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Information AboutCalifornia State Highway 17 |
State Route 17, commonly known locally as '''Highway 17''', is a Freeway and Expressway that runs between San Jose, California and Santa Cruz, California . Highway 17 carries substantial commuter and vacation traffic between San Jose and Santa Cruz. ROUTE DESCRIPTION From its northern terminus in San Jose near Interstate 280 to Los Gatos , Route 17 is a freeway with as many as eight lanes at some points. Between Los Gatos and Scotts Valley, Route 17 is a four-lane expressway that twists and turns through the Santa Cruz Mountains . The road crosses the Santa Clara/Santa Cruz county line through the Patchen Pass, commonly referred to as "The Summit", at an elevation of 1,800 feet (545m). After exiting the mountains, most of the remaining southern portion from Scotts Valley southward is four-lane freeway. Route 17 terminates at a junction with State Route 1 in Santa Cruz. SAFETY Highway 17's combination of narrow shoulders, dense and high-speed traffic (despite a posted lower speed limit of 50 mph (80 km/h) in most sections), sharp turns, blind curves, and sudden changes in traffic speeds have to led to driving conditions that result in a number of accidents and fatalities, leading to the reputation of Highway 17 as one of the most dangerous highways in the state. Some sections of 17 have become so notoriously dangerous that they have attained nicknames amongst the locals. (i.e. Northbound 17 after Summit Road with its sharp turns and steep slope has been deemed "Valley Surprise" for the fact that many coastal commuters hit the median on their way to the Silicon Valley) Efforts to improve safety have included adding electronic speed monitoring signs and warnings lights on curves, and increased patrol and enforcement of traffic laws. The portion between Los Gatos and Scotts Valley has been designated the Highway 17 Safety Corridor by Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol . The cost of improving the treacherous expressway segment to modern Freeway standards has been estimated to be at least $200 million. HISTORY Until the mid-1980s, Highway 17 extended from its current southern terminus at California State Route 1 in Santa Cruz through Oakland and across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to San Rafael . The roadway still exists (apart from the mile-long Cypress section in Oakland, destroyed in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake ) but parts have been redesignated. The section between Interstate 80 and US 101 in San Rafael was renumbered as an extension of Interstate 580 . Prior to the redesignation, this part of 17 followed Richmond streets, including an expressway called Hoffman Boulevard, to the bridge; a freeway built to Interstate standards was completed in 1990 after the corridor became 580's northwestern leg. Additionally, Highway 17 between Interstate 280 in San Jose and the freeway's new northern terminus in Oakland was re-designated as Interstate 880 later that year. Before the Freeway was built in Milpitas, Fremont, Hayward,and Oakland 17 Followed Old Oakland Road up through Warm Springs onto Fremont Blvd (in Irvington). From Fremont Blvd would then take a routing onto possibly Hesparian Blvd in Hayward joining with E 14th Street into Oakland in which 17 would follow U.S 40 (Now Interstate 80) San Pablo Avenue up to its split in Albany. Route 17 then followed what is now Interstate 580 over the San Rafael Bridge (Before the late 50's it was a ferry crossing) Terminating at U.S 101 in San Rafael. EXITS Highway 17 has Cal-NExUS numbered exits on its freeway portion. The non-freeway portion has exits and turnoffs which are not numbered. The exits are listed below. As of 2005 , only one exit (23) has numbered signs, which is only numbered in the northbound direction. STATE LAW Legal Definition of Route 17: California Streets and Highways Code, Chapter 2, Article 3, Section 317 REFERENCES
SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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