Wheeler Ridge Interchange
| Wheeler Ridge Interchange | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Wheeler Ridge, California | |
| Coordinates: | 35°0′50″N 118°57′15″W / 35.01389°N 118.95417°WCoordinates: 35°0′50″N 118°57′15″W / 35.01389°N 118.95417°W |
| Roads at junction: |
 SR 99 (Golden State Freeway) |
| Construction | |
| Type: | Two level stack interchange |
| Spans: | 2 |
| Lanes: | 6-8 (Golden State Freeway), 6 (Westside Freeway) |
| Constructed: | 1966-1967 |
| Opened: | 1967 |
| Maintained by: | Caltrans |
| Map | |
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I-5 (Golden State Freeway / Westside Freeway)
The Wheeler Ridge Interchange is a freeway interchange near Wheeler Ridge, California, where State Route 99 (SR 99) merges with Interstate 5 (I-5). Located approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Bakersfield, it is the southernmost freeway interchange in the San Joaquin Valley.
Principally, it can be seen as splitting northbound traffic from the Los Angeles area into the San Joaquin Valley's two major north-south routes: SR 99, which serves the major cities and commerce centers in the San Joaquin Valley, and the Westside Freeway, I-5, which bypasses most cities in the valley as a more direct route to the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento.
The interchange comprises three freeway segments ("paths" of travel):
Because of its location at the southernmost end of the San Joaquin Valley, the interchange is a major hub for traffic between the Los Angeles area and the valley. As the Golden State Freeway, I-5 approaches from the south after descending from the Tejon Pass in the Tehachapi Mountains. At the split, SR 99 heads roughly due north to Bakersfield, Fresno, and the other population centers in the valley. I-5 then continues as the Westside Freeway to the northwest toward the western part of the valley, to serve as a faster route to San Francisco, Sacramento, and other Northern California destinations.
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