College Drive. Note the use of a dual freeway for the exit to Grossmont College Drive. Photos taken 12/14/02.

	Northbound California 125 passing under the Grossmont College Drive overcrossing. Photo taken 12/14/02.
	At the time this photo was taken, northbound California 125 utilized the future southbound offramp to Grossmont College Drive to accommodate four lanes of traffic, as seen in this photo. This has since changed with the opening of the freeway in December 2002. Photo taken 03/06/02.
	Northbound California 125 approaching Junction California 52, one mile. This sign was placed after the Grossmont College Drive interchange was opened to traffic. Photo taken 12/14/02.
	Prior to the completion of the Grossmont College Drive interchange, northbound California 125 used to resume as a freeway between Grossmont College Drive and Junction California 52 in this manner between 1998 and 2002. The next exit (as evidenced in the previous photobox) is for California 52, and the freeway comes to an end at a stoplight at Mission Gorge Road just after the transition ramp to westbound California 52. An extension of California 52 east into Santee is under development under an established location, while future plans for a northerly extension of California 125 are still in the preliminary planning phase. First photo taken 03/06/02; second photo taken 07/14/02.

	Northbound California 125 at Junction Westbound California 52. The freeway ends at the intersection with Mission Gorge Road, and a continuation of the northbound California 125 freeway may follow California 52 or continue on its own alignment from here, but it is not clear which routing might be selected, if any. First photo taken 03/06/02; second photo taken 07/14/02; third photo taken 06/07/00.


	Transition from northbound California 125 onto westbound California 52. There are provisions here for a future ramp to eastbound California 52. On this bright summer day, a small grassland fire was burning an open space area within the city of Poway, thus causing the plume of smoke visible in the distance. There was minimal damage. Photo taken 06/07/00.
California 125 South
	These two pictures show the under construction California 125 looking south in Fletcher Hills. Photo taken 06/06/99.

	Eastbound Interstate 8 transition onto southbound California 125 near Grossmont in La Mesa. Photo taken 03/06/02.
	Southbound California 125 mileage sign on the bridge over Interstate 8. Photo taken 06/99.
	Southbound California 125 approaching California 94 and Spring Street, one mile. The nature of this transition ramp may be impacted by the ongoing construction of the California 94/125 interchange. Photo taken 03/06/02.
Other California 125 Pictures
	Shields for California 94 and California 125 along eastbound Broadway in Spring Valley. Photo taken 06/99.
	Signage for California 94 and California 125 along eastbound Broadway in Spring Valley. Photo taken 07/14/02.
	Signage for the California 125 project along northbound Sweetwater Road approaching Broadway under the then-future California 94/125 interchange. Photo taken 07/14/02.
	View of the then-future California 94/125 interchange as seen from eastbound Broadway in Spring Valley. Photo taken 07/14/02.
	The California 125 extension was primarily funded by a half-cent sales tax, locally known as TransNet. The benefits of the TransNet funding source are touted on this sign, located along Fanita Parkway between Navajo Road and Grossmont College Drive. Photo taken 03/06/98.
Construction Photos: Fletcher Hills Segment
	View of the Dallas overcrossing at the future California 125 freeway. This picture was taken prior to the completion of the freeway, as the old road bends around the new bridge. Photo taken 06/99.
	View of a new segment of California 125 freeway in the Fletcher Hills area. Photo taken 06/07/00.

		This series of pictures, taken in March 1998, shows a variety of pictures of the California 125 corridor as it passes through the Fletcher Hills community of El Cajon. Although this all looks like park land, this was to be all houses when this community was conceived, and several houses were condemned, leaving behind vacant lots. The grass looks greener than normal as a result of the exceptional rainfall that year (El Nino). Of course, all of this is gone, replaced by the freeway. Photos taken 03/06/98.



		This series of pictures shows the future Amaya Road/Fletcher Parkway overcrossing during the construction of that connection to California 125. Photos taken 06/07/00.

Page Updated March 12, 2004.