After passing C Street, Eleventh Avenue prepares to split into two ramps, one serving northbound California 163 and the other connecting to northbound Interstate 5. Use the left lanes for California 163 and the right lanes for Interstate 5. The famous San Diego Trolley follows C Street east toward the downtown financial district and west toward San Diego City College. Photo taken 10/08/05.
The next east-west street is B Street, which travels one-way west toward the financial district. The freeway entrance is one and a half blocks north of here. Photo taken 10/08/05.
A Street is the final traffic signal on northbound Eleventh Avenue. The city street shifts into a freeway configuration immediately after the A Street intersection. Photo taken 10/08/05.
Rather than using a freeway entrance shield assembly, the change from northbound 11th Avenue to northbound California 163/Cabrillo Freeway is marked by a "Begin Freeway" sign, with one posted on either side of the road. Photo taken 10/06/05.
The first "exit" along northbound California 163 is only accessible from the lanes that connect eastbound A Street to northbound California 163. The Ash Street off ramp makes a sharp turn to the left, while the through lanes continue north along California 163 toward Balboa Park, Mission Valley, Serra Mesa, eastern Clairemont Mesa, and Kearny Mesa. Since California 163 merges onto northbound Interstate 15 near Miramar, the control city is Escondido, the largest inland suburb of San Diego. Photo taken 10/06/05.
The Ash Street off ramp is really just a short, one-way connector that travels west to this stop sign approaching the southbound lanes. Ash Street continues west after crossing the southbound lanes of California 163 as a one-way, three-lane city street toward the bayfront. Photo taken 10/06/05.
Northbound California 163 meets Junction Northbound Interstate 5 at this stack interchange. There is no direct access to Southbound Interstate 5; this is one of two movements missing from what would otherwise be a symmetrical stack interchange. This interchange is almost a symmetrical stack interchange, except that it lacks movements from northbound Interstate 5 to southbound California 163 and from northbound California 163 to southbound Interstate 5. In actuality, Interstate 5 is running east-west through this area, while California 163 is oriented north-south. Photos taken 04/05/03, 10/06/05, and 03/07/06.
In 2003, California 163 between Interstate 5 and Interstate 8 was designated as an historic route. Brown signs such as this one were placed to designate the highway. The trouble is, this sign should have a California 163 shield or a U.S. 395 shield. The hybrid shield, however, is incorrect, considering that U.S. 163 is in Utah/Arizona. This shield used to be located along northbound 11th Avenue as it transitions onto northbound California 163; it was corrected by Fall 2003 with a white state shield. Photo taken 04/05/03.
This is the replacement signage for the Historic California 163 (Cabrillo Parkway) route. The only change from the prior version is that the U.S. 163 shield is replaced with a white California 163. This sign is not truly accurate either; along California used to sign its state routes with white miner's spades until around 1954, the white shield was never used for California 163 since it did not come into existence until 1964, when U.S. 395 was legislatively decommissioned south of Hesperia. Photo taken 10/06/05.
This is the view along the transition ramp from northbound 11th Avenue to northbound Interstate 5. There is no access to 4th Avenue from this ramp. Photo taken 03/07/06.
The transition ramp passes under Interstate 5 (top deck of the stack interchange). Photo taken 03/07/06.
The ramp from northbound Eleventh Avenue onto northbound California 163/Cabrillo Freeway passes under the four-level interchange that facilitates traffic flow between Interstate 5 and California 163. Photo taken 10/08/05.
The bus lane consolidates with the main lane along northbound California 163 after the four-level interchange. The single resulting lane will become the left lane of the new freeway; the right lane feeds into the freeway from the northbound Interstate 5 connection. Photo taken 10/08/05.
Two lanes of California 163, one from Eleventh Avenue and the other from Interstate 5 northbound, meet for the first time here. The wide, grassy median that helps make California 163/Cabrillo Freeway into a scenic route comes into view. Photo taken 10/08/05.
This image shows the transition ramp from northbound Interstate 5 onto northbound California 163 prior to where it merges together with the oncoming lane from northbound California 163. Photo taken 07/14/02.
For some reason in 2002, Caltrans placed "curve ahead" signs such as this one throughout Balboa Park. While the intent may be to slow traffic down, this kind of advisory speed limit is set very low, and no one actually slows to this speed to navigate a curve that was designed to handle 65 mile-per-hour speeds. This particular sign was located along northbound California 163 as it approaches Exit 1B, Quince Street/Balboa Park just after the Interstate 5 interchange. Most of these signs were removed and gone by 2004. Photo taken 07/14/02.
The first exit along northbound California 163 is Exit 1B, Quince Street/Balboa Park. Traffic for the Balboa Park Museums or the World Famous San Diego Zoo should use Richmond Street (Exit 1C) rather than Quince Street (Exit 1B), as suggested by this sign. Photos taken 07/14/02 and 10/08/05.
The Laurel Street Bridge, also known as the Cabrillo Bridge, comes into view as California 163/Cabrillo Freeway turns in the park. Built between 1912 and 1915, the bridge was constructed in anticipation of the Panama-California Exposition. With 56-foot wide spaces between pillars, two lanes of freeway and shoulders could easily fit under each arch in the bridge. The two northbound lanes passes under the third arch from the east, the bridge footing between the third and fourth arches rests on the median, and the southbound lanes passes under the fourth arch from the east. Restoration activities brought the bridge back to a more pristine condition. Photo taken 10/08/05.
This view shows the Laurel Street Bridge prior to its restoration between 2003 and 2005. The advance signage for Exit 1B, Quince Street/Balboa Park was removed during that construction process. Photo taken 07/14/02.
Northbound California 163/Cabrillo Freeway reaches Exit 1B, Quince Street/Balboa Park. This exit takes traffic on a one-way trip northwest to Sixth Avenue. To return to California 163, traffic must follow Sixth Avenue north through Hillcrest. Photo taken 10/08/05.
The next exit along northbound California 163/Cabrillo Freeway is Exit 1C, Richmond Street/Balboa Park Museums/World Famous San Diego Zoo. Photo taken 10/08/05.
Northbound California 163 reaches Exit 1C, Richmond Street/Balboa Park Museums/World Famous San Diego Zoo. Photo taken 10/08/05.
California 163 passes under the Richmond Street overpass. Since the connection from southbound Richmond Street onto southbound California 163 was eliminated, this bridge does not serve any vehicular traffic, and as such, it is in excellent condition. Photo taken 10/08/05.
Continuing north, California 163/Cabrillo Freeway passes under a pedestrian bridge that provides a connection for hikers seeking to cross the freeway between the eastern and western portions within Balboa Park. The next exit is Exit 2A, Robinson Street. Photo taken 07/14/02.
The next exit along northbound California 163 is Exit 2A, Robinson Street. Robinson Street connects California 163/Cabrillo Freeway with the communities of Hillcrest, University Heights, and North Park. Photo taken 10/08/05.
California 163 is an official state scenic route. The wide, grassy median comes to an end immediately after this sign and before the Robinson Street offramp. Between Robinson Street and Washington Street, there is a narrow planter with palm trees, and a jersey barrier constitutes the median north of Washington Street. Photo taken 10/08/05.
As the Cabrillo Freeway leaves Balboa Park, northbound California 163 reaches Exit 2A, Robinson Street. From northbound, this is the best route into the Hillcrest and University Heights communities of San Diego. There is no comparable connection from southbound California 163 to Robinson Street. Photo taken 10/08/05.
The next exit along northbound California 163 is Exit 2B, Junction Eastbound Business Loop I-8, Washington Street, next right. Originally, U.S. 80-395 split here, with U.S. 80 turning east via Washington Street toward East San Diego and U.S. 395 continuing north on the freeway toward Mission Valley. Photo taken 10/08/05.
Northbound California 163 approaches Exit 2B, Junction Eastbound Business Loop I-8, Washington Street. The auxiliary signage for Business Loop I-8 (previously located on the University Avenue overpass, which is shown here) was removed in 2000 and nothing has been installed to replace it. The palm trees were added as part of a beautification effort around the same time. Photo taken 07/14/02.
Northbound California 163 reaches Exit 2B, Junction Eastbound Business Loop I-8, Washington Street. This interchange marks the western terminus for Business Loop I-8 (the theory being that traffic could take California 163 northbound to return to Interstate 8). Photo taken 10/08/05.
The freeway passes under the Washington Street overpass (after Exit 2B). Unlike the other advisory signs, this curve demands a 45 miles-per-hour speed. Photo taken 10/08/05.
To Qualcomm Stadium (formerly Jack Murphy Stadium), follow California 163 north to Friars Road east. Photo taken 10/08/05.
After passing the Washington Street exit, California 163/Cabrillo Freeway starts to assume Interstate standards, with additional lanes, wider shoulders, and less curves. The next exit is Exits 3A-B, Junction Interstate 8/Mission Valley Freeway. Photo taken 10/08/05.
The left three lanes continue north on California 163, while the right two lanes connect to Exit 3A, Junction Eastbound Interstate 8 and Exit 3B, Junction Westbound Interstate 8 and Friars Road. Photo taken 10/08/05.
The right two lanes connect to eastbound Interstate 8, with the right lane becoming an exit only. Photo taken 10/08/05.
Northbound California 163 reaches Exit 3A, Junction Interstate 8 east. The next exit is Exit 3B, Junction Interstate 8 west and Friars Road (via a collector-distributor lane). Photo taken 10/08/05.
Immediately thereafter, northbound California 163 reaches Exit 3B, Junction Westbound Interstate 8 and Friars Road. Photo taken 10/08/05.
The right lane transitions onto a loop ramp to westbound Interstate 8; the other lane connects to both directions of Friars Road. Photo taken 10/08/05.
After passing the Interstate 8/Friars Road offramp, a dual freeway carries the local traffic to these two exits. The transition ramp to westbound Interstate 8 is first, and then the Friars Road exit follows. This photo shows the signage for the Friars Road exit as seen from the mainline. Photo taken 10/08/05.
To the east, Friars Road follows an expressway alignment along the north edge of Mission Valley. While it does not connect to Interstate 805, it does provide the most direct route to Qualcomm Stadium. To the west, Friars Road passes Fashion Valley en route toward Linda Vista. Photo taken 10/08/05 and 07/21/04.
Northbound California 163 reaches Exit 3B, Friars Road (as seen from the main lanes and from the c-d lanes). Photos taken 10/08/05 and 07/21/04.
Large power transmission lines pass over the freeway as California 163 begins to climb out of Mission Valley and continues northeast toward Linda Vista, Clairemont Mesa, and Kearny Mesa. Photo taken 10/08/05.
The next exit along northbound California 163 is Exit 5A, Genesee Avenue northbound. Photo taken 10/08/05.
This mileage sign provides the distance for the next three exits along northbound: Exits 5A-B, Genesee Avenue; Exit 6, Mesa College Drive; and Exit 6B, Junction Interstate 805/Dekema Freeway. Photo taken 10/08/05.
Northbound California 163 at Exit 5A, Genesee Avenue eastbound, which leads east into the community of Serra Mesa. The next exit is Exit 5B, Genesee Avenue north. (Some maps say Genesee Avenue northbound is also San Diego County Route S-21, but we've not found any evidence of this in the field.) Photo taken 10/08/05.
Northbound California 163 at Exit 5B, Genesee Avenue northwestbound. This exit leads to the communities of Clairemont Mesa and Linda Vista. Photo taken 10/08/05.
Use Mesa College Drive west to Mesa College, a two-year community college. Follow Kearny Villa Road (old U.S. 395) northeast to Montgomery Field, a city airport designed for smaller aircraft. Photo taken 10/08/05.
Northbound California 163/Cabrillo Freeway reaches Exit 6, Mesa College Drive. As the name implies, this exit connects to Mesa College, a local public community college. Photo taken 10/08/05.
Upon exiting, the left two lanes connect to Mesa College Drive, the middle lane connects to Annrae Street, and the right two lanes turn onto Kearny Villa Road northbound. Photo taken 07/27/07.
The next exit along northbound is Exit 7A, Junction Interstate 805/Jacob Dekema. Interstate 805 leads north toward the industrial area of Sorrento Valley, then joins Interstate 5 near Carmel Valley/Torrey Hills. Photo taken 10/08/05.
Northbound California 163 splits with Interstate 805/Dekema (Inland) Freeway north at Exit 7A. There is no connection to Interstate 805 south. Photo taken 10/08/05.
The next exit along northbound California 163/Cabrillo Freeway is Exit 7B, Junction Former California 274/Balboa Avenue. California 274 was decommissioned in 2001, but signage for the old state route is still in place as of October 2005. Photo taken 10/08/05.
This mileage sign along northbound California 163 provides the distance to Exit 7B/Junction Former California 274/Balboa Avenue; Exit 8, Clairemont Mesa Boulevard; and Exits 9A-B, Junction California 52. Photo taken 10/08/05.
The two right lanes exit northbound California 163 and connects to both directions of Balboa Avenue. The ramp to eastbound connects to the frontage road (parallel Kearny Villa Road), which in turn connects to Balboa Avenue. Photo taken 07/18/04.
Northbound California 163 at Exit 7B, Junction Former California 274/Balboa Avenue. This is a modified cloverleaf interchange (as is Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, which is Exit 8 a mile north of here). Photo taken 07/18/04.
Now on the collector-distributor ramp, the two-lane offramp splits, with the right lane turning off to Kearny Villa Road, which is a frontage road parallel to California 163 to the east that connects to eastbound Balboa Avenue. Photo taken 07/18/04.
This smaller sign marks the gore point where the collector-distributor lane splits. Continue straight ahead to reach westbound. A replacement sign was installed in 2005. Photo taken 07/18/04 and 10/08/05.
Another mileage sign is posted on the Balboa Avenue overpass. It has the distance to the Clairemont Mesa Boulevard interchange and the distance to Junction California 52. Photo taken 07/18/04.
This overhead sign, located on the collector-distributor ramp in this modified cloverleaf interchange, marks the right lane for exit to westbound Balboa Avenue (former California 274, which is still signed here). The left lane returns to California 163 northbound. Photo taken 07/18/04.
Similar to the ramp to eastbound Balboa Avenue, the ramp to westbound Balboa meets Kearny Villa Road. To reach Balboa Avenue westbound, turn right at this traffic signal and then turn right again at the Balboa Avenue traffic signal. Note that California 274 was identified as a truck route (blue shield beneath the guide sign). Photo taken 07/18/04.
This is the gore point signage on the collector-distributor lane between the ramp to Kearny Villa Road (to westbound Balboa Avenue) and the continuation of the ramp back onto northbound California 163. Photo taken 10/08/05.
The next exit along northbound California 163/Cabrillo Freeway is Exit 8, Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. The northbound interchange was a modified cloverleaf, but the loop ramp to westbound Clairemont Mesa Boulevard was eliminated in 2007. The configuration shown in the 2007 photo shows the new sign and revised configuration. Photos taken 07/22/07 and 10/08/05.
Like the Balboa Avenue interchange, the Clairemont Mesa Boulevard interchange was a modified cloverleaf with a collector-distributor lane until 2007. By 2008, the interchange was reconfigured with all connections to Clairemont Mesa Boulevard afforded via the first ramp. The former loop ramp was eliminated at that time. Photos taken 07/22/07 and 10/08/05.
This is the gore point for the connection from northbound California 163 to eastbound Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. Photos taken 07/22/07 and 10/08/05.
The former loop ramp from the collector-distributor lane connects northbound California 163 is shown here where it used to connect to westbound Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. Note that the green California 163 shield covered an Interstate shield, so it is likely that the state shield was added to correct an error. This sign and exit ramp are now gone. Photo taken 10/08/05.
After the ramp to Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, there is another ramp that connects to Kearny Villa Road (the frontage road) that connects to the community of Kearny Mesa. Photo taken 10/08/05.
This mileage sign along California 163 north provides the distance to the final four exits: Exit 9A, Junction California 52 east to Mission Trails and Santee; Exit 9B, Junction California 52 west to La Jolla; Exit 10, Kearny Villa Road; and Exit 11, Junction Interstate 15/Escondido Freeway north. Photo taken 10/08/05.
California 52 is part of the San Diego Inner Loop, connecting La Jolla with Clairemont Mesa, Kearny Mesa, Tierrasanta, and Mission Trails Park. Upon reaching Santee, California 52 transitions onto southbound California 125, which carries the Inner Loop south to California 54/South Bay Freeway. California 54 returns the Inner Loop back to Interstate 5. Photo taken 10/08/05.
The movements at the interchange with California 52 is nearly full, with the exception of a transition from westbound California 52 to northbound California 163 and from southbound California 163 to eastbound California 52. In theory, those travelers would use Interstate 15 instead. This picture shows northbound California 163 at Junction Eastbound California 52 (Exit 9A); the following exit is Junction Westbound California 52 (Exit 9B). Photo taken 10/08/05.
The westbound exit for California 52 (Exit 9B) is a loop ramp from northbound. In the background, the flyover ramps connects westbound California 52 to southbound California 163. Continuing northbound, California 163 angles northeast in anticipation of its merge with northbound Interstate 15. Photo taken 10/08/05.
The next exit along northbound California 163 is Exit 10, Kearny Villa Road. This is the last interchange along northbound before California 163 subsumes into Interstate 15. Photo taken 10/08/05.
Continuing north, the next three exits are Exit 10, Kearny Villa Road; Exit 11, Junction Interstate 15; and Exit 13, Miramar Way. Photo taken 10/08/05.
The Interstate 15 Express Lanes, which offer a direct connection from the 163/15 merge north to the California 56 interchange, are generally open in the afternoons on northbound California 163. The express lanes require a carpool of two or more people (high occupancy vehicle or HOV). Motorists who have purchased transponders from SANDAG, the regional association of governments, may also use the lanes at a cost per use (which in essence is a toll for single occupancy vehicles to use these lanes). Photo taken 10/08/05.
Note that the ramp to the express lanes is located after the Kearny Villa Road offramp. Photo taken 10/08/05.
Northbound California 163 reaches Exit 10, Kearny Villa Road. The next ramp connects to the high occupancy vehicle express lanes for through traffic on northbound Interstate 15. Photo taken 10/08/05.
