Interstate 980 (I-980) is the western end of the Grove Shafter Freeway, connecting Highway 24 and I-580 (the MacArthur Freeway) to I-880 (the Nimitz Freeway). It also forms a physical barrier separating West Oakland from Downtown. It is named for city planner John B. Williams.
Surface streets along the current freeway route became part of Highway 24's predecessor in 1947, were renumbered as Highway 24 in 1964, and officially became I-980 in 1981. However, the freeway wasn't fully completed until 1985. 1 Many people just think it is part of Highway 24—the only reason it is signed as I-980 is because Caltrans used millions in federal funds to construct this section of the freeway. I-980 was used as an alternate route to the Bay Bridge when the Cypress Structure collapsed in the 1989 Loma Prieta quake.
A group known as ConnectOakland is proposing to remove the freeway and replace it with a boulevard, as with Octavia Boulevard in San Francisco.
Links and References
- Interstate 980 on Wikipedia
- Interstate 980 on AARoads
- Images of 980 EIR
