State Route 37 (california) Article Index for
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California State Route 37
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Information About

State Route 37 (california)




  previous Route 36
  previous Type Highway
  next Route 38
  next Type Highway
  cities Novato, CA <br> Vallejo, CA
  direction East-West
  length Mi 21
  length Km 33
  section 337


State Route 37 runs along the northern shore of San Pablo Bay in northern California , currently built from U.S. Route 101 in Novato, California to Interstate 80 in Vallejo, California . It serves as a crucial bypass around the northern end of the San Francisco Bay Area .


ROUTE DESCRIPTION

Route 37 begins in Novato with a junction at U.S. Highway 101 and heads northeast as a four-lane divided expressway. The route passes over the Petaluma River into Sonoma County. Route 37 meets the southern terminus of California State Route 121 near Infineon Raceway (formerly ''Sears Point Raceway'') at a traffic-lighted intersection. This area becomes very congested on weekends when large auto races are held at the raceway.

The route continues in a more easterly, then southeasterly, direction as a two-lane highway with a concrete divider (essentially a Two-lane Freeway ) through the marshy wetlands at the northern edge of San Pablo Bay . Before the construction of the barrier in 1995, this portion of Route 37 was three lanes with the middle lane alternately serving as a passing lane for each direction. This stretch of highway was known as "blood alley" for its high-rate of fatal accidents. With the middle lane removed, accidents dropped dramatically, but it is not uncommon for long chains of cars to back up behind slower moving traffic.

Route 37 becomes a freeway on Mare Island , approaching northern Vallejo, to its eastern terminus at Interstate 80. After it crosses over California State Route 29 , it becomes known as Marine World Parkway due to its proximity to the Six Flags Marine World amusement park. During 2004 and 2005 , the remaining non-freeway section in Vallejo between the Napa River Bridge and Mini Drive was built to freeway standards. {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} Previously, Route 37 entered Vallejo city streets and became heavily congested.

The whole of CA-37 has been proposed to be built to freeway standards since at least the 1950s. However, the proximity of much of the route to protected wetlands makes it unlikely to be upgraded anytime soon.


STATE LAW

Legal Definition of Route 37: California Streets and Highways Code, Chapter 2, Article 3, Section 337



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