Interstate 805 Corridor Map
Final I-805 comprehensive performance assessment and causality report
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A description of Interstate 805
I-805 is a principal north-south interregional freeway for people and goods movement in the San Diego region connecting the San Diego metropolitan area with Mexico and Los Angeles. I-805 is an eight-lane freeway with auxiliary lanes at various locations and no HOV lanes. I-805 is an extensively used commuter and truck route, providing access to major employment centers in the region (downtown San Diego, Sorrento Valley/Sorrento Mesa, University Towne Centre (UTC), Kearny Mesa, and Otay Mesa). Additionally, I-805 is the only direct connection to the Otay Mesa Port of Entry (POE), which is essential to the regional, state, and national economy and cross-border goods movement. Commercial vehicles coming into the urbanized San Diego region from Mexico must cross at this POE, and the majority of these trucks travel on either I-805 or I-5. In addition, I-805 is a heavily used commuter route that experiences severe congestion during the morning and afternoon peak periods. Additional transportation improvements are needed to enhance mobility on I-805 and increase efficiency of the movement of people, goods, and services. Projected population and employment growth in the region will result in additional travel demand on the I-805 corridor.
By the year 2030, population growth in the vicinity of the I-805 corridor is expected to reach 39 percent while employment growth is anticipated at 28 percent. In particular, growth in the South County is expected to be higher than the San Diego County average. For example, in Chula Vista, population is anticipated to increase by 82 percent from 2000 to 2030 or nearly 143,000 residents (from 173,600 to 316,445 residents). During that same time period, housing units will increase from 59,495 to 102,885. Traffic forecasts indicate that travel demand on the I-805 corridor will increase by 2030 up to 50 percent.
The I-805 corridor is a key north-south goods movement corridor in the San Diego region. The corridor will face the challenge of accommodating future goods movement travel as a result of continued implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and anticipated growth in interregional travel between the San Diego region and northern Baja California. Currently, I-805 provides the primary goods movement route to and from the Otay Mesa Port of Entry (POE) to areas north of downtown San Diego. In 2004, approximately two million trucks crossed the California/Mexico border. The busiest POE for commercial traffic is Otay Mesa with approximately 1.4 million, or 70 percent, of total truck crossings annually. Total truck crossings are projected to increase to approximately 5.6 million trucks by 2030, with the majority of these truck trips processed through the Otay Mesa POE and eventually utilizing I-805 to head to northerly destinations.
The proposed Managed Lanes/HOV project from SR-905 to I-5 will significantly improve access to jobs, housing markets and commerce.
Corridor Specific Issues
• Reduced Travel Time and Delay
• Enhance Mobility and Safety
• Congestion Reduction
• Enhance Multimodal transit/Bus Rapid Transit options
CMIA Projects
• After Proposition 1B became law in 2006, a project was added to a list of proposed CMIA projects submitted to the CTC for approval. The project was to add southbound auxiliary lanes on I-805 from SR-54 to H Street. This project was amended into the SHOPP in March 2007.
For more information on the I-805 CSMP, please contact:
Maurice Eaton
maurice_eaton@dot.ca.gov
(619) 688-3137
