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Interstate 980

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This past month I drove the entirety of Interstate 980 upon returning to the San Francisco Bay Area.


I-980 is a short 2 mile long connecting Interstate in downtown Oakland which connects I-880 eastward to I-580/CA 24.

The route that eventually became I-980 was legislatively defined in 1959 a refinement to Legislative Route Number 226 between what was US 50 and CA 17. This change to LRN 226 first appears on the 1960 State Highway Map.

1960 State Highway Map City Insert

During the 1964 State Highway Renumbering LRN 226 between US 50/I-580 and CA 17 was designated as part of future freeway alignment of CA 24.

1964 State Highway Map City Insert

By 1970 the route of the CA 24 freeway opened from Caldecott Tunnels west to downtown Oakland.  CA 24 at the time terminated just west of I-580 at Martin Luther King Jr. Way in downtown Oakland.

1970 State Highway Map

I-980 was designated as a future Interstate corridor by 1976 according to CAhighways.org.

CAhighways.org on I-980

The current route of I-980 was transferred from CA 24 in 1981.  The change is reflective on the 1982 State Highway City Insert.

1982 State Highway Map City Insert

By 1986 the full route of I-980 between I-880 and I-580/CA 24 was completed.

1986 State Highway Map

My approach to I-980 was from the Jackson Street ramp in downtown Oakland.  From Jackson Street I jumped onto I-880 northbound and took the ramp to I-980 east.  I-980 east is signed as a connecting route to CA 24.






The First Unitarian Church of Oakland, Pardee Home, Oakland China Town and Oakland Convention Center are signed from Exit 1A on I-980 east.  17th Street and former US 40 on San Pablo Avenue are signed as being accessible from Exit 1B.




Access to the Paramount Theatre is signed for Exit 1B.






Traffic is advised past Exit 1B to use I-580 west to reach I-80 from I-980 east.


CA 24 east traffic is advised to stay left from the east terminus of I-980 whereas I-580 traffic exits to the right.  I was headed onto I-580 west and turned off I-980 towards San Francisco.






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