Yolo Causeway

Yolo Causeway

An artist's representation of the original Yolo Causeway. Circa 1920.
Carries 6 lanes of I‑80,
pedestrians and bicycles
Crosses Yolo Bypass
Locale Yolo County, California
Official name Blecher-Freeman Memorial Causeway
Maintained by Caltrans
Characteristics
Total length 3.2 mi (5.2 km)
History
Opened 1916 (original), 1962 (current)

The Yolo Causeway is a 3.2-mile (5.2-kilometer) long elevated highway viaduct on Interstate 80 that crosses the Yolo Bypass floodplain and connects the cities of West Sacramento, California and Davis, California.

Structure

An original stretch of the Causeway was opened in 1916 connecting what is now the city of West Sacramento with Davis, California. The viaduct contained one lane in each direction and in 1928 was made a part of the re-routed Lincoln Highway, the first road across America. Later, the causeway became a part of US Highways 40 and 99W. It also included a drawspan for barges that sometimes needed to cross the bypass.

Yolo Causeway from the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area

The current causeway was built in 1962 and renamed the "Blecher-Freeman Memorial Causeway" after two California Highway Patrol officers who were shot to death in 1978 after a highway stop near the causeway.[1] The causeway is composed of two bridges connected by an earth fill segment. The easternmost of the two bridges is the longer of the two and traffic reporters will sometimes refer to the two structures as the "long bridge" and the "short bridge".

Bypass

Main article: Yolo Bypass

The 25,500 acre (103 km²) Yolo Bypass protects Sacramento and other California Central Valley communities from flooding. During wet seasons, it can be full of water. It contains the Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area, the largest ecological restoration project west of the Everglades. Other nature preserves in it include the Fremont Weir Wildlife Area and Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area.

UC Davis vs. Sacramento State

The Causeway Classic College football game between the University of California, Davis and California State University, Sacramento and the Causeway Carriage trophy awarded to the winner of that game are both named after the Yolo Causeway.

References

  1. ↑ Faigin, Daniel. "California Highways - Interstate 80". Retrieved 2008-12-02.

External links