California State Route 61

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State Route 61

SR 61 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Caltrans
Length6.970 mi[1] (11.217 km)
Length of SR 112 is 1.782 mi (3 km) and length of SR 260 is 1.924 mi (3 km)
Existed1964[2]–present
RestrictionsNo hazardous materials in the Posey and Webster Street tubes[3]
Major junctions
South end SR 185 in San Leandro
Major intersections I-880 in San Leandro
North end I-880 in Oakland
Location
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountiesAlameda
Highway system
← SR 60→ SR 62
← SR 111California 112.svg→ SR 113
← SR 259California 260.svg→ SR 261

State Route 61 (SR 61) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California, running along the eastern edge of Oakland International Airport and through Alameda. Two additional "hidden" state highways, State Route 112 (SR 112) and State Route 260 (SR 260), are also signed as part of SR 61, despite having legal descriptions separate from Route 61.

SR 112 runs along Davis Street from State Route 185 (East 14th Street) west to Doolittle Drive in San Leandro. SR 61 proper then follows Doolittle Drive north near the eastern boundary of Oakland International Airport to Bay Farm Island and across the Bay Farm Island Bridge to Alameda Island. SR 61 then runs on various city streets in Alameda to Webster Street. SR 260 then goes from Webster Street through the Posey and Webster Street tubes to near Interstate 880 in Oakland. As early as 2012, a sign indicating SR 61 East near the I-880 interchange was replaced with an SR 112 shield; as of 2021, that sign remains as the only signage for SR 112.[4]

As legislatively defined, Route 61 extends as far north as Albany and as far south as the Dumbarton Bridge's east approach. Only the portion between Routes 260 and 112 is constructed; the unbuilt remainder of the route exists today either as open San Francisco Bay or wetlands. This route would likely have sat atop landfill; as public opinion shifted against filling in the bay, completing the remaining portions of Route 61 also fell out of favor. Route 87 is another highway once proposed to traverse present-day wetlands and open water.

Route description

The combined SR 112/61/260 route begins at SR 185 in San Leandro. Running along Davis Street, it then interchanges with Interstate 880 before it heads to Doolittle Drive. It then continues northward along Doolittle Drive and enters the city of Oakland, running along the eastern boundary of Oakland International Airport. The highway then enters the city of Alameda at Bay Farm Island before crossing the San Leandro Bay via a drawbridge to Alameda Island. SR 61 then goes west along Otis Drive, then north along Broadway until reaching Encinal Avenue. The route then heads west on Encinal Avenue and Central Avenue to Webster Street. The highway then runs across Webster Street and through the Posey and Webster Street tubes before terminating at I-880 and 7th Street in Oakland. The route does not directly intersect with I-880 here, so drivers are instructed to get onto I-880 south via Oak Street or I-880 north via Jackson Street. There are two tube entrances on the Oakland side, one on Webster Street, and the other at the intersection of Broadway and 5th Street; the latter can be reached from I-880's Broadway off-ramps.

California's legislature has relinquished state control of the segment along Webster Street between Central Avenue and Atlantic Avenue, and thus that portion is now maintained by the City of Alameda.[5]

SR 61 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System,[6] and all three routes are part of the National Highway System,[7] a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.[8]

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).[1] Segments that remain unconstructed or have been relinquished to local control may be omitted. The entire route is in Alameda County.

LocationPostmile
[9]		DestinationsNotes
San Leandro1.78[N 1]Callan AvenueContinuation beyond SR 185
1.78[N 1] SR 185 (East 14th Street)South end of SR 61; east end of unsigned SR 112
0.60[N 1] I-880 (Nimitz Freeway) – Oakland, San JoseInterchange; I-880 exit 34; former SR 17
R0.00[N 1]
14.80		Davis Street, Doolittle DriveWest end of unsigned SR 112
Oakland16.07
 98th Avenue to I-880 – Oakland International Airport		Interchange
Alameda18.55Bay Farm Island Bridge over San Leandro Bay
21.97
0.00[N 2]		Central Avenue, Webster StreetNorth end of state maintenance
​Atlantic Avenue, Ralph Appezzato Memorial ParkwaySouth end of unsigned SR 260 and state maintenance
R0.86[N 2]Wilver "Willie" Stargell AvenueAt-grade intersection; former southbound exit and entrance interchange; formerly Mariner Square Drive
R0.86[N 2]Constitution Way, Marina Village ParkwayInterchange; southbound left exit and northbound entrance
Alameda–Oakland lineR1.12[N 2]
R1.20[N 2]		Posey and Webster Street Tubes under Oakland Estuary
Oakland​Broadway, 5th StreetSouthbound entrance only
R1.92[N 2]


 7th Street to I-880 (Nimitz Freeway) / I-980 east – San Francisco, San Jose, Jack London Square		North end of SR 61 and unsigned SR 260
R1.92[N 2]Harrison StreetContinuation beyond 7th Street; southbound entrance accessible from Webster Street
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  1. ^ a b c d Indicates that the postmile represents the distance along SR 112 rather than SR 61.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Indicates that the postmile represents the distance along SR 260 rather than SR 61.

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ California Highways: State Route 61
  3. ^ California Department of Transportation. "Special Route Restrictions". California Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  4. ^ "Signage for SR 112 east". Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  5. ^ "CA Codes (shc:300-635)". Leginfo.ca.gov. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  6. ^ "Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Division 1". California Streets and Highways Code. Sacramento: California Office of Legislative Counsel. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  7. ^ Federal Highway Administration (March 25, 2015). National Highway System: San Francisco–Oakland, CA (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ California Department of Transportation (April 2008). "Log of Bridges on State Highways". Sacramento: California Department of Transportation.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to California State Route 61.
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