California State Route 76
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| Route 76 | ||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 53 mi (85 km) | |||||||||||||||
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| Major cities: | Oceanside, CA Bonsall, CA Pala, CA Pauma Valley, CA Henshaw, CA |
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| Direction: | East-West | |||||||||||||||
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State Route 76 is a 53 mile highway through northern San Diego County, California, also known as the "San Luis Rey Mission Expressway". It begins at Interstate 5 near Oceanside, California. It quickly has an interchange with Interstate 5, then becomes an expressway through Oceanside. For the next four miles it remains this way, much of this expressway having been built in 1996 and 1998. Then CA-76 narrows down to a two-lane highway, with plans to expand it. CA-76 goes through Bonsall and intersects the old routing of U.S. Highway 395 and Interstate 15. CA-76 then goes through Pauma Valley, passes by the Pala Mission and the turnoff to Temecula, and passes San Diego County Route S7 and San Diego County Route S6, the turnoff to Palomar Mountain. and traverses to State Route 79, near Lake Henshaw, California.
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[edit] History
Before 1994 all of CA-76 was a two-lane highway, running on Oceanside's Mission Avenue. A four lane expressway bypass was constructed beginning in 1994. The first four miles (from Interstate 5 to Mission Avenue east of Foussat Road) opened to traffic in 1996. The next stretch (from Mission Avenue to College Blvd.) opened in early 1999. The final stretch between College Blvd. and Jefferies Ranch Road was opened in late 1999. Because the expressway was constructed on top of Mission Avenue east of Old Grove Road, Mission Avenue was rerouted onto a new alignment that connected to Frazee Road. However, Mission Avenue is still fragmented today, and does not exist between Frazee Road and Jefferies Ranch Road, where the expressway ends.
CA-76 used to connect to US-395; however, the latter was decommissioned.
[edit] Future aspirations
There are plans to extend the expressway all the way to I-15; however, this may not happen until the late 2000's. The road east of Mission Road may be rerouted onto a new alignment. Because of the high level of traffic that goes between the 5 and the 15 (since the next major east-west route north of the 76 is State Route 74, and it is not suitable for trucks; the next route north is the very congested State Route 91), the expansion of CA-76 is badly needed. It is unlikely that the routing of CA-76 east of I-15 will be widened until 2020 or later.
[edit] State law
Legal Definition of Route 76: California Streets and Highways Code, Chapter 2, Article 3, Section 376
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Route 76 is part of the Freeway and Expressway System, as stated by section 253.5 of the California State Highway Code. |
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Route 76 is part of the Scenic Highway System, as stated by section 263.1 of the California State Highway Code. |
[edit] Notes
Lately this expressway has become dangerous, with signs being placed saying "Safe Driving on 76 Is No Accident".
The expressway part of this highway is also named for Tony Zeppetella, an Oceanside police officer killed in the line of duty.
