Interstate 680 (California)

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Interstate 680
Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System
Defined by S&HC § 620, maintained by Caltrans
Length: 70.536 mi[1] (113.517 km)
History: State highway in 1933; Interstate in 1955
South end: I-280 / US 101 in San Jose
Major
junctions:		 SR 238 in Fremont
SR 24 in Walnut Creek
North end: I-80 at Cordelia
State highways in California (list - pre-1964)
County routes in California (list)
< I-605 I-710 >
History - Unconstructed - Deleted - Freeway - Scenic
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Interstate 680 (I-680) is a north-south Interstate Highway in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It curves through the East Bay from San Jose to I-80 at Cordelia, bypassing cities such as Oakland and Richmond while serving others such as Pleasanton and Concord. The route's counterpart on the San Francisco Peninsula is I-280, which connects San Jose and San Francisco. I-680 is part of the State Scenic Highway System from SR 238 in Fremont north to SR 24 in Walnut Creek,[2] and is eligible for said system from SR 238 south to the Alameda-Santa Clara County line.

Contents

[edit] Route description

Southbound at SR 4
Southbound at SR 4

I-680 begins at a junction with I-280 and US 101 (Bayshore Freeway), and heads northeast and north-northwest through the northeast part of that city. After passing SR 237 in Milpitas and SR 262 in Fremont, I-680 abruptly turns northeast (where a connection to a SR 238 freeway was planned) and enters a hilly area. The highway crosses over Mission Pass, also known as the Sunol Grade, and descends into the Sunol Valley, where it meets SR 84 near Sunol. From Sunol, I-680 again heads north-northwesterly through valleys, including the San Ramon Valley, along the Calaveras Fault. Junctions along this portion include I-580 in Dublin and SR 24 in Walnut Creek. Beyond the latter interchange, a three-way directional junction with the SR 24 freeway west to Oakland, I-680 heads north into Pleasant Hill, where SR 242 splits and I-680 again heads northwesterly. After junctioning with SR 4 in Martinez, the highway crosses the Carquinez Strait on the Benicia-Martinez Bridge, immediately meeting the east end of I-780 on the Benicia end. The remainder of I-680, from Benicia to I-80 at Cordelia, lies between a hilly area to the west and a marshy area (along the Suisun Bay and Cordelia Slough) to the east.[3]

[edit] History

Descending from Mission Pass northbound
Descending from Mission Pass northbound

By the 1920s, a road ran south from Martinez through Walnut Creek, Dublin, Danville, and Sunol to Mission San Jose, where it met State Highway Route 5 (Mission Boulevard, signed over the years as US 48, US 101E, SR 9, and now SR 238). It was not yet paved south of Dublin, where it crossed Mission Pass between the Sunol Valley and the San Francisco Bay basin.[4] The majority of this roadway was added to the state highway system in 1933 as portions of several routes: Route 108 from Mission San Jose to Sunol, Route 107 from Sunol to Walnut Creek, and Route 75 from Walnut Creek to Pleasant Hill.[5][6]

At Martinez, the Martinez-Benicia Ferry took automobiles across the Carquinez Strait to Benicia, where Route 7, one of the original state highways from the 1910 bond issue, led north and northeast past Cordelia towards Sacramento and Oregon.[7] The portion north from Benicia to Cordelia became part of Route 74 in 1935, when Route 7 was realigned to the more direct American Canyon route that is now I-80.[8] None of the aforementioned roads were given state sign route numbers in 1934, when that system was laid out,[9] but by 1937 they had been numbered Sign Route 21.[10] This route began at the intersection of Warm Springs Boulevard and Brown Road in Warm Springs, where Route 5 and Route 69 (SR 17) split, follewed Route 5 along Mission Boulevard to Mission San Jose (this part later became an overlap with SR 9), and then continued to US 40 (Route 7) at Cordelia. The routing was very close to the present I-680, following such roads as Pleasanton Sunol Road, San Ramon Valley Boulevard, Danville Boulevard, and Pacheco Boulevard.[11]

The portion of SR 21 between Pleasant Hill and Martinez was finally added to the state highway system in 1949, as a branch of Route 75.[12] The ferry approach in Benicia became a spur of Route 74 in 1947,[13] and in 1953 it was transferred to Route 75. The same law, effective immediately as an urgency measure, authorized the Department of Public Works to acquire the ferry system, then operated by the city of Martinez, which was planning to shut it down.[14] Ownership was transferred just after midnight on October 6, 1953.[15]

I-680 and other Bay Area Interstates as planned in 1955
I-680 and other Bay Area Interstates as planned in 1955

The Bureau of Public Roads approved urban routes of the Interstate Highway System on September 15, 1955, including a loop around the San Francisco Bay, soon numbered I-280 and I-680. The east half (I-680) began at the interchange of US 101 north of downtown San Jose and followed the Nimitz Freeway (SR 17/Route 69, now I-880) to the split at Warm Springs (the present location of SR 262), SR 21 to Benicia, and Route 74 (no sign route number) to I-80 in Vallejo.[16][17][18] The first piece of I-680 freeway built, other than the pre-existing Nimitz Freeway, was in the late 1950s, along the SR 24 overlap between North Main Street in Walnut Creek and Monument Boulevard in Pleasant Hill.[19][20] A southerly extension, bypassing downtown Walnut Creek to South Main Street, opened on March 22, 1960, connecting with the SR 24 freeway to Oakland.[21] In the next decade, the freeway was completed from Vallejo south to SR 238 at Mission San Jose, and the roadway north from Benicia to Cordelia, which became the only remaining piece of SR 21, was also upgraded to freeway standards.[22][23]

In the 1964 renumbering, the legislative designation was changed to Route 680. SR 17 was officially moved to former Route 5 between San Jose and Warm Springs, which had not had a signed designation since the Nimitz Freeway (then I-680) was constructed,[24] but this was instead marked as part of SR 238 (which replaced SR 9 north of Mission San Jose), and SR 17 remained signed along the Nimitz Freeway.[25] This was very short-lived, as the Bureau of Public Roads approved a shift in the south end of I-680 in October 1964.[17] The legislature changed the routes in 1965, swapping Routes 17 and 680 south of Warm Springs, and creating a new SR 262 on the short roadway at Warm Springs where they had overlapped to switch sides.[26][27] However, until I-680 was completed in the early-to-mid 1970s,[22] it remained signed along the Nimitz Freeway, and the old road between San Jose and Warm Springs continued to be marked as SR 238.[23][28] One more change was made to the routing of I-680: in July 1973, the remainder of SR 21, from Benicia to Cordelia, was added to the Interstate Highway System. This became the new alignment of I-680, and the old route to Vallejo became I-780. The corresponding changes were made by the state legislature in 1976.[29]

[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 numbers reset at county lines; the start and end postmiles in each county are given in the county column.
County Location Postmile
[1][22][30]		 #[31] Destinations Notes
Santa Clara
SCL M0.00-M9.94		 San Jose M0.00 1A I-280 – Downtown San Jose Continuation beyond US 101
M0.00 1B US 101 – Los Angeles, San Francisco Southbound exit and northbound entrance
M0.39 1A King Road Signed as exit 1C southbound
M1.19 1B Jackson Avenue Northbound exit and southbound entrance
M1.41 1C Capitol Expressway (CR G21) Signed as exit 1D southbound
M1.74 2A Alum Rock Avenue (SR 130)
M2.38 2B McKee Road
M3.84 4 Berryessa Road
M4.80 5A Hostetter Road Southbound exit is via exit 5
M5.07 5B Capitol Avenue Signed as exit 5 southbound
M6.17 6 Montague Expressway (CR G4), Landess Avenue
Milpitas
M7.65 8 SR 237 (Calaveras Boulevard) – Central Milpitas
M8.50 9 Jacklin Road
Alameda
ALA M0.00-R21.88		 Fremont M0.13 10 Scott Creek Road – Warm Springs District
M2.38 12 SR 262 (Mission Boulevard) to I-880 Former SR 21
M4.02 14 Durham Road
M5.37 15 Washington Boulevard – Irvington District
R6.40 16 SR 238 Former SR 21 south
R7.48 18A Vargas Road Signed as exit 18 southbound
R8.31 18B Sheridan Road Southbound exit is via exit 20
R9.71 20 Andrade Road
R11.04 21A SR 84 west (Calaveras Road) – Sunol, Dumbarton Bridge South end of SR 84 overlap; signed as exit 21 northbound; former SR 21 north
R11.85 21B SR 84 east – Livermore North end of SR 84 overlap; southbound exit is via a U-turn at exit 21
R12.44 22 Sunol Southbound exit and northbound entrance; former SR 21
Pleasanton R15.26 25 Sunol Boulevard, Castlewood Drive – Pleasanton
R16.75 26 Bernal Avenue – Pleasanton
R19.30 29 Stoneridge Drive
R20.06 30 I-580 – Dublin, Oakland, Livermore, Stockton Signed as exits 30A (east) and 30B (west)
Dublin
R20.39 30A Dublin Boulevard No northbound exit; former US 50
Contra Costa
CC R0.00-25.46		 San Ramon R0.01 31 Alcosta Boulevard – Dublin
R2.89 34 Bollinger Canyon Road
R4.18 36 Crow Canyon Road – San Ramon
Danville
R6.76 38 Sycamore Valley Road
R7.55 39 Diablo Road – Danville
R8.18 40 El Cerro Boulevard
R8.75 41 El Pintado Road Northbound exit is via exit 40
R10.37 42 Stone Valley Road Signed as exits 42A (east) and 42B (west)
R11.28 43 Livorna Road
Walnut Creek R12.61 44 Rudgear Road Southbound exit is via exit 45A
13.08 45A South Main Street – Walnut Creek No northbound entrance; former SR 21
13.93 45B Olympic Boulevard
14.38 46A SR 24 – Oakland, Lafayette
14.85 46B Ygnacio Valley Road Northbound exit and southbound entrance
15.61 47 North Main Street – Walnut Creek Former SR 21
16.40 48 Treat Boulevard, Geary Road
Pleasant Hill R17.29 49A Contra Costa Boulevard – Pleasant Hill Northbound exit and southbound entrance; former SR 21
R17.70 49B Monument Boulevard, Gregory Lane Signed as exit 49 southbound; former SR 24 east
Concord,
Pleasant Hill		 R18.71 50 SR 242 – Concord, Pittsburg Northbound exit and southbound entrance
19.04 51 Willow Pass Road, Taylor Boulevard
19.86 52 Concord Avenue, Burnett Avenue – Pacheco, Concord
21.19 53 SR 4 – Pittsburg, Antioch, Martinez, Hercules
22.43 54 Pacheco Boulevard Former SR 21
Martinez 24.26 56 Marina Vista, Martinez
Benicia-Martinez Bridge over Carquinez Strait
Solano
SOL L0.00-R13.13		 Benicia
0.68 58A I-780 west – Benicia, Vallejo Signed as exit 58 southbound
R1.00 58B Bayshore Road Northbound exit and southbound entrance
R1.46 60 Industrial Park Southbound exit and northbound entrance
R2.82 61 Lake Herman Road Former SR 21 south
R5.02 63 Parish Road
R7.32 65 Marshview Road
Fairfield R10.02 68 Gold Hill Road
12.63 70 Green Valley Road – Cordelia Northbound exit and southbound entrance
13.13 71 I-80 / SR 12 – Fairfield, Sacramento, Napa, San Francisco Northbound exit and southbound entrance; signed as exits 71A (east) and 71B (west)

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b California Department of Transportation, State Truck Route List (XLS file), accessed February 2008
  2. ^ California Department of Transportation, Route 680 - Scenic Highway, accessed February 2008
  3. ^ Google Maps street maps and USGS topographic maps, accessed February 2008 via ACME Mapper
  4. ^ Rand McNally & Company, San Francisco and Vicinity, 1927
  5. ^ "An act...relating to...the addition of certain highways to the State system.", 1933 chapter 767, p. 2036: "State Highway Route 75 near Walnut Creek to State Highway Route 5 near Stockton via Antioch." "State Highway Route 75 near Walnut Creek to Livermore-San Jose Mission Road near Scotts Corners." "State Highway Route 5 near Mission San Jose to State Highway Route 5 near Livermore."
  6. ^ "An act to establish a Streets and Highways Code...", 1935 chapter 29, p. 281, 283: "Route 75 is from: (a) Oakland to Route 5 near Stockton via Walnut Creek and Antioch..." "Route 107 is from: (a) Route 75 near Walnut Creek to Route 108 near Scotts Corners..." "Route 108 is from Route 5 near Mission San Jose to Route 5 near Livermore."
  7. ^ Howe & Peters, Engineers' Report to California State Automobile Association Covering the Work of the California Highway Commission for the Period 1911-1920, pp. 11-16
  8. ^ "An act...relating to State highways.", 1935 chapter 274, p. 959, 281: "Route 74 is from a point on Route 8 near the Napa Y to Cordelia via Vallejo and Benicia."
  9. ^ California Highways and Public Works, State Routes will be Numbered and Marked with Distinctive Bear Signs, August 1934
  10. ^ Oakland Tribune, classified ads, August 15, 1937: "one acre on Highway 21, south of Walnut Creek"
  11. ^ United States Geological Survey, 1942 San Jose, 1940 Livermore, 1942 Mount Diablo, 1941 Concord, 1940 Carquinez Strait (scale 1:62500)
  12. ^ "An act...relating to state highway routes.", 1949 chapter 1467, p. 2555: "Route 75 is from:...(b) Route (a) above, north of Walnut Creek to Martinez..."
  13. ^ "An act to amend Section 374 of, and to add Sections 512 and 543 to, the Streets and Highways Code, relating to state highways.", 1947 (1st extraordinary session) chapter 13, p. 3812: "Route 74 is from:...(b) (a) above near M and East Second Street to East Fifth and C Streets, in Benicia."
  14. ^ "An act authorizing the acquisition by the Department of Public Works of the ferry system across Carquinez Straits between Benicia and Martinez...", 1953 chapter 1737, p. 3486-3488: "Route 75 is from:...(b) Route (a) above, north of Walnut Creek to a connection with Route 74 in Benicia." [Note that this law accidentally deleted portion (c) of Route 75; an urgency measure passed at the 1954 1st extraordinary session (chapter 8) corrected this error.]
  15. ^ San Mateo Times, State Set to Take Over Benicia Ferry, September 29, 1953
  16. ^ Bureau of Public Roads, General Location of National System of Interstate Highways, 1955: San Francisco
  17. ^ a b California Department of Transportation, State Highway Routes: Selected Information, 1994 with 1995 revisions, pp. 342, 348
  18. ^ H.M. Gousha Company, California, 1963
  19. ^ Oakland Tribune, Lafayette Bypass to Slash Travel Time for Commuters, September 9, 1956: "With another freeway link now under construction northward from Walnut Creek to the Monument..."
  20. ^ United States Geological Survey, Walnut Creek (scale 1:24000), 1959
  21. ^ Oakland Tribune, Ceremony Salutes New Freeway Link, March 23, 1960
  22. ^ a b c California Department of Transportation, Log of Bridges on State Highways, July 2007
  23. ^ a b H.M. Gousha Company, San Francisco, 1968
  24. ^ "An act...relating to routes on the state highway system.", 1963 chapter 385, p. 1173, 1189: "Route 17 is from: (a) Route 1 near Santa Cruz to Route 101 near Story Road. (b) Route 101 near San Jose to Route 680 near Warm Springs. (c) Route 680 near Warm Springs to Route 580 in Oakland..." "Route 680 is from Route 280 in San Jose to Route 80 in Vallejo passing near Warm Springs, Mission San Jose, Scotts Corners and Sunol, and via Walnut Creek and Benicia."
  25. ^ Oakland Tribune, Highway 9 Has a New Number, April 19, 1964
  26. ^ "An act...relating to state highways.", 1965 chapter 1371, p. 3268, 3269: "Route 262 is from Route 17 to Route 680 near Warm Springs." "Route 680 is from Route 101 near San Jose to Route 80 in Vallejo passing near Warm Springs, Mission San Jose, Scotts Corners and Sunol, and via Walnut Creek and Benicia."
  27. ^ "An act...relating to state highways.", 1965 chapter 1372, p. 3273: "Route 17 is from: (a) Route 1 near Santa Cruz to Route 80 in Oakland..."
  28. ^ Division of Highways, San Jose, 1968
  29. ^ "An act to amend...the Streets and Highways Code, relating to state highways.", 1976 chapter 1354, p. 6176, 6178: "Route 680 is from: (a) Route 101 near San Jose to Route 780 at Benicia passing near Warm Springs, Mission San Jose, Scotts Corners, and Sunol, and via Walnut Creek. (b) Route 780 at Benicia to Route 80 near Cordelia." "Route 780 is from Route 680 at Benicia to Route 80 in Vallejo."
  30. ^ California Department of Transportation, All Traffic Volumes on CSHS, 2005 and 2006
  31. ^ California Department of Transportation, California Numbered Exit Uniform System, I-680 Northbound and I-680 Southbound, accessed February 2008

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Auxiliary routes of Interstate 80
California: 180 (former) • 280 • 380 • 480 (former) • 580 • 680 • 780 • 880 • 880 (former) • 980 — Nevada: 580 (unsigned) — Wyoming: 180 — Nebraska: 180 • 280 (former) • 480 • 580 (former) • 680 — Iowa: 280 • 380 • 480 • 680 — Illinois: 180 • 280 — Ohio: 280 • 480 • 680 — Pennsylvania: 180 • 180 (former) • 280 (former) • 380 • 480 (former) • 680 (former) — New Jersey: 280 • 680 (former)
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