District 4- Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano,Sonoma Counties

Above: Blooper of the Old Cypress Viaduct (Freeway) in Oakland built in 1957 at a cost of 8.5 million dollars was the first double decker Freeway in state history. Collapsed 10/17/89 because of a 7.1 earthquake. This structure should not have been built, to read my reasons why click on the word Cypress Viaduct.

Photo courtesy of

This Oddity photo taken on the Eastshore Freeway in Berkeley. Lets examine this,  you're on the Eastshore Freeway traveling in a north/south direction on a dual sign route, where the two routes have posted signs traveling in the opposite directions. Question is are you sure you are going in the correct direction to get to your destination?

Oddity: photo taken on the SB onramp to SB US-101 in Navato. One of only five signs left in the State with the white state shields

Blooper: Taken at the juc. of I-680 NB to SR 242 in Concord for a short time the construction sign for 242 had a interstate sign instead of a state shield. For a short time the Bay Area had two strange three digit interstates

Oddity: photo taken in Downtown Calistoga, this stop sign mounted on a railroad crossing arm in a parking lot along side SR-29. Unusual to see a yellow background on a stop sign

Blooper: Taken at the corner of Concord Avenue and Market Street in Concord. Three idems makes this sign a blooper one no California on the shield, two look at the numbers and how squeezed into the shield they are, and three using a two digit shield for a three digit route. Photo courtesy of  Katlyn Thompson

Blooper: This sign on EB I-780 near the Benica Bridge, now did Caltrans forget something here like the placing some color inside the Interstate shield, or is this a new Business Interstate Route 680? Some blue and red would be nice! In a way I like this sign the way it is, this way we can still see the SR-21 shield! This one of only two signs left still showing the former SR-21 route along I-680
Photo courtesy of Katlyn Thompson

Oddity: photo taken SB US-101 at the San Antonio Road interchange. The normal distances for overhead signs are in miles, or 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 of a mile. On the sign above 1/8 of mile is used.

Blooper: This sign on EB I-238 at Mission Blvd (SR-238). Excuse me but this sign just looks wrong 238 is not interstate number. The only reason Caltrans keeped the number was so bay area drivers wouldn't have to remember a new highway number. Also the green arrow is from the days when it was State 238.

Blooper: Photo taken on NB I-680 at Mission Blvd. North of I-680 238 is signed as a state route into Hayward. I believe this sign is meant to direct motorist to I-238

WB Sign

EB Sign

Oddity: photo's taken on 7th Street in Oakland near the port. One of the old black and white speed limit signs. I always liked the old B/W signs over the present speed limit signs

Courtesy of the City of Oakland

Photo (top) courtesy of Geoff Gommerman

Photo (bottom) courtesy of Mike Ballard

Blooper: Photo taken on NB I-680 at SR-4 in Pacheco. Looking at the sign above I believe Caltrans forgot to put maybe a shield on this sign? I-680 would be nice there is a space for it perfect size all they have to do is glue one up there!

Blooper: Photo taken on  I-780 several shields along this interstate and  I-680 use the two digit shield. This makes the shield look crowded how ever you try to space the numbers. Is Caltrans having a shortage of three digit shields or an abundance of two digit shields?

Photo courtesy of Geoff Gommerman

Oddity: photo's taken on 7th Street in Oakland near the port. The sign above made of wood backing is a B/W older style sign and in good shape.

Courtesy of the City of Oakland

This Blooper/Oddity on SB I-280 near US-101 (Bayshore Freeway) In the sign above you can still see the older style US 101 shield behind the I-280 overlay. Before 1964 US 101 continue south along current SR-82 and Bypass US-101 alignment went on the current US-101 Bayshore Freeway. Normally when Caltrans puts greenout on a sign they completely cover the letters or the shield. But it is a nice reminder of how the old alignment went.

This Oddity photos taken near Lake Merrit in Downtown Oakland  the building behind the sign in the photo on top is the Alameda County Court House. These old B/W signs are a real rarity and a oddity anywhere.
Second photo courtesy of Geoff Gommerman

This Oddity photo taken on SR-24 looks like Orinda is waiting for the completion of the 2000 cenus before placing the population figure.
Photo courtesy of Geoff Gommerman

Blooper: Photo taken on NB  I-680 near the SR-238 junction. I think there are only one slash and four in the fraction 1/4. In the sign above the greenout wasn't long enough to completely cover the the second fraction

Oddity: photo taken SB at the Sir Francis Drake exit of a old style US shield

Oddity: photo taken SB Bayshore Freeway at ? of a old style US shield above the shield there use to be the word Bypass

Oddity/Blooper: Photo taken on SB US 101 @ Moffit Blvd? The construction company begs to differ they want to resign it as a Interstate route another weird three digit interstate number for the Bay Area. Plus I-101 would run along the eastern seaboard. The photo above is a blooper only because of the construction company. It's an oddity because Caltrans has not requested the construction company to replace the sign with the correct shield

Blooper: Photo taken on WB I-80 near US 101. Next to the word Junction there use to be a US-101 Shield without it this sign look wrong.

Oddity: photo taken on the Bay Bridge couple of idems to notice about this sign first this signbridge is the old design style there are a few left one on the Hollywood Freeway US 101. Notice that there only horzonal braces and no verticular cross members. The two outside signs are something new Caltrans is trying out instead of greenout this is what you call Signout. The sign on the right for Fremont was part of the Embarcadero Bay Bridge interchange this sign use to say I-480 Embarcadero Freeway. The one on the left I know is the orginal offramp for the Bay Bridge structure.

Blooper: Photo taken on SB I-680 near Olympic Blvd in Concord. Everything about this shield spells out blooper. Check out how small the letters in "California" and numbers. Plus the size of the red at the top of the shiled should be larger.

Photo courtesy of Katlyn Thompson

Blooper: Photo taken on I-880 NB at I-980 interchange in Oakland of a blank sign. It is a mystery what the sign use to say? Maybe it was for old SR-24 or for Broadway or Jack London Square? Maybe for Cypress Freeway or Cypress Street?

Photo courtesy of Geoff Gommerman

Blooper: Photo taken on 23rd Avenue EB in Oakland. The city of Oakland has found a new way of signing the Nimitz Freeway by placeing the new shiled inside of the old. I would consider this shield out instead of greenout.
Sign blooper courtesy of the City of Oakland

Photo courtesy of Geoff Gommerman

Oddity: Photo's taken on WB I-80 at the I-780 interchange three out of the four signs above are from the former I-80/ I-680 interchange. Notice the position of the I-80 shield if you look closely above the "F" in the upper left hand photo you can see the shape of a US 40 shield. Photo on the lower right is the only new sign in this interchange to the left hand side is a sign for I-780 Benica. Strange thing about the new sign which makes it an oddity is that the 80 shield is off center it looks like they are going to leave space for a US 40 shield in the future!

Photographic Contributors

Mike Ballard
Geoff Gommerman
Katlyn Thompson