Pomona Freeway (CA-60)

Pomona Freeway (CA-60)
Name	Pomona Freeway (CA-60)
Route	State Route 60
Length mi	approx. 40
Established	1964
Direction a	West
Direction b	East
Terminus a	Los Angeles (near East Los Angeles)
Terminus b	Riverside County (near Moreno Valley)
Counties	Los Angeles County; San Bernardino County; Riverside County

Pomona Freeway (CA-60) The Pomona Freeway is the name for a major portion of California State Route 60 serving the Los Angeles metropolitan area, Inland Empire, and connecting Los Angeles to Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange County. It functions as a primary east–west arterial parallel to Interstate 10 and State Route 91, providing freight, commuter, and intercity links that intersect with corridors such as Interstate 5, Interstate 710, and Interstate 15. The route traverses diverse jurisdictions including Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and Riverside County, and passes near municipalities like Pomona, Pasadena, Covina, Diamond Bar, City of Industry, and Montclair.

Route description

The Pomona Freeway segment of State Route 60 begins in the East Los Angeles/Monterey Park vicinity and proceeds east through Los Angeles, skirting neighborhoods such as Alhambra and El Sereno, before entering the San Gabriel Valley near South Pasadena and San Marino. It intersects Interstate 5 and forms a complex interchange with Interstate 710 near Alhambra, then continues eastward through City of Industry and by landmarks like Puente Hills and Whittier Narrows. Further east the freeway crosses the San Gabriel River, approaches Pomona where it connects with State Route 71, and then climbs toward Carbon Canyon and Chino Hills near Chino and Ontario. East of Pomona it passes the Los Angeles/Orange County boundary region, meets Interstate 15 at the Cucamonga corridor, and proceeds into Riverside County toward Riverside and Moreno Valley, paralleling rail corridors including Metrolink routes and freight lines owned by Union Pacific Railroad and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. The freeway accommodates carpool lanes, truck bypass lanes, and connects to regional arterials such as Holt Avenue, Euclid Avenue, and Valley Boulevard.

History

Early alignments of east–west travel in the region followed historic routes like El Camino Real and U.S. Route 60 (1926–1985), with the modern Pomona Freeway evolving from the mid-20th-century expansion of the California State Highway System and postwar freeway construction programs associated with agencies including the California Department of Transportation and county authorities. Construction phases paralleled major developments such as the World War II defense buildup that increased truck and rail traffic to Los Angeles Harbor and industrial zones around Pico Rivera and Commerce. The freeway’s completion was influenced by federal programs administered under Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 and later environmental reviews prompted by legislation like the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Historic interchanges were reconstructed during the late 20th and early 21st centuries alongside projects tied to Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Riverside County Transportation Commission funding measures, spurred by ballot measures such as Measure R (Los Angeles County). Community responses in cities such as Pomona and Diamond Bar shaped alignment choices, environmental mitigation, and right-of-way acquisitions involving entities like Southern California Association of Governments.

Major junctions and exits

The Pomona Freeway connects with a sequence of principal regional routes and interstates: - Western terminus interchange region: Interstate 10, Interstate 5, and access to Downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena corridors. - Central interchanges: Interstate 710 (Harbor Freeway), State Route 57 (Orange Freeway) near Diamond Bar, and State Route 71 (Chino Valley Freeway) at Pomona. - Eastern interchanges: Interstate 15 (Ontario/Mount Baldy access), connections toward Riverside via State Route 91 interchange corridors, and local connectors to Euclid Avenue, Holt Avenue, and Gale Avenue. - Freight and rail interface points near City of Industry and Claremont that link to yards operated by Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway.

Traffic volume and safety

Traffic volumes on the Pomona Freeway reflect heavy commuter, freight, and interregional flows, with peak weekday volumes influenced by commuting patterns between Los Angeles employment centers and Inland Empire distribution hubs such as those in Fontana and Ontario. Traffic studies by agencies including Caltrans District 7 and Caltrans District 8 record high average daily traffic (ADT) in segments around Pomona and Diamond Bar, with recurring congestion at interchanges like I-710 and SR 57. Collision factors have been analyzed in reports by the California Highway Patrol and local sheriffs’ departments, citing rear-end incidents, truck-involved collisions, and secondary crashes often exacerbated by corridor geometry and weaving movements. Safety improvements have included ramp redesigns, auxiliary lanes, median barriers, lighting upgrades, and incident management coordination with agencies like Los Angeles County Fire Department and Riverside County Fire Department.

Future plans and improvements

Planned and proposed improvements involve operational and capacity projects coordinated by Caltrans, regional agencies such as Southern California Association of Governments, and county transportation commissions. Projects under study or development include express lane conversions similar to I-10 ExpressLanes, ramp metering enhancements as used on I-5, interchange rebuilds near Pomona and Diamond Bar, seismic retrofits modeled after measures implemented after the Northridge earthquake and policy frameworks inspired by Senate Bill 1 (2017). Freight corridor improvements aim to coordinate with Port of Los Angeles/Port of Long Beach goods movement programs and rail investments such as Metrolink Positive Train Control upgrades to reduce conflicts. Transit integration proposals consider expanded Metrolink services, bus rapid transit influenced by models like Los Angeles Metro Busway, and active transportation crossings tying into projects by Sierra Club chapters and local municipalities.

Related routes and designations

The Pomona Freeway segment is one designation of State Route 60, related to other corridors including Interstate 10, State Route 57, State Route 71, Interstate 15, and State Route 91. Legacy designations reference historic U.S. Route 60 alignments and surface routes like Mission Boulevard and Valley Boulevard. Nearby auxiliary and parallel facilities include Interstate 210 (Foothill Freeway), Interstate 605 (San Gabriel River Freeway), and local arterials such as Holt Avenue and Euclid Avenue that function as collector-distributor links. The corridor interfaces with freight operators like Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway and transit agencies such as Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Metrolink.

Category:California State Route 60