{{short description|State highway in Imperial County, California, United States}} {{Use American English|date=March 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox road |state=CA |county=Imperial |type=SR |route=7 |section=307 |map_notes=State Route 7 highlighted in red |maint=Caltrans |length_mi=6.718 |length_ref=<ref name="trucklist"/> |length_round=3 |established=1990<ref name="1990law" /> |direction_a=South |terminus_a=Mexican border near Calexico |junction={{jct|state=CA|SR|98}} near Calexico |direction_b=North |terminus_b={{jct|state=CA|I|8|CR|S32|county2=Imperial}} near Holtville |previous_type=US |previous_route=6 |next_type=I |next_route=8 }} '''State Route 7''' ('''SR 7''') is a state highway in the U.S. state of California, running from the Calexico East Port of Entry on the border with Mexico east of Calexico north to its terminus at Interstate 8 (I-8), where Orchard Road continues the route north towards Holtville. The route provides convenient access to the country of Mexico from I-8. The highway splits to pass through the customs checkpoints: the spur route to the west is for cars, and the main highway to the east is for commercial vehicles. The southern portion of the route opened in 1996, and the rest of the route connecting to I-8 opened in 2005.
==Route description== SR 7 begins at the Calexico East Border Station, which is open from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm, seven days a week.<ref name=cbp>{{cite web|title=Service Port - Calexico East - Class A|url=http://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports/calexico-east-class|publisher=U.S. Customs and Border Protection|access-date=March 14, 2015}}</ref> Just north of the border, the highway splits into two roads to pass through the customs checkpoints: the fork to the west is for cars, and the fork to the east is for commercial vehicles. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) considers the western fork for cars as the SR 7 spur route, while the eastern fork is part of SR 7 proper. At their junction, the western fork passes over the other fork at the northern end and merges into that highway.
From the border to I-8, SR 7 is an expressway known as Orchard Road. Before reaching I-8, SR 7 travels north and has an at-grade intersection with SR 98 and a few other roads. At its northern end, SR 7 turns into County Route S32 (still Orchard Road) as it intersects with I-8. The entire route runs through the Sonoran Desert and is built to expressway standards.<ref name="googlemaps">{{Google maps|url=https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=32.717399,-115.336533&spn=0.254768,0.617294&z=11|title=SR 7 Map}}</ref>
The route was constructed to allow commercial traffic to travel between Mexico and the United States.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist11/departments/planning/pdfs/tcs/2011_SR_7TCS.pdf | title=State-Route 7 Transportation Concept Summary | publisher=Caltrans | date=September 2011 | access-date=June 21, 2014 | page=2}}</ref> SR 7 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System,<ref name="cafes">{{CAFESystem}}</ref> and is part of the National Highway System,<ref name=fhwa-nhs>{{FHWA NHS map|region=californiasouth}}</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 2013, SR 7 had an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of 2,450 at the Calexico inspection station, and 15,900 at Menvielle Road along the spur, the latter of which was the highest AADT for the highway.<ref name=traffic>{{Caltrans traffic|year=2013|start=7|end=10}}</ref> thumb|right|SR 7 sign {{-}}
==History== {{See also|California State Route 7 (1934-1964)|California State Route 7 (1964-1984)}} The 1934–1964 version of SR 7 connected Palos Verdes with the Oregon border, following segments of the present-day Sierra Highway, SR 14, and US 395. The SR 7 was then used from 1964 to 1983 for the Long Beach Freeway in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, now Interstate 710.
The current SR 7 was added to the state highway system in 1990,<ref name="1990law">{{cite CAstat|year=1990|ch=1187|p=4964}}</ref> and to the Freeway and Expressway System in 1998.<ref name="1998law">{{cite CAstat|year=1998|ch=877}}</ref> The segment from the Mexican border to SR 98 was completed by March 1996 to expressway standards;<ref name="factsheet">{{cite web|title=SR-7.ai|url=http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist11/facts/7.pdf|publisher=California Department of Transportation|access-date=23 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626104613/http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist11/facts/7.pdf|archive-date=26 June 2007|date=December 2004}}</ref> this cost $9.1 million (about ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|9100000|1996|r=2}}}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars){{Inflation-fn|US-GDP}} to complete. However, the border crossing was not opened until December 2, 1996, due to delays in constructing the Mexican portion of the border crossing.<ref name="oldfactsheet">{{cite web|title=State Route 7|url=http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist11/facts/7cvef.htm|publisher=California Department of Transportation|access-date=23 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626104501/http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist11/facts/7cvef.htm|archive-date=26 June 2007}}</ref> Because of the 1994 economic crisis in Mexico, there were insufficient funds to complete the road leading to the border facility on the Mexican side, as well as the Mexican border facility itself.<ref name="sdut">{{cite news|last=Lindquist|first=Diane|title=Border Opportunity: Economic boom predicted when Calexico crossing opens this summer|newspaper=The San Diego Union-Tribune|date=3 March 1996}}</ref> The segment from SR 98 to I-8 began construction in March 2004 at a cost of $64.5 million (about ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|64500000|2004|r=2}}}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars);{{Inflation-fn|US-GDP}} and, it was completed in mid-2005.<ref name=ivp>{{cite news|last=Salorio|first=Michael|title=Ceremony marks completion of State Route 7|url=http://articles.ivpressonline.com/2005-04-17/overpass_24205765|access-date=23 March 2011|newspaper=Imperial Valley Press|date=17 April 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811211528/http://articles.ivpressonline.com/2005-04-17/overpass_24205765|archive-date=11 August 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Major intersections== {{CAinttop|county=Imperial|length_ref=<ref name=trucklist>{{caltrans trucklist}}</ref><ref name=traffic /><ref name="mile">{{Cite Caltrans postmile}}</ref>}} {{CAint |location=none |mile=0.00 |road=Calexico East Port of Entry (truck customs) |notes=Southern end of SR 7; traffic exits and enters the port of entry on the Mexican side at Boulevard Abelardo L. Rodríguez }} {{CAint |type=incomplete |location=none |mile=0.26 |road=International border (cars) |notes=Last USA interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance; northern terminus of the SR 7 spur; connects to Nina Lee Road }} {{CAint |location=none |mile=1.19 |road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|98|city1=Calexico|location2=Yuma}} }} {{CAint |location=none |mile=6.72 |road={{Jct|state=CA|I|8|city1=San Diego|location2=Yuma}} |notes=Interchange; northern end of SR 7; I-8 exit 125 }} {{CAint |location=none |mile=6.72 |road={{Jct|state=CA|CR|S32|dir1=north|county1=Imperial|name1=Orchard Road|city1=Holtville}} |notes=Continuation beyond I-8 }} {{Jctbtm|keys=incomplete}}
===Spur route=== The spur route splits off at Nina Lee Road, north of the Calexico East Port of Entry, to pass through the western customs checkpoints for cars. {{CAinttop|county=Imperial|length_ref=<ref name="mile"/>}} {{CAint |location=none |mile=0.00 |road=Calexico East Port of Entry (car customs) |notes=Southern end of SR 7 spur; traffic exits and enters the port of entry on the Mexican side at Boulevard Abelardo L. Rodríguez }} {{CAint |location=none |mile=0.24 |road=Menvielle Road |notes=Last USA intersection }} {{CAint |type=incomplete |location=none |lspan=2 |mile=0.54 |mspan=2 |road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|7|dir1=north|nolink=yes}} |notes=Interchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance; northern end of SR 7 spur }} {{CAint |mile=none |road=Nina Lee Road |notes=Continuation beyond SR 7 spur }} {{Jctbtm|keys=incomplete}}
==See also== * {{portal-inline|California Roads}}
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{Attached KML|display=title, inline}} {{commons category}} {{CASR external links|SR|7}} *[http://www.aaroads.com/california/ca-007.html California @ AARoads.com – State Route 7] *[http://www.cahighways.org/001-008.html#007 California Highways: Route 7]
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007 State Route 007 Category:Calexico, California Category:El Centro metropolitan area