Gribblenation

After crossing Carquinez Straight into Solano County via the Benicia-Martinez Bridge on Interstate 680 I made a western turn on I-780 towards mainline I-80. Interstate 780 is a 7 mile freeway which runs from I-680 in Benicia westward to I-80 in Vallejo.  The corridor occupied by I-780 by a 1935 extension of Legislative Route Number 74.  Contrary to what I've read elsewhere I have never been able to find a State Highway Map from 1935 up to the 1964 State Highway indicating that LRN 74 between Vallejo east to Benicia was signed as California State Route 29.  The 1963 State Highway Map below does not display CA 29 between US 40 and CA 21 in Benicia. 1963 State Highway Map The original routing of LRN 74 between CA 21 in Benicia west to US 40 was on Benicia Road from starting from 2nd Street.  By the 1964 Highway renumbering the freeway grade replacement of Benicia Road was completed and the route was assigned as part of I-680. 1964 State Highway Map In 1976 ...

Recently I drove Interstate 680 over Carquinez Straight via the Benicia-Martinz Bridge.  The Benicia Martinez Bridge is significant as it was location of the last major highway ferry crossing in the San Francisco Bay Area on California State Route 21. I-680 is a 71 mile Interstate Highway which begins at San Jose at the junction of US 101/I-280.  I-680 is aligned north through the historic corridor of CA 21 and crosses the Carquinez Straights to a penultimate terminus at I-80 near Cordelia. Part 1; history of Interstate 680, California State Route 21 and the Benicia-Martinez Bridge Before the Benicia-Martinez Bridge opened in 1962 traffic on CA 21 had to take a ferry crossing over Carquinez Straight.  Traffic on CA 21 northbound entered a ferry route located on Court Street north of downtown Martinez which crossed Carquinez Straight to 5th Street in Benicia.  The alignment of CA 21 between Martinez to Benicia on the ferry route can be seen in it's final ...