As a part of former US 101, Pacific Highway was the main route into San Diego. Originally constructed in the 1930’s, it was gradually upgraded to near-freeway status starting in the 1940’s. As a result, Pacific Highway in San Diego from Old Town to Middletown takes on a freeway feel. There are three grade separated interchanges at Barnett Ave, Witherby St, and Washington St. There are no cross streets from Enterprise St south to Sassafras St, the section most like a freeway. The entire roadway was bypassed in 1965 when I-5 was completed through downtown San Diego.
In the 1960’s my mother worked at a small-chain restaurant called The Chuck Wagon, on Pacific Highway and Laurel. The number of the store was called Chuck Wagon 101.
How do I continue with picture/story from Old Town NORTH?
Pacific Highway, as a freeway, only ran between Taylor St / Rosecrans St and Palm St. North of there, it was an expressway or just a divided roadway. In the mid 1950’s, a short section of freeway, in use today as I-5, was built to bypass Pacific Beach and Mission Bay Drive from just north of Clairemont Dr to the northern Pacific Beach exit. As such, the page only covers the extant freeway section in Middletown / Old Town.