Skip to main content

Veterans Boulevard (Fresno, California)

By


Veterans Boulevard is a new 2.3-mile arterial surface highway located in the northwestern corner of the city of Fresno, California.  Veterans Boulevard carries traffic from Shaw Avenue to Herndon Avenue via a six-lane expressway configuration.  Veterans Boulevard provides access to California State Route 99 and is one of the few major diagonal roadways in Fresno.  Veterans Boulevard was first introduced in the 1984 Fresno General Plan and was funded as a Fresno County Transportation Authority Measure C project. The Veterans Boulevard interchange at California State Route 99 opened to traffic on November 20, 2023.  




Part 1; the history of Veterans Boulevard

The origin of Veterans Boulevard came in 1984 when it was introduced in the Fresno General Plan.  The primary purpose of Veterans Boulevard was to permit the growing northwestern neighborhoods of Fresno better access to the California State Route 99 freeway (former US Route 99).  Traffic in northwest Fresno prior to Veterans Boulevard had been required to use the east/west oriented Shaw Avenue or Herndon Avenue to reach California State Route 99.  The detours required to reach California State Route 99 have been cited by the city as likely to cause unnecessary future traffic congestion.  

The Veterans Boulevard project was refined in 1986 to include a grade separation with the Southern Pacific Railroad (now Union Pacific Railroad) and North Golden State Boulevard (pre-1960 US Route 99).  A Project Initiation Document was completed in 1991 and a formal corridor adoption was made in 1996. 

Construction of the High Speed Rail partially altered the design of Veterans Boulevard.  The High Speed Rail corridor project is slated to consume the current alignment of North Golden State Boulevard and relocate the roadway slightly west.  This relocation of North Golden State Boulevard was factored into the Veterans Boulevard Project.   

Veterans Boulevard was funded via the Fresno County Transportation Authority's (FCTA) Measure C.  Below the design of Veterans Boulevard is contrasted to the project overpass locations.  The Hayes Avenue extension was included as part of the larger Veterans Boulevard project.  



Below are series of FCTA construction photos along Veterans Boulevard during 2019.







Below the nearly complete grade-separation of Veterans Boulevard can be seen from Golden State Boulevard.  This photo was taken during the May 6, 2023, Fresno Road Meet.


The below photo is from northbound California State Route 99 approaching the Veterans Boulevard exit.  This photo was taken on November 12, 2023, just prior to the interchange opening to traffic.  Veterans Boulevard is assigned as Exit 141 along California State Route 99.  Manual of Uniform Control Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) adherents will likely lament the lack of an external exit tab.


The opening ceremony for the Veterans Boulevard interchange was held on November 20, 2023, and featured on ABC30.  The Veterans Boulevard interchange is noted to serve a segment of California State Route 99 which sees 70,000 vehicles a day.  






Part 2; a drive on Veterans Boulevard

Pictured is the view along westbound Shaw Avenue approaching the southern end of Veterans Boulevard.  




As Veterans Boulevard swings northeast from Shaw Avenue, it intersects Bryan Avenue and Barstow Avenue.  






Northbound Veterans Boulevard intersects California State Route 99. 





Northbound Veterans Boulevard crosses over Golden State Boulevard, the planned High Speed Rail Grade and Union Pacific Railroad.  Traffic along Veterans Boulevard can descend from the overpass structure onto the new alignment of Golden State Boulevard. 



Veterans Boulevard northbound intersects Riverside Drive and Bullard Avenue.  




Northbound Veterans Boulevard intersects Hayes Avenue.  Traffic heading to westbound Herndon Avenue is directed to turn left on Hayes Avenue.  



Northbound Veterans Boulevard terminates at eastbound Herndon Avenue.  


Westbound Herndon Avenue traffic is notified via an overhead guide sign to stay in the left lanes to access southbound Veterans Boulevard.  


Southbound Golden State Boulevard traffic approaching Veterans Boulevard is forced onto the new alignment below the overpass structure.  Traffic on the new alignment of Golden State Boulevard is forced back to the older alignment south of the Veterans Boulevard overpass via a temporary connecting road.







Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grand Loop Road of Yellowstone National Park

By
  Grand Loop Road is a 140 mile loop highway which traverses the interior of Yellowstone National Park.  Grand Loop Road connects all of the major attractions and geological features of Yellowstone National Park along with the entrance roads.  Grand Loop Road is a seasonal highway and despite some conjecture never has been part of the US Route System.   Part 1; the history of Grand Loop Road The majority of history pertaining to Grand Loop Road was taken from the below National Park Service article: Historic Roads - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) Yellowstone was declared the first National Park of the United States on March 1st, 1872.  The first real highway to access Yellowstone National Park came in 1873 when a tolled facility was constructed from Bozeman, Montana via Yankee Jim Canyon to Mammoth Hot Springs.  Numerous attempts were made to fund construction of roadway infrastructure during the early years of Yellows...
Post a Comment
Read more

The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

By
Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign.  These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare.  This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade.  We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others?  Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers.  The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California.  Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...
Post a Comment
Read more

California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway

By
From 2017 through to early 2019 I drove the majority of the California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway from CA 89 southwest to CA 99. CA 70 is an approximately 178.5 mile state highway which starts at US 395 near the Nevada State Line and travels west through the Feather River Canyon to CA 99.  CA 70 is often referred to as the Feather River Highway" given it's close association with the river.  Historically CA 70 was previously signed as US 40A and CA 24.  The Legislative Routes prior to the 1964 California Highway Renumbering that made up the current route of CA 70 are as follows: -  Legislative Route Number 21 from US 395 westward to Oroville. -  LRN 87 from Oroville south to Marysville. -  LRN 232 from Marysville to the current junction with CA 99.  CA 70 was even dual signed with CA 99 into Sacramento on what was LRN 232 for a time. The change from US 40A/LRN 21/LRN 87/LRN 232 can be seen by comparing the 1963 State Highway Ma...
Post a Comment
Read more