Interstate 710 and State Route 710 (California)

Route 710, consisting of the non-contiguous segments of State Route 710 (SR 710) and Interstate 710 (I-710), is a major north–south state highway and auxiliary Interstate Highway in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of the U.S. state of California. Also called the Los Angeles River Freeway prior to November 18, 1954,[2] the highway was initially planned to connect Long Beach and Pasadena, but a gap in the route exists from Alhambra to Pasadena through South Pasadena due to community opposition to its construction.

For the once-proposed I-710 in Arizona, see Interstate 710 (Arizona).

Interstate 710 and State Route 710
Long Beach Freeway
I-710 and SR 710 highlighted in red
Route information
Defined by Streets and Highways Code § 622
Length23 mi (37 km)
History1930s as highway, 1964 as a number (SR 7), 1983-1984 as an interstate (I-710)[1]
Component
highways
Main section
South end SR 47 in Long Beach
Major
junctions
North endValley Boulevard in Alhambra
Pasadena stub
South endCalifornia Boulevard in Pasadena
North end I-210 / SR 134 in Pasadena
Location
CountiesLos Angeles
Highway system
← I-680→ I-780

The completed southern segment is signed as I-710 and is officially known as the Long Beach Freeway, and it runs north from Long Beach to Valley Boulevard, just north of I-10 (San Bernardino Freeway), near the boundary between the cities of Alhambra and Los Angeles. South of I-5, I-710 follows the course of the Los Angeles River, rarely wandering more than a few hundred feet from the riverbed. South of SR 1 in Long Beach, I-710 is officially part of the Seaside Freeway.[3]

SR 710 is the designation of the completed portion of the proposed northern extension of the route to Pasadena. This segment runs from California Boulevard in Pasadena north to its northern terminus at SR 134 and I-210. It remains unsigned, except for on-ramps onto the stub which are signed as on-ramps onto I-210 instead of SR 710.

Prior to 1983, the road was not an Interstate, although it was built to Interstate standards. Until 1964 it was State Route 15, but it was renumbered to State Route 7 in the 1964 renumbering because of the existence of I-15, and to I-710 in 1983. However, the northern stub still contains postmile markers designating such stub as both Route 7 and Route 710.[4][5]

Route description
Aerial view of the I-105/I-710 interchange
I-710 at its junction with SR 60 in East Los Angeles
Night aerial view of the Los Angeles River where I-710 converges on it (from the right) at the City of Commerce

Section 622 of the California Streets and Highways Code defines Route 710 as "from Route 1 to Route 210 in Pasadena." Section 622.1 amends the definition, stating "Route 710 shall also include that portion of the freeway between Route 1 and the northern end of Harbor Scenic Drive, that portion of Harbor Scenic Drive to Ocean Boulevard, that portion of Ocean Boulevard west of its intersection with Harbor Scenic Drive to its junction with Seaside Boulevard, and that portion of Seaside Boulevard from the junction with Ocean Boulevard to Route 47."[6]

The southern terminus of the freeway presently signed as Interstate 710 is at Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach. From there, the Long Beach Freeway follows the course of the Los Angeles River to Atlantic Boulevard in the city of Bell. I-710 then travels roughly north, east of downtown Los Angeles, to its current northern terminus at Valley Boulevard (just north of Interstate 10) in Alhambra and the El Sereno neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Near its southern terminus, I-710 separates into three spur freeways. The first spur splits at the 9th Street interchange, with the left-branching ramps crossing the Los Angeles River and becoming West Shoreline Drive as they head to downtown Long Beach, passing the Aquarium of the Pacific and the Long Beach Convention Center among other attractions. This spur becomes a surface arterial at the intersection with South Chestnut Place and the Pike Parking Garage. Meanwhile, the main segment continues south as the Seaside Freeway, keeping the I-710 designation, until the interchange with Ocean Boulevard, where offramps to Ocean Boulevard west carry both the Seaside Freeway name and I-710 designation to the approaches to the Gerald Desmond Bridge. The mainline continues south as Harbor Scenic Drive, leading to the eastern piers of the Port of Long Beach and the Queen Mary. Currently, the Interstate 710 designation terminates at the interchange with SR 47, while the actual roadway and Seaside Freeway designation continue over a bridge towards the Vincent Thomas Bridge.

There is a part of Route 710 in Pasadena that is constructed to freeway standards, extending from California Boulevard north to the Foothill (I-210)/Ventura (SR 134) freeway interchange. However, the route designation on this freeway stub is unsigned, and is instead marked as if it were merely freeway entrance and exit ramps to and from I-210.

I-710 and SR 710 are part of the California Freeway and Expressway System,[7] and north of SR 1 are part of the National Highway System,[8] a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.[9]

History

State Route 15
LocationLong Beach - Monterey Park
Existed1934–1964

State Route 7
LocationLong Beach - Monterey Park
Existed1964–1985

1930–1965

Legislative Route 167 was defined in 1933 to run from San Pedro east to Long Beach and north to Monterey Park.[10] An extension was added in 1947, taking it north to Pasadena.[11] State Route 15 was signed in 1934 along the section of Legislative Route 167 from Pacific Coast Highway (State Route 3, later U.S. Route 101 Alternate, now State Route 1) in Long Beach north to Garvey Avenue (U.S. Route 99, replaced by Interstate 10) in Monterey Park. The original pre-freeway alignment ran along Los Robles Avenue (Pasadena) and Atlantic Boulevard.[1][12] The freeway replacement of SR 15/LR 167 was built from 1953 to 1965.[13] The whole route of LR 167, including the proposed extensions west to San Pedro and north to Pasadena, was renumbered State Route 7 in 1964, after it was decommissioned from portions of the San Diego Freeway (which is now Interstate 405) as part of the state highway renumbering, as the number 15 conflicted with Interstate 15 (Ironically, SR 15 still exists from I-8 to I-5 in San Diego). In 1965 the route was truncated to State Route 1 in Long Beach; the part from SR 1 south and west to State Route 47 was deleted, and the rest from SR 47 west to State Route 11 (now Interstate 110) became part of SR 47.

1964–present

The Long Beach Freeway was approved as a non-chargeable Interstate in September 1983 by the FHWA, and on May 30, 1984, AASHTO approved the SR 7 designations to be renumbered to Interstate 710. In October 1984, the FHWA approved additional 1.6 mile extension from CA 1 to Ocean Boulevard.[14][15] The short stub in Pasadena was built in 1975, along with the adjacent sections of Interstate 210 and State Route 134.[13] There are still remaining overhead street signs pointing motorists to State Route 7 on Ford Boulevard in Monterey Park.[16]

The existing freeway from SR 1 south to Ocean Boulevard was taken over by the state on August 25, 2000, in a trade with the City of Long Beach for former State Route 103 north of SR 1.[17] In 2013, Caltrans adopted the remainder of the Seaside Freeway from Ocean Boulevard to SR 47 over the Gerald Desmond Bridge as part of Route 710. Caltrans and the Port of Long Beach completed the replacement for the old Gerald Desmond Bridge in October 2020.[18]

Future

I-710 corridor project

The significant growth of cargo volumes handled at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach has added a large amount of truck traffic to the Long Beach Freeway, since it is the most direct route between the port complex and the railyards in Vernon and East Los Angeles, as well as the Pomona and San Bernardino freeways that connect Los Angeles to railyards in San Bernardino and Colton. The freeway's pavement has been badly damaged as a result, since it was not designed to carry nearly as large of a load of truck traffic. It has also become a major source of air pollution, emanating from diesel-fueled trucks idling in rush-hour traffic congestion and giving cities along its route some of the worst air quality in already smoggy Southern California.[19] In response, an Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report is currently being conducted to analyze possible significant improvements to I-710 between the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and the Pomona Freeway (SR-60).[20]

In March 2018, Caltrans considered plans to expand and modernize the 710 freeway, which would have entailed adding lanes for trucks and demolishing homes. However, this would have exacerbated the problem of air pollution around the freeway, by enabling more diesel-power trucks to travel on it. The area around the freeway is already described as a "diesel death zone" due to the pollution.[21] These plans were indefinitely shelved due to public opposition.[22]

Another potential solution to the problem is shifting freight to the Alameda Corridor. This is a freight railroad that runs parallel to the 710. Right now 33% of freight moving to and from the Port of L.A. goes by rail.[23]

The South Pasadena gap
Southern on-ramp,[24] I-710 northern stub, near downtown Pasadena. Note dormant construction equipment lining the median, and the road sign structures installed on the overpass without any signs posted

Overview

The planned segment from Alhambra to Pasadena through South Pasadena has been subject to legal battles which have stopped construction.[25] Because of these legal disputes, the freeway's northern terminus has been Valley Boulevard since the 1960s. However, a short unsigned freeway does exist in Pasadena, heading south from the interchange of Interstate 210 and State Route 134 to California Boulevard.[26]

As a result of the route's incomplete condition, freeway signs are inconsistent in their identification of the northbound Long Beach Freeway's destination, with some indicating Pasadena as a control city and others identifying Valley Boulevard as the freeway's terminus. For example, approaching I-710 from State Route 60 (Pomona Freeway) in East Los Angeles, westbound traffic is given Valley Boulevard as the destination for northbound I-710, while eastbound traffic is given a destination of Pasadena. Signs at the interchange with Interstate 105 show Pasadena as the destination for northbound I-710.

Currently, traffic headed for Pasadena on I-710 is redirected to Interstate 10 (San Bernardino Freeway) eastbound by signs at the interchange between the two routes in Monterey Park. These signs identify both Pasadena and San Bernardino as control cities for the eastbound San Bernardino Freeway, although it does not actually pass through Pasadena. Rather, traffic to the city is directed to take State Route 19 (Rosemead Boulevard) northbound from its junction with I-10 (about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of the Long Beach Freeway) to reach Pasadena. Traffic from northbound I-710 is routed onto Fremont Avenue in Alhambra and South Pasadena, and the Pasadena Freeway (State Route 110).

The areas around I-710, northeastern Los Angeles and the northwestern San Gabriel Valley are subject to traffic congestion. There are no completed north–south freeways in the twelve-mile area between Interstate 5 (Golden State Freeway) and Interstate 605 (San Gabriel River Freeway). Pro- and anti-710 lobbies have debated whether finishing I-710 would alleviate any of the San Gabriel Valley's traffic congestion, or merely displace it from surface streets to the freeway.

2009–2012 corridor studies

Caltrans and its local partner, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), are researching the possibility of extending the Long Beach Freeway from Valley Boulevard to Pasadena by building a bored tunnel under Alhambra, El Sereno, and South Pasadena. The premise was that a tunnel would allow Caltrans to extend the freeway without disturbing the residential neighborhoods on the surface, similar to other tunnels throughout the world.[25] The proposed twin 4.5-mile-long tunnels would have been the longest in the United States, but were small compared with others around the world. Between January and May 2009, Caltrans conducted soil samples for the tunneling project in the Pasadena area and completed a combined environmental impact statement (EIS) and environmental impact report (EIR), in which the tunnel was one option.[27]

In August 2012, Metro narrowed down the list of potential alternatives to study in the EIR/EIS process. The alternatives include: (1) a no-build alternative, where no additional infrastructure would be built to address the gap in the freeway plan between Valley Boulevard and I-210; (2) a roadway tunnel without exits to connect the northern terminus of the freeway at Valley Boulevard to Pasadena; (3) a light rail line connecting East L.A. with Pasadena using a route that travels along the I-710 right of way until Valley Boulevard where it would become a subway until connecting with the Metro Gold Line at the Fillmore Metro station in Pasadena; (4) a bus rapid transit line from Montebello to Pasadena; and (5) Transportation System Management/Transportation Demand Management (TSM/TDM).[28][29]

Termination

In February 2017, California Assemblyman Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) sponsored a bill to block the bridging and completion of the I-710/I-210 gap and hoped for the completed extension, but the cities of South Pasadena and Pasadena remained staunchly opposed.[30] This unanimously led to a decision by the Los Angeles Metro authorities in May to completely defund the completion of the I-710 freeway gap between the northernmost terminus at Valley Blvd in Alhambra, to what was hoped to be traffic relieving extension to potentially the I-210 in Pasadena.

The $780 million allocated through Measure R for the intended project of closing of the gap will now be allocated to improvement of certain local surface street projects, improved traffic signal synchronizations, and other "mobility improvement projects".[31][32][33] Holden, along with State Senator Anthony Portantino passed similar legislation, Assembly Bill 29 and Senate Bill 7 respectively, officially deleting this segment of Interstate 710 from the highway grid, and governor Gavin Newsom signed both bills, which will be effective on January 1, 2024.[34]

Exit list

Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured on the road as it was in 1964, based on the alignment that existed at the time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage. R reflects a realignment in the route since then, M indicates a second realignment, L refers an overlap due to a correction or change, and T indicates postmiles classified as temporary (for a full list of prefixes, see the list of postmile definitions).[35] Segments that remain unconstructed or have been relinquished to local control may be omitted. The entire route is in Los Angeles County.

LocationPostmile
[35][13][36]		Exit[37]DestinationsNotes
Long Beach​ SR 47 south – San Pedro, ComptonSouth end of I-710
​ SR 47 north to SR 103 north – Piers A S
​Pier T Avenue – Piers S TNorthbound entrance only; southbound exit demolished for bridge construction
​Gerald Desmond Bridge
​Southbound 710 Freeway Connector closed for bridge construction.[38]
​Pico AveSouthbound entrance only; temporary south end of southbound I-710 detour
4.96Port of Long Beach, Piers A-JNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
5.461AQueen Mary (Harbor Scenic Drive) – Piers F-JSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
5.981BPico Avenue – Piers B-ESouthbound exit and northbound entrance; temporary north end of southbound I-710 detour due to closure of connector bridge
6.061CDowntown Long Beach, Aquarium (Long Beach Freeway, Shoreline Drive)Southbound left exit and northbound entrance
6.381DAnaheim StreetSigned as exit 1 northbound
6.882 SR 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) – Huntington Beach, Santa MonicaFormer US 101 Alternate / US 6
7.893Willow StreetSigned as exits 3A (east) and 3B (west)
9.074Wardlow RoadSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
9.414 I-405 (San Diego Freeway) – San Diego, Santa MonicaFormer SR 7; I-405 exits 32A-B
10.826Del Amo BoulevardSigned as exits 6A (east) and 6B (west) northbound
12.017Long Beach BoulevardSigned as exits 7A (south) and 7B (north) southbound
12.898AArtesia BoulevardNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
12.978 SR 91 (Artesia Freeway, Gardena Freeway) – Riverside, Redondo BeachSigned as exits 8A (east) and 8B (west) northbound and the opposite southbound; SR 91 exits 12A-B eastbound, 12A westbound
Compton13.959Alondra Boulevard – ComptonSigned as exits 9A (east) and 9B (west) southbound
ParamountR14.9810Rosecrans Avenue
LynwoodR15.6911A I-105 (Century Freeway) – Norwalk, El SegundoSigned as exit 11 northbound; I-105 exit 13
​11BMartin Luther King Jr. BoulevardSouthbound exit and entrance
South Gate16.9912Imperial Highway – LynwoodSigned as exits 12A (east) and 12B (west) southbound; Former SR 90
18.4413Firestone BoulevardFormer SR 42
Bell19.7315Florence Avenue – Bell
21.9217AAtlantic Boulevard, Bandini BoulevardSigned as exits 17A (north/east) and 17B (south/west) northbound
Commerce22.4517BWashington Boulevard – CommerceSigned as exit 17C northbound
23.2818A I-5 north (Santa Ana Freeway) – Los AngelesNorthbound exit and southbound entrance; I-5 exit 130B southbound
23.2818 I-5 south (Santa Ana Freeway) – Santa AnaSouthbound exit and northbound entrance; I-5 exit 130C northbound
East Los Angeles23.7719Whittier Boulevard, Olympic BoulevardSigned as exit 18B northbound; Whittier Boulevard is former US 101 / SR 72
24.4720A3rd StreetSigned as exit 20B northbound
24.6320B SR 60 (Pomona Freeway) – Pomona, Los AngelesSigned as exit 20A northbound; SR 60 exit 3B
24.9720CCesar Chavez Avenue
Monterey Park26.3821Ramona BoulevardNorthbound exit and southbound entrance; former US 99
Monterey Park–Alhambra line26.5022 I-10 (San Bernardino Freeway) – Los Angeles, San Bernardino, PasadenaSigned as exits 22A (west) and 22B (east) southbound; I-10 exit 21
Alhambra–Los Angeles lineT27.4823Valley BoulevardAt-grade intersection; former US 60; north end of I-710
Gap in route
PasadenaT30.95Columbia StreetAt-grade intersection; south end of unsigned SR 710
T31.76California BoulevardAt-grade intersection
​South end of freeway
T32.11Del Mar BoulevardSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
T32.45Colorado Boulevard – PasadenaSouthbound exit and northbound entrance; former US 66 Alt. / SR 11
R32.72 SR 134 west (Ventura Freeway) – VenturaSR 134 exit 13B; northbound exit and southbound entrance
R32.72 I-210 (Foothill Freeway) – San Fernando, San BernardinoI-210 exit 25A eastbound; northbound exit and southbound entrance; north end of unsigned SR 710
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

South Harbor Scenic Drive spur (exit 1A)

The entire route is in Long Beach, Los Angeles County.

mikmDestinationsNotes
Queen MarySouthbound exit and northbound entrance
Harbor Scenic Drive, Harbor Plaza – Piers H-JSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
Harbor Plaza – Port of Long Beach, Piers F-GSouthbound exit only
Downtown Long Beach (Queensway Bridge)Northbound exit and entrance
Queensway DriveNorthbound exit and entrance
Pico Avenue – Piers F-GNo northbound exit
Downtown Long Beach (Ocean Boulevard)Northbound exit only
I-710 north (N. Harbor Scenic Drive) – PasadenaNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Shoreline Drive spur (exit 1C)

The entire route is in Long Beach, Los Angeles County.

mikmDestinationsNotes
Pine Avenue (Shoreline Drive) – Convention Center, Shoreline VillageContinuation beyond Queensway Bridge
Queen Mary, Events Park, Cruise Ships (Queensway Bridge)At-grade intersection
Golden Shore, Catalina LandingSouthbound exit and entrance
Ocean BoulevardNorthbound exit and entrance
Shoreline DriveNorthbound U-turn
Pine Avenue, Broadway – Long Beach Civic CenterSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
6th Street east – Downtown Long BeachSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
9th Street, Anaheim Street – Port of Long BeachNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
I-710 north (Long Beach Freeway) – PasadenaNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References
  1. Faigin, Daniel P. (November 24, 2018). "Interstate 710". California Highways. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  2. California Department of Transportation (2007). Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances in California (PDF). Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 14, 2012.
  3. California State Assembly. "Relating to the Seaside Freeway". 1959 Session of the Legislature. Statutes of California (House Resolution). State of California. Ch. 144 p. 3502. "That the California Highway Commission is requested to declare the added portion of Route 167 which will connect the Harbor Freeway and the Long Beach Freeway to be a freeway, to be known as the Seaside Freeway..."
  4. Google (August 2017). "State Hwy 710, Pasadena, California". Google Street View. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  5. Google (December 2017). "Pasadena, California". Google Street View. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  6. "STREETS AND HIGHWAYS CODE SECTION 300-635". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  7. "Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Division 1". California Streets and Highways Code. Sacramento: California Office of Legislative Counsel. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  8. Federal Highway Administration (March 25, 2015). National Highway System: Los Angeles, CA (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  9. Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike & Adderly, Kevin (June 20, 2012). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  10. "California Highways: Chronology of California Highways 1933-1946". Cahighways.org. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  11. "California Highways: Chronology of California Highways 1947-1962". Cahighways.org. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  12. 1942 Gousha Los Angeles map Archived April 24, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  13. California Department of Transportation (July 2007). "Log of Bridges on State Highways". Sacramento: California Department of Transportation.
  14. "Interstate 710". www.kurumi.com.
  15. "California Highways: State Route 7". Cahighways.org. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  16. "Google Street View of Floral Drive & Ford Boulevard in East Los Angeles, CA of an old overhead sign on a traffic light showing former SR 7". Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  17. Caltrans - District 7: A Closer Look At 2000 Achievements (PDF) Archived December 28, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  18. "Gerald Desmond Bridge - Home". Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  19. The Life and Death of Great American Freeways: The 710 Case Study by John Dutton Archived May 17, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  20. "I-710 Corridor Project Overview". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  21. Nelson, Laura (March 1, 2018). "710 Freeway is a 'diesel death zone' to neighbors — can vital commerce route be fixed?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  22. "Widen the Freeway? This Time, L.A. Says No". Bloomberg.com. March 12, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  23. "Is the Alameda Corridor in Trouble?". Railway Age. November 23, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  24. "34°08'24.2"N, 118°09'16.2"W, CA-710, Pasadena, California". Google Maps. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  25. "South Pasadena tunnel plan may advance". Los Angeles Times. March 22, 2007. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
  26. "3201 W Valley Blvd to Pasadena Avenue & West California Boulevard". Google Maps. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  27. "Metro: SR 710 Conversations Notices and Meeting Materials".
  28. "Metro: An Important Announcement Regarding the SR 170 Study" (PDF).
  29. "Maps of the alternative routes for the roadway tunnel, light rail, and bus rapid transit alternatives".
  30. https://la.curbed.com/2017/2/10/14580430/new-state-bill-would-block-a-710-freeway-tunnel.
  31. Chiland, Elijah (May 25, 2017). "Metro board squashes 710 freeway tunnel". Curbed LA.
  32. "Opinion: Don't let NIMBYs prevent construction of the 710 tunnel". Los Angeles Times. May 25, 2017.
  33. Radio, Southern California Public (May 26, 2017). "End of an era: Why new freeways are history". Southern California Public Radio.
  34. Kenny, Kevin (October 15, 2019). "Newsom's Pen Puts 'Final Nail' in 710 Plan". South Pasadena Review. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  35. California Department of Transportation. "State Truck Route List". Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (XLS file) on June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  36. California Department of Transportation, All Traffic Volumes on CSHS, 2005 and 2006
  37. California Department of Transportation, California Numbered Exit Uniform System, I-710 Northbound and I-710 Southbound, accessed February 2008
  38. "NewGDBridge.com. "SB I-710 Freeway Connector Closed."". Retrieved October 5, 2014.

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