U.S. Route 101 Bypass (California)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Two segments of Bypass U.S. Highway 101 existed in California, one in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the other in the Los Angeles area.

The San Francisco Bay area segment ran between San Francisco, California and San Jose, California, along the current (freeway) route of U.S. 101, this route was typically signed as US101A and was named the Bayshore Highway. The original (surface) routing is now California State Route 82 mostly named El Camino Real and Monterey Highway. This realignment took place in 1964.

The Los Angeles segment existed only from sometime in the 1940s until circa 1955, when the Santa Ana Freeway was completed. This segment began at Whittier Blvd and Indiana St in East Los Angeles, and followed Indiana St south to Olympic Blvd; then east on Olympic Blvd to Telegraph Road. It continued on Telegraph Road to the city of Downey, and then turned south on Rosemead Blvd to Firestone Blvd. The route followed Firestone Blvd, which changed into Manchester Avenue in Orange County, where it rejoined U.S. 101 in the city of Anaheim.

Circa 1955, the US 101 signs and the Bypass US 101 signs were removed from both routes between Los Angeles and Anaheim, and the Santa Ana Freeway bore only the US 101 signs. After 1964, the US 101 signs were removed, and the Santa Ana Freeway became Interstate 5.

The older route of US 101 between Los Angeles and Anaheim, along Whittier Blvd and Fullerton Road became California State Route 72 in 1964.