Interstate 5 is the most important highway in California, connecting the state from the rural extremes of the north to the vastly populated urbanscape of the south. The freeway is the lifeline of the state, connecting to most of the major population centers, including Southern California, the Central Valley, Sacramento, and Northern California.
This freeway was built in stages between the 1950s and the 1980s, with the last segment opening along a rural stretch north of Redding. Interstate 5 replaced U.S. 99 for much of its journey in the state, from downtown Los Angeles north to the Oregon State Line. Even though California 99, the successor to U.S. 99 in the Central Valley, is still an extant freeway of its own, most through traffic opts for Interstate 5, including the Los Angeles to San Francisco traffic.
Interstate 5 Photo Journey
Since Interstate 5 covers some 798 miles on its north-south journey, the roadtrip page is split to accommodate all of the photos along this route. Here is a breakdown of the northbound pages:
The following provides a brief overview of the history of Interstate 5 in San Diego, as well as a glimpse into some future projects recently revealed for the freeway:
1954. $1,335,000 was spent on 1.4-mile segment of U.S. 101 to bypass Mission Bay Drive around Balboa Avenue (California 274). This section of the U.S. 101 freeway is commonly referred to as the "Balboa Avenue Bypass" until it is linked with the Pacific Highway segment of the U.S. 101 freeway by 1959.
1955. The last of several contracts for the construction of the U.S. 101 freeway between the south city limits of Carlsbad and Camp Pendleton was completed.
1957-1958. Montgomery Freeway (U.S. 101) between Mexican Border and National City upgraded to full freeway status with completion of interchanges at Dairy Mart Road, 27th Street, and Palomar Street. Planning between the Federal General Services Administration and the California Dept of Highways and Public Works begins for an expansion of the Port of Entry (POE) at San Ysidro border crossing.
1958. Planning begins on construction of U.S. 101 freeway between north city limits of San Diego and south city limits of Carlsbad, via Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, and Leucadia with the approval of the State Highway Commission. There are no budgeted plans to convert U.S. 101 through Camp Pendleton into a four-lane freeway at this time.
1958-1959. Pacific Highway segment of U.S. 101 under construction to be converted to full freeway standards between Laurel Street and Barnett Avenue. During the 1960s, this alignment is abandoned in favor a new alignment over India Street. This section of Pacific Highway is still maintained as a freeway by the City of San Diego today, complete with old signage.
1959-1960. U.S. 101 freeway under construction between National City and San Diego. This freeway will connect several discontinuous segments of San Diego regional freeways, including California 94 (Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway), U.S. 80 (Interstate 8), U.S. 395 (SR-163), and the City of San Diego's Wabash Boulevard (California 15). The U.S. 395 four-level interchange is considered to be the most extensive and complex interchange of the new U.S. 101 freeway construction. The section of U.S. 101 between Market and Laurel Streets is projected to cost $13,000,000 in Fiscal Year 1960.
1962. A Texaco Map shows U.S. 101 at freeway grade along the Montgomery Freeway in the South Bay, at the Balboa Avenue Bypass, and around Carlsbad and Oceanside. U.S. 101 is routed along current Gilman Drive, which used to bisect the University of California at San Diego campus. Today, this old alignment is removed from service.
1966-1967. Entire Interstate 5 (U.S. 101) freeway complete between National City north to Rosecrans Street, while it is under construction through Rose Canyon north of Balboa Avenue Bypass. Ardath Road and future California 52 interchange also under construction as a part of this project. Old Mission Bay Drive near Balboa Avenue commissioned as Business Loop I-5, which is still signed today.
Late 1960s. Interstate 5 constructed and opened to traffic between Friars Road and De Anza Cove on east bank of Mission Bay.
1971. Entire Interstate 5 freeway completed; remaining U.S. 101 signs are removed.
1970s. Business Loop I-5 routed along Pacific Highway and Harbor Drive briefly in the early 1970s, although some maps show this designation as late as the 1990s. Signage is gone by the late 1970s.
Mid-1995. Phase One of Interstate 5/805/California 56 interchange upgrade ($52,000,000).
Early 1996. Southbound auxiliary lanes completed along Interstate 5 in Del Mar area ($8,000,000).
1999. Interstate 5 High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV/Carpool) Lanes at Interstate 5/Interstate 805/California 56 merge under construction, and direct connections from northbound Interstate 5 to eastbound California 56 and from westbound California 56 to southbound Interstate 5 are completed. Other direct transitions at this interchange (southbound to eastbound and westbound to northbound) are proposed but remain unfunded. As for the HOV lanes, the lanes between Interstate 805 and Del Mar Heights Road are completed, additional HOV lanes will be constructed between Del Mar Heights Road and Birmingham Drive. By 2020, HOV lanes are planned extend all the way to California 76 in Oceanside.
Spring 2000. Plans announced to realign the Interstate 5/San Ysidro border crossing into Mexico with an unspecified completion date.
Summer 2000. Additional details provided on the proposed dual freeway for Interstate 5 from Interstate 805 north to Del Mar Heights Road. The local planning agency, SANDAG, hopes to widen the existing eight-lane freeway by adding two HOV express lanes and a six-lane outer separation ("dual freeway") for all trucks and local traffic exiting at Carmel Valley Road or California 56. This project, conducted in five stages, will cost over $170 million. The construction of the dual freeway began with the two new northbound lanes between Carmel Mountain Road and Del Mar Heights Road along Interstate 5. This construction started in 1995 and is ongoing with the recent completion of the first connections to California 56. Plans call for this segment of Interstate 5 to be 12 to 14 lanes wide. By 2003, there will be three lanes on either side of the main freeway. These three lanes will handle local traffic, while the main four lanes handle through traffic. Right-of-way for this expansion has already been secured, although some sound walls may need to be constructed as mitigation to the freeway's neighbors.
Spring 2001. Caltrans announces a signage replacement program for all Interstate highways in the state, and these signs will feature exit numbers. The first such sign along Interstate 5 in San Diego County is for Exit 1B, Via de San Ysidro, along northbound.
Many thanks to Merle F. McClelland for his assistance in creating this historical chronology.
Scenes Pertaining to Interstate 5
The Central Valley looms as we look north on Interstate 5/Golden State Freeway on the Grapevine grade. The eight-lane freeway is one of the busiest rural freeways in the state, as it serves part of the main route from Northern California to Los Angeles. Photo taken 09/25/05.
Now looking south from the same vantage point, Interstate 5 climbs the Grapevine grade toward Fort Tejon. Photo taken 09/25/05.
A 1933 concrete culvert provides drainage under the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 on the Grapevine section of the Golden State Freeway. This particular culvert is located just south of the water turnoff. Photos taken 09/25/05.
Interstate 5 travels through the Grapevine in order to ascend from the Central Valley into the Tehachapi Mountains. This view of the Grapevine grade is seen from Digier Road near the Fort Tejon interchange (Exit 210). The single-slab, concrete segment can be seen in the next suite of photos. Photo taken 09/25/05.
Within the Grapevine, this section of single-slab concrete old alignment of U.S. 99 is located near the "Exit 210, Fort Tejon One Mile" advance sign. While cleaning the highway in 2005, we were able to walk this rarely seen stretch of old alignment. Most of these photos are taken while walking along what would be southbound U.S. 99 except the last two photos, which face northbound U.S. 99. Photos taken 09/25/05.
This sign for Interstate 5 north is unusual because it still shows the original U.S. 99 designation on the sign. Prior to its signs being removed in the years after 1964 (the year it was officially decommissioned), Interstate 5 and U.S. 99 were cosigned in Kern County south of the Exit 221 merge. Note the outline of a former U.S. 99 shield on the right side of this sign. The sign is located on southbound Lebec Service Road near Exit 207. Photos taken 09/25/05.
At Exit 207 (Lebec), this trailblazer shield points the way to Interstate 5/Golden Freeway north on the Lebec Service Road (on the east side of the freeway; Old U.S. 99 is located on the west side of Interstate 5 at Exit 207). Photo taken 09/25/05.
In the same vicinity, now traveling north on Lebec Service Road near Exit 207, this sign points the way to Lebec by crossing over Interstate 5 to the west. To Interstate 5 north to Bakersfield (the official control city is Sacramento; this sign was added before most signs were changed from Bakersfield to Sacramento), use Lebec Service Road north. The previous trailblazer shield can be seen in context. Photo taken 09/25/05.
