 State Route 163 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabrillo Freeway | ||||
 SR 163 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byCaltrans | ||||
| Length | 11.088 mi[1] (17.844 km) | |||
| History | 1948 as US 395, 1969 as SR 163 | |||
| Tourist routes |  Cabrillo Parkway throughBalboa Park | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  I-5 inSan Diego | |||
| Major intersections | ||||
| North end |  I-15 in San Diego | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | California | |||
| Counties | San Diego | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
State Route 163 (SR 163), or theCabrillo Freeway, is a state highway inSan Diego, California. The 11.088-mile (17.844 km) stretch of the formerUS 395freeway runs fromdowntown San Diego just south of an interchange withInterstate 5 (I-5), extending north through historicBalboa Park and various neighborhoods of San Diego to an interchange withI-15 in the neighborhood ofMiramar. The freeway is named afterJuan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the first European to navigate the coast of present-dayCalifornia.
The historic section of freeway through Balboa Park south ofI-8 was the first freeway inSan Diego County and one of the first in California.[2] Before 1964, this was the southernmost section ofU.S. Route 395 (US 395), which was truncated toHesperia when it was replaced by I-15. This section is also designated as aState Scenic Highway.
SR 163 begins indowntown San Diego at an at-grade intersection with A Street and 11th Avenue. Shortly after, the freeway has an interchange withI-5 before enteringBalboa Park. This 2.5-mile (4.0 km) section of SR 163 is built toparkway standards, featuring a wide, grassymedian with trees, four through traffic lanes, and several very sharp curves, also passing under theCabrillo Bridge. Shortly after leaving Balboa Park, SR 163 has an interchange withI-8 inMission Valley. North of this interchange, SR 163 becomes a modern,Interstate-standard, eight-lane freeway. Continuing north, the freeway climbs uphill from Mission Valley toLinda Vista, where it has a partial interchange withI-805; traffic northbound on one freeway can only transfer only onto northbound of the other and southbound traffic can only transfer onto southbound direction of the other freeway. InKearny Mesa, the freeway has a partial interchange withSR 52, one of the biggest bottlenecks inSan Diego County. The freeway then heads north to and merges withI-15 nearMiramar, where the southern terminus of thehigh-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes of I-15 are located. Ramps were built to allow traffic on SR 163 to enter and exit the express lanes of I-15.[3]
SR 163 is part of theCalifornia Freeway and Expressway System[4] and is part of theNational Highway System,[5] a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by theFederal Highway Administration.[6] SR 163 is eligible to be included in theState Scenic Highway System,[7] and is designated as a scenic highway in Balboa Park by theCalifornia Department of Transportation (Caltrans),[8] meaning that it is a substantial section of highway passing through a "memorable landscape" with no "visual intrusions", where the potential designation has gained popular favor with the community.[9]
The southernmost portion of the highway, running through Balboa Park, began construction in 1942 and opened in 1948 as part ofUS 395; it was the first freeway inSan Diego County and one of the first in California.[10] The Cabrillo Freeway was also part ofUS 80 from the late 1940s until 1964.[11] This stretch of road has been called one of America's most beautiful parkways,[12] and was designated a California Historic Parkway in 2002.[13]
On May 17, 1995, former US soldier and plumber Shawn Nelsonstole a tank from the National Guard armory and went on a destructive rampage throughoutSan Diego. Driving onto SR 163, the tank was eventually disabled when it became stuck on atraffic barrier, where Nelson was shot and killed bySan Diego police.[14]
The entire route is inSan Diego,San Diego County.
| mi[15] | km | Exit[15] | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 | 0.00 | — | 10th Avenue | Continuation beyond Ash Street; south end of SR 163; northbound entrance only accessible from 11th Avenue and A Street | |
| 0.06 | 0.097 | 1A | Ash Street | No exit number northbound | |
| 0.06 | 0.097 |  I-5 north (San Diego Freeway) / 4th Avenue –Los Angeles | Southbound exit is part of exit 1B; I-5 south exit 16 | ||
| 0.36 | 0.58 | 1B |  I-5 south (San Diego Freeway) / Park Boulevard | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; I-5 north exit 16A | |
| 0.36 | 0.58 | 1B | Quince Street –Balboa Park | Northbound exit only | |
| 1.27 | 2.04 | 1C | Richmond Street –San Diego Zoo, Museums | Northbound exit only | |
| 2.22 | 3.57 | 2A |  Robinson Avenue | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; servesScrippsMercy Hospital,Hillcrest Medical Center atUC San Diego Health | |
| 2.22 | 3.57 | 2A | Washington Street east (I-8 Bus.) | Signed as exit 2B northbound; formerUS 80 | |
| 2.22 | 3.57 | 2B | Washington Street west (I-8 Bus.) | No northbound exit; serves Scripps Mercy Hospital, Hillcrest Medical Center at UC San Diego Health | |
| 2.45 | 3.94 | 2C | 6th Avenue, University Avenue | No northbound exit | |
| 3.21 | 5.17 | 3 |  I-8 / Hotel Circle –El Centro,Beaches | Signed as exits 3A (east) and 3B (west); I-8 east exits 4B-C, west exits 4A-B | |
| 3.84 | 6.18 | 4 | Friars Road | Northbound exit is part of exit 3B | |
| 5.26 | 8.47 | 5 | Genesee Avenue | Signed as exits 5A (east) and 5B (west) northbound; servesSharpMemorial Hospital | |
| 6.01 | 9.67 | 6 | Mesa College Drive / Kearny Villa Road | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; serves Sharp Memorial Hospital | |
| 6.51 | 10.48 | 7A |  I-805 north (Jacob Dekema Freeway) –Los Angeles | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; I-805 south exit 20 | |
| 6.51 | 10.48 | 7A | I-805 south (Jacob Dekema Freeway) –Chula Vista | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; I-805 north exit 20B | |
| 7.48 | 12.04 | 7B | Balboa Avenue | FormerSR 274 | |
| 8.28 | 13.33 | 8 | Clairemont Mesa Boulevard | ||
| 9.02 | 14.52 | 9A |   SR 52 east | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; SR 52 exit 6 | |
| 9.02 | 14.52 | 9B |  SR 52 west | Signed as exit 9 southbound; no northbound entrance; SR 52 exit 6 | |
| 10.31 | 16.59 | 10 | Kearny Villa Road | FormerUS 395 | |
| — |  I-15 Express Lanes north | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | |||
| 11.23 | 18.07 | — | I-15 north (Escondido Freeway) –Escondido | No access to I-15 south; I-15 south exit 12 | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
