California State Route 58
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| Route 58 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 241 mi (388 km) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Formed: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Major cities: | Santa Margarita, CA Buttonwillow, CA Bakersfield, CA Tehachapi, CA Mojave, CA Barstow, CA |
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| Direction: | East-West | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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State Route 58 is an east-west highway across the southern San Joaquin Valley, the Tehachapi Mountains, which borders the southern Sierra Nevada, and the Mojave Desert between its western terminus near Santa Margarita, California (junction U.S. Route 101) and Barstow, California (junction Interstate 15). It has junctions with Interstate 5 near Buttonwillow, State Route 99 in Bakersfield, State Route 202 in Tehachapi, State Route 14 near Mojave, and U.S. Highway 395 at Kramer Junction. Route 58 gives good access to Edwards Air Force Base.
Route 58 is a freeway between Bakersfield, California and several miles east of Mojave (a freeway bypass of Mojave was completed in 2004), except for two grade-level intersections two miles apart in the Caliente area. There is another grade level intersection east of Mojave and west of the main Edwards AFB north gate exit where California City Blvd. intersects it. Other freeway segments are bypasses of Boron and Barstow. Except for the Boron freeway bypass, CA 58 is a four lane expressway (two lanes per direction) just east of Boron up to the Barstow bypass segment.
Route 58 takes the southernmost route through the Sierra Nevada and allows motorists to travel between the Central Valley and points to the east, such as Las Vegas, Nevada and Phoenix, Arizona without having to face the extreme traffic congestion of greater Los Angeles. Route 58 is the only freeway to cross the Sierra Nevada range south of I-80, the only other freeway to cross the Sierra's. The route also offers an alternative to the often treacherous Donner Pass to truckers traveling from the San Francisco Bay Area to points eastward; prior to the construction of Interstate 80, the road (as U.S. 466) was heavily used for this purpose. California has long sought federal funds for an extension of Interstate 40 west of Barstow; any such extension would use the general path of Route 58, if not existing highway, as far west at least as Bakersfield, whose rapid growth has made it a significant generator of traffic in its own right. The desired highway is being built piecemeal as Caltrans has funds available.
Route 58 west of Buttonwillow is a winding mountain road through a thinly-populated area. Alternatives such as State Route 46 to the north or State Route 166 to the south are recommended. However, this section of CA 58 does pass through the Carrizo Plain National Monument, which is known for its scenic beauty and geological features, including the San Andreas Fault.
[edit] History
Route 58 did not exist until 1964, when California decommissioned U.S. Highway 466, which was renamed CA 58 between Bakersfield and Barstow. West of Bakersfield, Route 58 incorporated the route of California State Highway 178. Note that US 466 west of Bakersfield largely became CA 46.
The Eastern Terminus was originally at the I-15 north of Barstow. Route 58 was rerouted to I-15 in Barstow south of the I-40 interchange. The former Eastern terminus is now known as "Old Highway 58."
[edit] State law
Legal Definition of Route 58: California Streets and Highways Code, Chapter 2, Article 3, Section 358
| Route 58 is part of the Freeway and Expressway System, as stated by section 253.4 of the California State Highway Code. |
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Route 58 is part of the Scenic Highway System, as stated by section 263.5 of the California State Highway Code. |
[edit] Other names
- Blue Star Memorial Highway: Runs the entire length of the highway.
- Kern County Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway: From Route 184 to the Kern County / San Bernardino County line. Named for the approximately 8.120 veterans of the Korean War who came from Kern County.
- Rosa Parks Highway: From Route 99 to Route 184. Named after civil rights activist Rosa Parks.
Source: 2004 Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances In California
[edit] Other Landmarks
[edit] External links
