Interstate 580 (California)

Interstate 580
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap I-580 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-80
Defined by Streets and Highways Code § 618
Maintained by Caltrans
Length	75.550 mi[1] (121.586 km) I-580 is broken into pieces, and the length does not reflect the I-80 overlap that would be required to make the route continuous.
Existed	July 1, 1964[2]–present
Tourist routes	William Elton "Brownie" Brown Freeway, and the MacArthur Freeway through Oakland[4]
Restrictions	No trucks over 4.5 tons through Oakland[3]
Major junctions
West end	US 101 in San Rafael
	I-80 / I-880 in Oakland I-980 / SR 24 in Oakland SR 13 in Oakland I-238 / SR 238 in Castro Valley I-680 in Dublin SR 84 near Livermore I-205 near Livermore SR 132 near Vernalis
East end	I-5 near Tracy
Location
Counties	Marin, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Joaquin
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future State highways in California Interstate US State Scenic History Pre-1964 Unconstructed Deleted Freeways ← I-505 → I-605

Interstate 580 (I-580) is an approximately 82-mile-long (132 km) east–west auxiliary Interstate Highway in Northern California. The heavily traveled spur route of I-80 runs from US 101 in San Rafael in the San Francisco Bay Area to I-5 near Tracy in the Central Valley. I-580 forms a concurrency with I-80 between Albany and Oakland, the latter of which is the location of the MacArthur Maze interchange immediately east of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge. I-580 provides a connection from the Bay Area to the southern San Joaquin Valley and Southern California via I-5, as I-5 bypasses the Bay Area to the east.

A portion of I-580 is called the MacArthur Freeway, after General Douglas MacArthur. Other portions are named the John T. Knox Freeway (after a former Speaker Pro Tempore of the California State Assembly), the Eastshore Freeway (after its location on San Francisco Bay), the Arthur H. Breed Jr. Freeway (after a former California State Assemblyman and Senator—the stretch itself lying between the cities of Castro Valley and Dublin), the William Elton "Brownie" Brown Freeway (after a Tracy resident instrumental in determining the route of Interstate 5 through the San Joaquin Valley), the Sgt. Daniel Sakai Memorial Highway (after the Castro Valley resident and Oakland SWAT officer killed in the 2009 shootings of Oakland police officers), and the John P. Miller Memorial Highway (after the Lodi resident and California Highway Patrol officer killed while chasing down a DUI driver).^[2]

Route description[]

I-580 emerging in the Central Valley near Tracy

Eastbound I-580 at Grant Line Road about one mile away from the I-580/I-205 split.

I-580 at Palomares Road at the west end of Dublin Canyon

I-580 at the Altamont Pass Wind Farm

Westbound I-580 at Altamont Pass between Livermore and Tracy.

BART runs in the median of I-580 through Castro Valley

I-580 on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

The western terminus of I-580 is roughly 10 miles north of San Francisco in the city of San Rafael (Marin County), at the junction with U.S. Route 101 (US 101). The interchange with US 101 is incomplete, only allowing continuous travel from southbound US 101 to eastbound I-580 (via exit 451B) and from westbound I-580 to northbound US 101. Heading eastward through the light industrial portion of eastern San Rafael, I-580 provides access to San Quentin State Prison at the eastern tip of land before joining the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge to cross San Francisco Bay. I-580 enters the city of Richmond in Contra Costa County mid-span, then continues through Richmond to join Interstate 80 in Albany at the "Hoffman Split."

After joining I-80, I-580 runs directly south for several miles along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in the segment known as the Eastshore Freeway, then enters the MacArthur Maze. The segment between the Hoffman Split and the MacArthur Maze is a wrong-way concurrency, meaning I-580 east is signed as I-80 west, and vice versa. From the MacArthur Maze, I-580 is known as the MacArthur Freeway, which runs through Oakland and San Leandro to Castro Valley. About halfway to Castro Valley from the Maze, is an interchange with the Warren Freeway (State Route 13). Between this interchange and Castro Valley, I-580 runs near or along the trace of the Hayward Fault, a major branch of the San Andreas Fault.

In Castro Valley, I-580 turns eastward toward Dublin Canyon before descending into Dublin and Pleasanton. After passing through Livermore, the freeway enters the Altamont Pass. The road emerges in the Central Valley west of Tracy, where, after I-205 splits near the Altamont Speedway, it turns southeastward and terminates by merging with I-5 south of Tracy just shy of the Stanislaus County line.

I-580 through Altamont Pass is a major crossing of the Diablo Range linking the Central Valley to the Bay Area, and also a major route to Southern California. I-580 is the only freeway that crosses the Diablo Range, making it the safest route through the mountains. Prior to the construction of this route, traffic was detoured to Pacheco (SR 152) and Polonio (SR 46) passes.

I-580 provides Interstate Highway access between San Francisco and Los Angeles since I-5 runs east of the Bay Area. However, the primary control city listed on freeway signs along eastbound I-580 between I-80 and I-205 is instead Stockton, a vestige of when this segment used to be part of US 50.

I-580 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System,^[5] and is part of the National Highway System,^[6] a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.^[7] The route is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System,^[8] and is officially designated as a scenic highway by the California Department of Transportation from the San Leandro city limits to SR 24 and from I-5 to I-205,^[9] meaning that these are substantial sections of highway passing through a "memorable landscape" with no "visual intrusions", where the potential designation has gained popular favor with the community.^[10]

Truck ban through Oakland[]

Trucks over 4.5 tons are prohibited through Oakland between Grand Avenue and the San Leandro border. Specifically, eastbound trucks cannot travel beyond Grand Avenue/Lakeshore Avenue (exit 21B), and those going westbound must get off at MacArthur Boulevard/Foothill Boulevard (exit 30).^[3][11] They are instead instructed to take I-238 in Castro Valley and then I-880 through Oakland as an alternative route.

The truck prohibition has been in effect before the freeway was since the freeway was built in 1963 as part of US 50. Both the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) imposed the restriction, partly because the City of Oakland already had a truck ban through the area prior to the freeway's construction. Since then, the restriction was grandfathered in when the freeway was both renumbered and added to the Interstate Highway System.

As a result, it is the only segment of Interstate Highway in California that is not part of the National Truck Network (several other California state highways have similar truck bans such as SR 2, SR 13 and SR 85, but not any other Interstates).^[3][12] With trucks normally rerouted onto I-880 instead of I-580 through Oakland, the former generally gets more traffic than the latter. For decades, the trucking industry lobbied to have the ban removed, but was unsuccessful due to local opposition. In 2000, the California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 500, adding the I-580 truck restriction into the California Vehicle Code.^[13] The ban is temporarily lifted by the California Highway Patrol for short periods to reduce traffic congestion when major accidents occur on I-880 or I-238.

Express lanes[]

High-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes along I-580 between Pleasanton and Livermore opened in February 2016.^[14][15] The eastbound express lanes stretch 12 miles (19 km) between Hacienda Drive and North Greenville Road. The westbound express lanes extend an additional two miles (3.2 km) west to San Ramon Road/Foothill Road.^[15]

As of October 2020, the HOT lanes' hours of operation is weekdays between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. Solo drivers are tolled using a variable pricing system based on the time of day. Carpools, motorcycles, and clean air vehicles are not charged.^[16] All tolls are collected using an open road tolling system, and therefore there are no toll booths to receive cash. Each vehicle using the HOT lanes is required to carry either a FasTrak Flex or CAV (Clean Air Vehicle) transponder, with its switch set to indicate the number of the vehicle's occupants (1, 2, or 3 or more). Solo drivers may also use the FasTrak standard tag without the switch.^[16]

The high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane leading to the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge requires a car with 3+ persons, unlike California's regular carpool lanes of 2+ persons.^[17] See also: Richmond–San Rafael Bridge § Tolling

History[]

I-5W and the San Francisco Bay Area[]

What is now I-580 from I-5 to Oakland was originally conceived as part of a loop Interstate with a directional suffix, I-5W.^{[18][self-published source]} However, I-5W and most of the other Interstates around the country with directional suffixes were eventually renumbered or eliminated, except for I-35E and I-35W in Texas and Minnesota, and more recently Interstates 69W, 69C, and 69E in Texas. The former route of I-5W now corresponds to I-580 from I-5 to Oakland, I-80 from Oakland to Vacaville, and I-505 from Vacaville to I-5 near Dunnigan.

I-5 to Castro Valley[]

For the most part, the I-580 freeway in this segment was constructed over or alongside the right-of-way of US 50, previously part of the old Lincoln Highway, during the course of the late 1960s and early 1970s.^{[citation needed]} The segment which begins at the split with I-205 was constructed during the same period of time over a new right-of-way to a junction with I-5, running through some low hills on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley near the city of Patterson.

In the 1990s, the freeway segment from Castro Valley through Pleasanton was enlarged and otherwise re-engineered in conjunction with the construction of the Dublin/Pleasanton Line of the Bay Area Rapid Transit. The BART tracks were placed in a new median between the westbound and eastbound lanes of I-580 as was the new Dublin/Pleasantion Station. The interchange with I-238 and the Hayward exit ramps was also re-engineered at this time.

The MacArthur Freeway: Castro Valley to Oakland[]

The I-580 freeway in this segment was constructed starting in February 1960, adjacent to the city streets which were part of US 50 between Castro Valley and the large interchange along the eastern approach to the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge in Oakland now called the MacArthur Maze.^[19] The freeway was named in honor of World War II General Douglas MacArthur. Prior to the construction of this freeway, the various city streets of Oakland that were designated for US 50 (principally 38th Street, Hopkins Street, Moss Avenue, Excelsior Avenue and part of Foothill Boulevard) had been re-named for the General as "MacArthur Boulevard" which, for the most part, still parallels the MacArthur Freeway. The re-naming occurred on March 26 1942, by a resolution of the Oakland City Council.^[20][21]

The freeway was opened to traffic in 8 segments until its completion in May, 1966 (last segment, connecting with State Route 238 (now I-238), in Castro Valley, opened May 20, 1966).^[22]

Oakland to San Rafael[]

The segment of I-580 running from the MacArthur Maze to San Rafael is the most recent to be signed as I-580, beginning in 1984. Before 1984, this segment was part of State Route 17 (SR 17).

From the Maze to the interchange locally known as the "Hoffman Split" in Albany, just north of the Gilman Street interchange (Hoffman Blvd. was the predecessor of I-580 in this section---see below), I-580 follows the Eastshore Freeway, a wrong-way concurrency with I-80 for its entirety: northward on the Eastshore is signed I-80 east and I-580 west; headed southward, one finds signs indicating I-80 west and I-580 east.

At the Hoffman Split, I-580 leaves the Eastshore Freeway in a northwesterly direction through the cities of Albany and Richmond. It then crosses San Francisco Bay over the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge. The freeway in this section, officially named the John T. Knox Freeway, was constructed from 1987 to 1991. It replaced a number of city streets which comprised the earlier highway leading to the San Rafael Bridge, principally, Hoffman and Cutting Boulevards.

After crossing the bridge, I-580 runs west to San Rafael, ending at an interchange with US 101. This freeway segment supplanted an earlier boulevard constructed as part of SR 17.

Interstate 180[]

Interstate 180 was a temporary designation used in 1978 for the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge, now part of I-580. At the time the bridge had been identified as part of SR 17 but was marked for inclusion in the Interstate Highway System.

Briefly the bridge used the number 180, despite the Fresno-area SR 180's use of the number. The California Streets and Highways Code has a policy against using one route number for multiple noncontiguous highways. Unless the existing SR 180 is renumbered, which is unlikely due to its familiarity as the road to Kings Canyon National Park, there will not be an I-180 in California.

Future[]

The segment of I-580 from I-680 to I-205 is undergoing significant expansion. Among the projects along this segment is the now-completed high-occupancy vehicle lanes in each direction, a westbound auxiliary lane between Fallon Road and Tassajara Road, the now-completed construction of a new interchange at Isabel Avenue in Livermore, the reconstruction of several interchanges, the construction of additional truck climbing lanes for the eastward ascent to the Altamont Pass, and plans to preserve the right-of-way to accommodate a future BART extension in the median of the freeway.^[24]

Exit list[]

County	Location	mi[25]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Marin MRN 4.78–0.00	San Rafael	0.00	0.00	1A	US 101 north – San Rafael, Santa Rosa	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; west end of I-580; US 101 south exit 451B
				1B	Francisco Boulevard south to US 101 – San Francisco	Signed as exit 1 eastbound
		1.49	2.40	2A	Sir Francis Drake Boulevard south to US 101	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		2.15	3.46	2B	Francisco Boulevard – San Quentin	Signed as exit 2 eastbound
San Francisco Bay		4.78	7.69	Richmond–San Rafael Bridge (westbound toll only)
Contra Costa CC 7.79–0.00	Richmond	6.56	10.56	7A	Stenmark Drive – Point Molate	No eastbound exit
		7.46	12.01	7B	Richmond Parkway to I-80 east – Port Richmond, Sacramento	Signed as exit 7 eastbound
		7.93	12.76	8	Canal Boulevard, Garrard Boulevard
		8.97	14.44	9	Cutting Boulevard, Harbour Way	Signed as exits 9A (Cutting Boulevard, Harbour Way south) and 9B (Harbour Way north) westbound
		9.68	15.58	10A	Marina Bay Parkway, South 23rd Street
		10.48	16.87	10B	Regatta Boulevard
		11.31	18.20	11	Bayview Avenue
		12.28	19.76	12	Central Avenue
Alameda ALA 48.04–0.00	Albany	13.01	20.94	13	Buchanan Street – Albany	Westbound exit is part of I-80 east exit 13A
		13.31	21.42		I-80 east (Eastshore Freeway) – Vallejo, Sacramento	West end of I-80 overlap; westbound exit and eastbound entrance; I-580 west follows I-80 east exit 13B
	Berkeley	14.24	22.92	12[a]	Gilman Street
		15.07	24.25	11[a]	University Avenue – Berkeley
		16.37	26.34	10[a]	SR 13 south (Ashby Avenue) / Shellmound Street	Shellmound Street accessible only from westbound I-580 / eastbound I-80
	Emeryville	16.94	27.26	9[a]	Powell Street – Emeryville
	Oakland	18.09	29.11	19A	I-80 west (Bay Bridge) – San Francisco	East end of I-80 overlap; I-580 east follows I-80 exit 8B
				♦	San Francisco (I-80 west)	HOV access only via I-80 west; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
				—	I-880 south (Nimitz Freeway) / West Grand Avenue – Alameda, San Jose	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; eastbound exit is part of I-80 west exit 8B; access to Oakland International Airport
		19.03	30.63	19A	MacArthur Boulevard, San Pablo Avenue (SR 123)	Eastbound left exit and westbound entrance
				19B	West Street, San Pablo Avenue (SR 123)	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		19.89	32.01	19C	SR 24 east (Grove-Shafter Freeway) – Berkeley, Walnut Creek	Signed as exit 19B eastbound; provides direct exit ramp onto Martin Luther King Jr Way/51st Street; SR 24 exit 2B
				19D	I-980 west (Grove-Shafter Freeway) to I-880 – Downtown Oakland	Signed as exit 19C eastbound; provides direct exit ramp onto 27th Street/West Grand Avenue; I-980 exit 2A; signed as only I-980/Downtown Oakland from 1989-1999
		20.23	32.56	20	Webster Street, Broadway-Auto Row	Eastbound exit only
		20.76	33.41	21A	Harrison Street, Oakland Avenue, MacArthur Boulevard	MacArthur Blvd not signed eastbound, Oakland Ave not signed westbound
		21.29– 21.56	34.26– 34.70	21B	Grand Avenue, Lakeshore Avenue	Signed as exits 21B (Grand Ave) and 22A (Lakeshore Ave) westbound
		22.37	36.00	22B	Park Boulevard, 14th Avenue	Signed as exit 22 eastbound; 14th Ave not signed eastbound
		23.47	37.77	23	Fruitvale Avenue, Coolidge Avenue	Signed as exit 24 westbound; Coolidge Ave not signed eastbound
		23.75	38.22	24	35th Avenue	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		24.82– 24.98	39.94– 40.20	25	MacArthur Boulevard, High Street	Signed as exits 25A (High St) and 25B (MacArthur Blvd) eastbound
		25.82– 26.14	41.55– 42.07	26	SR 13 north (Warren Freeway) / Seminary Avenue – Berkeley	Signed as exits 26A (SR 13) and 26B (Seminary Ave) westbound; SR 13 exits 1A-B
		26.75	43.05	27A	Edwards Avenue	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		27.26	43.87	27B	Keller Avenue, Mountain Boulevard	Signed as exit 27 westbound
		28.72	46.22	29A	Golf Links Road, 98th Avenue	Signed as exit 29 westbound
		30.01	48.30	29B	106th Avenue, Foothill Boulevard	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
	Oakland–San Leandro line			30	MacArthur Boulevard, Foothill Boulevard	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		30.58	49.21	31A	Dutton Avenue, Estudillo Avenue – Downtown San Leandro	Signed as exit 31 westbound; Dutton Ave not signed westbound
	San Leandro	31.12	50.08	31B	Grand Avenue – Downtown San Leandro	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		31.63	50.90	32A	Benedict Drive	Westbound exit only
		32.21	51.84	32B	150th Avenue, Fairmont Drive	Signed as exit 32 eastbound
		33.34	53.66	33	164th Avenue, Miramar Avenue, Carolyn Street	Carolyn St not signed eastbound, Miramar Ave not signed westbound
	Castro Valley	34.25	55.12	34	SR 238 south – Hayward	No westbound exit
					I-238 north to I-880	Left exit westbound; I-238 exit 14
		34.72	55.88	35	Strobridge Avenue
		35.58	57.26	36A	Redwood Road – Castro Valley
		36.53	58.79	36B	Grove Way – Castro Valley
		38.71	62.30	39	Eden Canyon Road, Palomares Road
	Pleasanton–Dublin line	44.61	71.79	44A	San Ramon Road, Foothill Road – Dublin
		44.21	71.15	—	I-580 Express Lanes west ends	West end of westbound Express Lanes
				44B	I-680 – Sacramento, San Jose	I-680 exits 30A-B
		45.08	72.55	45	Hopyard Road, Dougherty Road
		46.12	74.22	46	Hacienda Drive, Dublin Boulevard	Dublin Blvd not signed eastbound
				—	I-580 Express Lanes east begins	West end of eastbound Express Lanes
		46.99	75.62	47	Santa Rita Road, Tassajara Road
	Dublin	48.24	77.63	48	El Charro Road, Fallon Road
	Livermore	49.97	80.42	50	Airway Boulevard, Collier Canyon Road
		50.84	81.82	51	SR 84 (Isabel Avenue) / Portola Avenue
		51.78	83.33	52A	Portola Avenue (CR J2)	Closed; former eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		52.41	84.35	52	North Livermore Avenue (CR J2) – Downtown Livermore	Formerly signed as exit 52B eastbound
		54.25	87.31	54	First Street, Springtown Boulevard	Former SR 84
		55.26	88.93	55	Vasco Road – Brentwood
		55.80	89.80	—	I-580 Express Lanes	East end of Express Lanes in both directions
		56.68	91.22	57	North Greenville Road, Altamont Pass Road, Laughlin Road	Laughlin Road not signed eastbound, Altamont Pass Rd not signed westbound
	​	58.99	94.94	59	North Flynn Road
	​	63.49	102.18	63	Grant Line Road – Byron
	​	64.84	104.35	65	I-205 east to I-5 north – Tracy, Stockton	Eastbound left exit and westbound entrance
San Joaquin SJ 15.31–0.00	​	66.99	107.81	67	International Parkway, Patterson Pass Road
	Tracy	72.38	116.48	72	Corral Hollow Road (CR J2)
	​	76.01	122.33	76	SR 132 east – Modesto	Eastbound signage
	​				Chrisman Road to SR 132 east – Tracy, Modesto	Westbound signage; ramps connect directly to Chrisman Road to the south of its interchange with SR 132
	​	81.12	130.55		I-5 south – Fresno, Los Angeles	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; east end of I-580; I-5 north exit 446
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Closed/former       Concurrency terminus       Electronic toll collection       HOV only       Incomplete access

In popular culture[]

• I-580 features prominently throughout the Sons of Anarchy series. The backstory of the series establishes that "First 9" (SAMCRO co-founder) John Teller died in a collision on November 13, 1993, 15 years before the pilot episode takes place, and SAMCRO establishes a roadside memorial to Teller near the crash site.^[26][27] In the final scenes of the series finale, Jax rides his father's restored classic motorcycle to visit that memorial,^[28] before taking a last ride on I-580.^[29]
• I-580 through the Altamont Pass is a stage in the 2011 racing video game Need for Speed: The Run.

See also[]

•  California Roads portal

References[]

External links[]

Route map:

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 580 (California).

• Bay Area FasTrak – includes toll information on the I-580 Express Lanes, the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge, and the other Bay Area toll facilities
• California @ AARoads.com - I-580
• Caltrans: Route580 highway conditions
• California Highways: I-580
• CA Highways