California routes 7, 15, and 405

[agentsteel53]

I am wondering what the exact history is with regard to where these numbers were posted in CA.  They changed around a bit, and I'm not sure how these changes took place between about 1956 and 1964.

originally (1934), CA-7 went down Sepulveda Blvd, CA-15 down Atlantic Blvd, and 405 was an unused number.

by 1954, I believe CA-7 and CA-15 both were freeways: the San Diego Freeway and the Long Beach Freeway, respectively.

by 1964, CA-7 was the Long Beach Freeway, I-15 was in an entirely new location, and I-405 was used for the San Diego Freeway.

however, in the intervening years, between the arrival of the interstate system, and the final renumbering of 1964... how was everything numbered?

[NE2]

http://cahighways.org/maps/1963routes.jpg

[agentsteel53]

http://cahighways.org/maps/1963routes.jpg

where was I-15 signed by 1963?  I know that at the 15/40 split, the guide signs (which survived well into the 2000s) dated to 1960 and had 15/91 and 40/66 shield pairs.


this sign set also existed, 1959 spec - the location of this is on the 1963 map.

[agentsteel53]

in fact, are we generally sure this is a 1963 map?  apart from the renumbering of 10 to 42, there seems to be some very, very old information.  no interstate shields at all as far as I can see, and the Long Beach Freeway is still labeled the Los Angeles River Freeway.  (That change was made in 1954.)

(also, 2 all the way out in San Bernardino County?  when was that truncated?  I thought that took place well before 1964, but it may very well be 1964.)

[NE2]

It may be that Caltrans didn't fully recognize the Interstates until 1964, putting them on signs to play nice but not bothering to put them on maps.

the Long Beach Freeway is still labeled the Los Angeles River Freeway.

There are no street names on the map; you're seeing the LA River label.

Here's a better scan of a 1961 map: http://www.cosmos-monitor.com/ca/map1961/insets/la-vicinity.html

(also, 2 all the way out in San Bernardino County?  when was that truncated?  I thought that took place well before 1964, but it may very well be 1964.)

http://www.gbcnet.com/ushighways/history/1964_route_renumbering.pdf

Route 138[...]Incorporates former portion of Route 2 from its junction with Route 138 east of Wrightwood to junction with Route 18 near Crestline.

[agentsteel53]

awesome '61 map.

and I see US-60 was, officially speaking, co-signed all the way to the East LA even after 1960.  we have evidence that it was not signed past CA-71 after 1960 or so.



so now my question is - how were 7, 15, and 405 signed?

I would imagine 405 had some 7 cosigns, but sometimes it was just 405.

1959:


and there were two signed 15s until 1964.

[NE2]

and I see US-60 was, officially speaking, co-signed all the way to the East LA even after 1960.  we have evidence that it was not signed past CA-71 after 1960 or so.

I thought we went over this and someone remembered US 60 being signed on trailblazers.

so now my question is - how were 7, 15, and 405 signed?

I would imagine 405 had some 7 cosigns, but sometimes it was just 405.

It was definitely only I-405 on the part near Long Beach. SR 7 only paralleled future I-405 north of Inglewood.

and there were two 15s until 1964.

And two 40s, and two 80s.

[agentsteel53]

I thought we went over this and someone remembered US 60 being signed on trailblazers.

I do not recall this discussion.  if you could find it, that would be great.

And two 40s, and two 80s.

only 10/10 was deemed sufficiently close to warrant a renumbering?  The 40s and 80s would have been very, very tough to get confused... but I think 15/15 is within the margin of error that I wouldn't have been surprised either way if a) the Long Beach Freeway got an early renumbering, b) it did not get renumbered, because moving 7 a few miles away is pretty confusing too.

[NE2]

I thought we went over this and someone remembered US 60 being signed on trailblazers.

I do not recall this discussion.  if you could find it, that would be great.

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=5982.msg131303#msg131303

[The High Plains Traveler]

I know the earliest piece of the San Diego Freeway in West L.A. in the black sign era of the late 1950s had the CA-7 designation, but I don't know whether after I-405 began to be posted, the completed freeway segments bore both designations. By 1964, the freeway was complete so it's likely CA-7 had disappeared off Sepulveda Blvd. before then. I thought I had maps from the early 1960s but 1964 is my earliest during that era.  When was the San Diego Freeway completed from the LAX area north to I-5? 

Duplicate route numbers weren't an issue in California until the 1963 renumbering law codified the route number and made it identical to the legislative number. 

[TheStranger]

I am wondering what the exact history is with regard to where these numbers were posted in CA.  They changed around a bit, and I'm not sure how these changes took place between about 1956 and 1964.

originally (1934), CA-7 went down Sepulveda Blvd, CA-15 down Atlantic Blvd, and 405 was an unused number.

Actually, didn't 7 only go down Sepulveda up to La Tijera Boulevard, at which point it followed the 1964-1968 routing of Route 107 (and then the current remainder of 107)?

107 was created ca. 1942 as one of the earliest "vestigal routes" referring to the previous designation of said road, which much later also happened with Routes 242, 330, and 371.