This page is used to document the existence of regulatory "Begin Freeway" (CA MUTCD R57) and "End Freeway" (CA MUTCD R58) signage in California [1] in conjunction with a proposal to use this signage for highway=motorway tagging. The list is not yet complete.
Common signage inconsistencies, especially present on US highways, include:
Signage posted on an undivided road: California does not require freeways to be divided; however, OSM does. Move highway=motorway tagging to nearest point where highway becomes divided.
Signage present on one side of highway but not the other: Split the unsigned portion of the highway at the same location as the signed portion, assuming this is in a valid location. If not, move to nearest freeway deficiency (nearest direct property access, at-grade intersection, etc).
More complicated situations involving inconsistent or missing signage will likely require community discussion. Results should be posted in the Notes section.
Legend
Signage exists in a valid location
Signage exists, but in a location that contradicts OSM highway=motorway definition (typically along a two-lane highway)
None
Signage does not exist, and would not be necessary for the state to post given CA freeway definition (typically where highway becomes divided/undivided)
None
Signage does not exist, and would be necessary for the state to post
Resolution: highway=motorway begins at same location as "End Freeway" signage.
Placerville
E of Smith Flat
Camino
E of Carson Rd.
None
Resolution: highway=motorway ends at same location as "Begin Freeway" signage. A "Freeway Ends 1/2 Mi" sign posted exactly 1/2 miles upstream corroborates this location.
Pollock Pines
W of Sly Park Rd
Signage posed on single carriageway. Resolution: highway=motorway tagging begins where dual carriageway begins, west of posted signage.
US 101
Southern
Central
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Salinas
S of Exit 326
Gonzales
N of Exit 313
Soledad
S of Exit 301
None
Missing NB "Begin Freeway" sign. Resolution: highway=motorway begins at same location as "End Freeway" signage.
Greenfield
S of Hudson Rd
Greenfield
N of Underwood Rd
King City
N of Exit 283
San Miguel
N of San Marcos Rd
Paso Robles
S of Monterey Rd
Santa Margarita
S of Exit 211
San Luis Obispo
S of Fox Hollow Rd
Arroyo Grande
N of El Campo Rd
Arroyo Grande
N of Hemi Rd
Bay Area
Northern
Note: US 101 in the north coast region has many long sections of undivided freeway, which will not be signed with "Begin Freeway" and "End Freeway" signage. This chart is explicit in its listing of posted signage and deficiencies relative to OSM definitions, and may be confusing to read. Essentially, if a highway is undivided, it may not be tagged as highway=motorway, despite what any signage may or may not say. Where the roadway meets OSM highway=motorway criteria, beginning and ending points are dictated by state regulatory signage as listed below.
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Cloverdale
N of Geysers Rd interchange
Ukiah
N of Nelson Ranch Rd
None
Missing SB "End Freeway" sign. Resolution: highway=motorway ends at same location as "Begin Freeway" signage.
Ukiah
S of N State St
Willits
N of water treatment plant
Highway is undivided north of signage (see note below). Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway until divided portion just north.
Willits
N of CA 20 interchange
None
None
Highway is undivided north of this interchange without Begin/End signage posted. Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway north of the point where the roadway becomes undivided. Tag as highway=motorway where the highway becomes divided.
This section of highway is undivided and should not be tagged as highway=motorway despite signage indicating otherwise.
Willits
S of CA 1 intersection
Highway is undivided south of signage (see note above). Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway here.
Rural Mendocino County
S of exit 609
None
Highway is undivided north of signage (see note below). Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway here.
This section of highway is undivided and should not be tagged as highway=motorway despite signage indicating otherwise.
Leggett
S of CA 1 intersection
Highway is undivided south of signage (see note above). Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway here.
Rural Mendocino County
S of exit 625
Highway is undivided north of signage (see note below). Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway here.
This section of highway is undivided and should not be tagged as highway=motorway despite signage indicating otherwise.
Cooks Valley
Mendocino/Humboldt line
Highway is undivided south of signage (see note above). Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway here.
Richardson Grove SP
N of Benbow Dr
Highway is undivided north of signage. Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway until highway divides north of signage, see notes below.
This section of highway is undivided, and should not be tagged as highway=motorway despite lack of signage indicating that the freeway has ended.
Garberville
S of exit 639A
None
None
Highway is undivided south of this interchange without Begin/End signage posted. Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway south of the point where the roadway becomes undivided. Tag as highway=motorway where the highway becomes divided.
Garberville
N of exit 639B
None
None
Highway is undivided north of this interchange without Begin/End signage posted. Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway north of the point where the roadway becomes undivided. Tag as highway=motorway where the highway becomes divided.
This section of highway is undivided, and should not be tagged as highway=motorway despite lack of signage indicating that the freeway has ended.
Pepperwood
N of exit 671
None
None
Highway is undivided south of this point without Begin/End signage posted. Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway south of the point where the roadway becomes undivided. Tag as highway=motorway where the highway becomes divided.
Stafford
N of Eel River
Highway is undivided south of signage. Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway until highway divides south of signage.
Scotia
N of Main St
Highway is undivided at signage. Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway until highway divides north of signage.
Rio Dell
S of Metropolitan Heights Rd
Alton
S of CA 36 interchange
Eureka
N of Herrick Ave
Highway is undivided at signage. Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway until highway divides south of signage.
Arcata
N of Bayside Cutoff
Trinidad
N of exit 725
None
None
Highway is undivided north of this interchange without Begin/End signage posted. Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway north of this point where the roadway becomes undivided.
This section of highway is undivided, and should not be tagged as highway=motorway despite lack of signage indicating that the freeway has ended.
Trinidad
N of exit 728
None
None
Highway is undivided south of this interchange without Begin/End signage posted. Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway south of this point where the roadway becomes undivided.
Patrick's Point
S of Big Lagoon Park Rd
Highway is undivided south of intersection until Patrick's Point Dr interchange. Resolution: Do not tag as highway=motorway until highway becomes divided at the Patrick's Point Drive interchange.
Redwoods State Park
S of exit 753
None
Roadway north of signage does not meet OSM highway=motorway minimum standard at any point (see note below). Resolution: Do not tag roadway as highway=motorway here.
This section of highway is undivided and has many at-grade intersections, and should not be tagged as highway=motorway despite signage indicating otherwise.
Klamath
Ehlers Ave
Roadway south of signage does not meet OSM highway=motorway minimum standard at any point (see note above). Resolution: Do not tag roadway as highway=motorway here.
Crescent City
S of E Washington Blvd
Crescent City
S of Elk Valley Cross Rd
US 199
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Crescent City
W of Elk Valley Cross Rd
US 395
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
There are no posted "Begin Freeway" or "End Freeway" signs on US 395 in CA.
State highways
CA 1
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Santa Monica
W of Exit 1A
SB signage located before Exit 1A on CA 1. NB signage located on Lincoln Street Bridge. Resolution: SB highway=motorway tagging begins at regulatory signage and highway ref transitions from CA 1 to Interstate 10. NB highway=motorway tagging ends at Lincoln Street Bridge but Interstate 10 highway ref continues the Olympic Boulevard on-ramp meets the Santa Monica Freeway.
There are no posted "Begin Freeway" or "End Freeway" signs between this span.
Oxnard
S of Exit 107
Oxnard
S of Exit 112
Both signs are posted directly under the Pleasant Valley Road interchange. Resolution: highway=motorway tagging begins at regulatory signage. Tag highway=trunk between regulatory signage and at-grade intersection at East Channel Islands Boulevard.
There are no posted "Begin Freeway" or "End Freeway" signs between this span.
Orcutt
N of Exit 226
Rural Santa Barbara County
N of southern CA 1/135 diversion
There are no posted "Begin Freeway" or "End Freeway" signs between this span.
Morro Bay
S of Exit 277
Morro Bay
S of San Jacinto St
Cayucos
S of Exit 284
Cayucos
S of Ocean Ave
There are no posted "Begin Freeway" or "End Freeway" signs between this span.
Monterrey
S of Exit 399A
Castroville
N of Exit 414B
Watsonville
S of Exit 423
NB regulatory signage placed after exit ramp. Resolution: NB highway=motorway tagging begins at regulatory signage. Salinas Rd NB ramp tagged highway=trunk_link.
Santa Cruz
N of River St
There are no posted "Begin Freeway" or "End Freeway" signs between this span.
Pacifica
S of Exit 505A
San Francisco
N of CA 1 - I 280 interchange
San Francisco
N of Lake St
None
None
CA 1 through the Presidio does not meet minimum tagging guidelines for highway=motorway. Resolution: Tag highway=trunk until Veterans Boulevard interchanges with US 101 at Exit 438.
CA 1 is signed concurrently with US 101 from Exit 438 in San Francisco until Exit 445B near Manzanita and is tagged as highway=motorway. After deviating from US 101 at Exit 445B, CA 1 is an undivided two lane highway with no remaining freeway sections.
CA 17
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Scotts Valley
El Rancho Drive
Scotts Valley
El Rancho Drive
None
Resolution: highway=motorway tagging begins at same location in both directions.
Scotts Valley
N of Santas Village Road
None
Pavement surface changes on the opposite side of the median across from the Begin Freeway sign. Resolution: highway=motorway tagging begins at same location in both directions.
Los Gatos
Santa Cruz Avenue
SB sign posted a short distance south of the interchange. Resolution: highway=motorway tagging begins at the interchange, not at the intersection for the parking lot of The Cats.
CA 20/49
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Grass Valley
S of McKnight Way
NB sign is posted on a two-lane highway. Resolution: highway=motorway tagging begins where dual carriageway begins.
Nevada City
CA 20/49 intersection
CA 29
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Lakeport
N of Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Road
SB sign is posted on a two-lane highway. Resolution: highway=motorway tagging begins where dual carriageway begins.
Lakeport
N of Hopland Road
Both signs are posted on a two-lane highway. Resolution: highway=motorway tagging begins north of signage where dual carriageway begins.
CA 37
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Note: there are a handful of at-grade service road intersections between Hannah Ranch and Harbor. These should not jeopardize highway=motorway status as they are minor non-public service roads, similar to others occasionally present on the US interstate system.
Novato
Sears Point Road
None
None
Resolution: highway=motorway tagging begins west of Sears Point at-grade.
Vallejo
Railroad/Walnut interchange
CA 44
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Redding
Downtown
Redding
E of Airport Rd interchange
Final EB on-ramp posted as "Freeway Entrance", contradicting location of "End Freeway" signage. Defer to regulatory signage.
CA 65
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Olivehurst
W of Rancho Rd
Lincoln
E of Nelson Ln
CA 70
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Rural Sutter County
N of Striplin Rd intersection
Rural Sutter County
S of Kempton/Berry Rd intersection
Rural Sutter County
N of Kempton/Berry Rd intersection
Yuba City
Yuba River bridge
Oroville
N of Georgia Pacific Way intersection
Oroville
N of Wick's Corner
CA 99
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Rural Sutter County
S of Sankey Rd intersection
There are no posted "Begin Freeway" or "End Freeway" signs between this span.
Marysville
N of CA 20 intersection
Marysville
S of Live Oak Blvd intersection
There are no posted "Begin Freeway" or "End Freeway" signs between this span.
Chico
S of Skyway interchange
Chico
S of Garner Lane intersection
CA 135
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Orcutt
S of Union Valley Pkwy
Rural Santa Barbara County
N of CA 1/135 interchange
CA 149
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Oroville
E of Shippee Rd intersection
There are no "Begin Freeway"/"End Freeway" signs posted on the W side of the at-grade intersection with Shippee.
CA 160
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Sacramento
At-grade ending at Richards Blvd
CA 204
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Bakersfield
N of F Street Intersection
CA 244
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Sacramento
At-grade ending at Auburn Blvd
CA 299
Region
Location
Regulatory signage
Notes
Begin
End
Blue Lake
E of Old CA 299 interchange
None
EB: Warning sign near last on-ramp; WB: "Begin Freeway" sign starts at two-lane road, roadway remains undivided for another 2000 ft. Final EB on-ramp signed with "Freeway Entrance" signage. Resolution: EB, highway=motorway until divided carriageway merges after final sign in median, highway=trunk beyond that.
