junipero serra over / under in Daly City

[jander]

Headed north on Junipero Serra, you cross over 280 to the West, and then back over it to the east, just before the movie theater and Bart station.

Is there any historical information on why this alignment  was chosen?

[TheStranger]

Prior to I-280 being built in the area ca. 1967, Junipero Serra Boulevard originally ran straight through past Washington Street (which crossed over Serra).

Since 280's alignment through that area took out buildings  that used to line Serra, I wonder then if it was primarily a matter of geography - where Serra is the original street level between the north 280/1 junction, and 280 itself is actually in a bit of a trench.

[sparker]

Since I-280 functionally supplanted that section of Junipero Serra Blvd., it was likely that the present configuration was made to enhance the local business prospects of the immediate area; it moved from side to side to connect existing commercial facilities.  FYI, the original supplanted segment of Serra was the original (1964) CA 117; that designation was deleted ca. 1970 after I-280 was opened to traffic. 

[bing101]

http://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Before_the_I-280_Freeway

Here is more on how San Francisco looked like before I-280 came to the city though.

[TheStranger]

http://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Before_the_I-280_Freeway

Here is more on how San Francisco looked like before I-280 came to the city though.

The segment being discussed though in this thread is in Daly City (Junipero Serra Boulevard in SF is pretty much freeway (as part of Route 1) from Font Boulevard south to 280 except for one driveway, then arterial from Font all the way to the north terminus).

It is VERY interesting though that Mission Street in SF has always had an overcrossing above Alemany even before 280 existed!  Looks like at one point then that that overcrossing was part of US 101/US 101W based on that timeframe.