Interstate 8 in California

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Interstate 8
Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Defined by S&HC § 308, maintained by Caltrans
Length: 172 mi[1] (277 km)
Formed: 1964 (from US 80)
West end: Sunset Cliffs Blvd. in Ocean Beach
Major
junctions:		 I-5 in San Diego
SR 67 in El Cajon
SR 111 near El Centro
East end: I-8 in Yuma, AZ
State highways in California (list - pre-1964)
County routes in California (list)
< SR 7 SR 9 >
History - Unconstructed - Deleted - Freeway - Scenic

In the U.S. state of California, Interstate 8 is designated for 172 mi (277 km), from Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in San Diego to the California-Arizona state line. The highway is a major commuter route in the San Diego Metropolitan Area and the primary east-west throughfare. It serves the cities of San Diego, La Mesa, El Cajon, and El Centro. It is officially known as the Border Friendship Route from San Diego to the Arizona state line.[2] It is also signed as the Ocean Beach Freeway west of Interstate 5 and as the Kumeyaay Highway (after the local Native American tribe) in the non-incorporated areas of eastern San Diego County.

This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System[3] and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System[4].

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

Contents

[edit] Route description

Interstate 8 begins at the intersection of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Nimtz Boulevard. For its first few miles, it parallels the San Diego River Floodway east. Near Old Town, I-8 intersects with Interstate 5 as well as with the former State Route 209. I-8 continues eastward, bisecting the area known as "Hotel Circle." As I-8 enters Mission Valley, it has junctions with State Route 163, Interstate 805, and Interstate 15 and its continuation, State Route 15. In La Mesa, I-8 interchanges with State Route 125. I-8 continues into El Cajon, where it intersects with State Route 67 before it ascends into the mountains and the Cleveland National Forest, traveling through towns such as Alpine and Pine Valley. I-8 intersects with State Route 79 in the national forest before descending into the Imperial Valley and passing through the La Posta and Campo Indian reservations. In Boulevard, I-8 intersects with the eastern end of State Route 94.[5][6]

Interstate 8 straddles the San Diego-Imperial county line for a few miles before turning east. While going over the mountain pass into the Imperial Valley, I-8's roadways are separated by a considerable distance. This is because the eastbound lanes traverse the pass on the former roadbed of US-80. The westbound lanes were placed on a different routing, and the result is the grade-separated crossing of the eastbound and westbound lanes[7]. In the Imperial Valley, I-8 intersects with State Route 98, a highway leading to Calexico. I-8 then goes through Coyote Wells before entering the city of El Centro several miles later. In El Centro, I-8 intersects with State Route 86 and State Route 111, both north-south routes which connect to Interstate 10 in the Coachella Valley (north of the Salton Sea), before State Route 115 and State Route 98 merge with I-8. The freeway then traverses the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area and intersects with State Route 186 leading to Mexico. Interstate 8 then passes through Winterhaven before crossing the Colorado River into Yuma, Arizona[5][6] on a bridge built in 1978[7].

Interstate 8 in San Diego, California near Mission Valley
Interstate 8 in San Diego, California near Mission Valley

[edit] History

Interstate 8 was originally signed as U.S. Route 80 from around 1929 until 1964. However, the original designations of US-80 in California were as LRN 12 (since 1909) from San Diego to El Centro, and as LRN 27 (since 1915) from El Centro to Arizona. I-8 was accepted as a chargeable interstate in 1957[7], and was signed as Interstate 8 in 1964[8]. The "Ocean Beach Highway" section west of I-5 was completed by 1967[9] as LRN 286 and was later designated as SR 109; it was later added to Interstate 8 in 1972[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 numbers reset at county lines; the start and end postmiles in each county are given in the county column.
County Location Postmile
[10][11][12]		 #[13] Destinations Notes
San Diego
SD T0.41-R77.77		 San Diego T0.41 Nimitz Boulevard, Sunset Cliffs Boulevard – Mission Bay Park At-grade intersection
L1.21 1 West Mission Bay Drive, Sports Arena Boulevard Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
L2.38
R0.02		 2 I-5 south (San Diego Freeway) – Downtown San Diego Westbound exit is part of exit 2B
2A I-5 north (San Diego Freeway) – Los Angeles Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
2B Rosecrans Street Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; former SR 209
R0.36 2C Morena Boulevard Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
0.95 3 Taylor Street, Hotel Circle
2.23 4A Hotel Circle
2.41 4 SR 163 (Cabrillo Freeway) – Escondido, Downtown San Diego Signed as exits 4B (south) and 4C (north) eastbound, and 4A (south) and 4B (north) westbound
3.04 5 Mission Center Road, Auto Circle
3.90 6A Texas Street, Qualcomm Way
4.38 6B I-805 – Los Angeles, National City, Chula Vista
5.64 7 I-15 north / SR 15 south – Riverside Signed as exits 7A (south) and exit 7B (north) westbound
6.27 8 Mission Gorge Road, Fairmount Avenue Eastbound exit is part of exit 7
7.06 9 Waring Road
8.34 10 College Avenue
La Mesa 9.59 11 Lake Murray Blvd, 70th Street
10.57 12 Fletcher Parkway, Baltimore Drive
10.97 13A Spring Street – Downtown La Mesa No westbound exit
11.10 13A El Cajon Boulevard Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; former Bus. 8 west
11.76 13B Jackson Drive, Grossmont Boulevard No eastbound entrance
12.12 14B La Mesa Boulevard, Grossmont Center Drive Signed as exit 14B weastbound
12.34 14A SR 125 to SR 94 Signed as exit 14A eastbound
12.65 14C Severin Drive, Fuerte Drive
El Cajon 13.66 15 El Cajon Boulevard (I-8 Bus. east) Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
14.59 16 Main Street
15.30 17A Johnson Avenue Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
15.80 17 SR 67 / Magnolia Avenue – El Cajon Civic Center, Downtown El Cajon Signed as exits 17B (SR 67) and 17C (Magnolia Avenue) eastbound
16.47 18 Mollison Avenue
17.36 19 2nd Street Former SR 54
17.83 20A East Main Street (I-8 Bus. west) Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
R18.73 20B Greenfield Drive – Crest Signed as exit 20 eastbound
R20.04 22 Los Coches Road – Lakeside
R21.82 23 Lake Jennings Park Road
R25.69 27 Dunbar Lane – Harbison Canyon
R28.46 30 Tavern Road (I-8 Bus. east) – Alpine
R31.34 33 Willows Road, Alpine Boulevard (I-8 Bus. west) – Alpine
R34.33 36 East Willows Road
R37.83 40 SR 79 (Japatul Road) – Julian
R41.70 Pine Valley Creek Bridge over Pine Valley Creek
R43.53 45 Pine Valley, Julian
R44.93 47 Sunrise Highway (CR S1)
R48.84 51 Buckman Springs Road
R51.98 54 Kitchen Creek Road – Cameron Station
R61.15 61 Crestwood Road – Live Oak Springs
R65.90 65 SR 94 – Campo, Boulevard
R73.95 73 Jacumba
R77.58 77 In-Ko-Pah Park Road
Imperial
IMP R0.00-R96.99		 R3.09 80 Mountain Springs Road
R10.01 87 SR 98 east – Calexico Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
R11.92 89 Imperial Highway (CR S2) – Octotillo
R23.48 101 Dunaway Road
R29.93 107 Drew Road (CR S29) – Seeley
R33.99 111 Forrester Road (CR S30)
El Centro R36.97 114 Imperial Avenue (I-8 Bus. east) – El Centro
R37.97 115 SR 86 (4th Street, I-8 Bus. west) – El Centro
R38.96 116 Dogwood Road (CR S31)
R40.94 118 SR 111 – Brawley, Indio, Calexico Signed as exits 118A (south) and 118B (north)
R42.54 120 Bowker Road
R47.78 125 SR 7 south (Orchard Road, CR S32)
R50.49 128 Bonds Corner Road Former SR 115
R53.50 131 SR 115 (Van Der Linden Road) – Holtville Former US 80
R65.75 143 SR 98 – Calexico
R68.83 146 Brock Research Center Road
R73.48 151 Gordons Well
80.80 156 Grays Well Road
R83.82 159 CR S34 (Ogilby Road)
Felicity R88.70 164 Sidewinder Road
R90.74 166 Algodones Road (SR 186) – Andrade
R94.98 170 Winterhaven Drive (CR S24, Bus. 8 east) – Winterhaven
R96.55 172 Winterhaven Drive, Fourth Avenue (Bus. 8) – Winterhaven

[edit] References

  1. ^ Route Log- Main Routes of the Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 1
  2. ^ 2007 Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances in California. Caltrans, 120. Retrieved on 2007-10-18. 
  3. ^ CA Codes (shc:250-257)
  4. ^ CA Codes (shc:260-284)
  5. ^ a b Rand McNally. The Road Atlas [map]. (2008) Page 15,17.
  6. ^ a b Thomas Brothers. California Road Atlas and Driver's Guide [map]. (2000) Page 107,111,112,212,213,214,V.
  7. ^ a b c d California Highways
  8. ^ 1964 California Highway Renumbering
  9. ^ WestCoastRoads
  10. ^ California Department of Transportation, State Truck Route List (XLS file), accessed February 2008
  11. ^ California Department of Transportation, Log of Bridges on State Highways, July 2007
  12. ^ California Department of Transportation, All Traffic Volumes on CSHS, 2005 and 2006
  13. ^ California Department of Transportation, California Numbered Exit Uniform System, I-8 Eastbound and I-8 Westbound, accessed February 2008

[edit] External links


Interstate 8
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Terminus		 California Next state:
Arizona