Ventura Freeway#On State Route 134

The Ventura Freeway begins at the Santa Barbara/Ventura county line, west of La Conchita, as US 101. It travels eastward through the citrus orchards and strawberry fields of the Oxnard Plain before ascending the short, steep Conejo Grade into the Conejo Valley. Continuing eastward through the northern Santa Monica Mountains, it crosses the Ventura/Los Angeles county line before entering the San Fernando Valley. The freeway continues eastward along the valley's southern rim, crossing the San Diego Freeway (Interstate 405) near Sherman Oaks at an interchange consistently rated as one of the five most congested in the nation. It then reaches an interchange with the Hollywood Freeway known as the Hollywood Split. Here, the US 101 designation switches to the southeast-bound Hollywood Freeway, while the Ventura Freeway becomes SR 134 as it continues eastward. The northwest-bound portion of the Hollywood Freeway is designated as SR 170.

The westernmost portion of the freeway also forms part of the unsigned SR 1 concurrency that stretches from Las Cruces in the west to Oxnard in the east, with SR 1 spitting off for about {{convert|6|mi|km}} to serve Sea Cliff, Faria, Solimar Beach, and Emma Wood State Beach.

The portion of the Ventura Freeway signed as US 101 is signed as a north–south route by CalTrans despite the freeway's actual alignment being east–west. This is due to the fact that US 101 as a whole has an overall north–south alignment. The apparent inconsistency can be confusing to visitors, as the same freeway entrance can often be signed as "101 North" and "101 West." This is most common in the San Fernando Valley.

File:SR 134 Ventura Freeway looking west from N Pass Ave.jpg

File:CA 134 LA River Bridge 2019.jpg at its confluence with Verdugo Wash]]

Image:Image WB CA-134 at I-5.jpg

Continuing eastward from the Hollywood Split as SR 134, the Ventura Freeway, now signed as east–west, skirts the northern edge of Griffith Park before intersecting the Golden State Freeway (I-5) and crossing the Los Angeles River. After passing through Downtown Glendale south of the Verdugo Mountains, it continues along the southern slope of the San Rafael Hills between Glendale and Eagle Rock before entering Pasadena near the Arroyo Seco and terminating at the Foothill Freeway (I-210).

SR 134 is the main connector from the San Fernando Valley and points north to the San Gabriel Valley and points east. The unsigned SR 710 travels south of the I-210/SR 134 interchange to its terminus at California Boulevard. Residents of South Pasadena have blocked efforts to extend SR 710 south from California Boulevard down to Valley Boulevard north of I-10 (northern terminus of I-710) near the Alhambra/Los Angeles city limit. Signs on SR 134 and I-210 refer to the SR 710 stub in Pasadena as TO SR 110, because exiting left from the SR 710 stub onto California Boulevard and turning right on Arroyo Parkway leads directly to SR 110, which is Pasadena's only direct freeway link to Downtown Los Angeles.

Both the SR 134 and US 101 portions of the freeway are part of the California Freeway and Expressway System,{{CAFESystem}} and is part of the National Highway System,{{FHWA NHS map|region=losangeles|access-date=September 29, 2017}}
{{FHWA NHS map|region=oxnard|access-date=September 29, 2017}} a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.{{FHWA NHS}}

{{see also|Ventura Boulevard}}

{{Expand section|date=April 2016}}

A pre-freeway alignment of State Route 134 originated at U.S. Route 101 (Ventura Boulevard) and Fulton Avenue in Los Angeles, then along Fulton, Moorpark Street, Riverside Drive and Alameda Avenue before meeting up with U.S. 6/99 (San Fernando Road) in Burbank. It traveled along San Fernando Road to Colorado Street, then ran along Colorado Street (portions of which have been renamed Eagle Vista Drive) through Glendale, Eagle Rock and Pasadena before terminating at U.S. Route 66. The alignment was later cut back to terminate in Studio City at Lankershim and Ventura.

The Interstate 5 off-ramp at Colorado Street is actually a former routing of SR 134, and there are still mileposts that refer to it as such. Old SR 134 followed Colorado Street through Glendale and Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock to the ramp connecting Colorado Boulevard and Figueroa Street to the Ventura Freeway. Old SR 134 continued onto the ramp and then onto what is presently the Ventura Freeway to Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena. The Colorado Boulevard/Figueroa Street ramps plus the segment of freeway between the ramps and just east of Orange Grove Boulevard were previously known as the Colorado Freeway.

From 1964 to 1992, the Colorado Boulevard portions of Route 134 were renumbered as California State Route 248.

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File:ScreamHWY101.jpg

The official Ventura Freeway designation is Routes 101 and 134 from Route 5 to the Santa Barbara County line.{{cite book | url=http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tsip/hseb/products/Named_Freeways.pdf | title=2007 Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances in California | publisher=Caltrans | page=78 | access-date=2007-03-28}} This does not include the portion of Route 134 between Route 5 and Route 210 even though local usage extends the name over this portion of freeway. At the freeway's eastern terminus with Interstate 210 in Pasadena, highway signs indicate "Ventura" as the destination direction for Route 134.

The interchange of SR 134 and I-5 is officially the "Gene Autry Memorial Interchange", after the singing cowboy superstar Gene Autry. Autry's Museum of the American West is located near the interchange in Griffith Park.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 54, Chapter 85 in 2003 also designated Route 101 in Ventura County as the "Screaming Eagles Highway".Ib. at 76 This honors the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army, which formed on July 23, 1918 and has been involved in every major war that the United States has participated in since then.{{cite web|url=http://www.cahighways.org/097-104.html#101 |title=California Highways (www.cahighways.org): Routes 97 through 104 |publisher=www.cahighways.org |access-date=2012-11-07}}

The California Legislature passed a resolution in 2017 to designate the easternmost segment of the SR 134 freeway between SR 2 and its terminus at I-210 as the "President Barack H. Obama Highway", in honor of the 44th U.S. President Barack Obama, who had attended Occidental College in Eagle Rock from 1979 to 1981.{{cite news|title=Legislature passes resolution naming portion of 134 the Barack H. Obama Freeway|newspaper=Pasadena Weekly|date=September 14, 2018|url=https://www.pasadenaweekly.com/2017/09/14/legislature-passes-resolution-naming-portion-134-barack-h-obama-freeway/|access-date=December 22, 2018}} Signs were posted on December 20, 2018.{{cite web|title=Los Angeles-area freeway named for Barack Obama|agency=Associated Press|publisher=ABC News|date=December 20, 2018|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/los-angeles-area-freeway-named-barack-obama-59942210|access-date=December 21, 2018}}

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The proposed Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is a vegetated overpass spanning the Ventura Freeway and Agoura Road at Liberty Canyon in Agoura Hills. When built, it will be one of the largest urban wildlife crossing in the United States, connecting the Simi Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains over a busy freeway with ten traffic lanes (including exit lanes).{{Cite news|agency=Associated Press|date=September 3, 2015|title=Freeway wildlife corridor is feasible, study says|url=https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/2015/09/03/freeway-wildlife-corridor-feasible-study-says/71648890/|access-date=2021-05-26|work=Visalia Times Delta|language=en-US}}{{cite news |last=Guldimann |first=Suzanne |date=February 9, 2015 |title=Liberty Canyon wildlife crossing granted $1 million by SCC |url=http://www.malibusurfsidenews.com/liberty-canyon-wildlife-crossing-granted-1-million-scc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801035644/http://www.malibusurfsidenews.com/liberty-canyon-wildlife-crossing-granted-1-million-scc |url-status=usurped |archive-date=August 1, 2017 |newspaper=Malibu Surfside News |access-date=September 12, 2015 }}

Ventura Freeway currently carries the Los Angeles Metro express bus route 501 between Pasadena and North Hollywood. Portions of SR 134 are also being considered as part of a Bus Rapid Transit project.{{cite news |last = Chilland |first = Elijah |date = July 17, 2019 |title = Eagle Rock split on Colorado Boulevard|url = https://la.curbed.com/2019/7/16/20695523/eagle-rock-colorado-boulevard-brt|

work = Curbed Los Angeles |access-date = December 20, 2019 }}

This exit list proceeds from east to west, since the majority of the freeway is the north-south US 101. {{CAinttop|exit|post_ref=
{{Caltrans bridgelog|date=July 2007}}California Department of Transportation, [http://traffic-counts.dot.ca.gov/ All Traffic Volumes on CSHS], 2005 and 2006|exit_ref=
California Department of Transportation, California Numbered Exit Uniform System, [http://www.dot.ca.gov/trafficops/exit/docs/oneoonenorth.pdf US-101 Northbound] and [http://www.dot.ca.gov/trafficops/exit/docs/oneoonesouth.pdf US-101 Southbound]. Retrieved February 2008.California Department of Transportation, California Numbered Exit Uniform System, [http://www.dot.ca.gov/trafficops/exit/docs/onethirtyfoureast.pdf SR-134 Eastbound] and [http://www.dot.ca.gov/trafficops/exit/docs/onethirtyfourwest.pdf SR-134 Westbound]. Retrieved February 2008.

}}

{{CAint|exit

|county=Los Angeles

|cspan=25

|county_note=LA R13.34-0.00
11.75-38.19

|location=Pasadena

|lspan=5

|postmile=R13.34

|pmspan=3

|exit=—

|road={{jct|state=CA|I|210|dir1=east|name1=Foothill Freeway|city1=San Bernardino}}

|notes=Eastern terminus of SR 134 and Ventura Freeway; I-210 west exit 26A

}}

{{CAint|exit

|mile=none

|exit=25CExit number follows I-210 rather than SR 134.

|road=Fair Oaks Avenue, Marengo Avenue

|notes=Westbound exit is part of exits 25A–B on I-210 west

}}

{{CAint|exit

|mile=none

|exit=13B

|road={{jct|state=CA|I|210|dir1=west|name1=Foothill Freeway|city1=San Fernando|to2=to|SR|110|road|Del Mar Boulevard|road|California Boulevard|name4={{jct|state=CA|SR|710|noshield=y}} }}

|notes=I-210 east exits 25B

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=R12.97

|exit=13A

|road=Colorado Boulevard, Orange Grove Boulevard

|notes=Former SR 248

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=R12.36

|exit=12

|road=San Rafael Avenue, Linda Vista Avenue

|notes=Linda Vista Avenue was former SR 159 north

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=Los Angeles

|postmile=R11.44

|exit=11

|road=Figueroa Street, Colorado Boulevard

|notes=Figueroa Street was former US 66 Alt. west / SR 159 south; Colorado Boulevard was former US 66 Alt. east / SR 248 east; westbound exit and eastbound entrance for Colorado Boulevard only connected via 0.7 mile flyover ramps, formerly part of SR 134 west

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location1=Los Angeles

|location2=Glendale

|postmile=R8.96

|exit=9B

|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|2|name1=Glendale Freeway}}

|notes=Signed as exit 9A eastbound; SR 2 north exits 17A-B, south exit 17B

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=Glendale

|lspan=5

|postmile=R8.81

|exit=9A

|road=Harvey Drive

|notes=Signed as exit 9B eastbound

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=R7.87

|exit=8

|road=Glendale Avenue

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=R6.96

|postmile2=R7.13

|exit=7B

|road=Central Avenue, Brand Boulevard

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=R6.57

|exit=7A

|road=Pacific Avenue

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=R6.18

|exit=6

|road=San Fernando Road

|notes=Former US 6 / US 99

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=Los Angeles

|lspan=4

|type=incomplete

|postmile=R5.47

|exit=5

|road={{Jct|state=CA|I|5|dir1=north|name1=Golden State Freeway|city1=Sacramento|location2=Burbank Airport|extra=airport}}

|notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; I-5 south exit 144; eastbound access is via exit 5A

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=R5.47

|exit=5B

|road={{Jct|state=CA|I|5|dir1=south|name1=Golden State Freeway|city1=Los Angeles}}

|notes=Westbound exit is part of exit 5; I-5 north exit 144A-B

}}

{{CAint|exit

|type=incomplete

|postmile=4.81

|exit=5A

|road={{Jct|state=CA|road|Victory Boulevard|I|5|to2=to|dir2=north}}

|notes=Eastbound exit and westbound entrance

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=3.81

|exit=4

|road=Forest Lawn Drive

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=Burbank

|lspan=3

|postmile=2.90

|exit=3

|road=Bob Hope Drive, Buena Vista Street

|notes=

}}

{{CAint|exit

|type=incomplete

|postmile=2.11

|exit=2

|espan=2

|road=Hollywood Way

|notes=No eastbound exit

}}

{{CAint

|type=incomplete

|postmile=1.82

|road=Pass Avenue – Burbank

|notes=Eastbound exit only

}}

{{CAint|exit

|location=Los Angeles

|lspan=6

|type=incomplete

|postmile=0.86

|exit=1D

|road=Cahuenga Boulevard – Hollywood

|notes=Signed as exit 1 eastbound; no westbound entrance

}}

{{CAint|exit

|type=incomplete

|postmile=0.51

|exit=1C

|road={{Jct|state=CA|road|Lankershim Boulevard|US|101|to2=to|dir2=south}} – North Hollywood

|notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance

}}

{{CAint|exit

|type=incomplete

|postmile=0.35

|exit=

|road=Vineland Avenue

|notes=Eastbound exit and entrance only

}}

{{CAint|exit

|type=incomplete

|postmile=0.00

|exit=1B

|road={{jct|state=CA|SR|170|dir1=north|name1=Hollywood Freeway|city1=Sacramento}}

|notes=West/northbound exit and east/southbound entrance; signed as exit 13 on US 101 north; SR 170 south exit 5B; east/south end of Hollywood Split

}}

{{CAint|exit

|postmile=0.00

|postmile2=11.75Indicates that the postmile represents the distance along US 101 rather than SR 134.

|line=yes

|type=trans

|pmspan=2

|exit=—

|road=West end of SR 134
East/south end of US 101 overlap

|notes=Ventura Freeway west follows SR 134 exit 1A to US 101 north; SR 170 south exit 5B

}}

{{CAint|exit

|type=incomplete

|mile=none

|exit=—

|road={{jct|state=CA|US|101|dir1=south|name1=Hollywood Freeway|city1=Los Angeles}}

|notes=East/southbound exit and west/northbound entrance; SR 134 east follows US 101 south exit 13B; west/north end of Hollywood Split

}}

{{Jctgap|text=See US 101 Exits 13A–83 }}

{{CAint|exit

|location=none

|county1=Ventura

|county2=Santa Barbara

|exit=—

|postmile=R43.62

|road={{jct|state=CA|US|101|dir1=north|name1=SR 1|city1=Santa Barbara|city2=San Francisco}}

|notes=Western terminus of Ventura Freeway; continuation into Santa Barbara County

}}

{{jctbtm|col=6|keys=concur,incomplete,trans}}

{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

• {{portal-inline|California Roads}}
• {{Portal-inline|Los Angeles}}
• Colorado Street

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category}}

{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}

{{CASR external links}}

• [http://www.aaroads.com/california/ca-134.html California @ AARoads — State Route 134]
• [http://www.cahighways.org/129-136.html#134 California Highways: SR 134]
• [http://www.socalregion.com/highways/socal_unsigned/colorado_fwy/ Colorado Freeway History]

Category:Southern California freeways

Category:Named freeways in California

Category:U.S. Route 101

Category:Roads in Los Angeles County, California

Category:Roads in Ventura County, California

Category:Transportation in Glendale, California

Category:Transportation in Los Angeles

Category:Transportation in Pasadena, California

Category:Transportation in the San Fernando Valley

Category:Conejo Valley

Category:Ventura, California

Category:State highways in California