List of unused highways in California

An unused highway may reference a highway or highway ramp that was partially or fully constructed but was unused^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]} or later closed.^[10][11][12] An unused ramp can be referred to as a stub ramp,^[13] stub street,^[2][14][15] stub-out,^[2] or simply stub.^[16][17] The following is a list:

California

Greater Los Angeles Area

• The failure to complete Interstate 710 (Long Beach Freeway) between Alhambra and Pasadena has left two sets of stubs at each end of the uncompleted freeway. On the southern end in Alhambra, there is a noticeably widened median and two slabs of pavement . At the northern end, in Pasadena, stubs exist just south of the Interstate 210/SR 134 interchange and at W Del Mar Blvd, with one converted to an off-ramp to California Blvd . More than 35 years of opposition prevented the connection, although there has been progress as of late. The Federal Highway Administration signed a Record of Decision (ROD) in 1998 agreeing to extend I-710.^[18] However, this plan was mostly a surface freeway and resulted in tabling due to many lawsuits and opposition of South Pasadena officials and residents.^[19] A new alternative was proposed in 2003 as an 4.5-mile (7.2 km) tunnel and would cost $2.6 to $3.6 billion, with some expenses reimbursed by charging tolls.^[19][20] On March 22, 2007, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) approved $5 million for engineering and technical studies of the project.^[19]
• At the SR 23 / SR 118 interchange, there is a paved section on the east side of the interchange that is unused. Originally, this was one of the two connections to the eastern extension of SR 118, stretching 10.5 miles, it would've stretched from Interstate 210 towards the proposed SR 249. There is also pavement on the south side of the interchange that would've been used as the second connection.
• There are ramp stubs on what used to be the flyover connector between westbound Interstate 10 and southbound U.S. Route 101 near the East Los Angeles Interchange before it was demolished prior to 1994.^[21] It was removed during a seismic retrofit because of earthquake safety concerns and that the Interstate 5 and 10 junction makes it redundant.^[22] Long stub ramps on either side of the demolished flyover are all that remain. Here is one of the stubs in a 3-dimensional view and here is the other. An old map here shows the now-demolished flyover.
• In the Silver Lake district, SR 2 was to be extended as part of the Beverly Hills Freeway, but due to community opposition,^[23] the freeway ends at Glendale Blvd. A freeway wide overpass was built, but only one direction utilizes that overpass. Higher resolution
• Laurel Canyon Boulevard was the site for the Laurel Canyon Freeway, a north-south freeway connecting the Hollywood Freeway and Ventura Freeway (US 101 and SR 134) with the San Diego Freeway (I-405) near Los Angeles International Airport. However, the emerging popularity of Laurel Canyon as a movie star enclave in the 1960s ultimately doomed the project. Despite this, only one freeway portion was built, this being La Cienega Boulevard through the Baldwin Hills district of southwestern Los Angeles, which can be seen here.
• There are ramp stubs on the HOV lanes on Interstate 110 near Exposition Park . There also small ramp stubs on the on-ramps at Gage Ave , at Florence Ave , and two at Manchester Ave .
• In Tustin, CA, the intersection of I-5 and SR 55 was formerly a half-cloverleaf interchange, which was converted into a part-stack interchange. As a result of the conversion, there are empty spaces where the cloverleaf ramps used to be. .
• In Hawaiian Gardens, CA, there is a curved wall on the side of the Carson St on-ramp to northbound I-605 which marks where the old off-ramp was .
• In South Gate, CA, there are cloverleaf ramps on the Firestone Blvd exit that once were paved but are now unpaved. The roadbed from the old ramp is still there .
• Just north of the interchange with I-710, there is a ramp stub left over from a demolished left-side onramp from Olympic Blvd to the southbound I-5 freeway .
• State Route 90 is a split highway (east and west segments) that was never joined due to community opposition. On the western segment, westbound, there is an off-ramp stub just before the expressway crosses over Ballona Creek. Remnants of the lane that would have led to the off-ramp exist all the way back to S Centinela Avenue.
• In Granada Hills, CA, there are on and off ramps that are not paved on SR 118 at White Oak Avenue. For reasons unknown, these were never paved and opened. On White Oak Avenue, gates are in place where the on and off ramps would have connected to the street.(34°16′39″N 118°31′01″W / 34.277614°N 118.516808°W / 34.277614; -118.516808)

Oceanside

• On Interstate 5 northbound at the junction with SR 76, there is a ramp that was formerly used to connect traffic to Hill Street (once U.S. Route 101; now Coast Highway). With the completion of the interchange with the SR 76 expressway/bypass of Oceanside in 1995,^[24] the ramp was closed to traffic but not demolished. An on-ramp stub is just north of the closed ramp for traffic from SR 76 west to enter I-5 north. It would have interfered with exit 54C for Oceanside Harbor Drive and Camp Pendleton and traffic must now proceed through a traffic light to get to I-5 northbound. There is also a stub at this interchange on the southbound I-5 exit to N Coast Highway. Its positioning suggests it was to provide access to SR 76 east, which is now served by a loop ramp (exit 54A). Higher resolution of the closed loop ramp and a map showing the functional ramp

Bonsall

• The Bonsall Bridge, the former SR 76 bridge over the San Luis Rey River, was replaced with a new bridge in the early 1990s.^[25] The bridge is now for bicyclists and pedestrians only due to its obsolete design.^[24]

Brawley

• A stub is left of the proposed northern extension of SR 111 to Rockwood, California

Yorba Linda

• Just outside Riverside County, exit 42 on SR 91 for Coal Canyon Road is now closed, and has been since 2003. It was not a well-used exit and was removed to provide a wildlife undercrossing.^[26]

San Francisco Bay Area

• Interstate 280 has ramp stubs from the northbound Cesar Chavez Street exit ramp and onto the southbound freeway near Evans Avenue that would have connected to the Southern Crossing bridge or to the Hunters Point Freeway or both, depending on the planning of the time.^[27][28] Higher Resolution
• Further north on Interstate 280, the freeway used to end in a stub overhanging 3rd Street (seen here), with the 6th Street exit being the final exit. The original intention was to continue I-280 to Interstate 80 at its approach to the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, where it was also planned to connect to Interstate 480, which became SR 480. That plan was formally abandoned in 1990,^[29] after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the freeway from U.S. Route 101 to 4th street beyond repair.^[30] The stubs were demolished in 2000^[29] and the section of freeway northwest of the 6th street exit was replaced by a boulevard-like King St., which runs past Pacific Bell Park and to The Embarcadero. Downgrading I-280 from freeway to King St. deleted through lanes from the 6th St. exit northward (seen here), leaving stubs on both directions of I-280.
• The Panhandle Freeway or Western Freeway, was originally the proposed freeway to extend the Central Freeway up the northern edge of the Golden Gate Park before turning onto Park Presidio. Only a short section of the unfinished freeway exists (known as SR 223, AKA Bear Mountain Road). If constructed, it would have served as a future extension for Interstate 80.
• Many stubs exist on Interstate 80 between 3rd and 4th street. These are left over from the cancellation of Interstate 280 and the SR 480/Embarcadero Freeway (initially Interstate 480) interchange with I-80. There is still a ramp stub for the former 480 on the exit for Fremont St.^[28][31] 480's former route can be seen here. It was hardly damaged from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, contrary to what is believed but was more of an urban eyesore for the city, ruining views of the San Francisco Bay.^[32]
• The Southern Crossing was a planned alternative bypass for Interstate 80, extending Interstate 980 towards South San Francisco. One proposal was to extend Interstate 238 to Daly City. Another was to include both the Alameda and Bay Farm Island connections, and build a junction in the middle of the bay off the western shore of Alameda. Despite having around eleven proposals, the project was never announced or constructed, due to mostly revolts and the high cost for the bridge to be built. However, the project has been repeatedly revived since 1948. The latest proposal was to connect I-380 at the top of the San Francisco International Airport to the bottom of the Oakland Airport. If built, it would have relieved congestion, and added an additional connection to the SF / Oakland International Airports.
• The Great Highways Freeway (supposedly SR 35) was originally running along the Pacific Coast side of the city along Great Highway and Geary. However, this was not part of the 1955 Traffic-Ways plan.
• The Hunters Point Expressway is an entirely unfinished roadway that was planned to connect SR 230 and SR 87, from south of Candlestick Park to where the Southern Crossing would have started.
• The Central Freeway had ramp stubs for its planned extension north of Golden Gate Avenue.^[27][33] Its initial routing is seen here as a map, photographically here.^[34] It began with stubs at Gough and Turk Streets and ran southwest to Fell Street and Octavia Street, where it then ran south above Octavia before curving east after Market Street to the James Lick Skyway. The entire structure north of Fell Street was demolished a few years after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake due to damage on the north end,^[35] leaving upper and lower stubs at the Fell Street off-ramp. The empty gaps between buildings indicate where the original freeway ran right through the city and a defunct on-ramp, now a parking lot, exists at Gough and Turk Streets, both seen here.^[33] Work then began on a single elevated freeway, which required demolition of the upper, southbound deck. The alignment as a result of the demolition left a northbound Octavia St. exit , a stub of former US-101 south , and an on-ramp stub from Laguna Street at Oak Street to go south (showing the on-ramp stub and also the earthquake-generated northbound stub). The Fell Street ramp was reopened (shown in operation in the previous link) but shut down and the road west of Howard Street demolished in favor of a new Octavia Boulevard. The freeway has since been rebuilt from Mission Street to Market Street, eliminating the stubs,^[35] though the former Fell Street ramp, in addition to the others mentioned, is still paved.^[36]
• In San Mateo, on the eastbound connector from SR 92 to the southbound U.S. Route 101, there is a ramp stub which was originally built to connect to northbound U.S. 101 via a flyover ramp but was never finished.^[37] Angle view
• Interstate 380 was planned to continue westward from its junction with Interstate 280 in San Bruno, past SR 35 (Skyline Boulevard) and over the coastal hills, terminating at SR 1 near Rockaway Beach in Pacifica.^[38] This portion of I-380 was shelved due to budget, environmental, and engineering concerns^[39] (the freeway would have crossed directly over the San Andreas Fault).^[38] Today, travelers can see two unused bridges which would have carried through traffic on I-380 and stub pavement in the median of I-380. The California Department of Transportation remains hopeful that the freeway will eventually be built; the callbox and exit numbers along the entire completed length of I-380 (a little over six miles) are consistent with what they would have been had the freeway been finished as planned.^[40] The California Streets and Highways Code still legally defines I-380 as traveling from "SR 1 near Pacifica to Route 280 in San Bruno",^[41] leaving open the possibility of an extension.
• in Sausalito on the southbound U.S. Route 101 freeway, just north of the Rainbow Tunnels, there is a ramp for the proposed (but never built) Rodeo Avenue subdivision.^[42] The ramp terminates in a dirt road which (if the gates are open) can be used to follow some private roads on the west side of the freeway.

Santa Clarita

• Newhall Ranch Road between Mc Bean Parkway and Ave Tibbets has a wide eastbound shoulder, unfortunately, the bridge crossing the San Francisquito Creek was too narrow for the road when it was constructed.
• Wiley Canyon Road also has a narrow bridge over the South Fork of the Santa Clara River, compared to the road on each side, .
• Copperhill Drive has supports for additional lanes on a bridge over the San Francisquito Creek near McBean Parkway for future lane expansion.
• Near Via Princessa and Sierra Highway, two long ramps remain of the proposed extension of SR 126 and connect with SR 14.
• A bridge crossing the Los Angeles Metrolink line with Palmdale in Santa Clarita has been overwidened due to a larger proposed neighborhood.
• An on-ramp ramp to access southbound Interstate 5 from Coltrane Avenue just outside the Newhall Pass Interchange south of the city is now unused.

Castaic Junction

• At the eastern end of SR 126, an abandoned ramp that was used to connect The Old Road with SR 126.

Sacramento

• Interstate 80 was formerly routed through the eastern and southern portions of the city and Interstate 880 was the route that is now I-80. Because the portion of the former I-80 north of SR 99 to the former I-880 was not up to interstate standards, what is now California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) planned a bypass from where the northern I-80/I-880 interchange was to be (I-880 had not yet been built) to the then-current I-80 just south of the American River shortly after 1964.^[43] It was to begin in the median of I-880 and head south just west of I-80, using a dual-freeway design at the northern end and from where it met the existing freeway south into downtown. The northern interchange design is completed by 1972 but the new alignment was not constructed beyond approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) west of I-80 within the new I-880 median due to numerous problems hindering the completion. In 1979, the City Council voted to delete the new alignment of I-80 to transfer the funds and right of way allocated to a new light rail transit system.^[44] The completed portion of the 2 miles (3.2 km) of the new alignment are now used for a light rail station and parking. The two bridges built for the new alignment are used for a roadway to access the station and the two light rail tracks.
• SR 244 was planned to act as an eastern bypass of the city but was cancelled in 1994. It was initially planned to meet unconstructed SR 65 in Fair Oaks as of 1963, then extended to meet U.S. Route 50 in 1965. In 1975, it was deleted past Fair Oaks Boulevard and San Juan Avenue. It was deleted further in 1994 to Auburn Boulevard as it exists now in Carmichael. It was to meet SR 143, which was cancelled, near Cypress Avenue.^[45] It is currently still planned as a future freeway corridor, but is unlikely to be constructed anytime soon.^[46]

San Diego

• SR 163 contains unused pavement and grading left behind after the cancellation of the freeway's expansion. A stub is located near the ramp from SR 163 southbound to Interstate 5 northbound.^[47] It would have extended northward and cover an existing footpath in the park. Just north is the remnant of the closed Quince Street on ramp. It was to come from eastbound Quince onto southbound SR 163. And just north of that is the closed-to-traffic Richmond Street overpass. The on ramp from westbound Richmond to southbound SR 163 was closed, leaving the bridge unused.^[48]
• Kearny Villa Road from SR 163 North to Miramar Road was once signed as Interstate 15 until an expansion project moved the freeway to the east. The highway has two remaining exits at Miramar Way and Harris Plant Road.

Stockton

• SR 4 has leftover pavement and a widened center median at the west terminus of its freeway portion in Stockton, suggesting an extension of the freeway to service the Port of Stockton.^[49] Currently most shipping & freight traffic going to and from the Port of Stockton is carried on the surface street Charter Way. The plans are to extend the freeway west to the intersection of the Port of Stockton Expressway and Charter Way (SR-4) on the west end of the port .

Camarillo

• In the widening of U.S. Route 101 from two lanes to three lanes in each direction, northbound pavement was leftover between Santa Rosa Road and Lewis Road. The northbound lanes were mostly replaced with a widened Mission Oaks Boulevard but some pavement still exists between U.S. 101 and Mission Oaks among the eucalyptus trees. The widening realigned U.S. 101 slightly to the south, bringing the opposing lanes together and roughly along the old southbound-only lanes. This is evident from an old overhead, as well as old grading at Santa Rosa Road , the curve of Mission Oaks Boulevard at exit 53A, and wide shoulders at Lewis Road.

See also

• List of ghost towns in California
• List of unused highways

References