MacArthur Maze
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The MacArthur Maze in the U.S. city of Oakland, California is a freeway interchange next to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Caltrans calls it the distribution structure. However, local traffic reporters and residents generally use "the Maze" to refer to the series of freeway interchanges in that general area. The MacArthur Maze is named after nearby MacArthur Boulevard and the MacArthur Freeway (Interstate 580), which in turn are named after Douglas MacArthur.
The MacArthur Maze is one of the busiest freeway interchange complexes in the United States since traffic going to San Francisco from all of the cities and communities on the East Bay converge into that area.
The official MacArthur Maze interchange comprises four freeway segments (i.e. there are four freeway 'paths' of travel into the complex):
- Interstate 80, going west across the Bay Bridge.
- Interstate 580, headed east towards eastern Alameda County.
- Interstate 80 / Interstate 580 multiplex, headed towards Berkeley and northern Contra Costa County.
- Interstate 880 going south towards southern Alameda County and San Jose.
- The I-580 / Interstate 980 / California State Highway 24 interchange. Highway 24 brings in traffic from eastern Contra Costa County.
- The Cypress Structure Division, commonly called the "San Rafael Split," where North I-880 traffic makes a choice to go to I-80 West and the Bay Bridge or I-580 West/I-80 East towards Berkeley and Sacramento. This is where the exit from the EB Bay Bridge for I-880 South and the SB Eastshore Fwy exit for SB I-880 meet.
- The I-880 / I-980 interchange.
Effects of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
During the October 17, 1989, Loma Prieta earthquake, which measured 7.1 on the Richter scale, the double-decked "Cypress Structure" on I-880 between I-80 and I-980 collapsed, crushing cars and killing 42 people. Traffic on the MacArthur Maze headed towards I-880 was re-routed to I-580 and I-980, and ramps leading to the former Cypress Structure were signed for local traffic access to Cypress Street.
The Cypress Structure was demolished soon after the earthquake, but was not rebuilt until July 1997, due to lawsuits by environmentalists and local residents. The rebuilt highway was no longer a double-decker structure. It was constructed around the outskirts of West Oakland, rather than bisecting it, as the Cypress structure did.
External links
- [Traffic Camera (Windows Media format)] looking north of the MacArthur Maze on I-80East/580West (right) just over the I-880 interconnect (center) (left is I-80West/580East) - from [Caltrans Live Traffic Cameras]
- [Cypress Street Viaduct] includes map of old MacArthur Maze with old U.S. Highway 40/U.S. Highway 50 designations
Maps
Official MacArthur Maze interchange- [Maps and aerial photos]
- * Street map from [Google Local] or [Yahoo! Maps]
- * Topographic map from [TopoZone]
- * Aerial image or topographic map from [TerraServer-USA]
- * Satellite image from [Google Local] or [Microsoft Virtual Earth]
- [Maps and aerial photos]
- * Street map from [Google Local] or [Yahoo! Maps]
- * Topographic map from [TopoZone]
- * Aerial image or topographic map from [TerraServer-USA]
- * Satellite image from [Google Local] or [Microsoft Virtual Earth]
- [Maps and aerial photos]
- * Street map from [Google Local] or [Yahoo! Maps]
- * Topographic map from [TopoZone]
- * Aerial image or topographic map from [TerraServer-USA]
- * Satellite image from [Google Local] or [Microsoft Virtual Earth]
- [Maps and aerial photos]
- * Street map from [Google Maps] or [Yahoo! Maps]
- * Topographic map from [TopoZone]
- * Aerial image or topographic map from [TerraServer-USA]
- * Satellite image from [Google Maps] or [Windows Live Local]
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