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California State Route 230 and the planned Hunters Point Freeway

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California State Route 230 is an unconstructed State Highway largely in San Francisco which comprises the four miles of the once proposed Hunters Point Freeway corridor.  The Hunters Point Freeway was originally adopted by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors during December 1956.  The Hunters Point Freeway would have been the landing point for the fourth iteration of the proposed Southern Crossing of San Francisco Bay.  The Hunters Point Freeway was adopted into the State Highway System as part of Legislative Route Number 253 and Legislative Route Number 289 during 1959.  During 1964 the California Highway Commission adopted routing for the Hunters Point Freeway which had been renumbered to as California State Route 230 and California State Route 87.  Following the truncation of California State Route 87 during 1970 the entire Hunters Point Freeway corridor was transferred to California State Route 230.  The Hunters Point Freeway was ultimately cancelled by the California Highway Commission during October 1976, but California State Route 230 was never deleted from the State Highway System.  The adopted alignment for the Hunters Point Freeway can be seen as the blog cover as illustrated in the March/April 1964 California Highways & Public Works.  



The history of California State Route 230 and the Hunters Point Freeway

The segments of highway which would comprise California State Route 230 and the Hunters Point Freeway were adopted by 1959 Legislative Chapter 1062 as Legislative Route Number 289 (LRN 289) in addition to Legislative Route Number 253 (LRN 253).   The original definition of LRN 289 was:

"easterly of the Bayshore Freeway from San Jose to the highway described in subdivision (a) of Section 553.1, the Hunters Point Freeway"

The initial definition of LRN 253 was: 

1.  LRN 68 (US Route 101 Alternate) near the south city limits of San Francisco to LRN 224 near the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. 
2.  LRN 68 near Alemany Boulevard to the route described in subdivision (a) of this section.

1959 Legislative Chapter 1882 added the following condition to LRN 253:

"Construction on either portion of LRN 253 described in subdivisions (a) and (b) may be commenced when the City and County San Francisco has acquired all rights of way necessary for construction of such portion and has conveyed these rights of to the State of California for highway purposes."

LRN 289 and LRN 253 both appear for the first time on the 1960 Division of Highways Map.  




The March/April 1960 California Highways & Public Works describes LRN 253 as corridor designed to provide a connection between the Southern Freeway, US Route 101 (the Bayshore Freeway) and the Embarcadero Freeway.  The volume noted location studies for LRN 253 were underway and construction could proceed when the city of San Francisco acquired the necessary right-of-way.  




The March/April 1960 California Highways & Public Works also announced that a mile of LRN 253 had been adopted by the California Highway Commission as an extension of the Southern Freeway between the Bayshore Freeway and Alemany Boulevard.  The article noted the planned routing of LRN 253 was originally adopted by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors via a resolution dated December 10, 1956.  


The northern part of the Hunters Point Freeway was initially conceived as the landing point for the western end of the fourth iteration of the proposed Southern Crossing (1954-1958).  The fourth iteration of the Southern Crossing would have included a 40,730-foot-long bridge across San Francisco Bay.  The proposed Hunters Point Freeway is shown as a component of the planned Southern Crossing on a 1956 Division of Highways proposal map. 


The adopted extension of the Southern Freeway appears as the northern spur of LRN 253 between the Bayshore Freeway and Alemany Boulevard on the 1961 Division of Highways Map.  


1961 Legislative Chapter 1010 altered the construction amendment of LRN 253:

"Notwithstanding the provision of Section 89 of Chapter 1062 of the Statutes of 1959, construction of any or all portions of LRN 253 may be commenced at any time, if the City and County of San Francisco has conveyed or does convey to the State of California, without charge, all real property presently acquired by it for the construction of such route or portion thereof"

The May/June 1961 California Highways & Public Works described the overall planned corridor of LRN 289.  The article references the northern extent of LRN 289 providing a junction for the planned Hunters Point Freeway (LRN 253).  




The January/February 1962 California Highways & Public Works announced the California Highway Commission adopted 3.4 miles of LRN 253 as part of the Embarcadero Freeway Extension during late year 1961.  The adopted portion of LRN 253 was from Evans Street to the Embarcadero Freeway. 



The Hunters Point Freeway portion of LRN 253 is seen as the only part of the highway without an adopted alignment on the 1963 Division of Highways Map.  


The 1964 Division of Highways deleted the Legislative Route Numbers in favor of Sign Route designations.  What had been LRN 289 between US Route 101/Bayshore Freeway east to the Hunters Point Freeway portion of LRN 253 was defined as California State Route 230.  The portion of LRN 253 carrying the planned Hunters Point Freeway and Embarcadero Freeway Extension was renumbered as part of California State Route 87.  The segment of LRN 253 carrying the adopted portion of the Southern Freeway Extension was renumbered as California State Route 82.  The changes described here can be seen on the 1964 Division of Highways Map and the legislative descriptions contained within.  





The March/April 1964 California Highways & Public Works announced the California Highway Commission had adopted freeway segments of California State Route 230 and California State Route 87 between US Route 101-Army Street as the Hunters Point Freeway.  The Hunters Point Freeway is described in detail as passing Candlestick Park and India Basin.  The adopted Hunters Freeway routing is described as being the most expensive option but was preferred by local interests due to quality-of-life concerns. 




California State Route 230 and California State Route 87 appear as part of the adopted Hunters Point Freeway between US Route 101-Army Street on the 1965 Division of Highways Map.  


1968 Legislative Chapter 282 swapped the terminus of Interstate 280 and moved it east to end at the Embarcadero Freeway.  The realignment of Interstate 280 led to California State Route 82 being truncated to US Route 101.  California State Route 87 was truncated to a northern terminus at Interstate 280.  

1970 Legislative Chapter 1473 transferred the portion of the Hunters Point Freeway which was part of California State Route 87 to California State Route 230.  This transfer was made due to the legislative description of California State Route 87 being truncated to US Route 101 near the vicinity of the Guadalupe River.  The entire planned Hunters Point Freeway can be seen as part of California State Route 230 on the 1975 Caltrans Map.  


The California Highway Commission cancelled the adopted routing of the Hunters Point Freeway during October 1976.  Despite the alignment adoption of the Hunters Point Freeway being cancelled the legislative definition of California State Route 230 was never deleted.  California State Route 230 appears on the 1977 Caltrans Map with no adopted routing.  


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