Richmond Parkway (California)

Richmond Parkway
Route information
Maintained by CCTA, City of Richmond DPW, C.C. Co. PWD
Length:	7 mi (11 km)
Existed:	1996 – present
Major junctions
South end:	I-580 in Point Richmond
North end:	I-80 and Fitzgerald Drive at city limits of Richmond and Pinole
Location
Counties:	Contra Costa

The Richmond Parkway (originally Richmond Bypass) is an arterial road connecting Interstate 580 and Interstate 80 through Richmond, California. The road allows drivers traveling between Marin County (to the west) and Solano County (to the north) to bypass central Richmond.

The original idea for the Richmond Parkway came from a state proposal for State Route 93 in the early 1980s. However, when the state did not implement the plan, local officials assembled $200 million in state and local funds to fund a road largely following the same route as proposed Route 93, which was built in the 1990s. While it mostly functions as an expressway, some parts do not meet state expressway standards.

The city of Richmond would like Caltrans to take it over, but currently Caltrans is not in favor of the idea. It was originally named Richmond Bypass, because it would allow motorists to avoid entering the streets of Richmond. This was considered offensive to many community members sensitive to the idea of isolation and a process locals termed as "environmental racism", leading to the term "parkway" being used instead in place of "bypass".

The entire route is in Richmond, Contra Costa County.

Route map: Google

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