California State Route 24

Infobox road
state=CA
type=SR
route=24
section=324
maint=Caltrans

---

length_mi=13.53
length_ref= [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/structur/strmaint/brlog2.htm January 1, 2006 California Log of Bridges on State Highways] ]
length_round=2
established=1934 [http://cahighways.org/017-024.html#024 California Highways: State Route 24] ]
direction_a=West
terminus_a=jct|state=CA|I|580|I|980 in Oakland
direction_b=East
terminus_b=jct|state=CA|I|680 in Walnut Creek
previous_type=SR
previous_route=23
next_type=SR
next_route=25

State Route 24 in the U.S. state of California is a heavily-traveled east-west freeway in the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay Area of northern California between Oakland (junction Interstates 580 and 980) and Walnut Creek (junction Interstate 680). It lies only in Alameda County, where it is highly urban, and Contra Costa County, where it passes through wooded hillsides and suburbs.

This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System [http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=shc&group=00001-01000&file=250-257 CA Codes (shc:250-257)] ] and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System. [http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=shc&group=00001-01000&file=260-284 CA Codes (shc:260-284)] ]

Route description

SR 24 begins at the four-level interchange with Interstate 580 and Interstate 980 in Oakland; this interchange is located on top of Grove Shafter Park. SR 24 initially heads north before turning east near the Berkeley city limits.Route 24 rises from near sea level in downtown Oakland past its interchange with State Route 13, which is a freeway south of SR 24 (completed August 1999) and a surface street north of SR 24. After this, SR 24 crosses the Contra Costa County county line through the triple-bore Caldecott Tunnel and offers some attractive views of the hilly terrain through which it passes. Some protection of the views comes from the highway's designation as a California Scenic Highway. Due to the traffic jams, commuters get extended views of the scenery.Cite map | publisher=Thomas Brothers | title=California Road Atlas and Driver's Guide | year=2000 | page=L,158,156]

On the other side of the tunnel, SR 24 travels through unincorporated Contra Costa County before entering Orinda. SR 24 crosses the Mokelumne Aqueduct soon after entering the city of Lafayette. SR 24 terminates at the intersection with Interstate 680 just inside the city limits of Walnut Creek.Cite map | publisher=Rand McNally | title=The Road Atlas | year=2008 | page=13 ]

SR 24 is designated as the Grove Shafter Freeway from the Caldecott Tunnel to the I-580 interchange segment of the MacArthur Maze, continuing henceforth as I-980 to the terminus with I-880.It is known as the William Byron Rumford Freeway from I-580 in Oakland to the Caldecott Tunnel. [cite book | url=http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tsip/hseb/products/Named_Freeways.pdf | title=2007 Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances in California | publisher=Caltrans | pages=126 | accessdate=2007-03-28]

The Pittsburg/Bay Point Line of the Bay Area Rapid Transit runs in the freeway's center median, except around the Caldecott Tunnel.

History

Highway 24 was designated in 1932 in conjunction with the ongoing construction of the Broadway Low Level Tunnel (subsequently re-named the Caldecott Tunnel) which opened in 1937 [ [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tsip/hseb/products/state_highway_routes_selected_information_1995_revised.pdf CalTrans State Highway Routes Selected Information 1995, p.39] ] , connecting with the new Eastshore Highway and the approaches to the new Bay Bridge by way of Ashby Avenue through Berkeley west of the Berkeley Hills, and routed along Mount Diablo Boulevard through Contra Costa County east of the hills.

Highway 24 remained along Ashby Avenue until completion of the Grove-Shafter Freeway in the late 1960s. This new freeway, which ran from the Caldecott Tunnel through downtown Oakland to the MacArthur and Nimitz Freeways, was designated Route 24 and Ashby was re-designated Route 13.

Route 24 used to extend much further east. The section of Interstate 680 between the current terminus of SR 24 and State Route 242 was dual-signed I-680 and SR 24 until ca. 1987; State Route 242 which runs primarily in Concord was signed as Route 24 until the same time. Older maps show routes for 24 which continue along State Route 4 from the current intersection of 242 to the Antioch Bridge, and occasionally reappearing along the river road to Sacramento, currently State Route 160. Parts of the same route were also sometimes designated as State Route 84.

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."

References

External links

* [http://www.westcoastroads.com/california/ca-024.html California @ WestCoastRoads - State Route 24]
* [http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/sr24 Caltrans: Route 24 highway conditions]
* [http://www.cahighways.org/017-024.html#024 California Highways: SR 24]