Interstate 215 Descriptions
2024-04-19
Roadnow
North
California:
The southern terminus of Interstate 215 is at the junction of Interstate 15 in the city of Murrieta in southern Riverside County. It then runs north through Perris before joining State Route 60 in Moreno Valley.
I-215 splits from SR 60 at State Route 91 in Riverside, where it then travels to San Bernardino before terminating at I-15 near the small San Bernardino neighborhood of Devore.
This route is an alternative to I-15 for drivers traveling from, for example, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, and San Bernardino, to the San Diego metropolitan area. This route offers more of a distance advantage since it is an alternative to Interstate 15's alignment that is about 10 miles (16 km) to the west of, and roughly parallel to, I-215. However, the traffic and time "advantage" on I-215 is limited by three factors: the segment between the I-15 / I-215 "Devore junction" and San Bernardino only has two lanes in each direction (on the other hand, I-15 has four), it is co-signed with SR 60 between Riverside and Moreno Valley, and it has only two lanes in each direction between Perris and Murrieta.
The junction of I-15 and I-215 in southwestern Riverside CountyI-215 is also used by local residents as the major northsouth route for the urbanized portions of the San Bernardino-Riverside-Ontario Metropolitan Area. (I-15 serves a similar function in the western portion of the metropolitan area; the two are the only continuous northsouth freeways in the area.)
Interstate 215 is named the Escondido Freeway from its southern terminus in Murrieta to SR 60 in Moreno Valley. From that point to SR 91, I-215 is co-signed with SR 60 where it inherits the Moreno Valley Freeway name. Between the SR 60/SR 91 interchange in Riverside to Interstate 10 in San Bernardino, the highway is known as the Riverside Freeway. Between I-10 and State Route 210, I-215 is named the San Bernardino Freeway. From SR 210 to its northern terminus, I-215 is named the Barstow Freeway.
On January 24, 1957, the State Highway Commission defined the Escondido Freeway as what is now Routes 15 and 215 from Route 805 to Route 91. Note that this entire segment was previously Route 395 when it was named. Since then, the definition was extended on Route 15 south to Route 8 by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 34, Chapter 67 in 1979. Meanwhile, the segment of Route 15 from the San Diego County Line to the I-15/I-215 interchange was named the Temecula Valley Freeway in 1990.
HistoryThe highway (not an Interstate) that is currently Interstate 215 first opened in 1963 as part of U.S. Route 395. The "mileposts" in Riverside County reflect this, since they do not go to zero at the Interstate 15 interchange in Murrieta. This segment of US 395 was renumbered in 1972 as Interstate 15E. Next in 1982, this route was renumbered as I-215 north of SR 60, and as State Route 215 south of State Route 60. Once State Route 215 was upgraded by construction to Interstate Highway standards, it became part of I-215 in 1994.
FutureA joint project between Caltrans and SANBAG of San Bernardino County is currently underway to widen I-215 from Orange Show Road to University Parkway adding one general use lane and one carpool lane in each direction. The 7.5-mile, $723 million project will include the reconstruction of all underpasses and overpasses within the project as well as flyover connectors between northbound I-215 to westbound SR-210 and eastbound SR-210 to southbound I-215. The project has four phases with the first two already complete. End of construction is expected in 2013.
Construction between Inland Center Dr. and Orange Show Rd. in San BernardinoDue to the fact that the I-215 designation was overlaid upon existing freeways between the southern junction with SR 60 and the city of San Bernardino, the SR 60/SR 91/I-215 interchange in the city of Riverside has been widely known for its confusing nature concerning the numbering of I-215. While SR 60 continues east-and-west through this interchange, and SR 91 coninues south (and formerly to the north, the number having now been removed), the I-215 designation continues away from this interchange on SR 60 East and the former northern portion of SR 91 (now solely numbered I-215). Travelers following I-215 in either direction need to "change freeways" at this interchange, instead of just following through lanes. The interchange was recently reconstructed to include some high-speed flyovers, one of which carries I-215 southbound traffic.
There is also a significant widening project being undertaken on the San Bernardino portion of I-215 which will add a travel lane in either direction between the I-10/I-215 interchange in southern San Bernardino and the SR 210/I-215 interchange in northern San Bernardino. Also, a connecting ramp for SR 210 east to I-215 south and I-215 north to SR 210 west will be built as part of the project. Construction is moving forward on the first phase, which will widen the freeway between Orange Show Road in San Bernardino up to 2nd Street and will also redo the access ramps for the Inland Center Drive, Mill Street, and Orange St. exits. Currently the Base Line Road and 5th Street exits are only accessible from the center lane on the southbound portion of the freeway through the city of San Bernardino. Construction work has also started on the next phase of the project. The 9th Street overpass of the freeway has been removed, as well has the Baseline Road exit on southbound 215. However, due to BNSF tracks running directly parallel to the west of I-215 from 3rd Street to beyond Mt. Vernon, the entire freeway through San Bernardino itself between 3rd St. and Highland looks like it will be moved eastward about 50 feet (15 m).
The southern terminus of Interstate 215 is at the junction of Interstate 15 in the city of Murrieta in southern Riverside County. It then runs north through Perris before joining State Route 60 in Moreno Valley.
I-215 splits from SR 60 at State Route 91 in Riverside, where it then travels to San Bernardino before terminating at I-15 near the small San Bernardino neighborhood of Devore.
This route is an alternative to I-15 for drivers traveling from, for example, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, and San Bernardino, to the San Diego metropolitan area. This route offers more of a distance advantage since it is an alternative to Interstate 15's alignment that is about 10 miles (16 km) to the west of, and roughly parallel to, I-215. However, the traffic and time "advantage" on I-215 is limited by three factors: the segment between the I-15 / I-215 "Devore junction" and San Bernardino only has two lanes in each direction (on the other hand, I-15 has four), it is co-signed with SR 60 between Riverside and Moreno Valley, and it has only two lanes in each direction between Perris and Murrieta.
The junction of I-15 and I-215 in southwestern Riverside CountyI-215 is also used by local residents as the major northsouth route for the urbanized portions of the San Bernardino-Riverside-Ontario Metropolitan Area. (I-15 serves a similar function in the western portion of the metropolitan area; the two are the only continuous northsouth freeways in the area.)
Interstate 215 is named the Escondido Freeway from its southern terminus in Murrieta to SR 60 in Moreno Valley. From that point to SR 91, I-215 is co-signed with SR 60 where it inherits the Moreno Valley Freeway name. Between the SR 60/SR 91 interchange in Riverside to Interstate 10 in San Bernardino, the highway is known as the Riverside Freeway. Between I-10 and State Route 210, I-215 is named the San Bernardino Freeway. From SR 210 to its northern terminus, I-215 is named the Barstow Freeway.
On January 24, 1957, the State Highway Commission defined the Escondido Freeway as what is now Routes 15 and 215 from Route 805 to Route 91. Note that this entire segment was previously Route 395 when it was named. Since then, the definition was extended on Route 15 south to Route 8 by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 34, Chapter 67 in 1979. Meanwhile, the segment of Route 15 from the San Diego County Line to the I-15/I-215 interchange was named the Temecula Valley Freeway in 1990.
HistoryThe highway (not an Interstate) that is currently Interstate 215 first opened in 1963 as part of U.S. Route 395. The "mileposts" in Riverside County reflect this, since they do not go to zero at the Interstate 15 interchange in Murrieta. This segment of US 395 was renumbered in 1972 as Interstate 15E. Next in 1982, this route was renumbered as I-215 north of SR 60, and as State Route 215 south of State Route 60. Once State Route 215 was upgraded by construction to Interstate Highway standards, it became part of I-215 in 1994.
FutureA joint project between Caltrans and SANBAG of San Bernardino County is currently underway to widen I-215 from Orange Show Road to University Parkway adding one general use lane and one carpool lane in each direction. The 7.5-mile, $723 million project will include the reconstruction of all underpasses and overpasses within the project as well as flyover connectors between northbound I-215 to westbound SR-210 and eastbound SR-210 to southbound I-215. The project has four phases with the first two already complete. End of construction is expected in 2013.
Construction between Inland Center Dr. and Orange Show Rd. in San BernardinoDue to the fact that the I-215 designation was overlaid upon existing freeways between the southern junction with SR 60 and the city of San Bernardino, the SR 60/SR 91/I-215 interchange in the city of Riverside has been widely known for its confusing nature concerning the numbering of I-215. While SR 60 continues east-and-west through this interchange, and SR 91 coninues south (and formerly to the north, the number having now been removed), the I-215 designation continues away from this interchange on SR 60 East and the former northern portion of SR 91 (now solely numbered I-215). Travelers following I-215 in either direction need to "change freeways" at this interchange, instead of just following through lanes. The interchange was recently reconstructed to include some high-speed flyovers, one of which carries I-215 southbound traffic.
There is also a significant widening project being undertaken on the San Bernardino portion of I-215 which will add a travel lane in either direction between the I-10/I-215 interchange in southern San Bernardino and the SR 210/I-215 interchange in northern San Bernardino. Also, a connecting ramp for SR 210 east to I-215 south and I-215 north to SR 210 west will be built as part of the project. Construction is moving forward on the first phase, which will widen the freeway between Orange Show Road in San Bernardino up to 2nd Street and will also redo the access ramps for the Inland Center Drive, Mill Street, and Orange St. exits. Currently the Base Line Road and 5th Street exits are only accessible from the center lane on the southbound portion of the freeway through the city of San Bernardino. Construction work has also started on the next phase of the project. The 9th Street overpass of the freeway has been removed, as well has the Baseline Road exit on southbound 215. However, due to BNSF tracks running directly parallel to the west of I-215 from 3rd Street to beyond Mt. Vernon, the entire freeway through San Bernardino itself between 3rd St. and Highland looks like it will be moved eastward about 50 feet (15 m).