| Interstate 580 east |
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This sign is mounted over the transition ramp from southbound U.S. 101 onto eastbound Interstate 580. The first exit along eastbound is Exit 1, Francisco Boulevard. Photo taken 11/28/03. |
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A windshield wiper bats off a few raindrops as we reach Exit 1, Francisco Boulevard along eastbound. Photo taken 11/28/03. |
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View of Interstate 580 east as it leaves San Rafael after the Francisco Boulevard exit. Photo taken 11/28/03. |
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The San Quentin exit provides access to the community of San Quentin and its state prison. Notorious for housing infamous criminals and for having less than stellar conditions, the San Quentin prison sits innocuously by the bay in the shadow of Interstate 580 and its trans-bay bridge. Photo taken 11/28/03. |
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Eastbound Interstate 580 reaches Exit 2, San Quentin. This is the last Marin County exit; through traffic will cross the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge en route to Richmond and Oakland. Photo taken 11/28/03. |
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Indeed, as soon as we turn the corner from Exit 2, Interstate 580 faces its crossing over the San Francisco Bay, via a double-deck, four-lane freeway (two lanes plus one emergency lane on each deck). Opening on September 1, 1956, the cantilever and truss bridge features two high points along its 5.5 miles (4.04 miles are over water). For more on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, see the official Caltrans District 4 page. Photos taken 11/28/03. |
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Now crossing the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the eastbound lanes take the lower deck. The emergency lane is located to the right, offering a shoulder that is not found on the much more heavily traveled Interstate 80 Bay Bridge. Note the curves, rises, and valleys along the freeway as it crosses the open water. Since this is such a long route over the bay, the modifications allow for a bit of diversity in the driving experience. Around the middle of the bay, Interstate 580 leaves Marin County and enters Contra Costa County. Photos taken 05/25/06 (last photo taken 11/28/03). |
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Page Updated December 13, 2007.
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