County Route G5 (California)

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County Route G5

Foothill Expressway
Length	7.24 miles
Direction	South/North
From	Interstate 280 in Cupertino
Major junctions
To	Page Mill Road in Palo Alto
Major cities	Cupertino, Los Altos, Palo Alto
Established	1962
System	Santa Clara County Expressway System

County Route G5, more often referred to as Foothill Expressway, is a 4 lane, 7.24 mile (11.6 km) long, north-south route in Santa Clara County. G5 connects Palo Alto, California to the Silicon Valley proper closely paralleling I-280 through the lower Santa Cruz Mountains foothills. This route is part of the Santa Clara County Expressway System.

1 Route Summary
2 History & Legislative Status
3 Landmarks and Points of Interest
4 Major Cities
5 See also

[edit] Route Summary

Foothill Expressway

G5 begins at its southern end at I-280 in Cupertino, California. It proceeds north directly east of I-280 making it a viable alternative route for short trips between Cupertino and Palo Alto. The road is a 4 lane expressway along its entire route. Access is generally limited to major intersections that are governed by traffic lights. G5 travels through several affluent neighborhoods in Los Altos before climbing up into the foothills to its northern terminus at the intersection with Page Mill Road (G3). The physical road continues north as Junipero Serra Blvd. and passes the back entrances to Stanford University.

[edit] History & Legislative Status

G5 was designated in 1962 and is currently signed its entire length. Studies are currently being considered for widening G5 to 6 lanes.

The route is built upon an old railroad right-of-way. The buildings along the route at Loyola Corners in Los Altos are actually historical railroad station buildings.

In 1970 one of the first scientific designed noise barriers in the nation was conceived for Foothill Expressway in a study overseen by the Santa Clara County Public Works Department using Sunnyvale consultant ESL Inc.