California State Route 77; the real "Shortest Signed" State Highway

Over the last two weeks I visited almost every State Highway in the San Francisco Bay Area. The shortest State Highway by a large margin in the Bay Area is California State Route 77.

CA 77 is presently only 0.45 miles in length and is located entirely within the City of Oakland. CA 77 begins at Interstate 880 and heads eastward on 42nd Avenue to CA 185 on 14th Street.

As presently completed CA 77 would rank as the fourth shortest State Highway only behind CA 225, CA 275 and CA 283.

CAhighways.org list of Shortest State Highways

CA 77 presently has a 13.4 mile portion that has not been constructed. CA 77 as originally envisioned would have continued northeast towards Concord and would have junctions with; I-580, unbuilt CA 93, CA 24, I-680 and CA 242. According to CAhighways.org the present route of CA 77 was designated as Legislative Route Number 233 which was approved by the State Legislature in 1953. The legislative description of LRN 233 was changed to LRN 235 by 1957.

CAhighways.org on CA 77

CAhighways.org on LRN 235

The path of LRN 233 first appears on the 1954 State Highway Map City Insert.

The designation of LRN 235 replaces LRN 233 on the 1958 State Highway Map City Insert.

By 1963 the portion of LRN 235 between CA 17 on the Nimitz Freeway (current I-880) and LRN 105 (present CA 185) is shown completed.

During the 1964 State Highway Renumbering LRN 235 was reassigned as CA 77.

According to CA 77 the planned route of CA 77 was cut back to CA 24 in Layayette by 1975. This is reflected on the 1977 State Highway Map City Insert.

Note; as completed in 1963 the configuration of LRN 235/CA 77 was a freeway with free flowing ramps to/from CA 17/I-880 northbound. Said ramps were reconfigured in 2012 into the at-grade ramps present at the western terminus of CA 77.

Access to CA 77 can be obtained from I-880 via Exit 38. Oddly High Street is signed from I-880 and not 42nd Avenue even though that is the direct connection. From I-880 there is not CA 77 signage, the downpour was about as miserable as it looks.

From the exit ramp CA 77 begins with a left hand turn onto 42nd Avenue. Again there is no CA 77 shields to be found.

CA 77 east travels under both travel lanes of I-880 and essentially is limited access (albeit not a freeway).

Between the northbound lanes of I-880 and on-ramp from Coliseum Way the first CA 77 reassurance shield appears. CA 77 east even features an off-ramp to 12th Street which can be seen in the second photo below.

The CA 77 reassurance shield makes it the real "shortest" signed State Highway and not CA 153 which is often proclaimed as such. My previous blog entry on CA 153 can be found below.

California State Route 153; the supposedly shortest State Highway

CA 77 east even has a second reassurance shield before it terminates at CA 185 at 14th Street.

2018 Mojave Road Trip Part 2; The deadly desert highway (California State Route 127 and Nevada State Route 373)

After leaving Barstow via Old Highway 58 my next destination was in Death Valley. To access Death Valley from rural San Bernardino County required a trek on north on Interstate 15 to California State Route 127 which becomes Nevada State Route 373 at the state line. Along I-15 I encountered the road sign oddity that is Zzyzx Road about eight miles south of Baker. Zzyzx Road is a four mile road that used to go to the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa. The spa was founded in the 1940s and the owner made up the name "Zzyzx" to claim it was the last word in the English Language. The spa has been shut down since the 1970s and is now part of a Desert Studies Center for California State University. The southern terminus of CA 127 in Baker is located at I-15 exit 246. CA 127 is a 91 mile north/south highway which runs to the Nevada State Line in Inyo County. CA 127 is called Death Valley Road from I-15 northward. South of CA 127 ...

Finding the Pre-Emption Road of New York State

The Pre-Emption Road (or rather a series of roads named Pre-Emption Road) follows a survey line called the Pre-Emption Line, drawn in the early days of the United States. The story begins with Massachusetts and New York having competing land claims to modern day Western New York State that have their roots in colonial charters granted by the British. After the Revolutionary War ended, this land became the frontier of the nation and its settlement became a priority for the new American government. During this era, there were a lot of competing land claims that needed to be settled. It was no different with the land claims between New York State and Massachusetts. On November 30, 1786, Massachusetts and New York sent representatives to Hartford, Connecticut to resolve their competing land claims. In less than three weeks, the representatives had reached a compromise. Massachusetts would receive pre-emption rights, meaning the right to sell the land after the Indian title ...

What's In a Name?: When the Roads Really Do Tell a Story

Our tagline on the Gribblenation blog is "because every road tells a story". Some roads tell different stories than others. Along our travels, we may see historic markers that tell us a little story about the roads we travel or the places we pass by. Some historic markers are more general, as to telling us who lived where or what old trail traversed between two towns. During my travels across New York State and other states or provinces, I pass by many historic markers, some with interesting or amusing references to roads. I wanted to highlight a few of the markers I've seen along my travels around the Empire State and help tell their stories. Those stories may be as specific as explaining the tales of a tree that was used to help measure a distance of eight miles from Bath to Avoca in Steuben County, as referenced on the Eight Mile Tree historical marker above. They may also help point the way along historical roads first used centuries ago, or may help tell a local l...

Littledots said…

Hi, I was researching the 42nd Ave freeway entrance for my blog and came across your page. Great photos. I am writing a page on the "Bancroft Parkway" which began at the San Leandro border on Bancroft and ended at 42nd Ave with entrance to the Nimitz (880) Freeway. Bancroft Parkway - Oakland Tribune November 25, 1956 -https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67723058/bancroft-parkway-nov-25-1956/
Littledots@yahoo.com

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