Interstate 210 and California 210

This California 210 freeway entrance shield is posted on State Street at the California 210 interchange in western San Bernardino near Muscoy. Photo taken 06/24/07.

Interstate 210 in California is the Foothill Freeway between Interstate 5/Golden State Freeway in Sylmar and California 57 (Orange Freeway) in Glendora via Pasadena. At California 57, Interstate 210 changes into California 210, and the state highway continues east from there to San Bernardino, ending at Interstate 10 in Redlands. The section between Interstate 215 and Interstate 10 was still signed as California 30 until March 2008, about eight months after the final segment through Rialto was completed in July 2007.

Future Aspirations

Plans called for the addition of the entire California 210 freeway to the existing Interstate 210 from San Dimas east to Redlands upon completion of the last segment of freeway, which occurred July 24, 2007. Signage changed from California 30 to California 210 (state highway, not Interstate highway) by March 2008. The process to add former California 30 to Interstate 210 began in 1998, when the designation of California 30 was legislatively changed to California 210. Then on November 6, 1998, the state of California submitted California 30 for inclusion in the Interstate Highway System. AASHTO rejected this proposal because the freeway segments were not complete; however, the freeway will be resubmitted for approval once it is complete. It is not clear when the request to sign Interstate 210 will be made by Caltrans, but it could occur as soon as the next AASHTO Route Numbering Subcommittee Meeting. The application will probably be submitted after the Interstate 215-California 210 interchange is completed.

History

Interstate 210/Foothill Freeway was planned in the 1940s, commissioned in the mid-1950s, and completed in stages through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. California 210 (the state route section east of California 57) was completed in July 2007. As portions were completed, parts were signed as California 118 northwest of Pasadena and U.S. 66 east of Pasadena according to maps from that era. Once the significant portions of the route were completed, Interstate 210 markers were erected.

With the opening of the final link of California 210 on July 24, 2007,1 the combination of Interstate 210, California 210, and California 30 offer a continuous freeway link from Los Angeles (San Fernando Valley) to Redlands. It is not clear when the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will request an Interstate 210 designation for the entire freeway route.

Prior to the legislative conversion of the former California 30 corridor into California 210, a short section of Interstate 210 used to extend from the current California 57 and California 210 interchange in San Dimas south to the Kellogg Interchange (Junction Interstate 10/San Bernardino Freeway, California 57 (Orange Freeway), and California 71/Corona Expressway) in Pomona. The section of Former Interstate 210 between these two points is now signed as California 57 (Orange Freeway) and is legislatively part of California 57. This truncation was performed in preparation for the conversion of California 210 into Interstate 210 after the freeway is completed through Rialto and Muscoy in July 2007 and after the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approves designating California 210/30 as Interstate 210.

The legislative change that extended California 210 east and eliminated California 30 occurred in 1998 as a result of California State Assembly Bill AB 2388 in 1998. However, signage changes came in stages after this legislative action. By 2008, all California 30 references were eliminated from freeway segments, although some Californis 30 route markers remain in place along select portions of Highland Avenue. The completed freeway segments are signed as California 210 as of 2009, and eventual conversion to Interstate 210 might occur after the Interstate 215 interchange is upgraded to full freeway-to-freeway standards.

The following are opening dates for each segment of Interstate 210:4

  • Interstate 5 to Roxford Street - October 14, 1970
  • Roxford Street to Maclay Street - December 12, 1969
  • Maclay Street to Van Nuys Boulevard - August 25, 1975
  • Van Nuys Boulevard to Wheatland Avenue - January 21, 1981
  • Wheatland Avenue to Sunland Boulevard - October 14, 1980
  • Sunland Boulevard to La Tuna Canyon Road - November 8, 1977
  • La Tuna Canyon Road to Lowell Avenue - October 16, 1975
  • Lowell Avenue to Linda Vista Avenue - June 19, 1973
  • Linda Vista Avenue to Arroyo Boulevard - August 29, 1974
  • Arroyo Boulevard to Orange Grove Boulevard - June 19, 1973
  • Orange Grove Boulevard to Interstate 710 - February 28, 1975
  • Interstate 710 to Michillinda Avenue - February 19, 1976
  • Michillinda Avenue to Santa Anita Avenue - July 6, 1971
  • Santa Anita Avenue to Highland Avenue - September 25, 1968
  • Highland Avenue to California 39 - March 6, 1969
  • California 39 to Grand Avenue - November 21, 1969
  • Grand Avenue to California 66 - January 28, 1971
  • California 66 to Milliken Avenue - November 24, 2002
  • Milliken Avenue to Sierra Avenue - August 20, 2001
  • Sierra Avenue to Highland Avenue - July 24, 2007
  • Interchange Ramp from California 210 east to Interstate 215 south - July 23, 20126
  • Highland Avenue to California 259 - July 30, 1989
  • California 259 to Highland Avenue - October 28, 1971
  • Highland Avenue to Fifth Avenue - July 1, 1993
  • Fifth Avenue to Interstate 10 - March 31, 1993

The construction history of Interstate 210 is shown below based on the official bridge logs. Note that Caltrans tends to construct bridges well in advance of grading and completing the remainder of freeways, so the dates on the bridges often precede the actual opening dates of the freeways themselves.2

  • Interstate 5 east to Foothill Boulevard - 1968; replaced in 1971 (connectors to Interstate 5 south replaced in 1975)
  • Yarnell Street interchange - 1970
  • Glenoaks Boulevard to Maclay Street - 1969
  • Pacoima Wash to Van Nuys Boulevard - 1975
  • Pierce Street to Sunland Avenue - 1980
  • Cross Canyon to La Tuna Canyon Road - 1975
  • Lowell Avenue to Hampton-Foothill Boulevard - 1972
  • Foothill Boulevard to Linda Vista Avenue - 1974
  • Arroyo Boulevard to Orange Grove Boulevard - 1973
  • Interstate 210-710/California 134 Interchange - 1975
  • Marengo Avenue east to Madre Street - 1976
  • California 19 (164) east to Baldwin Avenue - 1971
  • Santa Anita Avenue to Fifth Avenue - 1968
  • Huntington Drive to Mayflower Avenue - 1967
  • Magnolia Avenue to Duncannon Avenue - 1966-1967
  • Interstate 605 to California 39 - 1968
  • California 39 to Glendora Avenue - 1969
  • Glendora Avenue to California 66 (including California 57 interchange) - 1970
  • California 66 to Live Oak Canyon Road - 2000
  • Towne Avenue to Mountain Avenue - 2001
  • San Antonio Avenue to Euclid Avenue - 1999
  • Campus Avenue - 2001
  • Sapphire Street to Hermosa Avenue - 2000
  • Haven Avenue to Day Creek Boulevard - 2001
  • Etiwanda Avenue to Sierra Avenue (including Interstate 15 interchange) - 1998-2001
  • Alder Avenue to Highland Avenue - 2005-2006 (opened July 2007)
  • Interstate 215 interchange - 1989
  • California 259 to California 18 - 1968
  • Golden Avenue to Sterling Avenue - 1971
  • Highland Avenue (California 30 Business) to Fifth Avenue - 1984
  • Fifth Avenue to Interstate 10 - originally built in 1984 and widened to second carriageway in 1992

Regarding the Interstate 5/Interstate 210 connector ramps, Adam Twiss indicates that the West to South Connector (from west Interstate 210 to south Interstate 5) along with the rest of the Interstate 5, Interstate 210, and California 14 interchanges were originally constructed in 1970-71 and were about to open when the Sylmar Earthquake hit on February 9, 1971. Damages to this structure illustrates the severity of the event. On the day of the earthquake, the original South Connector fell on a pickup killing two people on the Golden State Freeway. The portion of Interstate 210 from Interstate 5 to Paxton Street was severly damaged in 1971 delaying the opening of this section, and the fault that caused the earthquake ripped through the freeway northwest of Maclay Street. This included the westbound onramp and eastbound offramp. There is a slight hump on the number three lane on the eastbound side - a slight offset near where the asphalt and concrete meet and also at the curb. This earthquake also buckled the Golden State Freeway just south of the San Fernando Road overcrossing.5

More on the California 30 north-south section of freeway from Scott Parker:

    Prior to the spring of 1992, when the full facility was completed, California 30 -- west to east -- looked like this: freeway to the present Highland Ave. interchange in east San Bernardino, east on Highland to Boulder Avenue (the California 30/330 intersection), where it turned south. It went south on Boulder to 5th, then turned west on 5th to the freeway alignment, then went south again over the eastbound two lanes across the Santa Ana River watercourse, extending south to San Bernardino Avenue in Redlands. At that point, traffic was shunted off onto that street east to the east side of the freeway berm, where it turned south onto Tennessee Street (which had been extended north circa 1982-83 to serve as a frontage road for the California 30 freeway, as it does today) and thence to the Interstate 10 interchange.

    Some maps of that era showed California 30 temporarily extending east all the way to Orange Street (the original state highway alignment) then south to California 38 at Lugonia Street, where it terminated. While this may have been the officially designated alignment (Caltrans ceded the part of Orange Street that dipped into the Santa Ana River bed over to the local jurisdiction), signage from California 30 east directed traffic heading to Interstate 10 directly down Tennessee Street (and, if you have been that way and paid notice, there is room on the overhead signage for the Tennessee St. exits on Interstate 10 -- in both directions -- for a state highway shield).

    Signage from Interstate 10 to California 30, if my memory from the mid eighties serves me correctly, was rudimentary at best: I seem to recall nothing indicating California 30 at the Interstate 10/California 38/Orange Street interchange in central Redlands, but one solitary stand-alone sign before the Tennessee Street offramp reading, from top to bottom "to", California 30 (shield), "NEXT RIGHT" in a small square green sign under the shield. And that didn't last long, since that was also the site of construction of the Interstate 10/California 30 interchange, and the shield sat where Interstate 10 was being widened to accommodate the two-lane ramp exit to California 30.3

On November 6, 1998, AASHTO disapproved the extension of Interstate 210 from San Dimas east to Interstate 10 in Redlands via former California 30 because the freeway route was not yet complete. For now, sections of California 30 west of San Bernardino have been re-signed as California 210, while other sections of California 30 east of San Bernardino were not changed until 2007.

At the same meeting in 1998, AASHTO also denied the removal of the section of Interstate 210 between Interstate 10 and California 30 from the Interstate Highway System. Nevertheless, this section was legislatively changed (by act of the state legislative bodies and signed into law by the governor) to an extension of California 57. As such, it is signed as California 57 in both directions, and signage for Interstate 210 ends at the California 57, California 210, and Interstate 210 interchange.

The last segment of California 210 opened on July 24, 2007, through Rialto and Muscoy.1 For the ensuing five years, the interchange between Interstate 215 and California 210 were under construction. The final link, which connects California 210 east to Interstate 215 south, opened to traffic on July 23, 2012. Prior to this ramp opening, this connection required a lengthy detour along Highland Avenue.

The next step is for California 210 to be submitted to AASHTO and FHWA for inclusion in the Interstate Highway System.

Highway Guides

Interstate 210 scenes
Northbound Pasadena Avenue approaches its junction with Interstate 210, which travels east to San Bernardino and west to San Fernando. Photo taken 05/11/10 by Martin Grahl.
This Interstate 210 button copy shield is posted on a green guide sign located at the intersection of Corson Street and Walnut Street in Pasadena. Photo taken 05/11/10 by Martin Grahl.
Westbound Historic U.S. 66/Colorado Boulevard approaches the onramps to California 134 west and Interstate 210 east in Old Pasadena near the Norton Simon Museum. Photos taken 05/11/10 by Martin Grahl.
This Interstate 210 freeway entrance shield assembly is posted in San Dimas near Raging Waters, the first exit along westbound after the Kellogg Interchange (California 57, California 71, and Interstate 10). This particular shield was located near the Park and Ride; it has since been replaced by California 57 shield (as that route was extended north to the Foothill Freeway). Photos taken 05/01/02.
An Interstate 210 trailblazer shield is posted along northbound Lone Hill Avenue in Glendora prior to Auto Centre Drive. Photos taken 11/14/04.
In La Canada Flintridge, this view looks west on Interstate 210 as seen from the Angeles Crest Highway overpass looking toward the Foothill Boulevard cut and cover tunnel (Memorial Park) and California 2/Glendale Freeway interchange. Photo taken 03/25/07.
An increasingly frequent occurrence in Caltrans District 7 is finding trailblazer signage that features the word "CALIFORNIA" rather than "INTERSTATE" in the red field of an Interstate highway route marker, such as this Interstate 210 shield along northbound Lone Hill Avenue in Glendora. Photo taken 11/14/04.
Use the right lane for California 210 east to San Bernardino or the left lane for Interstate 210 west to Pasadena. Photo taken 11/14/04.
A California 210 trailblazer shield and freeway entrance shield assembly is used from Lone Hill Avenue north. Photo taken 11/14/04.
Northbound San Dimas Avenue approaches the onramp to California 210 west. The older, button copy sign shows Interstate 210 west, perhaps owing to an older Caltrans District 7 standard of signing the route designation a mile or two away rather than the actual route intersected here (which is California 210). Note that the control cities are Pomona and Pasadena. While Interstate 210 travels west to Interstate 210, California 57 travels south to Pomona. Photo taken 11/14/04.
This freeway entrance sign is located on the north-south stub section of Interstate 210 between California 210 and Interstate 10 on Via Verde in San Dimas. Photo taken 05/01/02.
California 210 signage on northbound Fruit Street California 210 in La Verne. Note this new, reflective sign has a California 210 plate covering an Interstate 210 shield. Yes, Interstate 210. Road enthusiast Ali Pezeshkpour emailed Caltrans regarding these neutered California 210 shields in this area and why almost all of the California 210 advance signs are green overlays covering up the shield. Originally, we thought it was covering up a California 30 shield. However, the California 210 shield is covering an Interstate 210 shield. Here's what the Caltrans spokeswoman wrote in response to Ali's letter: "The 210 freeway is an Interstate freeway. It is a spur from the Interstate 10. The green signs are temporary and will be removed in time. As we were constructing the 210 extension to the Interstate 15, the signs were updated and the green sign temporarily placed over the interstate sign until the project." Photo taken 09/28/02.
Along with the previous sign, this was the only sign exposed on this day; all of the other signs and most of the freeway entrance shields were covered in a black plastic sheet, since the freeway was not yet open at this time. This sign is the California 210 freeway entrance shield at Fruit Street. These two pictures show the freeway entrance shield guarding the onramp to westbound. The shield is neutered (has no state name), which is not standard. Photos taken 09/28/02.
Southbound Fruit Street bridge over California 210. Photo taken 09/28/02.
This series of pictures shows the landscaping along Euclid Avenue (which may or may not be California 83 this far north; the jury is still out on that, since there will not be an initial interchange between California 210 and California 83). The landscaping on this bridge makes it nearly impossible for the casual motorist to notice the transition from a normal roadway to a bridge and then back again. This picture looks westward across the bridge, with the freeway in the background. Photo taken 09/28/02.
View of eastbound California 210 as seen from the Euclid Avenue overcrossing. Grass and bushes grow well on top of this bridge. Photo taken 09/28/02.
View of southbound Euclid Avenue as seen from the north end of the bridge. Notice the differences: the pavement changes slightly, the pepper trees in the median are slightly younger and less mature, there is a sidewalk where none was present before, and there are a few antique street lights. Photo taken 09/28/02.
In addition to the pepper trees in the median and grass along the shoulder, there are orange trees placed in distinct intervals across the bridge. This picture shows one such orange tree, with the eastbound freeway visible behind it. Photo taken 09/28/02.
Northbound Euclid Avenue (California 83) crosses over the California 210 freeway. Note that the center median pedestrian/bicycle trail (along a former trolley corridor) is maintained as if it did not cross a bridge at all. The blue sign in the median is temporary, as it was advertising the "Play on the Freeway" festivities on September 28, 2002. Photo taken 09/28/02.
California 210: Play on the Freeway Day (09/28/02)
On September 28, 2002, the City of Upland and the San Bernardino Association of Governments (SANBAG) held an "open house" to show off the newly constructed California 210 freeway. This event was held underneath and adjacent to the Euclid Avenue overpass, and attendees parked their cars at the Mountain Avenue onramp. People then walked from their parking spots to the festivities. Photo taken 09/28/02.
This picture shows the line of cars entering the freeway on the future Mountain Avenue onramp. Parking was perpendicular along the freeway. With all of the attendees on this overcast and somewhat drizzly morning, the parking area stretched for nearly a half-mile. Photo taken 09/28/02.
After a long walk from the parking area, the festivities began at the Euclid Avenue overpass. The tents housing various organizations were located on the east side of the overpass. Photo taken 09/28/02.
The speaker's platform and gathering area was located under the Euclid Avenue Bridge on the eastbound lanes. The westbound lanes were used for a road race (bike, walk, or run various distances). A video screen showed a documentary on how the freeway was constructed. Photo taken 09/28/02.
The Play on the Freeway festivities consisted of several booths with food and beverages as well as a variety of informational booths for local government agencies and a variety of businesses. There were also an assortment of smaller carnival-style games. Photo taken 09/28/02.
More parking was present on the west end of the festival area, presumably for those who were working the event. This picture looks westward, with the Euclid Avenue overpass visible. Photo taken 09/28/02.
View of the distant Play on the Freeway festivities as seen looking westward from a hill toward the Euclid Avenue overpass. Photo taken 09/28/02.
California 210: Play on the Freeway Day (06/24/07)
On June 24, 2007, the city of Rialto and the San Bernardino Association of Governments (SANBAG) held an "open house" to show off the newly constructed California 210 freeway between Sierra Avenue and State Street. This event was held underneath and adjacent to the Riverside Avenue interchange, and attendees parked their cars at the State Street onramp or Riverside Avenue onramp. People then walked from their parking spots to the festivities. More photos of the festivities are shown on the highway guides. Photos taken 06/24/07.
This freeway entrance shield assembly is posted on State Street and University Parkway at the California 210 interchange in Muscoy. Photo taken 06/24/07.
Another freeway entrance shield assembly is posted on Riverside Avenue at the California 210 interchange in Rialto. This assembly includes an arrow unlike the one shown at State Street. Photo taken 06/24/07.

Sources:

  1. Parker, Scott. Personal Email: "210 Opening Next Week," July 20, 2007.
  2. California Log of Bridges on State Highways, July 2007 edition
  3. Parker, Scott. Personal Email: "RE: 210 opening next week," August 15, 2007.
  4. Moon, C.J. Personal Email: "210 Dates," August 25, 2007.
  5. Twiss, Adam. Personal Email: "RE: Interstate California 210," August 15, 2007.
  6. Ramp opens as more I-215 closures planned by Dug Begley, The Press Enterprise, July 25, 2012. Relevant quote: "The last direct link needed between Interstate 215 and Highway 210 is complete, as part of an ongoing $700 million freeway widening through the city. Drivers can now go directly from the eastbound 210 to southbound I-215, via a ramp that opened Monday, July 23."
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Page Updated July 27, 2012.

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