Building History

Construction of a highway linking San Francisco and San Jose, CA, began in 1924 and 1925, designed as an alternative route to the only other roadway, El Camino Real. Construction of this approximately 56.4-mile arterial took until 1937 to be completed between the two cities. While this first version of the Bayshore Freeway was complete before World War II, it proved to be incapable of handling increasing traffic volume following the war. As a result, the State of California began planning the state's s second six-lane, limited-access highway, the first in the northern part of the state. (The first modern multi-lane highway in the state was the Arroyo Seco Parkway completed in 1938-1940.)

The State of California Division of Highways enlarged the Bayshore Freeway in San Francisco County during 1955 and 1956, signing contracts with three large construction firms to complete the expansion: the Charles Harney Construction Company, Keeble and Caputo Construction Company and Guy F. Atkinson Construction Company. An article in the San Francisco newspaper Organized Labor of 2/25/1955 stated: "On other portions of the Bayshore Freeway, Guy F. Atkinson Co. has removed a large slice off the hillside near Brisbane to the water fill between Candlestick Point and San Mateo County line. Keeble & Caputo's section from 3rd to Atkinson's water fill is at a stand-still at the present time. Opening fro the heavy Bayshore traffice will soon be on Chas. Harney's section from Alemany Blvd. to 3rd Street." (See "S.F. Set to Start Embarcadero Fwy.," Organized Labor, vol. 54, no. 3, 02/25/1955, p. 5.)

PCAD id: 24507