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California State Route 185 from Interstate 238 to CA 112

While on a recent Bay Area trip I drove a portion of California State Route 185 from Interstate 238 in Ashland to CA 112 in downtown San Leandro.


Prior to recent relinquishment in the City of Hayward the route of CA 185 was a 10 mile State Highway.  CA 185 once began at CA 92/CA 238 in downtown Hayward and headed northwest to CA 77 in Oakland on 14th Street.

The route of CA 185 was part of LRN 105 which was defined by the state legislature in 1933.  The route of LRN 105 incorporated much of what is now CA 92 and the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge.  North out of Hayward liked used the following route:

-  From Mission Boulevard from Foothill Boulevard north out of the City of Hayward.
-  14th Street through Ashland and San Leandro into Oakland.
-  14th Street to 44th Avenue.
-  44th Avenue to 12th Street.
-  12th Street to Lake Merit Boulevard which was part of LRN 5.  LRN 5 out of Oakland was part of US 101E by 1929 and later US 50 when it was extended to Oakland in 1935.

The original routing of LRN 105 from Hayward to Oakland can be seen on the 1934 State Highway Map.

1934 State Highway Map 

By 1935 LRN 105 was extended into downtown Oakland as part of the highway shifts for the construction of the Bay Bridge on the following alignments. 

-  12th Street to 8th Street.
-  8th Street through what is now Laney College to Fallon Street.
-  Fallon Street to 7th Street.
-  7th Street to a terminus at Adeline Street in downtown Oakland.

The original alignment of LRN 105 can be seen on the 1935 California Division of Highways Map of Alameda.

1935 Alameda County Highway Map

CA 13 in 1934 was routed on LRN 105 from Washington Street and 14th Street in downtown San Leandro into Oakland.  CA 13 was replaced by CA 17 likely by 1936 according to CAhighways.org.  CA 17 followed LRN 105 into downtown Oakland where an extension routed it on Cypress Street to US 40/50 at the Bay Bridge.   The Cyrpress alignment of LRN 105 can be seen completed as part of CA 17 on the 1938 State Highway Map.  The extension of LRN 105 was likely completed on Cypress by 1936 when the Bay Bridge opened.

1938 State Highway Map

By 1950 part of the Nimitz Freeway on LRN 69 had been completed from LRN 105/CA 17 east of Fallon Street in Oakland.

1950 State Highway Map

By 1953 CA 17/LRN 69 was shifted onto the Nimitz Freeway from Fallon Street eastward out of Oakland.  CA 17 remained on LRN 105 on 7th Street and Cypress Street westward to US 40/50.

1953 State Highway Map

By 1957 CA 17 was shifted to the fully completed Nimitz Freeway and LRN 105 was cut back to High Street close to where CA 185 presently terminates.

1957 State Highway Map

During the 1964 State Highway Renumbering LRN 105 between Hayward and Oakland was assigned CA 185.

1963 State Highway Map

1964 State Highway Map

According to CAhighways.org in 2010 the legislature authorized CA 185 to be relinquished between Foothill Boulevard and A Street in Hayward.  The relinquishment was extended to the northern City limit in 2015.  In 2017 additional legislative action authorized a future relinquishment of CA 185 in unincorporated Alameda County and the City of San Leandro in 2018.  It would seem that it is likely that in the near future that CA 185 will cease to be a State Highway.

CAhighways.org on CA 185

My drive on CA 185 started from I-238 eastbound at Exit 15 for Mission Boulevard/14th Street.




I-238 Exit 15 actually puts traffic onto Lewelling Boulevard.  Traffic headed towards CA 185 must turn left towards 14th Street.



CA 185 appears to not be signed on 14th Street any longer.  CA 185 north crosses below I-238 and enters San Leandro near Fairmont Drive.






CA 185 north follows 14th Street through downtown San Leandro where it meets CA 112 at unsigned junction at Davis Street.  CA 17 originally reached LRN 105 at the intersection of 14th Street, Davis Street and Washington Street.  Washington Street would have meet 14th Street and Davis Street on the far left in the last photo below.  Washington Street in downtown San Leandro is now mostly a plaza and no longer a through street.








Comments

Unknown said…
Your article on CA 185 mentions the town of Ashland. I was puzzled by this, I looked it up and sure enough there is an Ashland nestled in between Castro Valley and San Lorenzo. I have lived in the Bay Area 40+ years, driven thru that area many times, and never heard about Ashland before. So I learned something new today!

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