Interstate 880 North - Interstate 238 to Interstate 80

Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) north
The next three exits along Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) north are Exit 31B, Washington Avenue; Exit 33A, Marina Boulevard east; Exit 33B, Marina Boulevard west; and Exit 34, California 112/Davis Street. Interstate 880 enters the city of San Leandro. Home to 79,452 people per the 2000 Census, San Leandro is a southern suburb of Oakland, located between Oakland and unincorporated San Lorenzo. Incorporated as a town on March 21, 1872, San Leandro functioned briefly as the county seat of Alameda County prior to the 1868 Earthquake (when the courthouse at the intersection of Clarke Street and Davis Street was destroyed, and the county seat moved to Oakland). The flyover ramp connects Interstate 238 west with Interstate 880 south. Photo taken 03/18/06.
The right lane of Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) north becomes exit only for Exit 31B, Washington Avenue. Follow Washington Avenue north into the city of San Leandro; the city street ends at the intersection with California 112/Davis Street and California 185/Fourteenth Street. Trucks are more common along Interstate 880 since parallel Interstate 580 has a truck prohibition through certain parts of Oakland. Interstate 238 and Interstate 880 serve as the truck route through Oakland. Photo taken 03/18/06.
Northbound Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) reaches Exit 31B, Washington Avenue. Photo taken 03/18/06.
Traffic from Washington Avenue prepares to merge onto Interstate 880 north. Photo taken 03/18/06.
The next interchange along Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) north is Exits 33A-B, Marina Boulevard east and west. Photo taken 03/18/06.
The right lane becomes exit only for Exits 33A-B, Marina Boulevard east and west. Photo taken 03/18/06.
An auxiliary sign for Exit 33A, Marina Boulevard east, is posted for the Auto Mall located at this interchange. Photo taken 03/18/06.
Northbound Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) reaches Exit 33A, Marina Boulevard east. Photo taken 03/18/06.
Immediately thereafter, Interstate 880 north approaches Exit 33B, Marina Boulevard west. Photo taken 03/18/06.
The final San Leandro interchange is Exit 34, California 112/Davis Street. Signed as California 61, east-west California 112 connects to California 185/14th Street to the east and California 61 (Doolittle Drive) to the west. Neither California 61 nor California 112 are mentioned on the advance signs found on Interstate 880 north. Photo taken 03/18/06.
This mileage sign provides the distance to Exit 34, California 112/Davis Street; Exit 35, 98th Avenue to Oakland International Airport; and Exit 36, Hegenberger Road. Photo taken 03/18/06.
Northbound Interstate 880 reaches Exit 34, California 112/Davis Street to California 61 (Doolittle Drive) north to Oakland International Airport and Alameda. Photo taken 03/18/06.
The next interchange along Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) is Exit 35, 98th Avenue to Oakland International Airport. After passing under the California 112/Davis Street interchange, Interstate 880 enters the city of Oakland, which is the eighth-largest city in California (2000 Census population: 399,484 people) and contains 78.2 square miles (including water). Oakland was founded in 1852, contains dozens of villages with distinct identities, and is growing in population. The next exit serves the airport, which is rapidly growing in use and viability for visitors to the Bay Area. Photo taken 03/18/06.
98th Avenue travels west to Ron Cowan Parkway and Oakland International Airport and east to the Brookfield Village and Elmhurst communities of the city of Oakland. While there is no direct access from the Hegenberger Road/73rd Street corridor to Interstate 580/MacArthur Freeway or California 13 (Warren Freeway), there is a long-standing plan for California 13 to be extended southwest from its current terminus at Interstate 580 to Oakland International Airport, perhaps using part of Hegenberger Road. Such a connection appears unlikely to be built at this time, but the sections of Hegenberger Road southwest of California 185 could easily be incorporated into any state highway given its construction to expressway levels along the route. Photo taken 03/18/06.
Interstate 880 and Interstate 580 are part of an official safety corridor, along with Interstate 80. Interstate 880 serves as the truck route for Interstate 580, which has a truck restriction on it. Photo taken 03/18/06.
Northbound Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) reaches Exit 35, 98th Avenue west to Ron Cowan Parkway and Oakland International Airport and east to the Brookfield Village and Elmhurst communities of the city of Oakland. Photo taken 03/18/06.
After the 98th Avenue interchange, the next exit along Interstate 880 north is Exit 36, Hegenberger Road. This is the proposed future alignment of California 13 should the route be extended southwest as identified in the California Streets and Highways Code. Photo taken 03/18/06.
Northbound Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) reaches Exit 36, Hegenberger Road. Follow Hegenberger Road southwest to Oakland International Airport and northeast to the coliseum and the Eastmont community of the city of Oakland. Hegenberger Road is a major arterial and has an expressway section from here south to the airport and also northeast to its junction with California 185 (International Boulevard). At International Boulevard, Hegenberger Road ends and changes into 73rd Street. Photo taken 03/18/06.
The next exit along Interstate 880 north is Exit 37, 66th Avenue and Zhone Way. Use Exit 37 to Zhone Way, which travels west to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline and San Leandro Bay, which is formed between Alameda to the west, Oakland to the east, and Oakland International Airport to the south. Water streams into the bay from the Inner Harbor to the north, San Leandro Channel to San Francisco Bay to the west, and San Leandro Creek from the south. The left four lanes will continue south on Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) through Oakland, while the right lane will have an optional exit to Exit 37, 66th Avenue/Zhone Way. Although most of these signs are only a few years old, none of them feature exit numbers. Photo taken 05/08/05.
Northbound Interstate 880 reaches Exit 37, 66th Avenue and Zhone Way. Use this exit to Network Associates Oakland Coliseum, home of the Oakland Raiders (National Football League), Golden State Warriors (National Basketball Association), and Oakland Athletics (Major League Baseball). Photo taken 05/08/05.
With the Oakland Coliseum Arena (home of the Golden State Warriors) visible from the freeway, the next three exits along Interstate 880 north are Exit 38, California 77/Forty-Second Street and High Street; Exit 39A, 29th Avenue and Fruitvale Avenue; and Exit 39B, 23rd Avenue. Photo taken 05/08/05.
The freeway passes very close to several businesses adjacent to the rights of way. The right lane becomes exit only for Exit 38. Upon exiting, use High Street west to the city of Alameda and east to Interstate 580 Exit 24 and California 13 Exit 1C. Photo taken 05/08/05.
To Patten University, use Exit 39A and follow the signs to Fruitvale Avenue northeast. The small Christian college sits on the east side of Fruitvale Avenue between 23rd Street and Logan Street. Photo taken 03/18/06.
Northbound Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) reaches Exit 38, California 77/42nd Avenue freeway to California 185 (International Boulevard) and High Street west to Alameda. This exit is only signed for High Street because that is the most logical connection for northbound traffic; however, there is a ramp that connects to California 77 for local Oakland traffic. Looking at the transition ramp, the left lane of the ramp connects to unsigned California 77/42nd Avenue freeway northeast to California 185 (International Boulevard). The right lane connects to High Street west to Alameda. Despite what the sign says, the short California 77 freeway connector is not High Street and is part of a much longer proposed freeway that would have crossed Oakland northeast past Interstate 580 via an alignment roughly parallel to High Street, then cross the hills into Redwood Regional Park and Contra Costa County. The proposed route of California 77 is still on the books, but it is unlikely to ever be constructed beyond the short section between Interstate 880 and California 185. Photo taken 03/18/06.
This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits along Interstate 880 north: Exit 39A, 29th Avenue and Fruitvale Avenue; Exit 39B, 23rd Avenue; and Exit 40, 5th Street and Embarcadero. Photo taken 05/08/05.
Northbound Interstate 880 reaches Exit 39A, 29th Avenue and Fruitvale Avenue. The next exit is Exit 39B, 23rd Avenue. Photo taken 05/08/05.
This mileage sign provides the distance to the next three exits along Interstate 880 north: Exit 39B, 23rd Avenue; Exit 40, 5th Street and Embarcadero; and Exit 41A, Oak Street and Lakeshore Drive. Photo taken 03/18/06.
Northbound Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) reaches Exit 39B, 23rd Avenue. The next exit is Exit 40, 5th Street and Embarcadero. Photo taken 03/18/06.
A former storage facility, now a loft, is plainly visible along Interstate 880 north after the 23rd Avenue interchange. The next exit is Exit 40, Embarcadero and 5th Street. Photo taken 03/18/06.
Connected to the former storage facility is this old factory that closely follows the alignment of the freeway. The walls of the factory follow the shoulder of the road, offering a rare industrial look to a Northern California freeway. Photos taken 03/18/06.
This interchange sequence sign along northbound Interstate 880 provides the distance to the next three exits: Exit 40, 5th Street and Embarcadero; Exit 41A, Oak Street; and Exit 41B, Broadway. Photo taken 05/08/05.
Use Exit 40 to Coast Guard Island; use Exit 41A to Jack London Square. Photo taken 03/18/06.
The next exit along Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) north is Exit 40, Embarcadero/5th Avenue, 0.75 mile. Photo taken 05/08/05.
A huge Union Pacific Railroad yard is situated along Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) north of Exit 39B (23rd Avenue) and prior to Exit 40, Embarcadero/5th Avenue. Photo taken 03/18/06.
Northbound Interstate 880 reaches Exit 40, 5th Avenue and Embarcadero. Photo taken 11/26/04.
This upcoming exit mileage sign along northbound provides the distance to the next three exits: Exit 41A, Oak Street; Exit 41B, Broadway; and Exit 42A, Interstate 980 east. Photo taken 03/18/06.
Use Exit 41A to Laney College and the Oakland Museum. Laney College is located immediately adjacent to the freeway and is reached via southeastbound 7th Street. Photo taken 03/18/06.
The skyscrapers of downtown Oakland come into view as Interstate 880 ascends a viaduct over the Lake Merritt channel that connects Lake Merritt with the Inner Harbor. Photo taken 05/08/05.
Northbound Interstate 880 reaches Exit 41A, Oak Street/Lakeside Drive. The next exit is Exit 41B, Broadway. Photo taken 11/26/04.
For the city of Emeryville and Powell Street in Oakland, motorists are advised by this partially hidden sign to use Interstate 980 east (via Exit 42A) to Interstate 580. The second sign advises using Interstate 980 east to the Oakland Convention Center. These signs are located prior to Exit 41B, Broadway. Photos taken 11/26/04.
Northbound Interstate 880 reaches Exit 41B, Broadway, which leads into Oakland's downtown area. This exit also connects to California 260 south along Webster Street to the city of Alameda via the Webster Street Tube. California 260 shifts onto California 61 at the intersection of Webster Street and Central Avenue in Alameda. California 260 was proposed to be an approach to the now-deceased "Southern Crossing" bridge over San Francisco Bay (the other approach would have been under Oakland International Airport via California 61 or an extension of California 112 west). The next exit is Exit 42A, Interstate 980 east. Photo taken 11/26/04.
This mileage sign along northbound Interstate 880 is located prior to Exit 42A, Interstate 980 east and provides the distance to the next three exits. Photo taken 11/26/04.
An unusual "freeway" sign is posted on the collector distributor lanes after the on-ramp from Jackson Street. Photo taken 11/26/04.
Interstate 980 was called into service as a replacement for Interstate 880 when the latter route collapsed during the Loma Prieta Earthquake of October 1989. All traffic was diverted from Interstate 880 onto Interstate 980 west until 1998, when the new Interstate 880 alignment was opened to traffic. Photo taken 11/26/04.
Now entering downtown Oakland, northbound Interstate 880 meets Interstate 980/Grove Shafter Freeway, which leads east to Interstate 580 and changes into California 24 (Rumford Freeway) en route to Walnut Creek and the San Ramon Valley. Photo taken 11/26/04.
The first exit on Interstate 980/Grove Shafter Freeway east is 11th Street and 14th Street, both of which serve downtown Oakland. Photo taken 11/26/04.
Northbound Interstate 880 meets Exit 42B, Market Street as it passes under the transition ramp from westbound Interstate 980 to southbound Interstate 880. This exit connects with California 260/Posey Tubes, which lead south to California 61 in Alameda. There is no connection from westbound Interstate 980 to northbound Interstate 880. Photo taken 11/26/04.
This viaduct was built after the Loma Prieta Earthquake of October 1989. The freeway follows a new alignment rather than the Mandela Parkway route that is now a linear park through northwestern Oakland. From the Interstate 880 viaduct, the cranes that lift heavy equipment located at the docks in the port of Oakland are visible. This mileage sign itemizes the remaining exits: Exit 44 for 7th Street and West Grand Avenue and Exits 46A-B for Interstate 80 (which is for some reason called "San Francisco Exit" ... it should be "Interstate 80"). Photo taken 11/26/04.
A Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Station is located between 5th Street and 7th Street in Oakland and is readily visible from Interstate 880 prior to Exit 44. Photo taken 11/26/04.
The right lane of Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) north becomes exit only for Exit 44, 7th Street and West Grand Avenue. Photo taken 11/26/04.
Northbound Interstate 880 reaches Exit 44, 7th Street/West Grand Avenue. This is the last Oakland exit along northbound. The next exit is Exits 46A-B for Interstate 80. Photo taken 11/26/04.
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) passes over Interstate 880 after the off-ramp to Exit 44. Photo taken 11/26/04.
The next exit along Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) north is Exit 46A, Interstate 80/San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge west to San Francisco and Interstate 80 (Eastshore Freeway) east and Interstate 580 north to Berkeley and Vallejo. Photo taken 11/26/04.
Use Interstate 80 (Eastshore Freeway) east and Interstate 580 west to Berkeley and Emeryville. Photo taken 11/26/04.
Northbound Interstate 880 reaches Exit 46A, Interstate 80 east to Vallejo/Sacramento and West Interstate 580 to Richmond/San Rafael. The main lanes continue as Interstate 880 until eventually transitioning into westbound Interstate 80. The signage does not mention this, and makes it seem like the final mile of Interstate 880 is nothing more than a transition ramp. This marks the northern terminus of Interstate 880; no end shield is posted. Photo taken 11/26/04.
This series of photos follows the transition ramp from Interstate 880 north to Interstate 80 east and Interstate 580 west along the northbound Eastshore Freeway (Old U.S. 40). Photos taken 11/26/04.
To Emeryville, use the California 13/Shellmound Street off-ramp after Interstate 880 merges onto Interstate 80-580 north. Note that Interstate 880 merges into Interstate 80 from the left. Photos taken 11/26/04.
Returning to the mainline of Interstate 880, the left lanes transition onto Interstate 80 west and the approach to the San Francisco Bay Bridge. What a view! This photo shows northbound Interstate 880 as it passes to the west of the Cypress segment that was destroyed prior to reaching Interstate 80. Photos taken 08/24/03.
Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) north picks up additional local traffic from Oakland before continuing along the new viaduct to reach Interstate 80 west. Photo taken 08/24/03.
All buses and high occupancy vehicles may exit left here to avoid the toll plaza during the commute hours. The main lanes of northbound Interstate 880 continues northwest toward the Bay Bridge toll plaza and its merge with Interstate 80. Photo taken 08/24/03.
The final exit along Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) north is Exit 46B, Interstate 80/San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge west. Photo taken 08/24/03.
Northbound Interstate 880 ends as it merges onto westbound Interstate 80 and enters the Bay Bridge toll plaza. Photo taken 08/24/03.

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Page Updated February 24, 2008.

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