State Route 133 - Veterans Memorial Highway

Looking from the boardwalk in Laguna Beach, this view looks north through the intersection with California 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) toward two-lane California 133/Broadway, which becomes Laguna Canyon Road upon leaving the core urban area.

01/31/10

After departing California 1 (Pacific Coast Highway), California 133 (Broadway / Laguna Canyon Road) passes through Downtown Laguna Beach. The first traffic signal along California 133 north is with Beach Street.

05/02/10

After merging with Cliff Drive, northbound California 133 (Laguna Canyon Road) meets Forest Avenue at this traffic signal. The state route now moves to leave the downtown area of Laguna Beach and proceed into Laguna Canyon, which is part of the city of Laguna Beach.

05/02/10

California 133 widens out to a four-lane divided highway standard as we leave the urbanized area. Note the divoted curbing along the median; this dates back to older state highway standards.

05/02/10

California 133 is designated as the Veterans Memorial Highway in addition to being called Laguna Canyon Road.

05/02/10

California 133 (Laguna Canyon Road) briefly narrows to a three-lane configuration prior to meeting El Toro Road and California 73.

05/02/10

Northbound California 133 next approaches a signalized intersection with Orange County Route S-18 (El Toro Road) east. To reach California 73 south, use Orange County Route S-18 east. Continue north on California 133 to reach California 73 north.

05/02/10

Use Orange County Route S-18 (El Toro Road) northeast to Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, and Mission Viejo. Orange County Route S-18 extends through these cities, then heads north along Santiago Canyon Road through Limestone Canyon Regional Park before turning west into the city of Orange. The county route is signed in places, but it is not well signed. No shields for the county route may be found currently along California 133.

05/02/10

Northbound California 133 (Laguna Canyon Road) meets Orange County Route S-18 (El Toro Road) northeast to California 73/San Joaquin Transportation Corridor south. To California 73, continue north on California 133.

05/02/10

Between El Toro Road and California 73, northbound California 133 widens to two lanes.

05/02/10

The next interchange along California 133 (Laguna Canyon Road) is with California 73. Since traffic to California 73 south used El Toro Road (Orange County Route S-18), there is only a ramp to northbound California 73 from California 133 north. Use the right lane to reach California 73 (San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor) northwest to Long Beach and Los Angeles.

05/02/10

The next traffic signal is the off-ramp from California 73 south to California 133. Stay right for the connection to California 73 north.

05/02/10

California 133 north prepares to pass under California 73.

05/02/10

The ramp from northbound California 133 (Laguna Canyon Road) to California 73 north is a loop ramp. Take a right onto the ramp, which loops 270 degrees onto northbound California 73.

05/02/10

Northbound California 133 (Laguna Canyon Road) meets the on-ramp to California 73 north. A California 133 north reassurance shield is posted on the traffic signal pole.

05/02/10

Beyond the exchange with SR 73, SR 133 proceeds north onto a newer expressway segment that extends north to Interstate 405.

05/02/10

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park separates the urban areas of Laguna Beach from Irvine. Access to several hiking and open space areas with the park is available from the expressway along SR 133, which initially opened on August 13, 2004, and remained under construction through 2009.

05/02/10

Northbound California 133 (Laguna Canyon Road) traveling through Laguna Coast Wilderness Park prior to completion of the expressway. Following completion of the expressway on August 13, 2004, this highway was abandoned in favor of the new multi-lane, divided highway.

05/30/04

Northbound California 133 (Laguna Canyon Road) enters the city of Irvine as it continues northeast toward Interstate 405 and Interstate 5. Irvine, which incorporated on December 28, 1971, is a master planned city that is home to the University of California at Irvine and features a variety of developments and neighborhoods. Irvine a population of 143,072 as of the 2000 Census.

05/02/10

Northbound California 133 (Laguna Canyon Road) continues through the wilderness park in southern Irvine. The expressway configuration continues until the traffic signal with Laguna Canyon Road; at that point, California 133 becomes the Laguna Freeway.

05/02/10

Northbound California 133 (Laguna Canyon Road) approaches the intersection with Laguna Canyon Road. At this intersection, California 133 will divert onto the Laguna Freeway, while Laguna Canyon Road will turn northwest to serve residential and commercial developments of Irvine.

05/02/10

The intersection between California 133 and Laguna Canyon Road is the only traffic signal between California 73 and Interstate 405.

05/02/10

Northbound California 133 separates from Laguna Canyon Road at this traffic signal.

05/02/10

The next interchange along California 133 north is Exits 8A-B, Interstate 405 (San Diego Freeway).

01/30/05

Northbound California 133 reaches Exits 8A-B, Interstate 405 (San Diego Freeway). The exit numbers are not present on this sign, but they are shown on the transition ramp (see next photobox). Despite the pull through sign mentioning California 133 is a toll road, no toll is required to access Interstate 5 north.

05/02/10

Use Exit 8A to follow Interstate 405 south to San Clemente and San Diego County; use Exit 8B to head north on Interstate 405 to Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Santa Monica. There is no access to Interstate 5 south from California 133, so southbound traffic should use Exit 8A.

05/30/04

This gore point sign on the transition ramp from northbound California 133 to Interstate 405 is unusual in that the left lane becomes Exit 8B while the right lane becomes Exit 8A.

05/30/04

California 133 passes through the Interstate 405 interchange.

05/02/10

The next exit along California 133 north is Exit 9, Barranca Parkway.

05/02/10

Non-toll traffic to Riverside should use Interstate 5 rather than Toll California 133 north.

05/02/10

Northbound California 133 (Laguna Freeway) reaches Exit 9, Barranca Parkway.

05/02/10

The next exit along California 133 (Laguna Freeway) north is Exit 10, Interstate 5 (Santa Ana Freeway) north to Santa Ana and Los Angeles.

05/02/10

Another set of signs along California 133 (Laguna Freeway) north advises of the toll road that begins after the Interstate 5 interchange.

05/02/10

The right two lanes of California 133 (Laguna Freeway) north connect to Exit 10, Interstate 5 (Santa Ana Freeway) north to Santa Ana and Los Angeles.

05/02/10

Northbound California 133 (Laguna Freeway) reaches Exit 10, Interstate 5 (Santa Ana Freeway) north to Santa Ana and Los Angeles. Continue north on California 133 to follow the Eastern Transportation Corridor north to California 91 en route to Riverside. At this point, California 133 shifts from the Laguna Freeway to the toll Eastern Transportation Corridor.

05/02/10

This view shows the divide between California 133 (Eastern Transportation Corridor) north and Interstate 5 (Santa Ana Freeway) north. Two lanes connect to either freeway.

05/02/10

The transition ramp from California 133 (Laguna Freeway) north to Interstate 5 joins the Santa Ana Freeway under the main lanes of California 133 (Eastern Transportation Corridor).

05/02/10

After the Interstate 5 interchanges, northbound California 133 reaches Exit 12, Irvine Boulevard. The final interchange along northbound is with California 241, the Foothill Corridor Toll Road.

09/16/00

Northbound California 133 (Eastern Transportation Corridor) meets Exit 14A, California 241 (Foothill Transportation Corridor) south to Rancho Santa Margarita. This marks the northern terminus of California 133. Note the subway to the left in the interchange complex ahead; it provides the connection from northbound California 241 to southbound California 133. The left two lanes link to California 241 north via Exit 14B. A toll plaza is placed immediately after the transition from northbound California 133 onto northbound California 241.

09/16/00

The transition between Interstate 5 south and California 133 (Laguna Freeway) south includes an off-ramp to Barranca Parkway. The sprawling interchange connects the toll road network with the Laguna Freeway.

01/30/05

Joining the mainline, the next two exits from California 133 (Laguna Freeway) south are Exit 9, Interstate 405 (San Diego Freeway) north to Long Beach and Exit 8, Interstate 405 (San Diego Freeway) south to San Diego.

01/30/05

California 133 is also designated as the Veterans Memorial Highway from Irvine southwest to Laguna Beach.

01/30/05

The right lane of California 133 (Laguna Freeway) south becomes exit only for Exit 9, Interstate 405 (San Diego Freeway) north to Long Beach. Use the left two lanes to continue south on California 133 or to connect to Exit 8, Interstate 405 (San Diego Freeway) south to San Diego.

01/30/05

Southbound California 133 (Laguna Freeway) reaches Exit 9, Interstate 405 (San Diego Freeway) north to Long Beach. The next exit along southbound is Exit 8, Interstate 405 (San Diego Freeway) south to San Diego.

01/30/05

The next exit along California 133 (Laguna Freeway) south is Exit 8A, Interstate 405 (San Diego Freeway) south to San Diego.

01/30/05

Southbound California 133 (Laguna Freeway) reaches Exit 8A, Interstate 405 (San Diego Freeway) south to San Diego.

01/30/05

Prior to completion of the expressway segment of California 133, the freeway used to narrow to two lanes. This changed with completion of widening in 2008.

01/30/05

After the interchange with Interstate 405, southbound California 133 (Laguna Freeway) narrows to two lanes and becomes a busy rural highway. At the time this photo was taken, construction was underway to expand California 133 to a four-lane expressway between Interstate 405 and California 73. This expressway segment first opened on August 13, 2004.

01/30/05

Prior to the completion of an expansion project in 2008, California 133 used to carry only two lanes as it passed through Laguna Canyon.

03/30/03

Southbound California 133 approaches California 73 (San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor).

03/30/03

California 133 meets California 73 (San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor) (Toll) at this interchange. The first ramp links California 133 south to California 73 north. Use California 73 north to Long Beach as well as coastal cities, such as Newport Beach and Huntington Beach. However, it is not as scenic as California 1.

03/30/03

The next ramp connects California 133 south with California 73 (San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor) south. To the south, California 73 will travel several miles to meet with Interstate 5 in southern Orange County, and it provides a bypass around the junction of Interstate 5 and Interstate 405.

03/30/03

After the California 73 interchange, southbound California 133 approaches the intersection with El Toro Road (Orange County Route S-18). This is one of the few signed county routes in Orange County. Orange County Route S-18 follows a rather convoluted route from this intersection to the northeast toward Santiago Canyon.

01/30/05