Site Navigation List of All High Priority Corridors Interstate Guide.com HPC Home High Priority Corridors: Excerpts from the ISTEA, NHS, TEA-21, and SAFETEA-LU Legislation Changes to HPC System due to SAFETEA-LU High Priority Corridors: Sources   Interstate 5 and California 905 (Corridor 30) Routing Corridor 30 is the West Coast Corridor and Otay Mesa Freeway, and it was the first high priority corridor designated as part of the 1998 TEA-21 legislation. This corridor provides for the development and upgrade of Interstate 5 through California, Oregon, and Washington. It also provides for the construction and development of the future Interstate 905 corridor in San Diego County between Interstate 805 and the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. San Diego County California 905 and Otay Mesa Road will be bypassed by the new Interstate 905 freeway with the money appropriated in the TEA-21 legislation. The border crossings at San Ysidro and Otay Mesa are planned for upgrades and expansions. California 11 is proposed for a third border crossing, which would link with the proposed Tijuana 2000 beltway. California 56 - Carmel Valley to Rancho Penasquitos California 56 is the incomplete freeway connector planned from the Carmel Valley northeast to Rancho Penasquitos. This freeway will be constructed as a six-lane freeway with provisions for additional lanes. It will provide relief to both Interstates 5 and 15 as well as provide an additional east-west connection in northern San Diego County. Orange/Los Angeles County Improvements One of the planned improvements along Interstate 5 include the reconstruction and expansion of the freeway through Orange and Los Angeles Counties between Anaheim and downtown Los Angeles. The freeway has been reconstructed from San Clemente north to California 91. Prior to the reconstruction, the Interstate was six- to eight-lanes wide, with narrow shoulders and bridges. After completion of the upgrade, Interstate 5 is now much wider and safer to drive, with eight to ten lanes and at least two HOV lanes. The section of Interstate 5 between Interstate 405 and just north of California 91 was completed in February 2001. For more information and a map, go to the Interstate 5 in Orange County. The next segment to be upgraded will be from California 91 north into Los Angeles. Some preliminary projects include construction of HOV lanes on Interstate 5 from downtown Los Angeles north through San Fernando Valley. Also, improvements are slated for the California 134 and Carmenita Road interchanges. Also, a study is underway for improvements to U.S. 101, which together with California 170 serves as an alternate to Interstate 5 between downtown and the San Fernando Valley. For more detail on this project to improve Interstate 5, see the CalTrans District 7 and CalTrans District 12 home pages. California 99 Improvements California 99 is slated for upgrades from its current freeway-expressway mixed standards to complete freeway standards from Mettler (the southern terminus of California 99) north all the way to Sacramento. Planned completion for these efforts for these upgrades, which include shoulder widening, elimination of uncontrolled access points, highway widening, and barrier erection, is expected by 2006. California 65: The Eastside Highway California 65, dubbed the "Eastside Highway" in comparison to Interstate 5, the "Westside Highway," is being considered for completion between Exeter and Roseville as a four to six lane controlled access freeway. This highway would provide relief to congested Interstate 5 and California 99 through the Central Valley. The following is an article ("Caltrans studies the possibilities of a new north-south highway for the Valley to fight congestion") by Jim Wasserman in the February 4, 2001 edition of the Fresno Bee. California 65 would initially be a 54-mile highway from Exeter in Tulare County to California 152 in Madera County. The goal of this extension of California 65 would be to prevent traffic gridlock on California 99. California 180 Extension California 180 will be extended from its current western terminus at Mendota west to Interstate 5. This will provide direct access from Interstate 5 to Fresno from the west, including the new California 180 freeway. The routing of future California 180 is roughly County Route J1. A $5 million federally-funded study is currently underway to determine the best alignment of the new highway, as well as determine the type of road (number of lanes, type of access control, etc.) needed for this corridor. Interstate 5 Widening in the Central Valley Due to the increased traffic along this freeway, it is possible that Interstate 5 will be upgraded from its current four lanes to eight lanes between Mettler and Tracy. This kind of improvement would cost billions, and it is not funded. However, traffic jams in the middle of nowhere on the weekend on this main route between Southern California and the Bay Area are becoming increasingly common. High-Speed Rail from Southern California to Northern California This project is being planned to provide high-speed rail access from San Diego north to the Bay Area and possibly to Sacramento, but I don't have much information at this point. Again, the price tag for such a venture would be huge. Stay tuned. Interstate 5 Corridor Project: Sacramento Interstate 5 is planned for some improvements on its corridor through Sacramento and Yolo Counties. One project underway is planned to link Interstate 5 with California 113 in Woodland. Currently, the only direct freeway link between the two is northbound California 113 to northbound Interstate 5. No interchange exists between northbound I-5 and southbound California 113, or between northbound California 113 and southbound I-5. Motorists trying to get from one to the other must exit one highway and drive a short way along Main Street in Woodland to get to the other highway. For more information on this project, go to Sacramento Council of Governments Interstate 5 Corridor Project. California 102: Northern Sacramento Bypass Plans call for an east-west highway to connect Interstate 5 with Interstate 80 across the northern tier of Sacramento. This highway has been dubbed California 102. It will help ease traffic congestion on Interstates 5 and 80. Interstate 5 in Oregon Coming soon. Interstate 5 in Washington Coming soon. Page Updated June 9, 2002.