The Grove Shafter Freeway runs between the Nimitz Freeway (I-880) and the Caldecott Tunnel. The Grove Shafter Freeway carries two different highway numbers. The portion between the Nimitz and the MacArthur Freeway (I-580) is officially identified as Interstate 980, while the portion between the MacArthur Freeway and the Caldecott Tunnel is identified as California State Route 24.
History of Building the Grove Shafter Freeway
The majority of the freeway was completed in 1969 and 1970. For many years, however, construction of the section of the freeway between I-580 and I-880 was held up by a lawsuit, and the final connection to the Nimitz Freeway did not open until March 6, 1985.
Construction of the Grove Shafter Freeway required the demolition of numerous established residential and commercial blocks. The excellent book Temescal Legacies by Jeff Norman has a lot of interesting history about the construction of the freeway and residents' political efforts in response to its planned construction.
Photos
Historic photos courtesy Oakland Museum of California collections.
1967 view of Grove-Shafter freeway and BART construction at 52nd Street and Grove Street
1968 view of Grove-Shafter freeway between 52nd Street and I-580
1969 view of Grove-Shafter freeway between Telegraph and I-580
1970 view of Grove-Shafter freeway and BART between I-580 and southern end
1978 view of south end of Grove-Shafter freeway
Black Panther Role in the Grove Shafter Freeway
[Describe here]
Traffic on the Grove Shafter Freeway!
[Describe here]
Residents Say I-980 Should Be Removed
In 2013, a group of residents suggested that I-980, which is the portion of the Grove Shafter freeway between the I-580 and I-880, should be removed. This appears to be a small group of (right-on) planning gurus, with a small chance of succeeding. But support is growing.
A report published in 2017, "Freeways Without Futures", 1 called it one of the 10 worst freeways in the country, and mayor Libby Schaaf supports its removal. 2
Links and References
- 1967 view from OMCA Collections
- 1968 view from OMCA Collections
- 1969 view from OMCA Collections
- another 1969 view from OMCA Collections
- 1970 view from OMCA Collections
- 1972 view from OMCA Collections
- 1978 view from OMCA Collections
- Another 1978 view from OMCA Collections
- Freeways Without Futures Congress for the New Urbanism, 2017
- Report: Oakland's I-980 is 1 of 10 worst freeways in country SFGate January 30, 2017
