Santa Monica Boulevard / Glendale Freeway / Angeles Crest Highway
Santa Monica Boulevard / Glendale Freeway / Angeles Crest Highway
Route 2 is one of the more varied routes in the Los Angeles area. It starts its journey in Santa Monica at the junction of Lincoln Boulevard and the Santa Monica Freeway, follows Santa Monica Boulevard (old US 66) east to the Hollywood Freeway (US 101), joins the freeway for a couple of exits, then leaves it at Alvarado St. Route 2 then runs along a northerly course for the next 35 or so miles. Following Alvarado Street, then Glendale Boulevard, it gets onto the stub end of the Glendale Freeway. This freeway was planned to join with US 101 near Vermont Avenue but was never built. The Glendale Freeway is signed north/south, even though SR-2 is considered an east/west route. At the north end of the Glendale Freeway, where it meets the Foothill Freeway (I-210), Route 2 joins the freeway for about 1/2 mile until the Angeles Crest Highway exit. State 2 then follows the Angeles Crest Highway in an easterly direction for the next 60 miles until its end at State Route 138 at Mountain Top Junction.
Angeles Crest Highway, a very scenic route through the Angeles National Forest, was constructed in about 30 years. Construction began in the mid 1920's on the segment near the Arroyo Seco leaving La Canada. The last segment to be completed is near the area known as Big Pines, where State 2 meets the Big Pines Highway.
Glendale Freeway just north of Mountain Avenue. Photo Courtesy - Ralph Ricketson
View of the missing railing on the closed southbound side of the Glendale Blvd UC.
View from the southbound inside shoulder.
Northbound lanes of the freeway. This section of freeway is used in many movies. One such
movie was "Bowfinger" with Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy (the running across a
freeway scene).
Southbound traffic continues over Glendale Blvd then merges onto it. Northbound
traffic takes the NB-2 onramp from Glendale Blvd. An exit list for the original proposal
to extend the Glendale Freeway to the Hollywood Freeway will be posted later.
Angeles Crest Highway east of Red Box Gap. View is towards Shortcut Saddle.
Go back to Index