California State Route 58

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State Route 58

SR 58 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Caltrans
Length241 mi[1] (388 km)
Existed1964–present
Major junctions
West end US 101 in Santa Margarita
Major intersections
East end I-15 in Barstow
Location
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountiesSan Luis Obispo, Kern, San Bernardino
Highway system
SR 57 SR 59

State Route 58 (SR 58) is a major east-west state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs across the Coast Ranges, the southern San Joaquin Valley, the Tehachapi Mountains, which border the southern Sierra Nevada, and the Mojave Desert. It runs between U.S. Route 101 near Santa Margarita and Interstate 15 in Barstow. It has junctions with Interstate 5 near Buttonwillow, State Route 99 in Bakersfield, State Route 202 in Tehachapi, State Route 14 near Mojave, and U.S. Route 395 at Kramer Junction. SR 58 also provides access to Edwards Air Force Base. At various points it is known as the Calf Canyon Highway, Carrisa Highway, Bakersfield-McKittrick Highway, Rosa Parks Highway, Rosedale Highway, Barstow-Bakersfield Highway, Bakersfield Tehachapi Highway, Kern County Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, and Mojave-Barstow Highway.

Route description

Spring Wildflowers off SR 58 near California Valley, CA, 2010

State Route 58 between Santa Margarita and Buttonwillow is a winding mountain road through a thinly populated area. From its westernmost terminus at US 101 near Santa Margarita, a few miles north of San Luis Obispo, SR 58 heads east along the former US 101 (El Camino Real) for one mile. SR 58 then heads east and up the winding mountain road, passing through a thinly populated area and an intersection with SR 229. Alternatives such as SR 46 to the north or SR 166 to the south are recommended, as much of this section of SR 58 is prohibited to truck traffic. However, this section of SR 58 does pass through the Carrizo Plain, which is known for its scenic beauty and geological features, including the San Andreas Fault. SR 58 then takes another winding road before joining with State Route 33 (SR 33) in the small town of McKittrick. SR 33 then splits at the north end of McKittrick before SR 58 then enters another, but brief winding road. SR 58 then proceeds northeast for several miles before changing to an east-west alignment and reaching Buttonwillow. A few miles later, SR 58 has an interchange with Interstate 5 (I-5).

Starting in late 2022, while the Westside Parkway and the Centennial Corridor Project nears completion by late 2023 (see below), signs have been installed piece-by-piece rerouting SR 58 traffic between I-5 and State Route 99 in Bakersfield onto a new alignment. Under the older alignment, SR 58 continues due east from I-5, briefly joining SR 43, before eventually reaching the Bakersfield city limits. SR 58 then joins SR 99 for about 2 miles (3.2 km) through Bakersfield before splitting as a freeway at the West Bakersfield Interchange. Under the new alignment, SR 58 joins I-5 south to Stockdale Highway, where it then heads east and intersects with SR 43 before reaching Bakersfield. In Bakersfield, the route follows the Westside Parkway, a freeway built by the city, to SR 99.

East of SR 99, SR 58 then briefly enters expressway status with two at-grade intersections in the Caliente area before resuming freeway status east of Caliente. SR 58 then reaches the Tehachapi city limits and traverses the Tehachapi Pass before dropping out of the Tehachapi Mountains into the Antelope Valley at the town of Mojave. Freeway conditions continue from State Route 14 east of Mojave bypassing North Edwards, Edwards Air Force Base, Boron, and Kramer Junction. Approximately 10 miles (16 km) east of an interchange with U.S. Route 395, SR 58 resumes expressway status with two lanes in each direction until just before reaching the easternmost terminus at Interstate 15 in Barstow.

With the lack of four-lane or greater, divided highways that cross the Sierra Nevada between SR 58 at the Tehachapi Pass and Interstate 80 at Donner Summit about hundreds of miles to the north, I-5 and SR 58 are used by motorists to travel between Northern California and points to the southeast, such as Las Vegas (via I-15) and Interstate 40, without having to face the extreme traffic congestion of greater Los Angeles.

SR 58 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System,[2] and east of I-5 is part of the National Highway System,[3] a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.[4] SR 58 is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System,[5] but it is not officially designated as a scenic highway by the California Department of Transportation.[6] SR 58 has several names throughout its length, including the Blue Star Memorial Highway (for its entire length); the Kern County Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, for the section from SR 184 to the Kern County/San Bernardino County Line; and the Rosa Parks Highway, for the section between SR 99 and SR 184. The Korean War Veterans name honors the approximately 8,120 veterans from Kern County, while the section named for Rosa Parks honors the civil rights activist.[7] The portion of SR 58 from Barstow to Bakersfield is sometimes referred to as the Barstow–Bakersfield Highway.[8]

History

Westbound SR 58 in the Temblor Range, descending into the Carrizo Plain
A truck passes eastbound along the busy SR 58 through the Antelope Valley. The Tehachapi Mountains are visible in the distance.

State Route 58 did not exist as a California sign route until 1964, although previous to 1964, it was part of California Legislative Route 58. The other part of Legislative Route 58 is California's segment of Interstate 40; previous to 1964 it was a segment of US 66.

Prior to 1964, the segment of State Route 58 between Bakersfield and Barstow was signed U.S. Route 466. Also at that time, the segment of SR 58 between State Route 33 at McKittrick and State Route 99 in Bakersfield was signed as State Route 178. Although it was proposed for signing as Route 178 in 1934, the segment of Legislative Route 58 between US 101 near Santa Margarita and State Route 33 at McKittrick was not signed prior to 1964.

Note that US 466 was co-signed with US 99, now State Route 99, between Bakersfield and Famoso Junction. Between Famoso and US 101 at Paso Robles, US 466 largely became SR 46.

The eastern terminus was originally at I-15 in northeastern Barstow. SR 58 was rerouted to I-15 in Barstow south of the I-40 interchange in c. 2000. The former eastern terminus is now known as "Old Highway 58".

Freeway bypasses in Tehachapi, Boron, Mojave, Hinkley, and Kramer Junction were completed in c. 1975, 1981, 2003, 2017, and 2020, respectively.

Westside Parkway and the Centennial Corridor Project

In western Bakersfield, the Westside Parkway, a freeway running from Stockdale Highway (near Heath Road) east to Truxtun Avenue, was completed on April 15, 2015, with interchanges in between at Allen Road, Calloway Drive, Coffee Road, and Mohawk Street.[9] Opening in stages since 2013, the road was originally under the jurisdiction of the city of Bakersfield. As part of the Centennial Corridor project, Caltrans is building an eastern extension of the Westside Parkway to the current junction of SR 58 and SR 99 at the West Bakersfield Interchange. Although construction was controversial since it displaced dozens of homes and businesses,[10] by September 2017, all but a few buildings in the path had been demolished.[11]

On February 5, 2021, the city transferred the Westside Parkway to Caltrans and California Highway Patrol jurisdiction.[12] City officials then announced in October 2022 that the project was nearly complete, and that they were working on the last 800 feet of the connection, specifically, the northbound SR 99 to westbound Westside Parkway transition ramp, with an estimated 8 months of construction left.[13] Meanwhile, Caltrans began installing signage rerouting SR 58 traffic from I-5 onto Stockdale Highway and the Westside Parkway east to at least Mohawk Street.[14][15][16] The connection to SR 99 is then scheduled completed in fall 2023, and the rest of SR 58 running on Rosedale Highway between Mohawk Street and SR 99 will then be transferred onto the completed ramps.[17][18] A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on February 9, 2024, with this section to open shortly thereafter;[19] it was open by February 17.[20]

Future plans are to upgrade Stockdale Highway from I-5 to Heath Road as a freeway.[21]

Business loops

Mojave

Business plate California.svg

State Route 58 Business

LocationMojave, California

State Route 58 Business is a business route of California State Route 58 in Mojave. It provides access to downtown Mojave as Mojave-Barstow Highway. It also follows mostly the former routing of U.S. Route 466.

Tehachapi

Business plate California.svg

State Route 58 Business

LocationTehachapi, California

State Route 58 Business is a business route of California State Route 58 in Tehachapi. It provides access to downtown Tehachapi as Tehachapi Boulevard. It also follows the former routing of U.S. Route 466 and is overlapped with State Route 202.

Boron

Business plate California.svg

State Route 58 Business

LocationBoron, California

State Route 58 Business is a business route of California State Route 58 in Boron. It provides access to downtown Boron as Twenty Mule Team Road. It also follows the former routing of U.S. Route 466. It is signed from westbound Route 58 approaching the San BernardinoKern county line and the beginning of the Boron bypass.

Major intersections

Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured on the road as it was in 1964, based on the alignment that existed at the time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage. R reflects a realignment in the route since then, M indicates a second realignment, L refers to an overlap due to a correction or change, and T indicates postmiles classified as temporary (for a full list of prefixes, see California postmile § Official postmile definitions).[22] Segments that remain unconstructed or have been relinquished to local control may be omitted. The numbers reset at county lines; the start and end postmiles in each county are given in the county column.

Exits on the Westside Parkway segment are currently unnumbered.

CountyLocationPostmile
[1][22][23]
Exit
[24]
DestinationsNotes
San Luis Obispo
SLO 0.00-57.15
0.00 US 101 – San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Los AngelesInterchange; western terminus; US 101 exit 211
6.89
SR 229 north – Creston, Shandon
Southern terminus of SR 229
45.20Soda Lake Road – California Valley, Soda LakeServes Carrizo Plain National Monument
Kern
KER 0.00-R143.86
McKittrick15.41
33.45[N 1]

SR 33 south – Taft
West end of SR 33 overlap
34.29[N 1]
15.42

SR 33 north – Coalinga
East end of SR 33 overlap
Buttonwillow27.28

Buttonwillow Drive to I-5 north
31.64
I-5 north (West Side Freeway) / Hageman Road – Sacramento
Interchange; west end of I-5 overlap; I-5 south exit 257; Hageman Road is former SR 58 east
West end of freeway on I-5
East end of freeway on I-5

I-5 south (West Side Freeway) / Stockdale Highway west – Los Angeles
Interchange; east end of I-5 overlap; I-5 north exit 253
Rosedale

SR 43 (Enos Lane) to I-5 south – Shafter
Roundabout
Stockdale Highway eastAt-grade intersection; serves California State University, Bakersfield
West end of freeway and Westside Parkway
BakersfieldAllen Road
Calloway DriveSigned as separate north and south exits westbound
Coffee Road
Mohawk Street
Truxtun Avenue eastEastbound exit and westbound entrance only
T52.14–
R52.36
110A SR 99 – Los Angeles, FresnoNo access from eastbound SR 58 to northbound SR 99; West Bakersfield Interchange; SR 99 exit 24
T52.14–
R52.36
Real RoadClosed; former westbound exit and eastbound entrance; demolished during the Westside Parkway extension construction
R53.39–
R53.52
111Chester Avenue, H Street
R54.42112
SR 204 north (Union Avenue)
Former US 99; southern terminus of SR 204
R55.40113Martin Luther King Jr. BoulevardFormerly Cottonwood Road[25]
R56.41114Mount Vernon Avenue
R57.41115Oswell Street
R58.44116Fairfax Road
R59.44117 SR 184 (Weedpatch Highway, Morning Drive) – LamontWeedpatch Highway not signed westbound, Morning Drive not signed eastbound
EdisonR61.51119Edison Road – Edison
R63.58121Comanche Drive – Arvin, Edison
R65.68123Tower Line Road
69.75127General Beale Road
East end of freeway
75.63
SR 223 west – Arvin
At-grade intersection; eastern terminus of SR 223
West end of freeway
Keene80.24137Hart Flat Road
82.06139Keene (Woodford-Tehachapi Road)
R85.15142Broome Road
TehachapiR90.72148
SR 202 west (Tucker Road) – Tehachapi
Eastern terminus of SR 202
R91.67149Mill Street
R94.15[26]Tehachapi Summit, elevation 4,064 feet (1,239 m)[26]
R94.16151Tehachapi Boulevard
R99.49156Sand Canyon Road – Monolith
R101.56159Cameron RoadPacific Crest Trail crossing
R108.90165

SR 58 Bus. east – Mojave
Former US 466 east / SR 58 east
R111.13167 SR 14 – Bishop, MojaveFormer US 6
R116.22172

SR 58 Bus. west – Mojave
Former US 466 west / SR 58 west
25th StreetAt-grade intersection; east end of freeway
R127.63California City Boulevard – California CityAt-grade intersection; west end of freeway
R129.67186Edwards AFB (Rosamond Boulevard north gate)
North EdwardsR132.04188Clay Mine Road
R136.40193Twenty Mule Team RoadFormer US 466 east
R137.77194Gephart Road, Rocket Site Road
R139.00Boron Rest Area
BoronR139.80196Borax Road (SR 58 Bus. east), Rocket Site Road
R142.87199Boron Avenue
San Bernardino
SBD R0.00-R34.81
Kramer JunctionR5.40206 US 395 – Bishop, San Bernardino
East end of freeway
West end of freeway
HinkleyR26.33227Hinkley Road
R30.39231Lenwood Road
BarstowR33.65233 CR 66 (West Main Street) – BarstowFormer US 66 / US 91
R34.81234
I-15 (Mojave Freeway) to I-40 – Las Vegas, San Bernardino
Eastern terminus; exit 234 is for I-15 southbound; I-15 exit 179
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  1. ^ a b Indicates that the postmile represents the distance along SR 33 rather than SR 58.

References

  1. ^ a b California Department of Transportation (July 2007). "Log of Bridges on State Highways". Sacramento: California Department of Transportation.
  2. ^ "Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Division 1". California Streets and Highways Code. Sacramento: California Office of Legislative Counsel. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  3. ^ Federal Highway Administration (March 25, 2015). National Highway System: California (South) (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  4. ^ Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike & Adderly, Kevin (June 20, 2012). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  5. ^ "Article 2.5 of Chapter 2 of Division 1". California Streets & Highways Code. Sacramento: California Office of Legislative Counsel. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  6. ^ California Department of Transportation (August 2019). "Officially Designated State Scenic Highways and Historic Parkways" (XLSX). Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  7. ^ California Department of Transportation; California State Transportation Agency (January 2021). 2020 Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances in California (PDF). Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. pp. 42, 287, 322. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 10, 2022.
  8. ^ Pitchford, Phil (January 7, 2006). "Proposal hints at traffic relief". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
  9. ^ "Westside Parkway now open". April 15, 2015. Archived from the original on October 20, 2009.
  10. ^ "Caltrans Picks Preferred Route For Centennial Corridor Freeway in Bakersfield". Valley Public Radio. November 15, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  11. ^ "ACME Mapper 2.2". mapper.acme.com.
  12. ^ "Westside Parkway to come under CHP jurisdiction". KGET 17. 2021-01-19. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  13. ^ "$1.5 billion Centennial Corridor enters the homestretch: Freeway connector 8 months to finish line". KGET 17. 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
  14. ^ "SR 58 sign at the end of the I-5 south exit 253/Stockdale Highway off-ramp". Google Street View. November 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  15. ^ "SR 58 freeway entrance sign at the western end of the Westside Parkway". Google Street View. November 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  16. ^ ""SR 58: Use Next Exit" sign at the Mohawk Street interchange". Google Street View. November 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  17. ^ MORGEN, SAM. "Progress reported for Centennial Corridor, but much remains to be done". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
  18. ^ MAYER, STEVEN (13 February 2023). "Connecting highways 99 and 58 via the Centennial Corridor a detailed strategy". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  19. ^ Price, Robert (February 10, 2024). "Centennial Corridor finally cuts a ribbon — but freeway's green light is still a few days away". KGET 17. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  20. ^ Soren, Kaley Brown (February 17, 2024). "Centennial Corridor opens, connecting Highway 58 to Westside Parkway". KGET 17. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  21. ^ "Bakersfield opens first new freeway in 37 years". The Bakersfield Californian. August 2, 2013. Archived from the original on August 7, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  22. ^ a b California Department of Transportation. "State Truck Route List". Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (XLS file) on June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  23. ^ California Department of Transportation, All Traffic Volumes on CSHS, 2005 and 2006
  24. ^ California Department of Transportation, California Numbered Exit Uniform System, State Route 58 Freeway Interchanges, Retrieved on February 5, 2009.
  25. ^ Small, Moses (2021-11-03). "Cottonwood Road renamed to South MLK Jr. Boulevard". KGET-TV. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  26. ^ a b "Elevation and Location of Summits and Passes in California". California Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on March 1, 2017.

External links