- Interstate 40 in California
-
This article is about the section of highway in California. For the entire length of highway, see Interstate 40.
Interstate 40
Needles Freeway 
Route information Defined by S&HC § 340 Maintained by Caltrans Length: 154.623 mi[3] (248.842 km) Existed: August 7, 1947 by FHWA[1]
July 1, 1964 by Caltrans[2] – presentMajor junctions West end: 
I-15 in Barstow
US 95 in NeedlesEast end: 
I-40 at the Arizona state lineHighway system Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Main • Auxiliary • BusinessState highways in California(list • pre-1964)
History • Unconstructed • Deleted • Freeway • Scenic← 
SR 39SR 41 
→In the U.S. state of California, Interstate 40 (I-40) has its western terminus in Barstow. Known as the Needles Freeway, a major east–west route of the Interstate Highway System, it heads east from Barstow across the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County past the Clipper Mountains to Needles, before it crosses into Arizona west of Kingman.
Contents
Route description
This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System[4] and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System.[5] However, it is not a scenic highway as designated by Caltrans.[6] Interstate 40 from Interstate 15 to the Arizona State Line is known as the Needles Freeway, as named by Senate Concurrent Resolution 1 in 1968.[7] Interstate 40 goes through the Mojave Desert on its entire journey through California.
I-40 starts out at a junction with Interstate 15 in Barstow. The freeway passes through Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow before leaving the city limits. I-40 provides access to the town of Daggett but passes south of the town. After passing south of the Barstow-Daggett Airport, I-40 goes through Newberry Springs and Ludlow before traveling along the south end of Mojave National Preserve. Several miles east of the preserve, I-40 intersects US 95 and the two highways run concurrently into the city of Needles. In Needles, US 95 continues south while I-40 continues east through Mojave Regional Park and across the Colorado River into Arizona.[8]
The maximum speed limit for the entire California segment of Interstate 40 is 70 mph (110 km/h).
History
The segment of I-40 in California was approved as a chargeable Interstate on July 7, 1947.[1] In 1957, the California Department of Highways proposed that the route be renumbered to Interstate 30 instead because of the already existing U.S. Route 40 in the state.[2] However, this was rejected, and eventually U.S. 40 was decommissioned in favor of Interstate 80.
Today, the Needles Freeway replaced what used to be Route 66 across the Mojave Desert. As a result, a number of communities along the former route like Amboy have become ghost towns.[9]
A sign in California showing the distance to Wilmington, North Carolina has been stolen several times.[10]
Former mileage sign at start of Interstate 40 in Barstow, California
Future
The State of California submitted the segment of what is now State Route 58 between Barstow and Bakersfield for chargeable Interstate approval twice, in 1956 and 1968, presumably as an extension of Interstate 40, but it was rejected both times.[1] As a result of these rejections, this segment of SR 58 is being upgraded to freeway standards piece-by-piece as Caltrans has funds available. However, there is no current push to apply for Interstate designation.
Needles business loop
Interstate 40 Business
Location: Needles, California Interstate 40 Business is a Business loop in Needles, California. It provides access to downtown Needles as Broadway Street. It also follows the former routing of U.S. Route 66.
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 entire route is in San Bernardino County.
Location Postmile
[3][11][12]Exit
[13]Destinations Notes Barstow R0.00 
I-15 south (Mojave Freeway) to SR 58 west – San BernardinoWestbound exit and eastbound entrance R0.79 1 Montara Road, East Main Street (I-15 Bus. south, to I-15 north) East Main Street was former US 66 west R2.35 2 Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow Former US 66 east R4.71 5 Nebo Street Eastbound exit and westbound entrance Daggett R7.18 7 Daggett, A Street R12.19 12 Airport Road, Barstow-Daggett Airport Newberry Springs R18.45 18 National Trails Highway — Newberry Springs Former US 66 R23.33 23 Fort Cady Road – Newberry Springs R32.50 33 Hector Road Ludlow R49.98 50 Ludlow, Crucero Road Former US 66 R78.17 78 Kelbaker Road R99.73 100 Essex Road – Essex R107.17 107 Goffs Road – Essex R115.19 115 Mountain Springs Road Former US 66 R119.97 120 Water Road R132.73 133 US 95 north – Searchlight, Las VegasWest end of US 95 overlap; former US 66 west Needles R139.11 139 River Road Cutoff Eastbound exit and westbound entrance R141.01 141 West Broadway, River Road (I-40 Bus. east) West Broadway was former US 66 east R142.37 142 J Street – Downtown Needles R143.76 144 US 95 south (East Broadway, I-40 Bus. west) – BlytheEast end of US 95 overlap; former US 66 R148.19 148 Five Mile Road to US 95 south – BlytheFormer US 66 west R153.31 153 Park Moabi Road R154.64 Arizona state line 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
Concurrency terminus • Closed/Former • Incomplete access • UnopenedReferences
- ^ a b c California Highways: Interstate Highway Types and the History of California's Interstates
- ^ a b California Highways: Interstate 40
- ^ a b California Department of Transportation, State Truck Route List (XLS file), accessed February 2008
- ^ CA Codes (shc:250-257)
- ^ CA Codes (shc:260-284)
- ^ "Officially Designated State Scenic Highways and Historic Parkways". California Department of Transportation. December 7, 2007. http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/LandArch/scenic_highways/. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^ 2007 Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances in California. Caltrans. p. 74. http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tsip/hseb/products/Named_Freeways.pdf. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
- ^ Thomas Brothers (2008). San Bernardino County Street Atlas (Map).
- ^ Anton, Mike (2001-01-17). "Breathing life into a faded desert landmark". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-amboy17jan17,1,2068370.story?coll=la-headlines-california. Retrieved 2007-03-27.[dead link]
- ^ "I-40 Barstow, Calif., sign gone for good". Star-News. 2009-11-13. http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20091112/ARTICLES/911129963/1004?Title=I-40-Barstow-Calif-sign-gone-for-good. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
- ^ California Department of Transportation, Log of Bridges on State Highways, July 2007
- ^ California Department of Transportation, All Traffic Volumes on CSHS, 2005 and 2006
- ^ California Department of Transportation, California Numbered Exit Uniform System, Interstate 40 Freeway Interchanges, Retrieved on 2009-02-05.
External links
Freeways in Greater Los Angeles Radial Hollywood (US 101/SR 170) • Golden State (I-5) • Antelope Valley (SR 14) • Glendale (SR 2) • Pasadena/Arroyo Seco Pkwy (SR 110) • San Bernardino (I-10) • Pomona (SR 60) • Santa Ana (I-5/US 101) • Laguna (SR 133) • Corona del Mar (SR 73) • Long Beach (I-710) • Seaside (SR 47) • Terminal Island (SR 103) • Harbor (I-110/SR 110) • Marina (SR 90) • Santa Monica (I-10)Circumferential Inland Empire Chino Valley (SR 71) • Foothill (SR 210) • Moreno Valley (SR 60) • Riverside (SR 91) • San Bernardino (I-10/I-215) • I-10 • I-15 • I-215 • SR 259 • SR 330Toll Interstate Highways in California Signed Unsigned Business Loops Former 
Interstate 40Previous state:
TerminusCalifornia Next state:
ArizonaCategories:- Interstate Highways in California
- Southern California freeways
- Roads in San Bernardino County, California
- Interstate 40
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