California State Route 52

California State Route 52

State Route 52 (SR 52) is a state highway in San Diego County in the US state of California, that extends from La Jolla Parkway at Interstate 5 (I-5) in La Jolla, San Diego to SR 67 in Santee. It is a freeway for its entire length and serves as a major east–west route through the northern part of the city of San Diego. The road connects the major north–south freeways of the county, including I-5, I-805, SR 163, I-15, SR 125, and SR 67. SR 52 passes north of the Rose Canyon Fault before traversing Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS Miramar). East of Santo Road and west of SR 125, the highway goes through Mission Trails Regional Park, a large open space. SR 52 is also known as the Soledad Freeway and the San Clemente Canyon Freeway.

Plans for a route between La Jolla and Santee date back from 1959. Construction began in 1966 at the I-5 interchange to La Jolla, and continued with the building of the San Clemente Canyon Road. The freeway was completed east to I-805 in 1970, and to Santo Road east of I-15 in 1988. However, the road east of there faced delays from environmentalists over the endangered Least Bell's Vireo songbird, which faced habitat destruction, as well as those concerned with the destruction of homes and businesses for the right of way for the freeway. The extension to Mission Gorge Road was opened in 1993 and was completed all the way to SR 125 in 1998. Funding issues delayed the completion of the entire route to SR 67 until 2011, more than fifty years after construction began; until then, the city of Santee faced traffic snarls. A widening project was completed in 2007 between Santo Road and Mast Boulevard; further widening has been put on hold due to state budget concerns.