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156-647: Interstate 8 ( I-8 ) is an Interstate Highway in the southwestern United States . It runs from the southern edge of Mission Bay at Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in San Diego, California , almost at the Pacific Ocean, to the junction with I-10 , just southeast of Casa Grande, Arizona . In California, the freeway travels through the San Diego metropolitan area as the Ocean Beach Freeway and

312-621: A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee found that the Arizona government had mismanaged financial resources. The route was completed in 1975 through California, and by 1977 through Arizona, though the bridge over the Colorado River was not completed until 1978. Since then, the freeway through San Diego has been widened due to increasing congestion, and another portion in Imperial County had to be rebuilt following damage by

468-535: A concurrency or overlap. For example, I‑75 and I‑85 share the same roadway in Atlanta ; this 7.4-mile (11.9 km) section, called the Downtown Connector , is labeled both I‑75 and I‑85. Concurrencies between Interstate and US Highway numbers are also allowed in accordance with AASHTO policy, as long as the length of the concurrency is reasonable. In rare instances, two highway designations sharing

624-522: A plank road served as the first road across the Imperial Valley to Yuma; east of there, the Gila Trail continued east to Gila Bend . These were later replaced by U.S. Route 80 (US 80) across California and part of Arizona, and Arizona State Route 84 (SR 84) between Gila Bend and Casa Grande. The US 80 freeway through San Diego was largely complete by the time it

780-651: A 28-year-old brevet lieutenant colonel, accompanied the trip "through darkest America with truck and tank," as he later described it. Some roads in the West were a "succession of dust, ruts, pits, and holes." As the landmark 1916 law expired, new legislation was passed—the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 (Phipps Act). This new road construction initiative once again provided for federal matching funds for road construction and improvement, $ 75 million allocated annually. Moreover, this new legislation for

936-489: A bypass of the Phoenix area for long-distance travelers on I-10. In 2014, I-8 had an AADT of 5,200 vehicles between Butterfield Trail and Freeman Road, and 44,400 vehicles between SR 280 and Araby Road east of Yuma, the latter of which was the highest AADT for the highway in Arizona. In the early 2010s, I-8 from Casa Grande to Gila Bend was sometimes used for smuggling both drugs and humans. The I-8 designation

1092-476: A change in the numbering system as a result of a new policy adopted in 1973. Previously, letter-suffixed numbers were used for long spurs off primary routes; for example, western I‑84 was I‑80N, as it went north from I‑80 . The new policy stated, "No new divided numbers (such as I-35W and I-35E , etc.) shall be adopted." The new policy also recommended that existing divided numbers be eliminated as quickly as possible; however, an I-35W and I-35E still exist in

1248-622: A desire for the new freeway to replace US 80 to be routed along the southern limits of the city. Caltrans engineer Jacob Dekema stated at the time that the four-lane freeway would not be constructed on the US ;80 routing due to possible expansion of the Naval Air Facility El Centro . In October 1964, the portion of I-8 between Imperial Avenue in El Centro to SR 111 appeared in the state budget. By December,

1404-594: A different routing through Devil's Canyon that had been constructed by November 1963. A contract for paving the 9.7 miles (15.6 km) from the San Diego–Imperial county line to SR 98, including the eastbound lanes, was given to the Isbell Construction Company for $ 3.69 million (about $ 28 million in 2023 dollars) in May 1963. This portion was completed in May 1965 "through some of

1560-504: A flood eroded 400 pieces of the roadway from westbound I-8 near Ocotillo , resulting in the construction of a detour. The freeway reopened to traffic in February 1978 after the damage was repaired and a new bridge was built, at a cost of $ 1 million (about $ 4 million in 2023 dollars). But, in 1982, the freeway was closed again near Ocotillo due to flooding following another storm. Between Yuma and Gila Bend, I-8 runs alongside

1716-627: A freeway in 1960, and the freeway was complete west of El Cajon by April 1962. Priority was given to planning US 80 in 1962 by the California Chamber of Commerce . In 1964, I-8 was officially designated by the California State Legislature, and the US 80 designation was removed. By 1965, I-8 from Fairmount Avenue to El Cajon Boulevard was one of the first freeway stretches in the county to have a center barrier installed in

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1872-595: A national road grid with the passage of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 . In 1926, the United States Numbered Highway System was established, creating the first national road numbering system for cross-country travel. The roads were state-funded and maintained, and there were few national standards for road design. United States Numbered Highways ranged from two-lane country roads to multi-lane freeways. After Dwight D. Eisenhower became president in 1953, his administration developed

2028-589: A numbering scheme in which primary Interstates are assigned one- or two-digit numbers, and shorter routes which branch off of longer ones are assigned three-digit numbers where the last two digits match the parent route. The Interstate Highway System is partially financed through the Highway Trust Fund , which itself is funded by a combination of a federal fuel tax and transfers from the Treasury's general fund. Though federal legislation initially banned

2184-488: A project. This was projected to be the final highway project before I-5 was completed in San Diego County. The building phase started on September 22, 1966, on the interchange that was to replace the intersection of Pacific Highway and Rosecrans Street. The cost of the interchange was projected to be $ 10.86 million (about $ 76 million in 2023 dollars). SR 109 was planned to follow Camino del Rio up to

2340-491: A proposal for an interstate highway system, eventually resulting in the enactment of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 . Unlike the earlier United States Numbered Highway System, the interstates were designed to be all freeways, with nationally unified standards for construction and signage. While some older freeways were adopted into the system, most of the routes were completely new. In dense urban areas,

2496-559: A report called Toll Roads and Free Roads , "the first formal description of what became the Interstate Highway System" and, in 1944, the similarly themed Interregional Highways . The Interstate Highway System gained a champion in President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was influenced by his experiences as a young Army officer crossing the country in the 1919 Motor Transport Corps convoy that drove in part on

2652-815: A road to San Diego caused increased development in Los Angeles and resulted in that city becoming the trade and population center of Southern California, according to the San Diego Union . Completion of the freeway was the second highest priority according to the Highway Development Association in May 1963, after the I-5 freeway. Bidding began on the portion from Broadway in El Cajon to Harritt Road in September 1963. This section of

2808-562: A route for the part of I-8 just west of the Colorado River was being examined by the California Highway Commission. Construction was underway on the stretch from Seeley to SR 111 by June 1966, and the entire portion through the county was planned for completion by 1968. This 12.2-mile (19.6 km) portion, extending west to Drew Road, was planned for completion by early 1967, at a cost of $ 200 million (about $ 1.4 billion in 2023 dollars); however, by then,

2964-480: A significant event in the history of the town. Cafes and gas stations went out of business once the freeway bypassed the town; however, many retirees relocated into the town since the high traffic levels were gone. The labeling of the town Boulevard as Manzanita on I-8 signs raised controversy and forced the Division of Highways to obscure the name on the signs until the issue was resolved. Construction continued with

3120-409: A single digit prefixed to the two-digit number of its parent Interstate Highway. Spur routes deviate from their parent and do not return; these are given an odd first digit. Circumferential and radial loop routes return to the parent, and are given an even first digit. Unlike primary Interstates, three-digit Interstates are signed as either east–west or north–south, depending on the general orientation of

3276-801: A speed limit of 45 mph (70 km/h) because it is a parkway that consists of only one lane per side of the highway. On the other hand, Interstates 15, 80, 84, and 215 in Utah have speed limits as high as 70 mph (115 km/h) within the Wasatch Front , Cedar City , and St. George areas, and I-25 in New Mexico within the Santa Fe and Las Vegas areas along with I-20 in Texas along Odessa and Midland and I-29 in North Dakota along

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3432-460: A speed limit of 80 mph (130 km/h). Other Interstates in Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming also have the same high speed limits. In some areas, speed limits on Interstates can be significantly lower in areas where they traverse significantly hazardous areas. The maximum speed limit on I-90 is 50 mph (80 km/h) in downtown Cleveland because of two sharp curves with

3588-474: A suggested limit of 35 mph (55 km/h) in a heavily congested area; I-70 through Wheeling, West Virginia , has a maximum speed limit of 45 mph (70 km/h) through the Wheeling Tunnel and most of downtown Wheeling; and I-68 has a maximum speed limit of 40 mph (65 km/h) through Cumberland, Maryland , because of multiple hazards including sharp curves and narrow lanes through

3744-555: A tunnel for the old highway after World War II, which proved to be too expensive. By mid-February 1969, one segment of the freeway running through Alpine was nearing completion and was scheduled to open on February 21; another section was scheduled to open in April. However, although dirt and rocks were transported on a conveyor belt across US 80 to become part of an embankment for the Sweetwater River Bridge ,

3900-543: Is also commonly believed the Interstate Highway System was built for the sole purpose of evacuating cities in the event of nuclear warfare . While military motivations were present, the primary motivations were civilian. The numbering scheme for the Interstate Highway System was developed in 1957 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The association's present numbering policy dates back to August 10, 1973. Within

4056-503: Is located in City Council District 7 and is currently represented by Councilmember Raul Campillo. For federal representation, it is divided between California's 52nd congressional district , represented by Scott Peters , and California's 53rd congressional district , represented by Sara Jacobs . Mission Valley serves as a path for Interstate 8 and is crossed at its mouth by Interstate 5 . Both I-8 and I-5 serve as

4212-510: Is now the site of the Civita mixed-use development . The development of Mission Valley began in 1953 when the first hotel was built in what is now Hotel Circle. In 1958, the city council rezoned 90 acres (36 ha) of the river valley to allow the construction of San Diego's first regional shopping center. The Mission Valley Center (now Westfield Mission Valley) opened in 1961 and was followed by several other large regional shopping malls. In

4368-778: Is paralleled by the San Diego Trolley Green Line . East of El Cajon, it ascends into the mountains and the Cleveland National Forest , traveling through towns such as Alpine then going by the Viejas Casino before reaching Pine Valley . This route achieves four 4,000-foot (1219.2 meters) high points at Carpenter Summit , then crosses the Pine Valley Creek Bridge before the Laguna Summit , followed by

4524-539: Is to have the highway route extend from Tamaulipas , Mexico to Ontario , Canada. The planned I-11 will then bridge the Interstate gap between Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada , and thus form part of the CANAMEX Corridor (along with I-19 , and portions of I-10 and I-15 ) between Sonora , Mexico and Alberta , Canada. Political opposition from residents canceled many freeway projects around

4680-577: The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) would sign this freeway segment as State Route 8. As the freeway enters Mission Valley , it continues eastward, bisecting the area known as "Hotel Circle" that has several hotels. I-8 then has interchanges with SR 163 , I-805 , and I-15 . In La Mesa , the route intersects SR 125 , and in El Cajon it intersects with SR 67 . From Mission Valley through El Cajon, it

4836-796: The Colorado River on a bridge into Yuma, Arizona . I-8 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System from I-5 to the western junction of SR 98, though it is not an official state scenic highway. It is officially known as the Border Friendship Route from San Diego to the Arizona state line. The Interstate is signed as the Ocean Beach Freeway west of I-5. For

Interstate 8 - Misplaced Pages Continue

4992-640: The Crestwood Summit , then the Tecate Divide , After the Laguna Summit, the road passes a U.S. border patrol interior checkpoint that was constructed in 1995 near Buckman Springs Road turnoff just east of the summit. However, this resulted in smugglers driving the wrong way on I-8 at high speeds in order to avoid the checkpoint, causing several crashes, even after concrete barriers were installed. The freeway intersects with SR 79 in

5148-474: The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in Texas, and an I-35W and I-35E that run through Minneapolis and Saint Paul , Minnesota, still exist. Additionally, due to Congressional requirements, three sections of I-69 in southern Texas will be divided into I-69W , I-69E , and I-69C (for Central). AASHTO policy allows dual numbering to provide continuity between major control points. This is referred to as

5304-715: The Desert View Tower . I-8 then goes through Ocotillo and Coyote Wells before entering the city of El Centro several miles later. In El Centro, I-8 intersects with SR 86 and SR 111 , both north–south routes which connect to I-10 in the Coachella Valley , north of the Salton Sea . SR 115 and SR 98 end at I-8 east of El Centro. The route also has the lowest above-ground elevation of any Interstate at 52 ft (16 m) below sea level near El Centro. The freeway then traverses

5460-540: The Fashion Valley Transit Center and Mall. Other trolley stations in the valley are found at Morena/Linda Vista , Hazard Center , Mission Valley Center , Rio Vista , Fenton Parkway , and Stadium . Toward the eastern end of Mission Valley lies Mission San Diego de Alcalá, for which the valley is named. At the southwestern end overlooking the valley is Presidio Park . At the foot of Presidio Hill lies Old Town San Diego State Historic Park ,

5616-552: The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 into law. Under the act, the federal government would pay for 90 percent of the cost of construction of Interstate Highways. Each Interstate Highway was required to be a freeway with at least four lanes and no at-grade crossings. The publication in 1955 of the General Location of National System of Interstate Highways , informally known as the Yellow Book , mapped out what became

5772-578: The Gila Mountains , the eastbound lanes of I-8 cross under the westbound freeway, briefly traveling to the left near Telegraph Pass before reverting. West of Wellton , the highway takes a northeasterly course, paralleling the Gila River and passing to the south of Roll . Through this part of Arizona, I-8 passes along the northern edge of the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range and to the south of

5928-630: The Grand Forks area have higher speed limits of 75 mph (120 km/h). As one of the components of the National Highway System , Interstate Highways improve the mobility of military troops to and from airports, seaports, rail terminals, and other military bases. Interstate Highways also connect to other roads that are a part of the Strategic Highway Network , a system of roads identified as critical to

6084-632: The Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area and intersects with SR 186 leading south to Baja California Norte , Mexico. I-8 runs parallel to the All-American Canal across the desert for roughly 55 mi (89 km). At points in eastern Imperial County, the Mexican border is less than 0.5 mi (0.80 km) south of the Interstate. I-8 then passes through Felicity and Winterhaven before crossing

6240-880: The Interstate Highway System , or the Eisenhower Interstate System , is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States . The system extends throughout the contiguous United States and has routes in Hawaii , Alaska , and Puerto Rico . In the 20th century, the United States Congress began funding roadways through the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , and started an effort to construct

6396-529: The Lincoln Highway , the first road across America. He recalled that, "The old convoy had started me thinking about good two-lane highways... the wisdom of broader ribbons across our land." Eisenhower also gained an appreciation of the Reichsautobahn system, the first "national" implementation of modern Germany's Autobahn network, as a necessary component of a national defense system while he

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6552-749: The Mission Valley Freeway before traversing the Cuyamaca Mountains and providing access through the Imperial Valley , including the city of El Centro . Crossing the Colorado River into Arizona , I-8 continues through the city of Yuma across the Sonoran Desert to Casa Grande, in between the cities of Phoenix and Tucson . The first route over the Cuyamaca Mountains was dedicated in 1912, and

6708-659: The National Park Service . The entirety of Interstate 8 in California is defined in the California Streets and Highways Code as Route 8 , whose definition in section 308 is as follows: Route 8 is from: (a) Sunset Cliffs Boulevard to Route 5 in San Diego (b) Route 5 in San Diego to Yuma via El Centro. The freeway begins at the intersection of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Nimitz Boulevard in San Diego . For its first few miles, it parallels

6864-407: The San Diego River floodway. Near Old Town San Diego , I-8 intersects with I-5 as well as with Rosecrans Street, the former routing of SR 209 . Even though the freeway west of I-5 is signed with interstate shields, it is not considered a chargeable interstate highway according to Federal Highway Administration route logs, which defines I-8's western terminus at I-5. Under regular circumstances,

7020-444: The US Department of Defense . The system has also been used to facilitate evacuations in the face of hurricanes and other natural disasters. An option for maximizing traffic throughput on a highway is to reverse the flow of traffic on one side of a divider so that all lanes become outbound lanes. This procedure, known as contraflow lane reversal , has been employed several times for hurricane evacuations. After public outcry regarding

7176-411: The US Highways , which increase from east to west and north to south). This numbering system usually holds true even if the local direction of the route does not match the compass directions. Numbers divisible by five are intended to be major arteries among the primary routes, carrying traffic long distances. Primary north–south Interstates increase in number from I-5 between Canada and Mexico along

7332-437: The West Coast to I‑95 between Canada and Miami, Florida along the East Coast . Major west–east arterial Interstates increase in number from I-10 between Santa Monica, California , and Jacksonville, Florida , to I-90 between Seattle, Washington , and Boston, Massachusetts , with two exceptions. There are no I-50 and I-60, as routes with those numbers would likely pass through states that currently have US Highways with

7488-419: The Yuma Proving Ground . It keeps a northeastern heading, passing through the community of Dateland , until it reaches Gila Bend . There, the freeway intersects SR 85 heading north to Phoenix and south to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument . After leaving Gila Bend, I-8 takes a southeastern course as it passes through the Sonoran Desert National Monument . Exiting the national monument grounds,

7644-445: The 19th century that passed through the mountains east of San Diego. Before the freeway was constructed, the automobile road through the mountains east of San Diego was narrow and wound through the mountains; it was officially dedicated in 1912. This trip was known to take up to four hours, and frequently resulted in the radiator boiling over, flat tires, or broken fan belts ; inclement weather would result in cars becoming mired in

7800-402: The Colorado River was open in 1915. Following this, US 80 was built through the valley as the main east–west route. Plans for a new freeway across the southernmost reaches of California date from before 1950. The bridge over the Colorado River was replaced in 1956, at a cost of $ 1.2 million, and was in use until 1978, when the I-8 bridge was built. In 1957, the City of El Centro expressed

7956-402: The Congress Hotel in Chicago. In the plan, Mehren proposed a 50,000-mile (80,000 km) system, consisting of five east–west routes and 10 north–south routes. The system would include two percent of all roads and would pass through every state at a cost of $ 25,000 per mile ($ 16,000/km), providing commercial as well as military transport benefits. In 1919, the US Army sent an expedition across

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8112-414: The Frontier traffic circle, where the city of San Diego would resume construction; both SR 109 and SR 209 were to be built in the future. The eight-lane freeway was projected to relieve traffic in the Frontier Street area coming from the San Diego Sports Arena . Bidding for the SR 109 contract was to begin in 1968, after the City Council endorsed the route in December 1967. Completion of both

8268-414: The Holtville portion began at 3:30 a.m. daily during the summer in order to avoid the desert heat. In addition to this, construction of the Highline Canal overpass involved a 120-foot (37 m) steel span that was prefabricated and made of girders that were hoisted into position by barges. The Matich Construction Company attempted to set the world record for laying the most concrete in a day, aided by

8424-405: The Imperial County line was included in the California Highway Commission budget for 1965–1966. A 6.7-mile (10.8 km) extension from Mountain Springs west to what was then known as Road J-35 was given $ 3.3 million (about $ 24 million in 2023 dollars) in funding by the Highway Commission in May 1965. The 10-mile (16 km) section in between this one and the Mountain Springs pass section

8580-407: The Interstate Highway System. Assisting in the planning was Charles Erwin Wilson , who was still head of General Motors when President Eisenhower selected him as Secretary of Defense in January 1953. Some sections of highways that became part of the Interstate Highway System actually began construction earlier. Three states have claimed the title of first Interstate Highway. Missouri claims that

8736-424: The Interstate Highway program. The Interstates of Alaska and Puerto Rico are numbered sequentially in order of funding without regard to the rules on odd and even numbers. They also carry the prefixes A and PR , respectively. However, these highways are signed according to their local designations, not their Interstate Highway numbers. Furthermore, these routes were neither planned according to nor constructed to

8892-433: The Padres moved there, becoming a major league team the following year. Westgate Park was razed in 1969 and was replaced by the Fashion Valley Mall . San Diego Stadium was demolished in 2021 and was replaced by Snapdragon Stadium in 2022. Mission Valley stretches as far west as Interstate 5 and as far east as Interstate 15 . The exact boundary between Mission Valley East and West is State Route 163 . Mission Valley

9048-506: The US to determine the difficulties that military vehicles would have on a cross-country trip. Leaving from the Ellipse near the White House on July 7, the Motor Transport Corps convoy needed 62 days to drive 3,200 miles (5,100 km) on the Lincoln Highway to the Presidio of San Francisco along the Golden Gate . The convoy suffered many setbacks and problems on the route, such as poor-quality bridges, broken crankshafts, and engines clogged with desert sand. Dwight Eisenhower , then

9204-631: The United States, including: In addition to cancellations, removals of freeways are planned: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has defined a set of standards that all new Interstates must meet unless a waiver from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is obtained. One almost absolute standard is the controlled access nature of the roads. With few exceptions , traffic lights (and cross traffic in general) are limited to toll booths and ramp meters (metered flow control for lane merging during rush hour ). Being freeways , Interstate Highways usually have

9360-413: The act was signed, and paving started September 26, 1956. The state marked its portion of I-70 as the first project in the United States completed under the provisions of the new Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. The Pennsylvania Turnpike could also be considered one of the first Interstate Highways, and is nicknamed "Grandfather of the Interstate System". On October 1, 1940, 162 miles (261 km) of

9516-467: The additional traffic were raised in October 1967. A 3.7-mile (6.0 km) section to the east of Alpine was scheduled to have bidding opened in November of that year, and was to be finished in 1968; this would produce a continuous freeway from San Diego to the eastern terminus of this route. Both of these projects were underway by May 1968. An additional contract was given out for $ 7.8 million (about $ 52 million in 2023 dollars) in August to continue

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9672-399: The cancellation of the Somerset Freeway . This situation was remedied when the construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project started in 2010 and partially opened on September 22, 2018, which was already enough to fill the gap. However, I-70 remains discontinuous in Pennsylvania , because of the lack of a direct interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike at

9828-406: The choice of routing destroyed many well-established neighborhoods, often intentionally as part of a program of " urban renewal ". In the two decades following the 1956 Highway Act, the construction of the freeways displaced one million people, and as a result of the many freeway revolts during this era, several planned Interstates were abandoned or re-routed to avoid urban cores. Construction of

9984-439: The city of San Diego was largely confined to areas south of the valley. After World War II, the city's expansion began to encroach on the valley. The last of the valley's dairy farms closed in the early 1960s. Another early activity in Mission Valley was quarrying sand and gravel from its walls. A large quarry on the north side of the valley was in operation for most of the 20th century. The quarry ceased operation around 2000 and

10140-538: The city. In some locations, low speed limits are the result of lawsuits and resident demands; after holding up the completion of I-35E in St. Paul, Minnesota , for nearly 30 years in the courts, residents along the stretch of the freeway from the southern city limit to downtown successfully lobbied for a 45 mph (70 km/h) speed limit in addition to a prohibition on any vehicle weighing more than 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg) gross vehicle weight . I-93 in Franconia Notch State Park in northern New Hampshire has

10296-401: The collection of tolls, some Interstate routes are toll roads , either because they were grandfathered into the system or because subsequent legislation has allowed for tolling of Interstates in some cases. As of 2022 , about one quarter of all vehicle miles driven in the country used the Interstate Highway System, which has a total length of 48,890 miles (78,680 km). In 2022 and 2023,

10452-431: The construction and improvement of highways. The nation's revenue needs associated with World War I prevented any significant implementation of this policy, which expired in 1921. In December 1918, E. J. Mehren, a civil engineer and the editor of Engineering News-Record , presented his "A Suggested National Highway Policy and Plan" during a gathering of the State Highway Officials and Highway Industries Association at

10608-585: The construction of SR 52 would help to reduce the congestion. A revised Mission Gorge Road eastbound exit opened in 1979, merging with traffic from I-15. Traffic reached 212,000 vehicles a day by February 1981, and Caltrans declared I-8 east of I-805 the busiest highway in the region. In 1987, Caltrans determined that I-8 west between College Avenue and Waring Road had the highest ratio of cars to number of lanes worldwide, at 2400 cars per hour. Plans to add another lane to I-8 west from College Avenue to I-15 began in March 1992. Caltrans proposed

10764-407: The contiguous United States, primary Interstates—also called main line Interstates or two-digit Interstates—are assigned numbers less than 100. While numerous exceptions do exist, there is a general scheme for numbering Interstates. Primary Interstates are assigned one- or two-digit numbers, while shorter routes (such as spurs, loops, and short connecting roads) are assigned three-digit numbers where

10920-444: The date for completion of the freeway had slipped to 1972. The state ordered the building of the portion from west of Coyote Wells to just east of Drew Road in September 1967. The next year, Dekema indicated that the goal was to have I-8 completed by 1973, citing a deadline in order to have the federal government pay for up to ninety percent of the costs; the other freeways in the region were to be delayed because of this. In early 1970,

11076-567: The discontinuity, but they have been blocked by local opposition, fearing a loss of business. The Interstate Highway System has been expanded numerous times. The expansions have both created new designations and extended existing designations. For example, I-49 , added to the system in the 1980s as a freeway in Louisiana , was designated as an expansion corridor, and FHWA approved the expanded route north from Lafayette, Louisiana , to Kansas City, Missouri . The freeway exists today as separate completed segments, with segments under construction or in

11232-448: The dissemination of public information. As a result, the 2005 evacuation of New Orleans, Louisiana, prior to Hurricane Katrina ran much more smoothly. According to urban legend , early regulations required that one out of every five miles of the Interstate Highway System must be built straight and flat, so as to be usable by aircraft during times of war. There is no evidence of this rule being included in any Interstate legislation. It

11388-535: The drivers led to state charges against the two firms as well as five people in August. There were concerns that John Erreca, the state director of public works, had a conflict of interest with Fratianno and did not enforce the law; however, both Transportation Administrator Robert Bradford (upon a request for investigation from then Governor Pat Brown ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation found that there

11544-496: The eastern end of the concurrency near Breezewood . Traveling in either direction, I-70 traffic must exit the freeway and use a short stretch of US 30 (which includes a number of roadside services) to rejoin I-70. The interchange was not originally built because of a legacy federal funding rule, since relaxed, which restricted the use of federal funds to improve roads financed with tolls. Solutions have been proposed to eliminate

11700-450: The economy. Not just as a public works measure, but for future growth. Clay's committee proposed a 10-year, $ 100 billion program ($ 1.13 trillion in 2023), which would build 40,000 miles (64,000 km) of divided highways linking all American cities with a population of greater than 50,000. Eisenhower initially preferred a system consisting of toll roads , but Clay convinced Eisenhower that toll roads were not feasible outside of

11856-485: The end of 1969 due to a nationwide effort to fight inflation by reducing spending. A 6.6-mile (10.6 km) segment from Buckman Springs to Crestwood received funding in May 1970, which would leave only an 8-mile (13 km) stretch of the freeway uncompleted when built. The drive time from San Diego to El Centro had been reduced to two hours, according to the California Division of Highways. By August 1970,

12012-499: The entire corridor. By 1928, the portion of I-8 between Gila Bend and Casa Grande was designated as SR 84. A small portion of the highway was paved near Yuma and SR 84 was under construction by the next year. SR 84 was completed by 1930, but not paved, and the segment of US 80 between Aztec and Sentinel had been paved. Interstate Highway System [REDACTED] The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways , commonly known as

12168-651: The entire length within San Diego County and into Imperial County, it is signed as the Kumeyaay Highway, after the local Native American tribe and their traditional trade route which the Interstate follows. Between Old Town and El Cajon, I-8 is called the Mission Valley Freeway. In 2014, I-8 had an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of 11,800 vehicles between Bonds Corner Road and SR 115, as well as between SR 98 and Imperial Highway, and 239,000 vehicles between I-805 and I-15,

12324-555: The existing, largely non-freeway, United States Numbered Highways system. By the late 1930s, planning had expanded to a system of new superhighways. In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave Thomas MacDonald , chief at the Bureau of Public Roads, a hand-drawn map of the United States marked with eight superhighway corridors for study. In 1939, Bureau of Public Roads Division of Information chief Herbert S. Fairbank wrote

12480-426: The federal government, Interstate Highways are owned by the state in which they were built. With few exceptions , all Interstates must meet specific standards , such as having controlled access, physical barriers or median strips between lanes of oncoming traffic, breakdown lanes , avoiding at-grade intersections , no traffic lights , and complying with federal traffic sign specifications. Interstate Highways use

12636-515: The first three contracts under the new program were signed in Missouri on August 2, 1956. The first contract signed was for upgrading a section of US Route 66 to what is now designated Interstate 44 . On August 13, 1956, work began on US 40 (now I-70) in St. Charles County. Kansas claims that it was the first to start paving after the act was signed. Preliminary construction had taken place before

12792-614: The first time sought to target these funds to the construction of a national road grid of interconnected "primary highways", setting up cooperation among the various state highway planning boards. The Bureau of Public Roads asked the Army to provide a list of roads that it considered necessary for national defense. In 1922, General John J. Pershing , former head of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe during

12948-417: The freeway east from Alpine Street to Japatul Valley Road; this would bring the freeway near Descanso Junction. Roughly 5.5 million cubic yards (4.2 × 10 ^  m) of dirt and rock were to be generated by all three of these construction projects, since half of a mountain would have to be removed with a million pounds of dynamite. The third project was built near the site of an abandoned attempt to build

13104-416: The freeway engineers have hacked two separate roadways not even in sight of each other, but so overpowering in the sheer magnitude of the cuts through the mountains that it is almost impossible to believe human beings could have so overpowered hostile nature ...." Access to the site for construction workers was difficult, and many slopes had to be stabilized. Temperatures reached 120 °F (49 °C) in

13260-427: The freeway was to parallel US 80 to the south up to Lakeview Road, and then to the north. This portion of the freeway was scheduled to be complete by May 1965. By January 1965, I-8 had been completed from I-5 east to an interchange with Lake Jennings Park Road, just south of the latter's intersection with the southern terminus of Harritt Road. At a cost of $ 3.44 million (about $ 25 million in 2023 dollars),

13416-533: The frequent traffic jams in between Japatul Valley and Crestwood. At this time, this was the only missing link through the mountains. Bidding took place on the $ 16.5 million (about $ 95 million in 2023 dollars) La Posta Road to Crestwood Road and the Japatul Valley Road to Sunrise Highway portions in November 1971. As part of this series of projects, the highest concrete bridge in the state at

13572-602: The grading of the mountain near Viejas Grade and the Sweetwater River had not been completed on the final link. The historic Ellis Grade radiator stop was to be removed and replaced with one at Vista Point. On April 19, 1969, the part 2.5 mi (4.0 km) east of Alpine opened to traffic. All of the Alpine part of I-8 opened on May 22, 1969, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony; yet the Viejas Grade segment

13728-556: The highest speed limits in a given area. Speed limits are determined by individual states. From 1975 to 1986, the maximum speed limit on any highway in the United States was 55 miles per hour (90 km/h), in accordance with federal law. Typically, lower limits are established in Northeastern and coastal states, while higher speed limits are established in inland states west of the Mississippi River . For example,

13884-553: The highly populated coastal regions. In February 1955, Eisenhower forwarded Clay's proposal to Congress. The bill quickly won approval in the Senate, but House Democrats objected to the use of public bonds as the means to finance construction. Eisenhower and the House Democrats agreed to instead finance the system through the Highway Trust Fund , which itself would be funded by a gasoline tax. In June 1956, Eisenhower signed

14040-649: The highway continues on an easterly bearing to a junction with SR 84 , a highway that parallels I-8 to the north and goes through Casa Grande , while I-8 passes to the south of both Stanfield and Casa Grande. I-8 reaches its eastern terminus southeast of Casa Grande Mountain Park at an interchange with I-10 , which continues north (westbound) to Phoenix , and south (eastbound) to Tucson . The combination of SR 85 between I-10 and I-8 as well as I-8 between SR 85 and I-10 in Casa Grande has been promoted as

14196-617: The highway now designated I‑70 and I‑76 opened between Irwin and Carlisle . The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania refers to the turnpike as the Granddaddy of the Pikes, a reference to turnpikes . Milestones in the construction of the Interstate Highway System include: The initial cost estimate for the system was $ 25 billion over 12 years; it ended up costing $ 114 billion (equivalent to $ 425 billion in 2006 or $ 618 billion in 2023 ) and took 35 years. The system

14352-402: The inefficiency of evacuating from southern Louisiana prior to Hurricane Georges ' landfall in September 1998, government officials looked towards contraflow to improve evacuation times. In Savannah, Georgia , and Charleston, South Carolina , in 1999, lanes of I-16 and I-26 were used in a contraflow configuration in anticipation of Hurricane Floyd with mixed results. In 2004, contraflow

14508-468: The installation of a metered traffic signal on I-8 west in Lakeside during 1987, in order to improve traffic flow in the mornings by inserting a short delay before entering San Diego should the rate exceed 2,000 vehicles per hour. However, the state put its plans on hold shortly thereafter, following several concerns from the public, and from state senator Jim Ellis. A stagecoach road existed into

14664-511: The interchange and SR 109 was planned for early 1969. An interchange was planned at Midway Drive, and the western end of the freeway was to be at Sunset Cliffs and Nimitz boulevards. The cost of the SR ;109 project was estimated to be $ 2.3 million (about $ 15 million in 2023 dollars). The ramp from south I-5 to Camino del Rio opened in February 1968, and a second ramp from southbound I-5 to eastbound I-8 opened in August 1968, with

14820-432: The issuing of a $ 6.55 million contract (about $ 46 million in 2023 dollars) to widen a 5.7-mile (9.2 km) section of I-8 through Alpine, from Harbison Canyon to east of West Victoria Drive, and to begin construction in April or May 1967, to be completed in 1969. This would leave only a 30-mile (48 km) stretch of I-8 that was not at freeway standards. As the process continued, concerns about increased smog from

14976-431: The last two digits match the parent route (thus, I-294 is a loop that connects at both ends to I-94 , while I-787 is a short spur route attached to I-87 ). In the numbering scheme for the primary routes, east–west highways are assigned even numbers and north–south highways are assigned odd numbers. Odd route numbers increase from west to east, and even-numbered routes increase from south to north (to avoid confusion with

15132-470: The late 1950s and early 1960s, the U.S. 80 freeway (now Interstate 8 ) was constructed through Mission Valley, further opening the area up for development. Westgate Park , a baseball stadium for the then-minor-league San Diego Padres , was built in Mission Valley in 1957. In 1967, San Diego Stadium (later renamed Jack Murphy Stadium, then Qualcomm Stadium, then SDCCU Stadium) was opened and

15288-420: The latter of which was the highest AADT for the highway in California. I-8 enters Arizona from California at the Colorado River bridge at Yuma. It initially heads south through Yuma until the interchange with US 95 , where the freeway begins to turn to the east and passes through eastern Yuma and Fortuna Foothills , briefly paralleling US 95 and passing through a second border inspection station. In

15444-408: The level terrain, but failed to do so after the concrete mixer malfunctioned. That same year, bids for an Arizona plant inspection station near Winterhaven, next to the California agricultural inspection station, were submitted. The last 6.5-mile (10.5 km) part of the California portion, from near Algodones Road to west of the Arizona state line, was to enter the bidding phase in early 1972. I-8

15600-454: The mainline. Some auxiliary highways do not follow these guidelines, however. The Interstate Highway System also extends to Alaska , Hawaii , and Puerto Rico , even though they have no direct land connections to any other states or territories. However, their residents still pay federal fuel and tire taxes. The Interstates in Hawaii, all located on the most populous island of Oahu , carry

15756-543: The major east-west and north-south routes respectively, for San Diego . At the Jack Schrade Interchange, Interstate 805 crosses Mission Valley and connects with Interstate 8. Interstate 15 and State Route 163 also cross Mission Valley and connect with Interstate 8. The Green Line of the San Diego Trolley system also runs through Mission Valley. The main hub for buses is located at

15912-753: The maximum speed limit is 75 mph (120 km/h) in northern Maine, varies between 50 and 70 mph (80 and 115 km/h) from southern Maine to New Jersey, and is 50 mph (80 km/h) in New York City and the District of Columbia. Currently, rural speed limits elsewhere generally range from 65 to 80 miles per hour (105 to 130 km/h). Several portions of various highways such as I-10 and I-20 in rural western Texas, I-80 in Nevada between Fernley and Winnemucca (except around Lovelock) and portions of I-15 , I-70 , I-80 , and I-84 in Utah have

16068-518: The median is over 1.5 mi (2.4 km) wide. This portion of the road is known for high winds through the canyons that have made driving difficult, sometimes resulting in closure of the freeway; in 1966, the California Highway Patrol estimated that winds blew at speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h). The route enters the Imperial Valley, where it intersects with SR 98, a highway leading to Calexico , and passes near

16224-554: The median. The Ocean Beach Freeway section west of I-5 was authorized as Route 286 in 1959. In 1962, four alternate routes were proposed for this part of the freeway, and for Rosecrans Street. Route 286 was renumbered to SR 109 in the 1964 renumbering. Plans for the Old Town interchange between I-5 (formerly US 101), I-8 (formerly US 80), SR 209 (Rosecrans Street), and SR 109 date from 1962, although several concerns had to be taken into account, including

16380-497: The most rugged, hottest sections of San Diego and Imperial counties," according to The San Diego Union . Construction ran into difficulties following concerns regarding potential landslides. The westbound lanes were built first, and temporarily contained both directions of traffic while the old highway was converted into the eastbound lanes. The Los Angeles Times described the stretch east of Mountain Springs as follows: "Through it

16536-435: The mud. The road was paved in 1926, and was open by 1927; remnants of this road were still present in the late 20th century. Another road was built in the early 1930s, to remove curves and widen the lanes. This was a two-lane road that still had many switchbacks , with one popularly known as "Dead Man's Curve". Construction of I-8 took place atop much of the roadbed of the highway from the early 1930s. The delay in extending

16692-648: The national forest before passing through the La Posta and Campo Indian reservations. In Boulevard , I-8 has an interchange with the eastern end of SR 94 . I-8 straddles the San Diego – Imperial county line for a few miles before turning east. At the Mountain Springs/In-Ko-Pah grade, the freeway is routed down two separate canyons— Devils Canyon for westbound traffic and In-Ko-Pah Gorge for eastbound traffic—as it descends 3,000 ft (910 m) in 11 mi (18 km). In places,

16848-404: The number of fatalities on the Interstate Highway System amounted to more than 5,000 people annually, with nearly 5,600 fatalities in 2022. The United States government's efforts to construct a national network of highways began on an ad hoc basis with the passage of the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , which provided $ 75 million over a five-year period for matching funds to the states for

17004-421: The objections of Councilman Floyd Morrow, who objected to solving traffic issues by continuing to expand freeways. The cost was estimated to be $ 8 million (about $ 38 million in 2023 dollars). The La Mesa City Council asked the state to modify the interchange with SR 125 in 1974; the original interchange did not allow for access to SR 125 from I-8 east or to I-8 west from SR 125. Widening of

17160-429: The official Interstate Highway standards . On one- or two-digit Interstates, the mile marker numbering almost always begins at the southern or western state line. If an Interstate originates within a state, the numbering begins from the location where the road begins in the south or west. As with all guidelines for Interstate routes, however, numerous exceptions exist. Mission Valley, San Diego Mission Valley

17316-483: The old US 80 bridge, was dedicated on August 18, 1978; this completed I-8 from San Diego to Casa Grande. The Arizona Department of Transportation and the City of Yuma assisted in the planning process. By the time the California portion of the freeway was complete, the average cost was $ 1 million per mile (about $ 4 million in 2023 dollars). The bridge opened on September 20, 1978. The State of California

17472-561: The original Interstate Highway System was proclaimed complete in 1992, despite deviations from the original 1956 plan and several stretches that did not fully conform with federal standards . The construction of the Interstate Highway System cost approximately $ 114 billion (equivalent to $ 618 billion in 2023). The system has continued to expand and grow as additional federal funding has provided for new routes to be added, and many future Interstate Highways are currently either being planned or under construction. Though heavily funded by

17628-587: The original site of the town of San Diego. All three attractions are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Three major shopping malls located in Mission Valley are Fashion Valley Mall , Hazard Center Mall, and Westfield Mission Valley . Many other commercial developments can be found in the region as well, including smaller shopping plazas, auto malls, and vocational schools. The frontage roads parallel to Interstate 8 west of Highway 163 are named Hotel Circle North and Hotel Circle South, for

17784-479: The other side of the freeway was cut off. Plans were put in place to build frontage roads to improve access through the region. The 16-mile (26 km) portion of I-8 bypassing Holtville began construction in December ;1969, and was nearing completion in May 1971, to result in a continuous freeway that connected two existing segments from Crestwood in San Diego County to just west of Winterhaven. It

17940-656: The planning phase between them. In 1966, the FHWA designated the entire Interstate Highway System as part of the larger Pan-American Highway System, and at least two proposed Interstate expansions were initiated to help trade with Canada and Mexico spurred by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Long-term plans for I-69 , which currently exists in several separate completed segments (the largest of which are in Indiana and Texas ),

18096-661: The portion from SR 125 to El Cajon Boulevard to five lanes in each direction was under way in October. By 1981, the environmental impact report had been completed, and the $ 50 million (about $ 142 million in 2023 dollars) project to add ramps and widen I-8 was awaiting clearance from the Federal Highway Administration . Additional ramps to SR 67 were nearing completion in May ;1985, and were completed to I-15 north in October. In 1986,

18252-509: The portion of the freeway from west of Ogilby Road to east of Algodones Road was under construction, and projections were to have this portion completed by later that year. This $ 5.2 million (about $ 31 million in 2023 dollars) project also included resurfacing the freeway that had already been built through the Colorado Desert Sandhills; this part of the freeway had been built between 1961 and 1965. By this time, it

18408-411: The prefix H . There are three one-digit routes in the state ( H-1 , H-2 , and H-3 ) and one auxiliary route ( H-201 ). These Interstates connect several military and naval bases together, as well as the important communities spread across Oahu, and especially within the urban core of Honolulu . Both Alaska and Puerto Rico also have public highways that receive 90 percent of their funding from

18564-489: The preservation of historical Old Town and keeping traffic through the area moving during construction. The goal was to begin the process in 1966, and complete the interchange in 1969. There were concerns about a $ 3 million shortfall in funding (about $ 22 million in 2023 dollars) during May 1966, which caused the San Diego Chamber of Commerce Highway Committee to recommend the completion of SR 109 as

18720-517: The project reduced the grade and curves at what was known as "Tunnel Hill" that hindered the flow of traffic. The part of the freeway from west of Harritt Road to west of Alpine was up for bidding in October 1964, and the Highway Commission set aside $ 2.1 million (about $ 16 million in 2023 dollars) for this 1.6-mile-long (2.6 km) stretch in February 1965. A contract for $ 1.42 million (about $ 10 million in 2023 dollars)

18876-413: The project revamping the SR 125 interchange was under way, at a cost of $ 80 million (about $ 189 million in 2023 dollars); it would add two more lanes to I-8 from Jackson Drive to Fuerte Drive, and allow for SR 125 to be extended north past I-8. By 1977, traffic had reached 172,300 vehicles a day, which had increased by nearly 10 percent over the previous year. It was hoped that

19032-506: The remainder of the freeway had been funded, with the part from Japatul Valley Road to Laguna Junction costing $ 22 million (about $ 133 million in 2023 dollars), and the Laguna Junction to Crestwood portion costing $ 15 million (about $ 91 million in 2023 dollars). In May 1971, El Centro Mayor Alex Gay requested that passing lanes be added to the remaining two-lane part of I-8 in between El Centro and San Diego due to

19188-443: The remainder of the project to be completed in summer 1969. The groundbreaking for the Ocean Beach Freeway took place on September 23, 1968, with the estimated completion to take place within 15 months. However, rain in February 1969 delayed many construction projects across the county, including the SR 109 extension. The entire project was completed in September, with the road scheduled to open in October. The routing of SR 109

19344-502: The remnants of Hurricane Kathleen . I-8 is part of the National Highway System , a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration . The freeway from the eastern junction with California State Route 98 (SR 98) to the eastern end is designated as part of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail auto tour route, promoted by

19500-537: The route, without regard to the route number. For instance, I-190 in Massachusetts is labeled north–south, while I-195 in New Jersey is labeled east–west. Some looped Interstate routes use inner–outer directions instead of compass directions, when the use of compass directions would create ambiguity. Due to the large number of these routes, auxiliary route numbers may be repeated in different states along

19656-663: The routes of both the Gila Trail and the Butterfield Overland Mail Company line. The latter was a stagecoach line that went between Tipton, Missouri , and San Francisco, with several stations in between, and was used to transport passengers across the country at 5 mph (8.0 km/h) between 1858 and 1861. In later years, the Southern Pacific Railroad was constructed, paralleling the Gila River east of Fortuna; by 1877,

19812-419: The same numbers, which is generally disallowed under highway administration guidelines. Several two-digit numbers are shared between unconnected road segments at opposite ends of the country for various reasons. Some such highways are incomplete Interstates (such as I-69 and I-74 ) and some just happen to share route designations (such as I-76 , I-84 , I‑86 , I-87 , and I-88 ). Some of these were due to

19968-503: The same roadway are signed as traveling in opposite directions; one such wrong-way concurrency is found between Wytheville and Fort Chiswell , Virginia, where I‑81 north and I‑77 south are equivalent (with that section of road traveling almost due east), as are I‑81 south and I‑77 north. Auxiliary Interstate Highways are circumferential, radial, or spur highways that principally serve urban areas . These types of Interstate Highways are given three-digit route numbers, which consist of

20124-595: The summer and 4 °F (−16 °C) in winter, with winds reaching up to 80 mph (130 km/h). While using nuclear explosions to conduct blasting operations in the Laguna Mountains was considered as a possibility, the proposal was not considered to be practical at the time. Two cables and a hook were used to move girders into place; this was the first use of a cable in Southern California road construction. The portion from Boulevard to near

20280-515: The time was to be built at 430 ft (130 m) over Pine Valley Creek on the segment between Japatul Valley Road and Sunrise Highway. The contract came in at $ 22.6 million (about $ 125 million in 2023 dollars), over $ 5 million (about $ 28 million in 2023 dollars) beyond budget due to the difficulty of the bridge construction. All three of the projects to complete I-8 were projected to be complete by mid-1974. However, in March 1972, it

20436-399: The tracks were complete to Yuma. Work continued the next year, and, by 1880, the tracks were extended to Tucson from Yuma. This portion of the route of US 80, predecessor of I-8, was originally part of the proposed state system of highways in 1921. By 1926, this section became part of the cross-country highway US 80 . The route was not paved at this time, but was a gravel road along

20592-606: The village of Cosoy. The Presidio and Mission were located at the western end of Mission Valley, which is now present-day Old Town , where the valley opens out into the flood plain of the San Diego River. In 1774, the Mission was moved to its present location at the eastern end of Mission Valley because of better access to freshwater for drinking and farming. Until the 1940s, Mission Valley remained largely undeveloped, featuring dairy farms and other agricultural activities;

20748-495: The war, complied by submitting a detailed network of 20,000 miles (32,000 km) of interconnected primary highways—the so-called Pershing Map . A boom in road construction followed throughout the decade of the 1920s, with such projects as the New York parkway system constructed as part of a new national highway system. As automobile traffic increased, planners saw a need for such an interconnected national system to supplement

20904-570: Was accepted as a chargeable Interstate by the American Association of State Highway Officials in 1957, and was added to the state highway system in 1964 by the California State Legislature ; the US 80 designation was removed at that time. The freeway that would become I-8 was constructed in the mid-20th century through the San Diego area. The section west of I-5 was originally part of SR 109, and

21060-414: Was added to I-8 in 1972. In later years, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) made efforts to widen the freeway as congestion increased. Much of Alvarado Canyon Road from San Diego to La Mesa was originally built between 1947 and 1950, a bypass of the old US 80 routing along El Cajon Boulevard and La Mesa Boulevard. Work began to convert the original US 80 divided highway into

21216-632: Was announced that the La Posta Road portion of the project would be delayed due to budget troubles. By the beginning of 1974, the new projected completion date for I-8 was mid-1975, with 22 mi (35 km) of two-lane highway remaining. The Pine Valley Creek bridge and the segment extending from Japatul Valley Road to Pine Valley was dedicated on November 24, 1974, and was scheduled to open on November 26; this left 8 mi (13 km) of freeway to be constructed. The final stretch of I-8 in California, from Sunrise Highway to La Posta Road,

21372-417: Was built at a cost of $ 7.4 million (about $ 33 million in 2023 dollars). In June 1975, there were concerns regarding the state delaying new construction projects due to financial concerns, and the effects this would have on the bridge. The bid for the project was awarded to Novo-Rados Construction in October 1975, as one of the final projects before the construction freeze. The new bridge, which replaced

21528-512: Was changed to Mission Valley in the 1860s in reference to Mission San Diego de Alcalá . The Mission Valley area was inhabited by Kumeyaay Indians for more than 10,000 years, which was home to many Kumeyaay villages such as the villages of Nipaquay ( Nipawai ), Haiir, and Cosoy ( Kosa'aay ) . The first Spanish settlement in present-day California was the Presidio of San Diego and Mission San Diego de Alcalá, both established in 1769 next to

21684-624: Was completed in May 1975. The Buckman Springs rest area opened in January 1979 in eastern San Diego County. In 1987, the first 65 mph (105 km/h) speed limit sign was posted east of El Cajon, the first one in the state; the speed limit on all I-8 east of El Cajon, except for the Mountain Springs Grade portion, was raised similarly. The highway through Imperial Valley was originally a plank road made of pieces of wood that were tied together. The Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge across

21840-551: Was employed ahead of Hurricane Charley in the Tampa, Florida area and on the Gulf Coast before the landfall of Hurricane Ivan ; however, evacuation times there were no better than previous evacuation operations. Engineers began to apply lessons learned from the analysis of prior contraflow operations, including limiting exits, removing troopers (to keep traffic flowing instead of having drivers stop for directions), and improving

21996-404: Was estimated that the bypass would save travelers 20 minutes of travel time through the Imperial Valley. The cost of this project was $ 11.2 million (about $ 71 million in 2023 dollars). However, Holtville residents raised concerns about SR 115 providing the only access to the eastern part of the city, notably the narrow and curved portion leading from the freeway into town. Work on

22152-451: Was estimated that the drive from San Diego to El Centro now took 2 hours, as opposed to the 3.5 hours required two decades earlier, and the two days required in the pioneer era. This part of the freeway was opened in July 1970. As the freeway was constructed through the valley, it caused a break in many north–south roads. These breaks were located where access to the part of the road on

22308-548: Was imprisoned when he did not pay, but was released in September 1969. His ex-wife, Jewell, as well as the company, were fined $ 4,014 (about $ 23,000 in 2023 dollars) individually for their responsibility in the matter. For the state charges, he was sentenced in 1969 to one to three years in prison, after pleading guilty to the charges. He was incarcerated in Chico State Prison following a parole violation until 1973. Following Tropical Storm Kathleen in September 1976,

22464-418: Was in planning by that September, and was scheduled to begin the building phase shortly thereafter, with the section extending west of Boulevard to follow. That section, from Crestwood to Boulevard, was to begin construction soon after the $ 3 million (about $ 22 million in 2023 dollars) contract was given out in January 1966. The coming of the freeway from both west and east of Jacumba was projected to be

22620-500: Was issued in August 1965. The entire 6-mile (9.7 km) stretch from Lake Jennings Road to Harbison Canyon Road was under construction by September 1965 and was scheduled to be complete by the next year. In the Mountain Springs pass between San Diego and Imperial counties, the eastbound lanes traverse the pass on the former roadbed of US 80 through In-Ko-Pah Gorge near Myers Creek . The westbound lanes were placed on

22776-630: Was no conflict of interest. The truck drivers were given $ 36,000 (about $ 251,000 in 2023 dollars) in back pay from the state government. Fratianno and Bompensiero were charged with fraud, as well as state labor and public utility code violations. While charges were dropped against Bompensiero, Fratianno was found guilty. The Imperial County Board of Supervisors estimated that $ 25,000 (about $ 758,000 in 2023 dollars) in damage to county roads took place due to overloaded trucks. The federal government fined him $ 10,000 (about $ 67,000 in 2023 dollars), which he never paid, and placed him on probation for three years; he

22932-481: Was now projected to be completed by 1972. The bridge over the Sweetwater River was under construction by 1970, and the entire segment cost $ 22.1 million (about $ 134 million in 2023 dollars). By May, this segment was estimated to be completed in the later part of that year. The leveling of the grade resulted in the second highest fill in the state at 360 ft (110 m). The final portion of I-8 in California, between Japatul Valley Road and west of Boulevard,

23088-651: Was officially added to I-8 in 1972. Even before the freeway was complete in California, bidding began in 1964 on widening I-8 from six to eight lanes between near Fairmount Avenue and Spring Street, in San Diego and La Mesa. Three years later, a contract was granted for the widening of the Fairmount Avenue to Ward Road stretch, adding two lanes to the freeway. In 1974, the San Diego City Council reached an agreement with state officials to improve I-8 from east of Pacific Highway to Texas Street, over

23244-507: Was potentially responsible. Both companies were awarded the contracts to transport dirt during the construction of I-8 in El Centro. Drivers were coerced to agree to buy the trucks, although the Fratianno Company still retained the ownership; they also had portions of their wages withheld from them. Following this, the drivers were loaned money from Leo Moceri, another mafia leader. An investigation in early 1966 after complaints from

23400-506: Was prioritized in the 1969–1970 state budget. Due to financial concerns, it was announced in September 1968 that the target date for completing the Interstate Highway System would be extended until 1974, from 1972. The missing portion of I-8 was expected to cost $ 45 million and be constructed in three parts, with one part being started each year. The segments between Japatul Valley Road and west of Laguna Junction, and from La Posta Road to west of Boulevard, were delayed for an entire year at

23556-422: Was proclaimed complete in 1992, but two of the original Interstates— I-95 and I-70 —were not continuous: both of these discontinuities were due to local opposition, which blocked efforts to build the necessary connections to fully complete the system. I-95 was made a continuous freeway in 2018, and thus I-70 remains the only original Interstate with a discontinuity. I-95 was discontinuous in New Jersey because of

23712-422: Was renumbered as I-8 in the 1964 state highway renumbering ; east of San Diego, the US 80 roadway was slowly replaced by I-8 as construction progressed in the Imperial Valley. The Arizona portion of the road was built starting in the 1960s. Several controversies erupted during the construction process; questionable labor practices in Imperial County led to the federal conviction of mobster Jimmy Fratianno , and

23868-643: Was responsible for the bridge erection, even though the State of Arizona owned half of the bridge. Jimmy Fratianno was associated with Frank Bompensiero , the San Diego mafia leader, in a criminal lawsuit involving the Fratianno Trucking Company and the Miles and Sons Trucking Company in 1966; he was known to law enforcement as "the Mafia's West Coast executioner," with up to 16 deaths for which he

24024-414: Was scheduled to be completed in the summer of 1975 between San Diego and Yuma, although there would be a break in the freeway around Yuma; this occurred by October 1975. At the time the California portion was completed, it was the preferred route to Phoenix from some areas of Los Angeles, since I-10 had not been completed. The missing portion of the highway was the new bridge over the Colorado River, which

24180-494: Was serving as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe during World War II . In 1954, Eisenhower appointed General Lucius D. Clay to head a committee charged with proposing an interstate highway system plan. Summing up motivations for the construction of such a system, Clay stated, It was evident we needed better highways. We needed them for safety, to accommodate more automobiles. We needed them for defense purposes, if that should ever be necessary. And we needed them for

24336-482: Was the site of the first Spanish settlement in California, established in 1769. The area currently serves as an important shopping and entertainment center for San Diego. Several condominiums and apartments can also be found in the area. The San Diego River valley was originally called Emat Kuseyaay, which was then named by the Spanish as La Cañada de San Diego. Cañada in Spanish means gully, ravine, or glen. The name

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