State Route 76 East - Oceanside to Bonsall
East
SR 76 begins and heads north from Coast Highway (Historic U.S. 101) along the San Luis Rey Mission Expressway.
03/15/08
SR 76 enters a three-quarter cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 5 to the immediate north of Coast Highway. A signalized turn connects the expressway with the freeway south to San Diego.
03/15/08
A loop ramp follows from SR 76 east to I-5 north toward Santa Ana, Long Beach and Los Angeles.
03/15/08
The first confirming marker for SR 76 east stands just beyond I-5. The state route follows an expressway alignment along the south bank of the San Luis Rey River until crossing the river near Bonsall.
11/11/12
SR 76 is designated as the San Luis Rey Mission Expressway between Interstate 5 in Oceanside and Interstate 15 to the northeast.
11/11/12
The first at-grade intersection along SR 76 is with Loretta Street south.
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SR 76 also honors Oceanside Police Officer Tony Zeppetella, who was shot and killed on June 13, 2003.
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A reassurance marker for SR 76 east stands beyond Loretta Street.
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SR 76 mirrors the course of the San Luis Rey River between Interstate 5 and Old River Road / Vista Way (CR S-13 south).
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The next traffic signal along SR 76 east is with Canyon Drive south.
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Palomar Mountain comes into view as SR 76 proceeds east through the San Luis Rey River valley. SR 76 will eventually pass along the southern edge of the mountain near Pala and Pauma Valley.
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Advancing east, SR 76 approaches Benet Road beyond this shield assembly.
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Benet Road leads north from an industrial park area south of SR 76 to the Marlado Highlands residential area.
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Airport Road links SR 76 with adjacent Oceanside Municipal Airport (OKB) and Mission Avenue (SR 76 Business).
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Foussat Road crosses SR 76 (San Luis Rey Mission Expressway) at the succeeding eastbound signal. The north-south arterial connects the state route with Mission Avenue and the Marlado Highlands community.
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SR 76 proceeds east from Foussat Road and crosses over Mission Avenue (SR 76 Business) without direct access.
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A set of San Diego Gas & Electric 230kV power lines cross over the expressway at the Mission Avenue under crossing. These lines are supported by wooden poles that keep the conductors lower to the ground in order to prevent a conflict with air traffic associated with the nearby OKB airport. This particular line links San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station to the north with the Encina Power Station in Carlsbad to the south.
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SR 76 spans El Camino Real at a grade separation ahead of the traffic lights with Douglas Drive north in Oceanside.
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The succeeding intersection on SR 76 east with Rancho del Oro Drive connects with the San Luis Rey de Francia Mission, which was founded on June 13, 1798.
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Rancho Del Oro Drive winds southward to the SoCal Sports Complex and a number of office parks and subdivisions to Vista Way.
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SR 76 is an established safety corridor, as noted by signs such as this posted beyond Rancho Del Oro Drive.
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A SR 76 route marker precedes the second crossing over Mission Avenue along San Luis Rey Mission Expressway eastbound.
11/11/12
SR 76 spans Mission Avenue (SR 76 Business) ahead of Old Grove Road.
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The SR 76 expressway from Interstate 5 east to Melrose Drive opened in 1999. Quite a bit of residential development ensued along the SR 76 corridor through the following decade, resulting in housing clusters on both sides of the state route at Old Grove Road.
11/11/12
Continuing east along Old Grove Road on SR 76.
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Entering the intersection with Frazee Road, a raised hardscape (concrete with curbs) separates traffic along SR 76. The east end of SR 76 Business (Mission Avenue) lies just to the south.
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Town Center Drive serves big box retail and other retail areas south from this traffic signal along SR 76.
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Traffic increases as SR 76 east intersects College Boulevard.
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Sound walls separate adjacent subdivisions and apartments from the San Luis Rey Mission Expressway east of College Boulevard.
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County Route S-14 (North Santa Fe Avenue) branches southeast from the forthcoming signal along SR 76 east four miles to Vista.
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San Diego County Route S-14 was well signed along Santa Fe Avenue through Vista as of 2008, but is almost unsigned through San Marcos and Escondido. CR S-14 ends at Business Loop I-15 (Centre City Parkway) in Escondido.
11/11/12
East from CR S-14, SR 76 runs along the north side of Guajome Regional Park by this confirming marker.
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A trail for Guajome Regional Park passes under SR 76 at this underpass beside Guajome Lake.
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Eastbound SR 76 next approaches Guajome Lake Road, which travels southeast from neighborhoods north of the expressway to run alongside Guajome County Park.
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The 1999-built four lane expressway continues east between Guajome Lake Road and Melrose Drive.
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The expressway portion of SR 76 previously concluded just after the approaching intersection with Melrose Avenue. Due to increasing traffic volumes and higher than average accident rate, additional funds were allocated toward widening the remainder of SR 76 east to I-15.
11/11/12
The westbound lanes between Melrose Drive and Sweetgrass Lane opened on October 18, 2012.1 The eastbound lanes followed in November 2012.
06/07/08
A barrier median separates the roadways of SR 76 leading east from Melrose Drive.
11/11/12
Reassurance marker for SR 76 east, posted after Melrose Drive.
06/07/08
SR 76 navigates through a sweeping S-curve east from the signal with Singh Way along the 2012-completed expressway linking Oceanside with Bonsall.
11/11/12
Curving northeast, SR 76 intersects Old River Road (Historic U.S. 395) north and Vista Way (County Route S-13) south by the Old Bonsall Bridge. CR S-13 leads south to Downtown Vista.
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CR S-13 combines with SR 76 east across the San Luis Rey River. Prior to 2012, the New Bonsall Bridge carried two-way traffic. A second span opened for westbound. Constructed in 1925, the Old Bonsall Bridge, a open spandrel, multiple-arch bridge, lies just to the west.
06/07/08
11/11/12
North River Road stems west from SR 76 (Mission Road) to agricultural areas and Holly Lane. Holly Lane previously intersected the state route prior to expansion to expressway standards.
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Winding northward along the San Luis River, SR 76 advances two miles from North River Road to unincorporated Bonsall. Pauma Valley follows in 23 miles.
06/07/08
Via Montellano links SR 76 with Old SR 76 and additional groves.
11/11/12
Entering the unincorporated community of Bonsall, the next traffic signal along SR 76 east and CR S-13 north is with Olive Hill Drive north and Camino del Rey east to Interstate 15.
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County Route S-13 splits with SR 76 at the subsequent eastbound signal. CR S-13 branches northwest along Historic U.S. 395 to Fallbrook.
06/07/08
CR S-13 follows Mission Road north from SR 76 to CR S-15 in Fallbrook. North from there, the two county routes meet again at Interstate 15 and Old Highway 395.
06/07/08
Caltrans District 11 placed a San Diego County Route S-13 route marker on signal mast arms along SR 76.
11/11/12
SR 76 narrowed to two lanes east from CR S-13 and next intersected Sweetgrass Lane, a short residential street.
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SR 76 traverses rural areas populated with several orchards and ranches on the drive northeast toward Interstate 15 and Pala.
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Expansion of SR 76 to expressway standards included the addition of traffic lights with Via Monserate north.
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Via Monserate arcs northwest from SR 76 through the rural San Luis Rey Heights community.
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The realignment of SR 76 shifted the route southward at the intersection with Grid Road. Gird Road leads four miles north to Live Oak County Park.
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Gird Road connects SR 76 with a portion of the previous roadway, which was renamed as an extension of Flowerwood Lane.
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Remaining just north of the parallel San Luis Rey River, SR 76 intersects Monserate Hill Road north to a number of orchards.
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Progressing northeast toward Old Highway 395 along SR 76. The lines of trees on the distant hillside are rows of avocado trees. Avocados are a very common crop from northern San Diego County.
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Eastbound SR 76 meets Interstate 15 in a half mile.
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The next traffic signal connects SR 76 with Old Highway 395, which is not to be confused with Historic U.S. 395. While Old Highway 395 was signed as U.S. 395 at one time, it was the second generation of the route, when it was realigned out of Fallbrook.
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Entering the parclo A2 interchange with Interstate 15 on SR 76 east. The Escondido Freeway leads south from here to Escondido and San Diego.
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Restrictions apply to buses and RV's in addition to trucks along SR 76 east leading away from I-15.
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Interstate 15 (Escondido Freeway) heads north from SR 76 to Temecula, Lake Elsinore, Riverside and San Bernardino.
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Photo Credits:
- Andy Field: 03/15/08, 06/07/08, 11/11/12
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Page Updated Tuesday July 17, 2018.