State Route 7 (California)
Encyclopedia
State Route 7 is a state highway
in the U.S. state
of California
, running from the U.S.-Mexico border east of Calexico
north to its terminus at Interstate 8 (I-8), where Orchard Road continues the route north towards Holtville
. The route provides convenient access to the country of Mexico
from I-8. The southern portion of the route opened in 1996, and the rest of the route connecting to I-8 opened in 2005.
, and is built to expressway
standards. The highway begins at the Calexico East Border Station, which is open from 6 am to 10 pm, seven days a week. Just north of the border, the highway splits into two roads to pass through the customs checkpoints before the two roads merge back together; the fork to the west is for cars, and the fork to the east is for commercial vehicles. SR 7 takes the western fork, which passes over the other fork at the northern end and merges into that highway. From here to Interstate 8, SR 7 is an expressway known as Orchard Road. Before reaching I-8, SR 7 travels north and has an at-grade intersection with SR 98 and a few other roads. At its northern end, SR 7 turns into County Route S32 (still Orchard Road) as it intersects with I-8. The entire route runs through the Sonoran Desert
.
, there was not enough money to complete the construction of the road leading up to the border facility on the Mexican side, as well as the Mexican border facility itself. The segment from SR 98 to I-8 began construction in March 2004 at a cost of $64.5 million; however, it was completed in mid-2005.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, running from the U.S.-Mexico border east of Calexico
Calexico, California
Calexico is a city in Imperial County, California. The population was 38,572 at the 2010 census, up from 27,109 at the 2000 census. Calexico is about east of San Diego and west of Yuma, Arizona...
north to its terminus at Interstate 8 (I-8), where Orchard Road continues the route north towards Holtville
Holtville, California
Holtville is a city in Imperial County, California. Holtville is located east of El Centro, The population was 5,939 at the 2010 census, up from 5,612 at the 2000 census. It is part of the 'El Centro, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area'...
. The route provides convenient access to the country of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
from I-8. The southern portion of the route opened in 1996, and the rest of the route connecting to I-8 opened in 2005.
Route description
SR 7 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...
, and is built to 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...
standards. The highway begins at the Calexico East Border Station, which is open from 6 am to 10 pm, seven days a week. Just north of the border, the highway splits into two roads to pass through the customs checkpoints before the two roads merge back together; the fork to the west is for cars, and the fork to the east is for commercial vehicles. SR 7 takes the western fork, which passes over the other fork at the northern end and merges into that highway. From here to Interstate 8, SR 7 is an expressway known as Orchard Road. Before reaching I-8, SR 7 travels north and has an at-grade intersection with SR 98 and a few other roads. At its northern end, SR 7 turns into County Route S32 (still Orchard Road) as it intersects with I-8. The entire route runs through the Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
.
History
SR 7 was added to the state highway system in 1990, and to the Freeway and Expressway System in 1998. The segment from the Mexican border to SR 98 was completed by March 1996 to expressway standards; this cost $9.1 million to complete. However, the border crossing was not opened until December 2, 1996 due to delays in constructing the Mexican portion of the border crossing. Because of the 1994 economic crisis in Mexico1994 economic crisis in Mexico
The 1994 Economic Crisis in Mexico, widely known as the Mexican peso crisis, was caused by the sudden devaluation of the Mexican peso in December 1994....
, there was not enough money to complete the construction of the road leading up to the border facility on the Mexican side, as well as the Mexican border facility itself. The segment from SR 98 to I-8 began construction in March 2004 at a cost of $64.5 million; however, it was completed in mid-2005.
Major intersections
- Note: Postmiles do not necessarily reflect current mileage. "S" refers to mileage on the spur route of SR 7 towards the border. The entire route is in Imperial CountyImperial County, CaliforniaImperial County is a county located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U.S. state of California, bordering both Arizona and Mexico. It is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area, which encompasses all of Imperial County. The population as of 2000 was 142,361. The county seat is the...
.