Central Freeway
The Central Freeway was an elevated highway segment in San Francisco, California, approximately one mile in length, that carried U.S. Route 101 northward from the Bayshore Freeway through the city's Hayes Valley and South of Market neighborhoods.[1][2] Constructed in the late 1950s amid urban renewal initiatives aimed at facilitating automobile traffic between major bridges and southern highways, it featured a double-deck design in parts and became emblematic of mid-century infrastructure that physically and socially fragmented surrounding communities.[3][4] Severely damaged during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the freeway's vulnerability prompted debates over reconstruction versus removal, culminating in its partial demolition from 1992 to 2003 and replacement with the at-grade Octavia Boulevard, which reconnected divided neighborhoods and supported multimodal street designs over elevated auto-centric corridors.[2][4] This transformation, informed by empirical assessments of post-earthquake traffic patterns and urban livability, elevated property values in adjacent areas—such as Hayes Valley, where condominium prices rose from 66% to above the city average—and demonstrated causal links between freeway removal and enhanced neighborhood cohesion, though a stub remains in the South of Market district for ongoing connectivity.[1][5] The project's success contrasted with contemporaneous freeway revolts elsewhere in San Francisco, highlighting shifts in planning priorities from rapid vehicular throughput to integrated urban fabric restoration based on observed seismic risks and community impacts.[6][7]Route Description
Current Alignment and Configuration
The Central Freeway constitutes the elevated northern extension of the Bayshore Freeway segment of U.S. Route 101 in San Francisco, spanning approximately 1.2 miles (1.9 km) through the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood.[8] It begins at the junction with the Bayshore Freeway near the intersection of Cesar Chavez Street and Indiana Street in the southeast, proceeding northward as a multi-lane elevated viaduct.[8] The roadway curves northwest, passing over Mission Street and key urban intersections, before reaching its northern terminus at the Octavia Boulevard interchange near Fell and Oak Streets.[8][9] This configuration features continuous northbound and southbound lanes on the elevated structure, with interchanges providing access to local streets such as Mission Street and 14th Street.[8] North of the terminus, traffic transitions via off-ramps to the at-grade Octavia Boulevard, a landscaped surface arterial designed to replace the former elevated extension of the freeway through Hayes Valley.[10][9] The boulevard facilitates dispersal to Fell Street and subsequent connections to Van Ness Avenue (U.S. Route 101), maintaining continuity of the highway while integrating with surrounding urban fabric.[10] As of 2025, the Central Freeway remains operational in this truncated form, with ongoing rehabilitation efforts focused on bridge maintenance and pavement upgrades scheduled to commence in late 2025 and extend into 2026.[11] These projects address seismic retrofitting and structural preservation without altering the overall alignment.[12]Exits and Interchanges
The Central Freeway's current alignment, as part of U.S. Route 101, features a limited set of exits and interchanges due to its truncation at Octavia Boulevard following partial demolition in the 2000s. The segment primarily serves northbound traffic from the Bayshore Freeway through the South of Market and Mission districts, with connections to Interstate 80 eastbound toward the Bay Bridge and local exits for the Civic Center and surrounding neighborhoods. Southbound movements include corresponding entrances from Octavia Boulevard and Duboce Avenue, funneling traffic onto the elevated structure toward the southern freeway.[13][8] Key interchanges include the partial cloverleaf junction with I-80 at Exit 433B, where eastbound traffic diverges from US 101 north amid tight ramps serving the Bay Bridge approaches; this configuration dates to the 1950s alignments but has been retrofitted for seismic stability. Northbound US 101 continues elevated past a left-hand exit for Ninth Street to the Civic Center, providing access to government buildings and transit hubs. The freeway then reaches Exit 434A for Mission Street and Duboce Avenue, where northbound US 101 departs the structure onto surface streets (Mission Street transitioning to South Van Ness Avenue and Fell Street). The elevated stub terminates shortly thereafter at the Octavia Boulevard interchange (Exit 434B), with ramps distributing local traffic to Fell Street westbound and Octavia Boulevard, a landscaped surface boulevard replacing the former viaduct extension.[13][14]| Exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 433A | Vermont Street | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; serves local Mission District access.[13] |
| 433B | I-80 east (Bay Bridge, Oakland) | Partial interchange; split from US 101 mainline, eastbound only.[13][14] |
| 433C | Ninth Street (Civic Center) | Left-hand northbound exit; southbound entrance from Civic Center area.[13][8] |
| 434A | Mission Street, Duboce Avenue | Northbound exit for US 101 continuation (to Golden Gate Bridge via surface routes); southbound entrance from Duboce.[13][14] |
| 434B | Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street | Northern terminus interchange; ramps to surface boulevard and westbound Fell Street; southbound entrance primary.[13][8] |