Interstate 680 departs Contra Costa County and enters Alameda County as it passes under the Alcosta Boulevard bridge. The next exit along southbound is Exit 30B, Junction Interstate 580 east to Tracy, Stockton, and Interstate 5. Photos taken 11/27/07 and 07/04/06.
For the city of Tracy, use Interstate 580 east (Exit 30B). This sign used to be located between the Interstate 680 reassurance shield and the upcoming exits mileage sign. As seen in the 2006 photo, this sign has since been removed. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 07/04/06.
The next three exits along southbound are: Exit 30B, Junction Interstate 580 east; Exit 30A, Junction Interstate 580 west; and Exit 29, Stoneridge Drive. Photo taken 07/04/06.
Southbound Interstate 680 approaches Exits 30B-A, Junction Interstate 580, in Dublin. This sign was replaced recently with a reflective sign as a result of the Interstate 580/680 interchange reconstruction project. During the construction project, a flyover ramp was built to allow for Interstate 680 south traffic to merge directly onto eastbound Interstate 580 at freeway speeds rather than having to use a cloverleaf loop ramp. Photo taken 07/04/06.
As part of Exit 30B/Interstate 580 east is a ramp to Dublin Boulevard, which is the second and final Dublin exit. South of Interstate 580, Interstate 680 leaves Dublin and enters the city of Pleasanton. Incorporated in 1894, Pleasanton has 63,654 people as of 2000 Census and is located at the crossroads of Interstate 680 and Interstate 580. Photo taken 07/04/06.
First, southbound Interstate 680 reaches Exit 30B, which provides a flyover ramp from southbound to eastbound Interstate 580 en route to the Central Valley. This ramp replaces the loop of a former modified cloverleaf interchange. Photo taken 07/04/06.
Now on the transition ramp from southbound Interstate 680 to eastbound Interstate 580, the ramp for Dublin Boulevard is made from the right lane. Note the signage for the ramp to westbound Interstate 580 (Exit 30A) in the background. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The next exit along the Interstate 680 south to Interstate 580 east transition ramp is for Hopyard Road/Dougherty Road. Photo taken 07/06/04.
The transition ramp is almost concluded, as the ramp to Hopyard Road/Dougherty Road is accessed from the right lane. The two left lanes continue directly onto eastbound Interstate 580. Photo taken 07/06/04.
Back on the mainline, the next ramp connects Interstate 680 south with Interstate 580 west. Believe it or not, this interchange used to be a modified cloverleaf. With the new flyover ramp from Interstate 680 south to Interstate 580 east, traffic moves much more efficiently through this interchange. Photo taken 07/04/06.
Next, southbound Interstate 680 reaches Exit 30A, Junction Interstate 580 west to Dublin and Oakland. The next exit is Exit 29, Stoneridge Drive. Photos taken 07/06/04 and 07/04/06.
After the Interstate 580 interchange, the right two lanes prepare to exit from southbound Interstate 680 onto Exit 29, Stoneridge Drive. The left four lanes continue south on Interstate 680. Photo taken 11/27/07.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 680 is Exit 26, Bernal Avenue. Photo taken 11/27/07.
This mileage sign along southbound Interstate 680 provides the distance to Fremont (12 miles) and San Jose (26 miles). Photo taken 11/27/07.
The next two interchanges serve the city of Pleasanton. Photo taken 11/27/07.
Use Exit 26/Bernal Avenue east to downtown Pleasanton. This older button copy sign is porcelain enamel. Photo taken 11/27/07.
Use Exit 26/Bernal Avenue east to the Alameda County Fairgrounds and train station. Photo taken 11/27/07.
Southbound Interstate 680 reaches Exit 26, Bernal Avenue. Follow Bernal Avenue east to the Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton Fairways Golf Course, Library, Civic Center, and Centennial Park (via Sunol Boulevard). Photo taken 11/27/07.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 680 is Exit 25, Sunol Boulevard/Castlewood Drive. After this exit, Interstate 680 will depart the city of Pleasanton and pass through several miles of unincorporated Alameda County (including the town of Sunol), then eventually enter the city of Fremont near Exit 18, Vargas Road. Photo taken 11/27/07.
This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits along southbound Interstate 680: Exit 25, Sunol Boulevard/Castlewood Drive; Exit 22, Sunol; and Exit 21, Junction California 84 east to Livermore and west to Fremont and the Dumbarton Bridge. Exit 21 also connects to Calaveras Road. Photo taken 11/27/07.
After the offramp for Exit 25 (Sunol Boulevard), this mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits along southbound Interstate 680: Exit 22, Sunol; Exit 21, Junction California 84 east to Livermore and west to Fremont and the Dumbarton Bridge and Calaveras Road south; and Exit 20, Andrade Road/Sheridan Road. Photo taken 11/27/07.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 680 is Exit 22, Sunol. Photo taken 11/27/07.
Exit 22 is a half diamond interchange that only serves southbound Interstate 680. There is no direct reentry to southbound from Exit 22, although traffic may connect onto Pleasanton-Sunol Road south to California 84/Paloma Road east back to Interstate 680. Another Sunol exit is located at Exit 21A, which is the junction with California 84 west to Sunol and Niles Canyon. Photo taken 11/27/07.
Southbound Interstate 680 reaches Exit 22, which connects to Pleasanton-Sunol Road (old California 21) south to Sunol. The old state highway follows Interstate 680 to the west of the freeway. Photo taken 11/27/07.
The next exit on southbound Interstate 680 is Exit 21A, Junction California 84 west to the Dumbarton Bridge and east to Livermore. Photo taken 11/27/07.
The next three exits on southbound Interstate 680 are Exit 21A, Junction California 84; Exit 20, Andrade Road/Sheridan Road; and Exit 18, Vargas Road. note that there is a truck restriction for westbound California 84/Niles Canyon Road. Photo taken 11/27/07.
An auxiliary sign advises that Exit 21A serves California 84 east to Livermore. This connection is a bit odd, since you have to exit here, then backtrack onto a loop ramp to reconnect to California 84 east. It is not clear if a future Exit 21B is planned for an eventual direct connection from Interstate 680 south to California 84 east. Photo taken 11/27/07.
Southbound Interstate 680 reaches Exit 21A, Junction California 84 west to the Dumbarton Bridge and east to Livermore. At the base of the ramp, turn left to California 84 east and right to California 84 west. Photo taken by 11/27/07.
The next exit on southbound Interstate 680 is Exit 20, Andrade Road/Sheridan Road. Photo taken 11/27/07.
This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits on southbound Interstate 680: Exit 20, Andrade Road/Sheridan Road; Exit 18, Vargas Road; and Exit 16, Junction California 238/Mission Boulevard north to Hayward and Mission Boulevard south to the Mission San Jose district of the city of Fremont. note that there is a truck restriction for westbound California 84/Niles Canyon Road. Photo taken 11/27/07.
Southbound Interstate 680 reaches Exit 20, Andrade Road/Sheridan Road. Use this exit to Sunol Valley Golf Course and to Mission Road (frontage road). Photo taken 11/27/07.
The next exit on southbound Interstate 680 is Exit 18, Vargas Road. Photo taken 11/27/07.
After the Andrade Road/Sheridan Road interchange, Interstate 680 climbs out of Sunol Valley toward Fremont. A fifth climbing lane on the right and a high occupancy vehicle (carpool) lane on the left comes into play here. Photo taken 11/27/07.
Toward the top of the grade is another advance sign for Exit 18, Vargas Road (0.75 mile). Photo taken 11/27/07.
Interstate 680 enters the city of Fremont. Incorporated on January 23, 1956, the city of Fremont is home to 203,413 people as of the 2000 Census and was formed from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Irvington, Mission San Jose, Niles, and Warm Springs. The city consists of 87.1 square miles and is named for John C. Fremont, the Great Pathfinder. Photo taken 11/27/07.
The next six exits along southbound Interstate 680 serve city of Fremont: Exit 18, Vargas Road; Exit 16, Junction California 238/Mission Boulevard; Exit 15, Washington Boulevard; Exit 14, Durham Road; Exit 12, Junction California 262/Mission Boulevard; and Exit 10, Scott Creek Road. Photo taken 11/27/07.
The next exit on southbound Interstate 680 is Exit 16, Junction California 238/Mission Boulevard. A green overlay panel covers the word "Fremont" on this sign. Photo taken 11/27/07.
This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits along southbound Interstate 680: Exit 16, Junction California 238/Mission Boulevard; Exit 15 Washington Boulevard; and Exit 14, Durham Road. Photo taken 11/27/07.
A reassurance shield and scenic route sign are posted on southbound after the on ramp from Vargas Road. Photo taken 11/27/07.
Use Exit 16/Mission Boulevard south to the historic Mission San Jose de Guadalupe and to Ohlone College. Photo taken 11/27/07.
Use California 238/Mission Boulevard north to the Fremont Amtrak Station. Photo taken 11/27/07.
Southbound Interstate 680 reaches Exit 16, Junction California 238/Mission Boulevard to Fremont. From here, California 238 travels north Union City and Hayward. Plans originally called for California 238 to be bypassed by the Mission Freeway, but that bypass has been cancelled. Road improvements to Mission Boulevard may be implemented to help improve capacity on this busy state highway. At the north end, California 238 connects directly onto Interstate 238, a major east-west freeway connector between San Leandro and unincorporated Castro Valley. Photo taken 11/27/07.
The next three exits along southbound Interstate 680 are Exit 15, Washington Boulevard; Exit 14, Durham Road; and Exit 12, Junction California 262/Mission Boulevard. Photo taken 11/29/04.
Southbound Interstate 680 next approaches Exit 15, Washington Boulevard. Washington Boulevard travels east into Mission San Jose and west toward the Irvington District of Fremont, the Fremont Hub Center, and the current south end of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) System at the Fremont Station via Mowry Avenue. The BART station is located a good distance away from the freeway. Follow Washington Street west to Fremont Boulevard, then take Fremont Boulevard northwest to Mowry Avenue. Turn northeast (right) on Mowry Avenue and follow it all the way the BART Station (follow the signs). Eventually, BART will extend south to San Jose, but for now, the Fremont Station is the southernmost point on the BART system. Photo taken 11/29/04.
Soon thereafter, Interstate 680 south reaches Exit 15, Washington Boulevard. Photo taken 11/29/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 680 is Exit 14, Durham Road. The overpass for Washington Boulevard is found immediately behind this sign. Photo taken 11/29/04.
This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits along southbound Interstate 680: Exit 14, Durham Road; Exit 12, Junction California 262/Mission Boulevard; and Exit 10, Scott Creek Road. After this mileage sign, Interstate 680 turns due south at the same point where the proposed and now dead California 238/Mission Freeway interchange would have been located. Photo taken 11/29/04.
Until May 2002, stub ramps and a short section of freeway was in place here for the proposed connection to California 238/Mission Freeway north. However, with a needed widening of Interstate 680 (new high occupancy vehicle lane), the stub ramp was removed. There was little chance then and even less chance now that the Mission Freeway project would be resumed, so the removal makes sense (although the bridge over the southbound lanes was never used). The grading for the original proposed interchange can be seen here. Some remnant concrete from the lanes is probably also still present, although it cannot be seen from Interstate 680 itself. Photos taken 11/27/07.
Another sign for Exit 14, Durham Road is posted as we leave the immediate vicinity of the formerly planned California 238/Mission Freeway merge point. Photo taken 11/27/07.
An amazing number of Pacific Gas and Electric power lines (mostly 230 kV) cross over Interstate 680 just before the Durham Road interchange. Photo taken 11/27/07.
Southbound Interstate 680 reaches Exit 14, Durham Road. The next interchange is Exit 12, Junction California 262 west to Interstate 880. Photo taken 11/27/07.
California 262 connects Interstate 680 with Interstate 880 in Mountain View via Mission Boulevard. This formerly unsigned route follows what used to be part of California 238 before it was retracted to its current alignment. Photo taken 11/27/07.
The right lane becomes exit only for Exit 12, Junction California 262/Mission Boulevard west. These overhead signs reflect the only place where California 262 is signed in the field currently, but that will likely change once a construction project to improve California 262 is complete. Photo taken 11/27/07.
Southbound Interstate 680 reaches Exit 12, Junction California 262/Mission Boulevard west to Interstate 880/Nimitz Freeway. The next exit is Scott Creek Road. Photo taken 11/27/07.
Exit 12 is a modified cloverleaf. The first ramp connects to California 262 west to Interstate 880, and the second ramp connects to Mission Boulevard north to Mission San Jose. This is the same Mission Boulevard that Interstate 680 met at Exit 16 (south end of California 238). Photo taken 11/27/07.
The ramp at Exit 12, Junction California 262/Mission Boulevard splits at this gore point. Photo taken 11/27/07.
Back on the mainline, southbound Interstate 680 next approaches Exit 10, Scott Creek Road. This is the final interchange serving the city of Fremont and marks the transition from Alameda County to Santa Clara County. Photo taken 11/29/04.
The next three exits on southbound Interstate 680 are Exit 10, Scott Creek Road; Exit 9, Jacklin Road; and Exit 8, Junction California 237/Calaveras Boulevard to Central Milpitas. Photo taken 11/29/04.
Southbound Interstate 680 reaches Exit 10, Scott Creek Road. Shortly after this interchange, Interstate 680 leaves Alameda County and enters Santa Clara County. Photo taken 11/29/04.
