California 259 is a very short freeway connection between westbound California 30 (Future California 210)/southbound Interstate 215 and northbound Interstate 215/eastbound California 30. The only interchanges in between the two freeways are one for Business California 18/30 - Highland Avenue and another for Base Line Street. Since the route is very short, it is not signed as California 259. Northbound, it is signed for eastbound California 30/210, and southbound, it is signed for southbound Interstate 215.
California 259 North
Northbound California 259 approaching Business California 18-30, Highland Avenue. This advance sign is the only indication that Highland Avenue is the business route for California 18 and California 30. Business California 30 is easy to determine: California 30 used to be routed along Highland Avenue, and when the freeway was built to the north, the business route remained along the old alignment. Shields are in place to designate the business route for California 30 along Highland Avenue. With the recommissioning of California 30 as California 210, it is unclear if the business route along Highland Avenue will be signed as Business California 210. The business designation for California 18 is shrouded in history: California 18 used to extend southwest of its current terminus along California 30 via California 259, Interstate 215, and (roughly) via California 91. During the time when California 18 was a freeway along Interstate 215 and California 259, its old alignment through San Bernardino was made into a business route. Now that California 18 is no longer routed on the freeways, its business route is orphaned, but the signage for it remains, both here and on Highland Avenue. Photo taken 05/01/02.
Northbound California 259 at Highland Avenue, Business California 18 and Business California 30. Photo taken 05/01/02.
Offramp from northbound California 259 onto Highland Avenue. It seems as if a shield were removed from this assembly, as it only shows California 30 and not California 18. Note the absence of business banners above the shields. The freeway entrance signs in the background show California 30, since California 259 is unsigned. For the return on southbound California 259, the freeway entrance assemblies have an Interstate 215 shield. Photo taken
As shown in this picture, signage for California 18 remains at the base of the offramp from northbound California 259 onto Highland Avenue. There are no "Business" banners on this particular shield assembly. Notice how the California 30 shield points traffic onto the ramp back onto northbound California 259, while California 18 points in both directions. Photo taken 05/01/02.
California 259 South
Southbound California 259 at the Base Line Street exit in between California 30 and Interstate 215. Photo taken 05/01/02.
Southbound California 259 merge onto southbound Interstate 215. Photo taken 05/01/02.
