View source for California State Route 87

{{short description|Highway in San Jose, California}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox road
|state=CA
|type=SR
|route=87
|alternate_name=Guadalupe Freeway
|section=387
|maint=[[Caltrans]]
|map={{Maplink-road|zoom=10|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/California State Route 87}}}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=SR&nbsp;87 highlighted in red
|length_mi=9
|length_ref=<ref name=bridgelog>{{Caltrans bridgelog|date=July 2007}}</ref>
|length_round=0
|established=[[1964 state highway renumbering (California)|1964 renumbering]]<ref name="cah 87">[http://cahighways.org/081-088.html#087 California Highways: State Route 87]</ref>
|direction_a=South
|terminus_a={{jct|state=CA|SR|85}} in [[San Jose, CA|San Jose]]
|junction={{jct|state=CA|I|280}} in [[San Jose, California|San Jose]]
|direction_b=North
|terminus_b={{jct|state=CA|US|101}} in San Jose
|counties=[[Santa Clara County, California|Santa Clara]]
|previous_type=SR
|previous_route=86
|next_type=SR
|next_route=88
}}
'''State Route 87''' ('''SR 87'''), known as the '''Guadalupe Freeway''' or referred to by the locals as '''Highway 87''', is a north&ndash;south [[state highway]] in [[San Jose, California]], [[United States]]. Before being upgraded to a freeway, it was '''Guadalupe Parkway''' (and some signs still refer to it that way).

For most of its length, especially in [[Downtown San Jose]], the highway follows the course of the [[Guadalupe River (California)|Guadalupe River]]. Its southern terminus is at [[State Route 85 (California)|SR 85]], and its northern terminus is at [[U.S. Route 101 (California)|U.S. Route 101]] (US 101) just north of [[San Jose International Airport]]. Unusually, it crosses over [[Interstate 880 (California)|Interstate 880]] (I-880) without an [[interchange (road)|interchange]].<ref name="SJMercury">{{cite news | url=http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6441201 | title=Missed connection: Why there is no interchange at Hwy. 87 and I-880 | work=[[San Jose Mercury News]] | first=Gary | last=Richards | date=July 23, 2007 | accessdate=August 2, 2015}}</ref><!--it's not the only - see I-5 and SR 261-->

==Route description==
[[File:San Jose Freeway Interchange.jpg|thumb|left|SR 87 intersecting with [[Interstate 280 (California)|I-280]] in [[Downtown San Jose]]]]
[[File:Taylor Street single-point urban interchange on CA-87.jpg|thumb|left|The Taylor Street [[single-point urban interchange]], just south of [[San Jose International Airport]]]]
[[Image:SanJoseCAHighway87 wb.jpg|thumb|left|SR 87 looking north towards downtown San Jose from [[Communications Hill]] in 2006. [[VTA light rail]] runs between the northbound and southbound lanes; the freeway was under construction to add an additional lane in both directions.]]

The route is almost entirely within the city of San Jose, California.  A very small portion between the Curtner Avenue exit and the Capitol Expressway Auto Mall exit is in unincorporated Santa Clara County.

SR 87 initially had 2 lanes in each direction for its entire length. [[Carpool lanes]] were added north of Taylor Street in 2005 and the remainder of the freeway in 2007.

SR 87 begins at [[California State Route 85|SR 85]] in southern [[San Jose, California|San Jose]]. [[Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority|VTA]] light-rails run parallel to this freeway from SR 85 to [[Interstate 280 (California)|I-280]]. After intersecting [[CR G21 (CA)|CR G21]], SR 87 runs through a small pass in [[Communications Hill]]. SR 87 intersects I-280 in southwestern [[Downtown San Jose]], then runs parallel to the western border of Downtown San Jose. SR 87 then runs east of the [[Mineta San Jose International Airport]] before terminating at [[U.S. Route 101 in California|US 101]] in northwestern San Jose. This route is unconstructed from US 101 to [[California State Route 237|SR 237]] in [[Santa Clara, California|Santa Clara]], legislatively defined to run north from US 101 through suburban San Jose and Santa Clara, terminating at SR 237, as this route is defined as ''(a) Route 85 in the vicinity of Santa Teresa Boulevard to Route 101 in the vicinity of Guadalupe River'' and ''(b) San Jose easterly of Route 101 to Route 237''.<ref name="CA Codes">{{cite web|title=STREETS AND HIGHWAYS CODE SECTION 300-635|url=http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=shc&group=00001-01000&file=300-635|website=CA Codes|publisher=CalTrans|accessdate=13 June 2016|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006110038/http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=shc&group=00001-01000&file=300-635|archivedate=6 October 2014}}</ref>

SR 87 is part of the [[California Freeway and Expressway System]],<ref name="cafes">{{CAFESystem}}</ref> and is part of the [[National Highway System (United States)|National Highway System]],<ref name=fhwa-nhs>{{FHWA NHS map|region=san_jose|accessdate=October 8, 2017}}</ref> a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the [[Federal Highway Administration]].<ref name=NHS-FHWA>{{FHWA NHS}}</ref> In 2014, SR 87 had an [[annual average daily traffic]] (AADT) of 88,000 at [[U.S. Route 101 in California|US 101]], and 176,000 between [[Interstate 280 (California)|I-280]] and [[County Route G8 (California)|CR G8]], the latter of which was the highest AADT for the highway.<ref name=traffic>{{Caltrans traffic|year=2014|start=87|end=91|accessdate=July 20, 2016}}</ref>

===I-880 overcrossing===
[[File:California Interstate 880 aerial view at SJC (May 2025).jpg|thumb|right|A view of [[Interstate 880 (California)|I-880]] and the SR 87 overpass from a plane arriving at [[San Jose International Airport|SJC]]]]

Unusually, SR 87 crosses above [[Interstate 880 (California)|I-880]] without an [[interchange (road)|interchange]]. This is the only spot in California where two freeways cross without any connecting ramps.<ref name="SJMercury" /> Located between Taylor Street and Skyport Drive, the site where the two freeways cross has two restrictions that prevent the construction of any connecting ramps. First, because of its proximity to the runways at San Jose International Airport, any elevated ramps running above the SR 87 mainline would interfere with flight paths. Second, tunneling underneath would leave a significant environmental impact on the nearby Guadalupe River.<ref name="SJMercury"/> Drivers from SR 87 to I-880 and vice versa have to use First Street, Taylor Street, and Coleman Avenue to get on the freeways.

==SR 87 Bikeway==
The SR 87 Bikeway is a {{convert|4.1|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} pedestrian and bicycle path that runs alongside portions of SR 87. The path was constructed by [[Caltrans]] as part of the final phase of the SR 87 project. It opened to the public on September 1, 1993.<ref>{{cite news |first=Brad |last=Kava |title=Highway 87, The Way to San Jose |work=San Jose Mercury News |page=1C |date=1993-09-17}}{{subscription required}}</ref>   The north end of this path is at Willow Street (north of the Alma Street exit). The south end is at the 87-[[California State Route 85|85]] interchange.

Along this route, the path runs along the east side of the freeway. The path diverges from the freeway for {{convert|1.1|mi|km}} near Capitol Expressway, running along city streets near the highway.<ref name="Highway 87 Bikeway">{{cite web |url=http://www.sjparks.org/Trails/Hwy87/Hwy87.asp |title=Highway 87 Bikeway |accessdate=2008-03-27 |date=2008-02-14 |work=Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services |publisher=City of San Jose}}</ref> To make this connection in the northbound direction, travel north on Narvaez Avenue.

The path diverges again from the freeway for {{convert|0.7|mi|km}} near Curtner Avenue running along city streets near the highway.<ref name="Highway 87 Bikeway"/> To make this connection in the northbound direction, travel west on Carol Drive under the highway, head north on Canoas Garden Avenue, head northeast on Curtner Avenue, head northwest on Unified Way, and enter the bikeway at the first driveway on the right.

===Connections to the SR 87 Bikeway===
The SR 87 Bikeway provides a connection between the two segments of the [[Guadalupe River Trail]].  From the northern terminus of the upper (southern) segment of the Guadalupe River Trail, go east on Chynoweth Avenue, cross to the north side of street at Pearl Avenue, cross under Highway 87 and enter the Highway 87 Bikeway.

From the northern terminus of the Highway 87 Bikeway at Willow Street, immediately cross Willow Street. Cross under the railroad tracks and turn north on Mclellan Avenue. Turn east on Edwards Avenue then north on Harliss Avenue. Turn west on West Virginia Ave.  After a short distance the entrance to western bank trail of the lower (northern) segment of the Guadalupe River Trail will be on the north side of the street. The entrance to the eastern bank trail is on Palm Street, just to the north of West Virginia Avenue.

This path also provides connections to the [[Three Creeks Trail]] and the [[Los Gatos Creek Trail]] as well as four light rail stops at [[Tamien Station]], [[Curtner station]], [[Capitol station (VTA)|Capitol station]] and [[Branham station]].

==History==
{{more footnotes needed|date=June 2016}}

A Guadalupe Parkway connection between Downtown San Jose and the present day US 101 had existed since the early 1960s; the road channeled traffic between the Bayshore Freeway and ramps that connected directly to Market Street.  However, construction on a freeway over the same path and southward beyond Downtown began a decade later and stretched across 30 years.

The first stage of the SR 87 freeway, its 4-level interchange with I-280, replaced an old downtown neighborhood in the mid 1960s.  A ramp to Julian Street, north of the interchange with I-280, was completed in the mid-1970s.  The freeway extension north to Taylor Street was completed in May 1988. The southern part, from I-280 to SR 85, was opened to [[Almaden Expressway]] in September–October 1992 and to SR 85 in August 1993, built in conjunction with the construction of a light rail line. [[Local-express lanes]] were constructed along this segment, the Northbound segment running from I-280 to Julian Street and the Southbound extension from I-280 to Alma Avenue. At SR 87's northern terminus, its 3-level interchange with Highway 101 and North First Street was completed in 1992. Finally, with all grade-level intersections replaced by grade separations, construction of the six-lane freeway between Taylor Street and the Highway 101/North First interchange began in the late 1990s was completed in 2004, and the name Guadalupe Parkway stopped being used (except on some signs).  The final ramps at the Skyport interchange opened in 2005. The widening of the southern segment, from Taylor Street to Highway 85, to six lanes was completed in 2007. In each direction, two lanes are for regular traffic and one lane is an HOV lane.<ref>{{cite web|title=South Bay Carpool Lanes|url=https://rideshare.511.org/carpool/carpool-lanes.aspx|website=511 Rideshare Carpool Lanes|accessdate=13 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603151735/https://rideshare.511.org/carpool/carpool-lanes.aspx|archive-date=3 June 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The right-of-way for SR&nbsp;87 south of I-280 includes two tracks for the [[Blue Line (VTA)|Blue Line]] of the [[VTA light rail]] system. Stations are accessible from the streets via staircases and elevators.  Beyond 87's terminus, the line continues southeastward in the median of SR 85.

{{infobox road small
|state=CA
|type=CA
|route=87
|location= [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]]–[[San Jose, California|San Jose]]
|formed=1964
|deleted=1980 north of [[U.S. Route 101 (California)|US 101]]
}}
SR 87, as once defined legislatively, would have extended from its current northern terminus, skirting the edge of [[San Francisco Bay]] as the Bayfront Freeway to San Francisco. This would have provided an eastern bypass to [[U.S. Route 101 (California)|US 101]] along the [[San Francisco Peninsula|Peninsula]] (US 101 itself being originally a bypass to [[El Camino Real (California)|El Camino Real]] along the Peninsula). The route would have ended at [[California State Route 480|SR 480]] (the [[Embarcadero Freeway]]) practically underneath the [[San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge|Bay Bridge]], and it would also have connected to the approaches of the unconstructed [[San Francisco Bay Southern Crossing]]. Along with [[California State Route 61|SR 61]], a similar project on the eastern shore of the Bay, this portion of SR 87 was abandoned due to local opposition to the project that would have destroyed a nearly pristine wildlife habitat. In 1980, the route was truncated to end at [[California State Route 237|SR 237]].<ref name="cah 87"/>

A resolution of the [[California state legislature|state legislature]] in 2007 named a section of this highway (between I-280 and Julian Street/Santa Clara Street) the [[Lewis E. Platt]] Memorial Highway (honoring the late chairman, president and chief executive officer of [[Hewlett-Packard]] who successful campaigned for local ballots to fund transportation improvements), and required that signage be paid by private donations.<ref name=Simitian_Alquist>{{cite web 
 |title=Lewis E. Platt Memorial Highway |publisher=[[California State Senate]]
 |authorlink1=Joe Simitian   |first1=Saren Joseph      |last1=Simitian
 |authorlink2=Elaine Alquist |first2=Elaine Kontominas |last2=Alquist
 |date=April 29, 2007 |accessdate=July 6, 2014
 |url=http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_0001-0050/scr_37_bill_20070712_chaptered.html}}</ref>

==Future==
The [[high-occupancy vehicle lane|high-occupancy vehicle]] (HOV) lanes on SR 87 are proposed to be converted into [[high-occupancy toll lane]]s.<ref name="SR87TCR">{{cite web|author1=Schermer, Frederick|author2=Oakes, Cameron|title=State Route 87 Transportation Concept Report Draft|url=http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tpp/offices/ocp/3_SR%2087%20TCR.pdf|publisher=California Department of Transportation|accessdate=1 August 2016|pages=1–4|date=24 October 2014}}</ref> Caltrans' post-25 year concept also proposes an additional express lane in each direction.<ref name="SR87TCR">{{cite web|author1=Schermer, Frederick|author2=Oakes, Cameron|title=State Route 87 Transportation Concept Report Draft|url=http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tpp/offices/ocp/3_SR%2087%20TCR.pdf|publisher=California Department of Transportation|accessdate=1 August 2016|pages=1–4|date=24 October 2014}}</ref>

==Exit list==
{{CAinttop|exit
|length_ref=<ref name=calnexus/>
|exit_ref=<ref name=calnexus>{{cite web |date= March 7, 2008 |first= KS |last= Warring |publisher= [[California Department of Transportation]] |work= [[California Numbered Exit Uniform System]] |url= https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/safety-programs/documents/exit/f0017916-87-a11y.pdf |title= State Route 87 Freeway Interchanges |accessdate= September 1, 2014}}</ref>
|county=Santa Clara
|location=San Jose
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=0.00
|mspan=2
|exit=1A
|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|85|dir1=south|name1=[[West Valley Freeway (California)|West Valley Freeway]]|city1=Gilroy}}
|notes=Southern terminus; SR 85 north exit 5A, south exit 5B; trucks over {{convert|4.5|ST|t}} prohibited
|nspan=2
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=none
|exit=1B
|road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|85|dir1=north|name1=[[West Valley Freeway (California)|West Valley Freeway]]|city1=Mountain View}}
|notes=none
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=0.00
|exit=1C
|road=Santa Teresa Boulevard
|notes=Southbound exit and northbound entrance; trucks over {{convert|4.5|ST|t}} must exit
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=1.34
|exit=1D
|road=[[Capitol Expressway Auto Mall]] ([[County Route G21 (California)|CR G21]])
|notes=Signed as exit 1 northbound
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=2.83
|exit=3A
|road=Curtner Avenue
|notes=Signed as exit 3 northbound
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=3.35
|exit=3B
|road=[[Almaden Expressway]] ([[County Route G8 (California)|CR G8]])
|notes=Southbound exit and northbound entrance
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=4.12
|exit=4
|road=Alma Avenue
|notes=Southbound exit and northbound entrance
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=5.15
|exit=5
|road={{jct|state=CA|I|280|name1=[[Sinclair Freeway]]|to2=yes|I|680|city1=San Francisco|city2=Sacramento}}
|notes=I-280 exit 3A
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=5.56
|exit=6
|espan=3
|road={{jct|state=CA|road|San Carlos Street / Auzerais Street / Park Avenue|to2=To|SR|82}}
|notes=[[Collector-distributor road|C/D lanes]] provide northbound access to Santa Clara Street and Julian Street exits; signed as exit 6A southbound; Park Avenue not signed northbound, Auzerais Street not signed southbound
}}
{{CAint
|type=incomplete
|mile=6.10
|road={{jctname|state=CA|SR|82|name1=Santa Clara Street|noshield=yes}}
|notes=Northbound exit only; accessible from C/D lanes
}}
{{CAint
|mile=6.10
|road=Julian Street / St. James Street
|notes=Northbound access from C/D lanes; signed as exit 6B southbound; St. James Street not signed northbound
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=closed
|mile=
|exit=
|road=Market Street, Coleman Avenue
|notes=Former southbound exit and northbound entrance; closed in 2002 during construction of northern freeway segment; 
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=6.80
|exit=7
|road=Taylor Street
|notes=[[Single-point urban interchange]] (SPUI); opened in 2003-05
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=closed
|mile=
|exit=
|road=Hedding Street
|notes=Former intersection; closed in 2004 during construction of northern freeway segment
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=closed
|mile=
|exit=—
|road={{Jct|state=CA|I|880|name1=Nimitz Freeway}}
|notes=Closed, as the proximity to both the [[Guadalupe River (California)|Guadalupe River]] and San Jose International Airport makes the construction of ramps impractical
}}
{{CAint|exit
|mile=8.31
|exit=8
|road={{jct|extra=airport}} Skyport Drive – [[Mineta San Jose International Airport]]
|notes=SPUI; opened in 2004; former intersection
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=closed
|mile=
|exit=
|road={{Jct|state=CA|road|Airport Parkway / Brokaw Road|to2=to|US|101|dir2=south}}
|notes=Former intersection; closed in 2004 during construction of northern freeway segment; 
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=9.22
|exit=9A
|road=North First Street
|notes=Northbound exit and southbound entrance
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=9.22
|mspan=2
|exit=391
|road=Trimble Road / De La Cruz Boulevard
|notes=Northbound exit only; exit number follows US 101
}}
{{CAint|exit
|type=incomplete
|mile=none
|exit=9B
|road={{Jct|state=CA|US|101|dir1=north|name1=[[Bayshore Freeway]]|city1=San Francisco}}
|notes=No access to US 101 south; northern terminus; US 101 south exit 390
}}
{{Jctbtm|keys=closed,incomplete}}

==See also==
*{{portal-inline|California Roads}}
*{{portal-inline|San Francisco Bay Area}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
{{CASR external links|SR|87}}
*[http://www.interstate80.info/87_california_index.html Eric Buchanan's Highway Photo Page: 87 Guadalupe Parkway] (project history and historical images)
*[http://cahighways.org/081-088.html#087 California Highways – State Route 87]
*[http://www.aaroads.com/california/ca-087.html California @ AARoads – California 87]

[[Category:State highways in California|087]]
[[Category:San Francisco Bay Area freeways|087]]
[[Category:Transportation in San Jose, California|State Route 087]]
[[Category:Roads in Santa Clara County, California|State Route 087]]