Interstate 5 parallels the Sacramento River as it enters the metropolitan area. At some points lower than the nearby riverbed, Interstate 5 snakes through a depressed section of freeway as it passes through downtown Sacramento. The freeway emerges on the north side to meet Interstate 80, then continues to the Sacramento International Airport, the Sacramento River Bridge, the northern Central Valley, following old U.S. 99W. Interstate 5 is the major north-south corridor for the movement of goods and services along the West Coast, and the traffic delays in the city of Sacramento have created some ideas of either relocating the freeway to a new alignment or creating a bypass around the city. Such talk is in the preliminary stages and may result in a very expensive project.
Interstate 80 is the region's primary east-west route, following Old U.S. 40. It begins in the San Francisco Bay Area, then heads northeast into Sacramento via Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville, and Davis. Interstate 80 used to follow Business Loop I-80 into the city, but it was rerouted in the 1980s to follow old Interstate 880 around Sacramento to the north. Interstate 80 continues northeast into suburbia, passing through a variety of bedroom communities on its way up the hill to Donner Pass and Truckee. The freeway continues its cross-country journey, entering Reno as the next city of significance.
Business Loop I-80 is the Capital City Freeway. It is the original route of Interstate 80 prior to the mid-1980s when it was renumbered due to substandard segments of the Elvas Freeway. Business Loop I-80 is hidden Interstate 305 between Interstate 80 in West Sacramento and California 99 in Sacramento, and it is hidden California 51 between California 99 and Interstate 80/California 244 (Auburn Boulevard).
U.S. 40 is the historic route of Interstate 80. It is signed in some areas with brown shields, but it is generally difficult to follow without a good old map. In West Sacramento, it is signed with a black and white shield along West Capitol Avenue.
U.S. 50 is the primary freeway leading from Lake Tahoe, Carson City, and central Nevada. It rapidly changes from a two-lane mountain highway into a ten-lane freeway as it enters Sacramento. Ending at the Interstate 80 interchange in West Sacramento, no signs herald the end of this important transcontinental route. However, there is a mileage sign along eastbound that shows the distance to Ocean City, Maryland, the eastern terminus of U.S. 50.
California 99 is Historic U.S. 99 as it approaches the capital city from the south. Joining with Business Loop I-80 and silently merging onto Interstate 5 northbound, California 99 is hard to locate without a map from downtown Sacramento. The freeway frees itself from Interstate 5 just east of the Sacramento International Airport, and it continues north into the Sacramento Valley, serving Yuba City and Chico en route to Redding.
California 16 is a split route, with the western segment connecting California 20 in Colusa County with Interstate 5 in Woodland. At one time, California 16 continued into downtown Sacramento via Sacramento Avenue, but it was decommissioned in the city center. The eastern segment of California 16 begins at its junction with U.S. 50 and continues southeast toward the Gold Country. See California 16 page for more.
California 84 is Jefferson Boulevard, a north-south route leading from the delta north into West Sacramento. This route is not signed in Yolo County but is mileposted. In Solano County, it is signed. See California 84 page for more.
California 160 is now a split route, having the portion through downtown decommissioned in the early 2000s. The northern segment is the North Sacramento Freeway, and the southern segment follows the Sacramento River via Freeport Boulevard en route to the California Delta. See California 160 page for more.
Former California 275 was decommissioned in 1999. Now planned to be renamed as "Capitol Gateway," is the short Jefferson Avenue off ramp and brief freeway between Business Loop I-80 and the Tower Bridge. This route is not signed but some mileposts remain. According to the West Sacramento City Webpage, now that West Sacramento has control of the roadway, it is proposing to rename it as "Capitol Gateway." According to the report: "Originally built in the 1940s as a bypass of West Capitol Avenue, the road segment now serves as a high speed, limited access connection between U.S. 50/Business Loop I-80 and the Tower Bridge. Planned intersection improvements – including the Riske Lane intersection that is the subject of the City’s application to SACOG’s Community Design funding program – will significantly alter the nature and function of (former) State Route 275. With the addition of three at-grade intersections, at Third Street/South River Road, Fifth Street, and Riske Lane/Garden Street, It will no longer be a controlled access freeway. The vision for the future is as a major arterial with landscaped edges, more akin to a parkway. While still providing a high-capacity through route linking the Tower Bridge and US50/Business 80, the street will also serve emerging West Sacramento neighborhoods better." The conversion of former California 275 from a freeway into a parkway with at least three additional at-grade intersections is partially funded through a grant from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) in July 2004, and the first intersection is currently under environmental review. Construction of the first intersection is tentatively scheduled to begin for Summer 2005. (Thanks to Maureen Pascoe for the latest construction and funding information.)
California 275
California 275, a short freeway between Business Loop I-80 in Sacramento and the foot of the bridge over the Sacramento River, was decommissioned and returned to local maintenance in October 1999. However, some relics of this former designation still exist. These particular pictures show a milepost located inside a fence along eastbound California 275 as it approaches the bridge. Photos taken by Jerry Mullady, 04/99.
Historic Rainbow Bridge in Folsom
Views of the Rainbow Bridge over the American River in Folsom as seen from the Cliff House. This is an early generation concrete arch bridge. Photo taken 04/01/04.
Views of the Rainbow Bridge over the American River as seen along southbound. As noted by the historical sign, the bridge was constructed in 1917. Photo taken 04/01/04.
Historic Rainbow Bridge in Folsom
Views of the Folsom Boulevard Bridge over the American River/Lake Natoma as seen from a pathway along the south shore. This is a much newer bridge than the Rainbow bridge located upstream in Folsom. The final two photos show the bridge as seen from the Rainbow Bridge, looking west at the newer bridge. Photos taken 04/01/04.
