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California State Route 13 and the Warren Freeway

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California State Route 13 is an approximately 10 mile State Highway which runs from Interstate 80/Interstate 580 in Berkeley east/southeast to Interstate 580 in Oakland.  California State Route 13 presently has about 4 miles of unbuilt roadway which would connect it to California State Route 61 at both terminus points near Emeryville and Oakland International Airport.  California State Route 13 from California State Route 24 south to Interstate 580 is aligned on the Warren Freeway.  The Warren Freeway designation honors former California Governor and Chief Justice Earl Warren.  Earl Warren graduated from University of California, Berkeley in 1920.  California State Route 13 is the second designation of the number which was originally assigned to what is now California State Route 17. 
 

 
Part 1; the history of California State Route 13 and the Warren Freeway

Current California State Route 13 ("CA 13") was designated in 1964 on what was Legislative Route Number 258 ("LRN 258") between CA 61 to Interstate 580 ("I-580"), LRN 227 from I-580 to CA 24 and CA 24/LRN 206 to CA 61.  The change in designations during the 1964 State Highway Renumbering can be observed by comparing the State Highway Map City Insert to the 1963 edition.

1963 Division of Highways Map City Insert
 
 
 
1964 Division of Highways Map City Insert
 
 
In terms of designations LRN 258 was approved by the State Legislature in 1959 (during Legislative Chapter 1062) according to CAhighways.org.  The segment between Oakland International Airport and LRN 5 (US 50 at the time, now modern I-580) was the only portion of LRN 258 that was to be incorporated into CA 13. The remaining portion of LRN 258 south to Newark would be assigned to CA 61 in 1964.

LRN 227 was designated by 1947 Legislative Chapter 11 between CA 24/LRN 75 and US 50/LRN 5 in 1947 according to CAhighways.org.  LRN 227 can be seen on the 1948 Division of Highways Map City Insert.  The implied route of LRN 227 is shown to largely follow Mountain Boulevard between CA 24 southeast to US 50.
 

The first segment of LRN 227 is shown completed south of CA 24 to Moraga Avenue on the 1953 Division of Highways Map City Insert.  LRN 227 is shown following Longvale Road and Mountain Boulevard.
 
 
The May/June 1955 California Highways & Public Works announced a contract awarded during the previous March to construct LRN 227 1.3 miles between Thornhill Drive and Ascot Drive as a divided four lane highway. 
 
 
LRN 227 is shown completed to Park Boulevard on the 1955 Division of Highways State Map City Insert.  
 
 
The November/December 1955 California Highways & Public Works announced $300,000 dollars budgeted by the State for the 1956-57 fiscal year towards the construction of LRN 227 between CA 24 and US 50.  The LRN 227 construction project is cited as a cooperative effort between; the Division of Highways, City of Oakland and Alameda County to construct a freeway.  Similar contributions by the State towards the construction of LRN 227 can be seen throughout much of the 1950s in California Highways & Public Works publications. 

 
The September/October 1957 California Highways & Public Works cited a recommendation by Bay Area Civic Groups towards the State contributing more funding towards the construction of the LRN 227 freeway.  

 
LRN 227 is shown completed just south of Joaquin Miller Road on the 1958 Division of Highways State Map Insert. 
 
 
The first reference to "Warren Boulevard" can be found in the November/December 1958 California Highways & Public Works as part of the 1959-1960 fiscal budget for LRN 227.   


The March/April 1960 California Highways & Public Works cited that LRN 227/Warren Boulevard Freeway was completed from Broadway Terrace south to Redwood Road.  The segment of the Warren Boulevard Freeway from Broadway Terrace to Lincoln Avenue is described as being in operation since August 1958.   

 
The May/June 1964 California Highways & Public Works features the completed CA 13/Warren Boulevard Freeway interchange at Moraga Avenue.  The Moraga Avenue interchange is cited as being compleed on April 15th, 1964.   


 
On the 1965 Division of Highways Map City Insert CA 13 on the Warren Freeway is shown complete past 35th Avenue.
 
 
The November/December 1965 California Highways & Public Works announced that the Warren Boulevard Freeway would be completed through Oakland in early 1966.   

The Warren Boulevard Freeway is displayed in March/April 1966 California Highways & Public Works article regarding the MacArthur Freeway (I-580).  The MacArthur Freeway/Warren Boulevard Freeway interchange is cited as being completed in November 1965.  


 
 
On the 1967 Division of Highways State Map City Insert the CA 13 on the Warren Freeway is shown complete to I-580.
 

Interestingly CA 24 stayed signed on the route of LRN 206 (Ashby Avenue) after the 1964 State Highway renumbering.  Even though CA 24 remained signed on Ashby Avenue the hidden state designation was changed to CA 13.  CA 24 remained on it's original surface alignment on LRN 13 until it was moved to it's modern freeway alignment to Oakland in 1970.

1969 Division of Highways State Map City Insert
 
 
 
According to cahighways.org the freeway segment of CA 13 between I-580 and CA 61 was deleted from the Freeway & Expressway System on 1/1/1982.  Despite the deletion of this segment CA 13 from the Freeway & Expressway System the route was never Legislatively truncated.  
 
LRN 206 was designated in 1935 by the State Legislature west from LRN 75 via Tunnel Road and Ashby Avenue to US 40 in Berkeley.  When CA 24 extended into Oakland via the Kennedy Tunnel in October 1935 it originally used LRN 75 and Broadway to reach a terminus in Oakland.  Upon the completion of the original two bores of the Caldecott Tunnel CA 24 was moved to LRN 206 to reach US 40.  More can be found on our CA 24 blog below:
 
 
 
 
Part 2; a drive on California State Route 13
 
My approach to CA 13 and Warren Freeway was on High Street after I had completed the small constructed segment of CA 77.   CA 13/Warren Freeway traffic is directed onto I-580 east via MacArthur Boulevard.


I-580 east doesn't have a direct connection to CA 13/Warren Freeway.  CA 13 traffic is directed onto Exit 26 where it must enter the Warren Freeway via Calaveras Avenue and Mountain Boulevard.





The Warren Freeway segment of CA 13 is only 5 miles in length north to CA 24.  Interestingly the ridge utilized by the Warren Freeway apparently is directly on top of the Hayward Fault which devastated Alameda County in 1868.  
 











CA 13 north of CA 24 merges onto Tunnel Road and enters the City of Berkeley.  CA 13 begins to jog northwest towards Ashby Avenue at approximately Postmile ALA 10.69.
 





 
CA 13 begins to travel westward through Berkeley via Ashby Avenue.  At Postmile ALA 10.8 CA 13 intersects Claremont Avenue.  Claremont Avenue it notable due to it being part of the original stage route over the Berkeley Hills.  

CA 13 follows Ashby Avenue westward through Berkeley.  CA 13 has a major intersection CA 123/San Pablo Avenue (former US 40) located at Postmile ALA 13.17.









CA 13 follows Ashby Avenue westward to a terminus at I-80/I-580. 






Update History

-  Published; 2/21/19

-  Update 1; 1/31/21

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