California State Route 54
Encyclopedia
State Route 54 is a California State Highway in San Diego
that connects Interstate 5 to the city of El Cajon
. The first section was built circa 1961, and the final section of freeway (which was upgraded from an expressway) opened in 2007.
. Route 54 has the three different names given by various state laws. These names include Jamacha Road (from Campo Road to East Main Street in El Cajon), South Bay Freeway (from I-805 to Route 94) and Filipino-American Highway (from its western terminus to Route 125). The freeway portion of Route 54 is commonly referred to as the South Bay Freeway, and the roadway segments are commonly referred to by their respective names (Jamacha Boulevard, Campo Road, and Jamacha Road).
Route 54 starts as a freeway from Interstate 5
at the mouth of the Sweetwater River
, with westbound traffic traversing the north bank of the river and eastbound traffic traversing the south bank. Both sides join near the junction with Interstate 805 and continue east for several miles. As the freeway turns north, it becomes Route 125
and Route 54 exits at Jamacha Boulevard.
Route 54 follows Jamacha Boulevard northeast until reaching Campo Road. The portion of Route 54 along this arterial road
is shared with San Diego County Route S17 and historically has been signed for S17 only.
Route 54 then shares a brief concurrency with Route 94
, although this is not documented in the legal definition of either route, following Campo Road 0.5 miles east. Route 54 continues northeast on Jamacha Road to El Cajon, while Campo Road (Route 94) splits off to the southeast. Route 54 currently ends at the El Cajon city limit.
) and Jamacha Boulevard in Spring Valley. The South Bay Freeway was constructed as a freeway only between its western terminus and Reo Drive, a short distance west and east of the I-805 junction, with the remainder built as an expressway
.
Route 54 was extended west as a freeway to I-5 at the same time the Sweetwater River flood control channel was constructed in the early 1990s. The expressway portion from Reo Drive to South Worthington Street was upgraded to a freeway in the late 1990s, and a part-time HOV lane
opened in each direction, east of I-805 only, around this time.
The State relinquished Route 54, from the southern El Cajon city limit to I-8 only, to the City of El Cajon in 1999. The portion of Route 54 within El Cajon was then incorrectly designated Interstate Business Route 54 by the City, but most business route
signage has since been removed.
The remaining expressway portion of Route 54, running from South Worthington Street to Jamacha Boulevard, was replaced by a freeway in two phases in the 2000s. The first phase corresponded with construction of Route 125 north of Jamacha Boulevard and was completed in 2003. The second phase corresponded with construction of the South Bay Expressway toll road and was completed in 2007. The HOV lanes were converted to regular mixed traffic lanes shortly thereafter.
The entire route is in San Diego County
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Postmile
!Exit
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=3|National City
|0.00
|1
|
|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north)
|-bgcolor=#ffdddd
|0.40
|1C
|National City Boulevard, Broadway
|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
|-
|0.90
|1D
|Highland Avenue, 4th Avenue
|Signed as exit 1 eastbound
|-
|
|1.88
|2
|
|
|-
|rowspan=3|National City
|2.97
|3
|Plaza Bonita Center Way, Reo Drive
|
|-
|4.21
|4
|Woodman Street
|
|-
|4.99
|5
|Briarwood Road
|
|-
|
|6.30
|6
|
|
|-
|
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|6.70
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
|-
|colspan=5 align=center|Gap in SR 54; east end of freeway
|-
|
|T10.99
|
|
|
|-
|
|T11.85
|
|Willow Glen Drive – Jamul
, Harbison Canyon
|
|-
|
|T13.71
|
|Chase Avenue
|
|-
|rowspan=3|El Cajon
|T14.21
|colspan=3 align=center|East end of state maintenance at El Cajon
city limit
|-
|T16.26
|
|
|Interchange
|-
|T16.26
|
|2nd Street
|Continuation beyond I-8
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
that connects Interstate 5 to the city of El Cajon
El Cajon, California
-History:El Cajon is located on the Rancho El Cajon Mexican land grant made in 1845 to María Antonia Estudillo, wife of Miguel Pedrorena. In 1876 Amaziah Lord Knox , a New Englander who had recently moved to California, established a hotel there to serve the growing number of people traveling...
. The first section was built circa 1961, and the final section of freeway (which was upgraded from an expressway) opened in 2007.
Route description
This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway SystemCalifornia Freeway and Expressway System
The California Freeway and Expressway System is a system of existing or planned freeways and expressways in the U.S. state of California. It is defined by the Streets and Highways Code.-List of roads in the system:*State Route 1 *State Route 2...
. Route 54 has the three different names given by various state laws. These names include Jamacha Road (from Campo Road to East Main Street in El Cajon), South Bay Freeway (from I-805 to Route 94) and Filipino-American Highway (from its western terminus to Route 125). The freeway portion of Route 54 is commonly referred to as the South Bay Freeway, and the roadway segments are commonly referred to by their respective names (Jamacha Boulevard, Campo Road, and Jamacha Road).
Route 54 starts as a freeway from Interstate 5
Interstate 5 in California
Interstate 5 is a major north–south route of the Interstate Highway System in the U.S. state of California. It begins at the Mexico – United States border at the San Ysidro crossing, goes north across the length of California and crosses into Oregon south of the Medford-Ashland metropolitan...
at the mouth of the Sweetwater River
Sweetwater River
Sweetwater River may refer to:*Sweetwater River , a river in San Diego County, California, USA*Sweetwater River , a river in Natrona County, Wyoming, USA...
, with westbound traffic traversing the north bank of the river and eastbound traffic traversing the south bank. Both sides join near the junction with Interstate 805 and continue east for several miles. As the freeway turns north, it becomes Route 125
California State Route 125
State Route 125 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that currently runs from State Route 905 in Otay Mesa near the U.S.–Mexico border to State Route 52 in Santee....
and Route 54 exits at Jamacha Boulevard.
Route 54 follows Jamacha Boulevard northeast until reaching Campo Road. The portion of Route 54 along this arterial road
Arterial road
An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...
is shared with San Diego County Route S17 and historically has been signed for S17 only.
Route 54 then shares a brief concurrency with Route 94
California State Route 94
State Route 94 in the U.S. state of California is the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway from Interstate 5 in Downtown San Diego to the end of the freeway portion past Route 125 in Spring Valley; the non-freeway segment of SR 94 is Campo Road....
, although this is not documented in the legal definition of either route, following Campo Road 0.5 miles east. Route 54 continues northeast on Jamacha Road to El Cajon, while Campo Road (Route 94) splits off to the southeast. Route 54 currently ends at the El Cajon city limit.
History
Route 54 first opened between Sweetwater Road (at the site of present day North 2nd Avenue in Chula VistaChula Vista, California
Chula Vista is the second largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fourteenth largest city in the State of California, and the seventy seventh largest city in the U.S....
) and Jamacha Boulevard in Spring Valley. The South Bay Freeway was constructed as a freeway only between its western terminus and Reo Drive, a short distance west and east of the I-805 junction, with the remainder built as an expressway
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
.
Route 54 was extended west as a freeway to I-5 at the same time the Sweetwater River flood control channel was constructed in the early 1990s. The expressway portion from Reo Drive to South Worthington Street was upgraded to a freeway in the late 1990s, and a part-time HOV lane
High-occupancy vehicle lane
In transportation engineering and transportation planning, a high-occupancy vehicle lane is a lane reserved for vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers...
opened in each direction, east of I-805 only, around this time.
The State relinquished Route 54, from the southern El Cajon city limit to I-8 only, to the City of El Cajon in 1999. The portion of Route 54 within El Cajon was then incorrectly designated Interstate Business Route 54 by the City, but most business route
Business route
A business route in the United States and Canada is a short special route connected to a parent numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or town, and finally reconnecting with the same parent numbered highway again at its...
signage has since been removed.
The remaining expressway portion of Route 54, running from South Worthington Street to Jamacha Boulevard, was replaced by a freeway in two phases in the 2000s. The first phase corresponded with construction of Route 125 north of Jamacha Boulevard and was completed in 2003. The second phase corresponded with construction of the South Bay Expressway toll road and was completed in 2007. The HOV lanes were converted to regular mixed traffic lanes shortly thereafter.
Major intersections
- Note: Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured in 1964, based on the alignment as it existed at that time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage.
The entire route is in San Diego County
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Postmile
!Exit
Exit number
An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore....
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=3|National City
National City, California
National City is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 58,582 at the 2010 census, up from 54,260 at the 2000 census. National City is the second oldest city in San Diego County and has a historic past.-History:...
|0.00
|1
|
|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north)
|-bgcolor=#ffdddd
|0.40
|1C
|National City Boulevard, Broadway
|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
|-
|0.90
|1D
|Highland Avenue, 4th Avenue
|Signed as exit 1 eastbound
|-
|
|1.88
|2
|
|
|-
|rowspan=3|National City
National City, California
National City is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 58,582 at the 2010 census, up from 54,260 at the 2000 census. National City is the second oldest city in San Diego County and has a historic past.-History:...
|2.97
|3
|Plaza Bonita Center Way, Reo Drive
|
|-
|4.21
|4
|Woodman Street
|
|-
|4.99
|5
|Briarwood Road
|
|-
|
|6.30
|6
|
|
|-
|
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|6.70
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
|-
|colspan=5 align=center|Gap in SR 54; east end of freeway
|-
|
|T10.99
|
|
|
|-
|
|T11.85
|
|Willow Glen Drive – Jamul
Jamul, California
Jamul is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. Jamul had a population of 6,163 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau Jamul is located at ....
, Harbison Canyon
Harbison Canyon, California
Harbison Canyon is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. Harbison Canyon had a population of 3,841 as of the 2010 census, up from 3,645 as of the 2000 census.-Geography:...
|
|-
|
|T13.71
|
|Chase Avenue
|
|-
|rowspan=3|El Cajon
El Cajon, California
-History:El Cajon is located on the Rancho El Cajon Mexican land grant made in 1845 to María Antonia Estudillo, wife of Miguel Pedrorena. In 1876 Amaziah Lord Knox , a New Englander who had recently moved to California, established a hotel there to serve the growing number of people traveling...
|T14.21
|colspan=3 align=center|East end of state maintenance at El Cajon
El Cajon, California
-History:El Cajon is located on the Rancho El Cajon Mexican land grant made in 1845 to María Antonia Estudillo, wife of Miguel Pedrorena. In 1876 Amaziah Lord Knox , a New Englander who had recently moved to California, established a hotel there to serve the growing number of people traveling...
city limit
|-
|T16.26
|
|
|Interchange
|-
|T16.26
|
|2nd Street
|Continuation beyond I-8