The California Department of Transportation ( Caltrans ) is an executive department within the U. S. state of California.

Caltrans manages the state highway system ( which includes the California Freeway and Expressway System ) and is actively involved with public transportation systems throughout the state.

Like most state agencies, Caltrans maintains its headquarters in Sacramento, which is covered by District 3.

Although the I-238 goes in an east – west direction from Castro Valley to San Leandro, Caltrans officially signs it as a north – south freeway since the rest of State Route 238 is more north – south.

Though operated by Amtrak, the Pacific Surfliner is primarily financed through funds made available by the State of California Department of Transportation ( Caltrans ) and is operated under the Amtrak California brand.

The route is officially known as the Jacob Dekema Freeway, after Jacob Dekema, a pioneering force from the California Department of Transportation ( Caltrans ) who helped shape the San Diego freeway system.

SR 57 is legally eligible for the State Scenic Highway System through Brea Canyon, between SR 90 and SR 60, though it has not officially been designated by Caltrans as such because it has not successfully been through the nomination process.

As an Amtrak California route, Capitol Corridor is fully funded by the state through Caltrans Division of Rail.

However, it is not a scenic highway as designated by Caltrans.

The desired highway is being built piecemeal as Caltrans has funds available, at least between Mojave and Barstow.

However, it is not a scenic highway as defined by Caltrans.

However, this route is not designated by Caltrans as a scenic highway.

However, it is only an eligible scenic highway as designated by Caltrans from the western boundary of the San Bernardino National Forest to its junction with SR 111.

Though a detour opened in August, 2006, those anticipating travel between Mariposa and El Portal ( Yosemite National Park ) on SR140 are still advised to contact the National Park Service, California Highway Patrol, Caltrans, or the Mariposa County Sheriff to find out if the road is open.

This northern section was deleted from the definition in the Streets and Highways Code in 2003, when the relinquished portion through downtown Sacramento was also removed, but it is still maintained and signed by the California Department of Transportation ( Caltrans ) as SR 160.

Caltrans rejected the idea, arguing the emergency lane is needed for safety.

This is a 1943 photo from the Caltrans site, showing the Ridge Alternate down Grapevine grade.

It is looking north at the curve to the left after the Fort Tejon exit ; this can be confirmed by comparing the mountain in the background with about 1 / 5 through this Caltrans photolog file ( thus about postmile 6 in Kern County ).

The toll road is being funded by the private company California Transportation Ventures, Inc. and the following public agencies: the United States Department of Transportation, Caltrans, San Diego Association of Governments ( SANDAG ), and the City of Chula Vista.

However, it is only a scenic highway from SR 94 to I-8 as designated by Caltrans.

However, it is not officially designated by Caltrans as a scenic highway.

However, it is not a scenic highway as designated by Caltrans because it has not successfully been through the nomination process.

However, only the portion of SR 2 from a point north of the I-210 interchange to the San Bernardino county line is actually designated as a scenic highway by Caltrans.

Caltrans headquarters in Sacramento

By 2000, the city of Sacramento maintained the non-freeway portion of SR 160 within the city limits under a contract with Caltrans.

Under a law passed in July 1999, Caltrans was authorized to relinquish any part of Route 160 within the city limits to Sacramento.

Despite its deletion from the Streets and Highways Code in 1996, the California Department of Transportation ( Caltrans ) still maintains about half of the route ; approximately 1 / 2 mile ( 1 km ) was relinquished to West Sacramento in 2001 and about the same ( along Capitol Mall ) to Sacramento in 2006.

The state legislature passed a law in 1994 that allowed Caltrans to come to an agreement with West Sacramento or Sacramento for the relinquishment of any part of SR 275.

Effective January 1, 2001, Caltrans relinquished SR 275 to West Sacramento between postmiles 12. 4 ( west of Riske Lane ) and 13. 0 ( the west end of the Tower Bridge ).

A joint project to widen the bridge sidewalks was carried out by Sacramento, West Sacramento, and Caltrans.

* December 12 – Amtrak and the California Department of Transportation ( Caltrans ) begin the Capitol Corridor passenger rail route, connecting the Sacramento region of the Central Valley with Oakland and San Jose in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The earliest predecessor of Caltrans was the Bureau of Highways, which was created by the California Legislature and signed into law by Governor James Budd in 1895.

The history of Caltrans and its predecessor agencies during the 20th century was marked by many firsts.

For administrative purposes, Caltrans has divided the state of California into 12 districts supervised by district offices.

When the current bridge was planned in the 1970s, Caltrans conducted extensive environmental research on the aquatic and terrestrial environment.

Although the present situation has resulted in severe traffic problems on the bridge itself and in Menlo Park and East Palo Alto, Caltrans has been unable to upgrade the relevant portion of Highway 84 to freeway standards for several decades, due to opposition from the cities of Menlo Park, Atherton and Palo Alto.

In the late 1990s, Caltrans began placing guide signs on local streets in the San Fernando Valley adjacent to 101 which identified eastbound and westbound entrances to the freeway.

Other than replacing older guide signs which previously referenced the official northbound and southbound designations of the freeway, Caltrans made no other changes to mainline or street signing, and as such, pull-through signs, overhead signs, and freeway entrance signs all still reference north and south instead of east and west.

Part of State Route 238 until 1983, and still considered the same route ( part of Route 238 ) by the California Department of Transportation ( Caltrans ), it connects Interstate 580 in Castro Valley ( where SR 238 continues south ) with Interstate 880 in San Leandro.

Inyokern also has a California Highway Patrol substation and a Caltrans road maintenance center.

During any period of prolonged or intense rain, Caltrans snowplows will patrol most canyon roads in the area, clearing mud, rocks, and other fallen debris from the roadways.

After Caltrans purchased the land for the bypass, it was resolved to improve the highway through Prunedale by adding a San Miguel Canyon overpass, improving the Highway 101 and Highway 156 interchange, making more turn and merge lanes, and making several other improvements on the roadway.

From the south, U. S. Route 101 North and State Route 116 West approach Cotati on a multilane lane freeway alignment which Caltrans calls the Cotati Grade, with exits at Railroad Avenue and West Sierra Avenue.

However, after much debate, city officials persuaded Caltrans to lay the freeway parallel to Ventura Boulevard, creating the infamously steep descent from the Santa Monica Mountains, known as the Conejo Grade.

Project Carryall, proposed in 1963 by the Atomic Energy Commission, the California Division of Highways ( now Caltrans ), and the Santa Fe Railway, would have used 22 nuclear explosions to excavate a massive roadcut through the Bristol Mountains in the Mojave Desert, to accommodate construction of Interstate 40 and a new rail line.

To preserve the commuter service, Caltrans in 1980 contracted SP and began to subsidize the operation.

Caltrans purchased new locomotives and rolling stock replacing SP equipment in 1985, upgraded stations, added shuttle buses to nearby employers, and dubbed the operation CalTrain.