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 ...
Because every road has a story.