Category Archives: District 11

Advocacy, Caltrans, District 11, History

New Museum in San Diego

The Transportation Museum of San Diego and Imperial Counties now has a website! They will have rotating online exhibits in the near future and a physical museum space in Old Town at the Caltrans District 11 headquarters campus. They are looking for volunteers to help with all manners of tasks at this time. Come check it out!

https://www.sditransportmuseum.org

The Transportation Museum of San Diego and Imperial Counties is a non-profit organization formed in 2018 to help preserve the rich ground transportation history of San Diego and Imperial Counties. Their mission is to preserve and interpret the historical story of San Diego’s transportation routes, envision the future of regional transportation, foster interest in how mobility decisions impact society, and serve diverse communities and environments.

Archives, Caltrans, District 11, Highways, I-8, Mission Valley, Roads, San Diego, San Diego County, SR-163, US 395, US 80

From the Archives – 1953

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1953 aerial view of the Camino Del Rio (later US 80) / US 395 interchange, looking south. Courtesy – Caltrans

San Diego’s Mission Valley has changed quite a bit over the last century. It has gone from farms to condos. Dairys to grocery stores. Dirt roads to major freeways. In 1947, the first iteration of the current State 163 / I-8 interchange was completed as shown here. Left on and offramps were the order of the day. Challenge Dairy’s San Diego headquarters can be seen in the upper left corner of the interchange. Additional changes to the junction took place in 1959, 1978, and 1991. All of these bridges have been replaced but their legacy remains today with the outer ramps on either side of the 8.

Clairemont, District 11, Highways, I-805, Image, Roads, San Diego, San Diego County, SR-52

Featured Image – 10/17/2022

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I-805 at State 52

Shown here, I-805 (upper) crosses the 52 freeway (lower) at San Clemente Canyon. Built in 1972, it formed the eastern terminus of the 52 for many years. In 1987, was extended to Convoy St. I-805 also follows the former boundary between the San Diego Mission Lands (east) and San Diego Pueblo Lands (west). This becomes quite evident in the North Park area where Boundary Street runs quite close to the freeway.

Archives, Caltrans, District 11, Highways, History, I-8, Image, Mission Valley, Roads, San Diego, San Diego County, Southern California, US 80

From the Archives – 1960

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Taylor St at US 80 (Now I-8) in 1960, looking east. Courtesy – Caltrans

The view is looking east from the Taylor St ramps on I-8, then signed as US 80, in 1960. A lot has changed in San Diego’s Mission Valley in the 62 years since this photo was taken. At the time, Mission Valley was sparsely developed with mostly open lands and dairy farms filling the valley. This would soon change as shopping malls, apartment buildings, gas stations, and hotels replaced those farmlands.

Some things haven’t changed. The house visible on the left side of the image is still there, as are the overpass and freeway ramps. Can you spot anything else that is still there today?

Caltrans, District 11, Highways, I-15, I-5, I-805, Image, Roads, San Diego, San Diego County

Featured Image – 6/24/2021

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West Lilac Road OC over I-15 – only a few of these arches exist in California.

San Diego has a somewhat unique distinction compared to other California cities. You cannot travel north from San Diego, by freeway, without going underneath an arch bridge. I-5 has one at Gilman Dr, I-805 at Eastgate Mall. I-15 has the one pictured near Pala with West Lilac Road crossing over. Now I-8 needs one, somewhere to make it complete.