The current iteration of California State Route 11 is a planned tolled freeway known as the Otay Mesa Freeway Extension. The alignment of California State Route 11 is planned to originate from the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry and terminate to the west at California State Route 905/California State Route 125 interchange in San Diego. In current form only a mile of California State Route 11 from Enrico Fermi Drive west to the California State Route 905/California State Route 125 interchange has been opened to traffic.
Part 1; the history of modern California State Route 11
The current corridor of California State Route 11 ("CA 11") is second highway to use the number. The original CA 11 corridor was found in the Los Angeles Area and was one of the original Sign State Routes announced during August 1934. The original CA 11 featured numerous notable segments of highway such as the Arroyo Seco Parkway and Harbor Freeway. The original CA 11 featured multiplexes with US Route 66, US Route 6 and US Route 99. More regarding the original CA 11 can be found below:
The current CA 11 was designated via 1994 Legislative Chapter 409. Upon being designated during 1994 the current CA 11 was not given a specific route description. CA 11 was intended to terminate a new Mexican Port of Entry where it would connect with an unconstructed Mexican Freeway then known as Tijuanna 2000. CA 11 appears on the 2005 Caltrans Map with the following Legislative Description:
The generalized planned routing of CA 11 appears on the 2005 Caltrans Map.
According to CAhighways.org during June 2012 the California Transportation Commission approved CA 11 for consideration of future funding after a finalized Environmental Impact Report was submitted. During December 2012 the California Transportation Commission approved a route adoption of a new 2.8 mile tolled freeway from the CA 905/CA 125 interchange east to the proposed Otay Mesa East Port of Entry. The initial segment of CA 11 east of CA 905/CA 125 to Enrico Fermi Drive opened to traffic on March 19th, 2016 according to Caltrans District 11.
On July 7th, 2016 the San Diego Union Tribune announced that Caltrans and the San Diego Associations of Government ("SANDAG") had received $49.3 in Federal Funding for construction of CA 11. The Federal Funding was earmarked to constructed southbound ramp connectors between CA 11, CA 125 and CA 905.
During August 2019 the Los Angeles Tribune reported that construction of the second segment of CA 11 from Enrico Fermi Drive to the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry had begun and was expected to be complete during 2021. Construction of the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry is stated to have a projected beginning in 2021 with a completion target of 2023.
The San Diego Union Tribune reported during October 2024 that the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry was anticipated to be completed by 2024 due to COVID-19 pandemic related delays. The second segment of CA 11 was stated in the article to have an anticipated completion to the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry sometime during late 2021. During September of 2021 it was reported on the AAroads forum that the first Diverging Diamond Interchange in San Diego was opened at CA 11 and Enrico Fermi Drive. As of the publishing date of this blog (12/2/21) the second segment of CA 11 has not yet opened.
Part 2; Roadwaywiz features California State Route 11
During October 2020 Dan Murphy of the Roadwaywiz Youtube Channel (and Gribblenation) featured real-time drives on CA 11. Below eastbound CA 11 from CA 905 on the Otay Mesa Freeway Extension to Enrico Fermi Drive can be observed.
Below westbound CA 11 on the Otay Mesa Freeway Extension from Enrico Fermi Drive to CA 905 can be observed.
CA 11 and the Otay Mesa Freeway Extension were featured on the Roadwaywiz San Diego area webinar on April 18th, 2020. The panel (Dan Murphy, Tom Fearer and Scott Onson) discuss CA 11 and the Otay Mesa Freeway Extension at time stamp 51:28-55:56.
As graceful a bridge that I ever set my eyes upon, the Deer Isle Bridge (officially known as the Deer Isle-Sedgwick Bridge) surprisingly caught my eye as I was driving around coastal Maine one Saturday afternoon. About 35 miles south of Bangor, Maine , the Deer Isle Bridge connects the Blue Hill Peninsula of Downeast Maine with Little Deer Isle over the Eggemoggin Reach on ME 15 between the towns of Sedgwick and Deer Isle . It should be noted that Little Deer Isle is connected to Deer Isle by way of a boulder lined causeway, and there is a storied regatta that takes place on the Eggemoggin Reach each summer. But the Deer Isle Bridge holds many stories, not just for the vacationers who spend part of their summer on Deer Isle or in nearby Stonington , but for the residents throughout the years and the folks who have had a hand bringing this vital link to life. The Deer Isle Bridge was designed by David Steinman and built by the Phoenix Bridge Company of Phoenixville,
Athlone was a siding of the Southern Pacific Railroad located in Merced County on the alignment of what was US Route 99 between the cities of Chowchilla and Merced. The Athlone corridor of US Route 99 was one of the first in San Joaquin Valley to fully upgraded to four lane expressway standards. The Athlone expressway corridor was inherited by California State Route 99 when US Route 99 was truncated to Ashland, Oregon during June 1965. The four-lane expressway through Athlone was the last segment of what had been US Route 99 in the Wheeler Ridge-Sacramento corridor to be bypassed by a freeway. The Athlone expressway corridor was bypassed by the modern California State Route 99 freeway in 2016. Despite being put on a road diet and narrowed what was the Athlone expressway corridor still displays evidence of being part of US Route 99. Above the blog cover photo displays the Athlone expressway corridor of US Route 99 south of Merced as depicted in the July 1939 California Highways &
Infamous and the subject of much controversy the Pasadena Gap in the Long Beach Freeway has long existed as a contentious topic regarding the completion of Interstate 710 and California State Route 710. While the Pasadena Gap of the Long Beach Freeway effectively has been legislatively blocked the action only came after decades of controversy. While the Pasadena Gap of the Long Beach Freeway is fairly well known what many don't know is that a small segment was actually constructed south Interstate 210 and the Foothill Freeway. This disconnected segment of the Long Beach Freeway exists as the unsigned and largely hidden California State Route 710. On June 29, 2022 the California Transportation Commission relinquished California State Route 710 to the city of Pasadena. The blog cover above depicts a southward view on the completed Pasadena stub segment of the Long Beach Freeway which ends at California Boulevard. Part 1; the history of the Pasadena Gap of the Long Beach Freewa
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