Interstate 40 in California

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Interstate 40
Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Needles Freeway
Defined by S&HC § 340, maintained by Caltrans
Length: 154.61 mi[1] (248.82 km)
Formed: August 7, 1947 by FHWA[2]
July 1, 1964 by Caltrans[3]
West end: I-15 in Barstow
Major
junctions:		 US 95 in Needles
East end: I-40 towards Flagstaff, AZ
State highways in California (list - pre-1964)
County routes in California (list)
< SR 39 SR 41 >
History - Unconstructed - Deleted - Freeway - Scenic

In the U.S. state of California, Interstate 40 has its western terminus in Barstow. Known as the Needles Freeway, a major east-west route of the Interstate Highway System, and it heads east from Barstow across the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County past the Clipper Mountains to Needles, before it crosses into Arizona west of Kingman.

Major cities
Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs

This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System[4] and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System[5].

Contents

[edit] History

The segment of I-40 in California was approved as a chargeable Interstate on July 7, 1947.[2] In 1957, the California Department of Highways proposed that the route be renumbered to Interstate 30 instead because of the already existing U.S. Route 40 in the state.[3] However, this was rejected, and eventually U.S. 40 was decommissioned in favor of Interstate 80.

The State of California also submitted the segment of what is now State Route 58 between Barstow and Bakersfield for chargeable Interstate approval twice, in 1956 and 1968, but it was rejected both times.[2]

Today, the Needles Freeway replaced what used to be Route 66 across the Mojave Desert. As a result, a number of communities along the former route like Amboy have become ghost towns.[6]

The maximum speed limit for the entire California segment of Interstate 40 is 70 MPH.

[edit] Other names

Route 40 from Route 15 to the Arizona State Line is known as the Needles Freeway, as named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 1 in 1968.[7]

[edit] Exit list

Note: Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured in 1964, based on the alignment as it existed at that time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage.

The entire route is in San Bernardino County.

Location Postmile
[8][9][10]		 #[11] Destinations Notes
Barstow 0.00 I-15 south – San Bernardino Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
0.79 1 To I-15 north / Montara Road, East Main Street (to Bus. 15) – Las Vegas Former US 66
R2.35 2 Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow Former US 66
R4.71 5 Nebo Street Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
R7.18 7 Daggett
R12.19 12 Barstow-Daggett Airport
R18.45 18 National Trails Highway Former US 66
R23.33 23 Fort Cady Road – Newberry Springs
R32.50 33 Hector Road
R49.98 50 Ludlow Former US 66
R78.17 78 Kelbaker Road
R99.73 100 Essex Road – Essex
R107.17 107 Goffs Road – Essex
R115.19 115 Mountain Springs Road Former US 66
R119.97 120 Water Road
Needles R132.73 133 US 95 north – Searchlight, Las Vegas West end of US 95 overlap; former US 66
R139.11 139 River Road Cutoff Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
R141.01 141 West Broadway, River Road (Bus. 40 east) Former US 66
R142.37 142 J Street – Downtown Needles
R143.76 144 US 95 south (East Broadway, Bus. 40 west) – Blythe East end of US 95 overlap; former US 66
148.19 148 To US 95 south / Five Mile Road – Blythe Former US 66
R153.31 153 Park Moabi Road

[edit] References

  1. ^ Federal Highway Administration Route Log and Finder List, Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways as of October 31, 2002
  2. ^ a b c California Highways: Interstate Highway Types and the History of California's Interstates
  3. ^ a b California Highways: Interstate 40
  4. ^ CA Codes (shc:250-257)
  5. ^ CA Codes (shc:260-284)
  6. ^ Anton, Mike. "Breathing life into a faded desert landmark", Los Angeles Times, 2001-01-17. Retrieved on 2007-03-27. 
  7. ^ 2007 Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances in California. Caltrans, 74. Retrieved on 2007-03-27. 
  8. ^ California Department of Transportation, State Truck Route List (XLS file), accessed February 2008
  9. ^ California Department of Transportation, Log of Bridges on State Highways, July 2007
  10. ^ California Department of Transportation, All Traffic Volumes on CSHS, 2005 and 2006
  11. ^ California Department of Transportation, California Numbered Exit Uniform System, I-40 Eastbound and I-40 Westbound, accessed February 2008
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Interstate 40
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