The Pasadena Freeway was the first freeway built in California.
Over the past 60 years it has been signed as US 6, US 66, CA 11, and is now CA 110.
The south end of the Pasadena Freeway, from US 101 to what is now I-5 was built
in two timeframes, the northbound side was built as Figueroa Street in the early
1930s (it handled northbound and southbound traffic at the time) and the
southbound side was completed in 1944 to extend the freeway south to Hill Street
from San Fernando Road, where it joined up with the 1940 Arroyo Seco Parkway
section.
CA 110 changes from the Harbor Freeway to the Pasadena Freeway at the US 101
Four Level Interchange. The Harbor Freeway south of here through
downtown Los Angeles was built in the early 1950's.
The Pasadena Freeway starts at the Four Level Interchange, here seen from the transition from the southbound Pasadena Freeway to the southbound Santa Ana Freeway (US 101).
This interchange was built in 1949, but not fully opened until 1952.
Left: Northbound at the Four Level Interchange. The Santa Ana Freeway
south of here, shown as I-5 on the signage here, is actually US 101 until it
merges with I-5 at the East L.A. Interchange.
Right: Southbound at the College Street overpass. One of the few numbered exits in California.
The College Street overpass was built in 1939.
Left: The Stadium Way exit was added in 1962.
Right: The Hill Street exit was built in 1942.
Hill Street exits the southbound freeway on the left.
Only the northbound side has tunnels. These were built in 1931 as Figueroa
Street and handled both north and southbound traffic at the time.
Left: The second tunnel and the Academy Road "interchange", mostly a right turn directly on and off the freeway.
Right: Note the stop sign at the end of the on-ramp.
The Los Angeles City Seal is on the portals of the Figueroa Street tunnels.
Left: Park Row bridge, built in 1942 over the southbound side.
Right: Tunnels 2, 3, & 4.
Tunnels 3 and 4. The left lane here is usually backed up due to the exit to I-5.
Left: The I-5 exit hugs the side of a hillside. This was originally the
intersection with Riverside Drive.
Right: the northbound bridge over the Los Angeles River was built in 1936.
The southbound bridge seen to the left was added in 1944.
Westways Magazine
At the Los Angeles River.
The Figueroa Street exit and the I-5 bridges. The Pasadena
Freeway routing south of here was Figueroa Street prior to the freeway
upgrading in the 1940s. The I-5 bridges were added in 1962.
California Hwys & Public Works
The I-5 ramp to the northbound Pasadena Freeway has this arrangement over the Arroyo Seco where the support pier does not touch the river bottom.
