I-5S in Los Angeles and Glendale

[Max Rockatansky]

The Colorado Street Freeway Extension is a 0.633-mile spur of mainline Interstate 5. The Colorado Street Freeway Extension connects from Colorado Street in Glendale west to Interstate 5 in Los Angeles via a crossing of the Los Angeles River. The Colorado Street Freeway Extension opened in 1958 as the Golden State Freeway (then US Route 99, US Route 6 and Interstate 5) was being constructed. The Colorado Freeway Extension would serve as a temporary realignment of US Route 99/US Route 6 off of San Fernadno Road and new alignment of California State Route 134. US Route 99 and US Route 6 followed the Colorado Street Freeway Extension to San Fernando Road until the Golden State Freeway was completed to the San Bernadino Freeway in 1962. The Colorado Street Freeway Extension would be assigned as part of the original California State Route 163 as part of the 1964 State Highway Renumbering but was quickly folded into California State Route 134 Spur by 1965. The corridor would be assigned as part of Interstate 5 Spur when the Ventura Freeway extension reached California State Route 2 (then at Verdugo Road) in 1969.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2024/02/the-colorado-street-freeway-extension.html?m=1

[The Ghostbuster]

I suppose the freeway spur is too short warrant exit numbers, like the rest of the freeways/tollways in California.

[Max Rockatansky]

There are still a handful of mainline freeways lacking exit numbers.  The Ojai Freeway (CA 33) immediately springs to mind.

[oscar]

^^^ You might note that Caltrans' Postmile Query Tool indicates the Colorado Street Extension is still state-maintained, as route 5S, from the I-5 mainline to Colorado Street  5S is also used for the I-5 truck route in Newhall, which follows an old freeway alignment with a different centerline than the I-5 mainline.

[Max Rockatansky]

Correct, which makes me wish that I had thought to take photos the last time I drove through it to avoid traffic on the mainline. 

[M3100]

Interesting history, as always with these summaries.

Meanwhile, the inset maps in the narrative show the east-west segment of the road through the city of Glendale labeled as 'Colorado Blvd.', however local maps (including my 1946 Renie Atlas and 1955 Thomas Guide) show that section as 'Colorado St.'  Evidently the cartographers left off that detail to avoid cluttering the map.

[cahwyguy]

(including my 1946 Renie Atlas and 1955 Thomas Guide)

After the road meet, we'll have to compare. I have a 1939 Gillespie Guide, a 1959 Renie marked up by Caltrans, and a 1966 Thomas Guide.

[Plutonic Panda]

Are we referring to the section of I-5 between the 134 and DTLA? The reason I ask is I've never heard of the spur in question referred to as I-5S. I always thought it was the Colorado Street freeway. Exit.

[TheStranger]

Are we referring to the section of I-5 between the 134 and DTLA? The reason I ask is I've never heard of the spur in question referred to as I-5S. I always thought it was the Colorado Street freeway. Exit.

This is indeed the Colorado Street Freeway spur (former 134/6/99 and later part of the 1964-1965 Route 163).  5S is an internal designation that isn't actually signed anywhere as far as I know (unlike say 14U).