San Andreas Highway System



The San Andreas Highway System is an extensive network of highways and routes in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the first game in the series to have major highways. The system becomes particularly relevant in San Andreas, being a large setting with multiple cities. The system was constructed in such a way that the highways are nearly continuous, and the system extends to every county and city in San Andreas.

Description
The San Andreas highway system encompasses five major highways, four minor highways, and four other routes. The five major highways include the Julius Thruway, Los Santos Freeway, San Fierro Highway, San Fierro Bypass and Las Venturas Highway. The minor highways include the East Beach Freeway Extension, Santa Maria Freeway Extension and Harry Gold Parkway.

Los Santos Freeway
The Los Santos Freeway is the longest highway in San Andreas and is modeled after Interstate 15. It begins at the Montgomery Intersection in Red County, and travels south through the Mulholland Intersection, Downtown, and then the airport. Near the airport, for a short time, the median has two guard rails on each side keeping traffic to their own side, this is due to a tunnel upon which the freeway must encounter. The expressway ends briefly in Ocean Docks and becomes a major road through East Beach. Then, after clearing the docks and a few residential home (by way of traffic lights) it becomes a freeway again, on the other side of Red County. When it nears Las Venturas, it turns and heads west towards its starting point, while staying in Red County the second time around, which makes it a looped highway.

San Fierro Highway
The San Fierro Highway starts at an intersection on the Mulholland Drive in northern Rodeo, and immediately enters a tunnel passing underneath Richman. After that it passes the Flint Intersection, however this is only a partial intersection, and thus, only eastbound traffic can use it to get to Red County. The highway then turns south, going through the eastern sections of Back O' Beyond. It follows the east coast of Back O' Beyond and south edge of Flint County and Whetstone, passing a 24/7, gas station and Angel Pine, where it has two intersections servicing Mount Chilliad and the town. It then enters two short tunnels underneath Mount Chiliad and after the Whetstone Bridge it enters the southwest section of San Fierro. The expressway ends at an intersection servicing Missionary Hill to become a major road through San Fierro. The highway turns east towards the Easter Bay Airport and has an exit to the stadium and Doherty. It finally ends at the intersection servicing the San Fierro Bypass. It is modeled after California State Route 1.

Julius Thruway
The Julius Thruway is the freeway encircling Las Venturas. Modeled after Interstate 215 and Interstate 515 in Las Vegas, it is composed of four main elements, named accoring to their general placement in the city: in the north, east, west, and south, like a beltway. It is a four-lane recessed roadway with overpass exits at relatively evenly spaced intervals. It connects to the main highway servicing the southern ends of Tierra Robada and Bone County, to the highway servicing northwestern Las Venturas and Bone County, and to the major highway connecting Las Venturas with Los Santos. Apart from the south section, the entire freeway is an expressway. The nature of the ring-road is such that, if the player is to travel by road alone, it is impossible to enter Las Venturas without traveling on it.

Las Venturas Highway
This highway connects Las Venturas with San Fierro, based off US 95, US 395 and Interstate 80. It starts at the Blackfield Intersection and travels on the southern tip of Bone County and Tierra Robada, through Bayside and on the Gant Bridge, where it terminates in San Fierro at the turnpike. While most of the exits on the Las Venturas highway serve Bone County, Tierra Robada and Red County, there is one exit that leads to the San Fierro via the San Fierro Bypass, and another exit that serves Bayside. It is a four lane highway (two lanes for each direction) with a wide median in Bone County with concrete barriers in Las Venturas, Tierra Robada and in Bayside. All stretches of freeway go at top speed except for the stretch from Exit 4 to 7. The highway, like other countryside highways, lacks proper illumination from lampposts, with an exception at a segment in Las Venturas, Bayside and the Gant Bridge.

San Fierro Bypass
The San Fierro Bypass runs from Whetstone to Tierra Robada, it is based off US 101, Interstate 280 and Interstate 80. It runs through the city of San Fierro, beginning in Foster Valley, traveling past the Easter Bay Airport, stadium, Doherty, and downtown San Fierro, before terminating at the Robada Intersection in southern Tierra Robada. Despite primarily being a link between Whetstone and Tierra Robada, there are numerous exits on the highway serving various areas in San Fierro, to ensure that the city has access to more efficient transport. The highway is a four lane highway, with two lanes for each direction. It is mostly an elevated road except for the exit in Foster Valley, and is divided by cement divider. The northern part of the road is a suspension bridge which connects San Fierro to Tierra Robada. Unlike most other highways, traffic on the San Fierro Bypass is slow, except for the suspension bridge section.

Harry Gold Parkway
The Harry Gold Parkway is a major road part in Las Venturas, San Andreas and is modeled after Interstate 15. The road bisects the city into eastern and western portions, and connects Julius Thruway North with Julius Thruway South. The Harry Gold Parkway is an extension of the Los Santos Freeway connecting Las Venturas with Los Santos, and terminates at The Mako Span. It services Las Venturas Airport, the Redsands West and Redsands East districts, and is only minutes west of The Strip.

East Beach Freeway Extension
The East Beach Freeway Extension begins at an interchange with the Los Santos Freeway near Downtown Los Santos. It is modeled after Interstate 5 and Interstate 10 in Los Angeles. After meeting the Los Santos Freeway, the East Beach Freeway Extension enters a depressed road cut and travels below street level where it goes until it reaches Grove Street. In between these two places, the highway has three partial exits and it also crosses under the tracks of the Brown Streak Railroad. At Grove Street, the highway raises slightly to cross over an open drainage system before heading back down to meet two two-lane roads in the neighborhood of East Beach.

Santa Maria Freeway Extension
The Santa Maria Freeway Extension is a four-lane highway extension of the Los Santos Freeway. It is mainly based off California State Route 1. It begins at the Airport Intersection and travels northwest before terminating at a junction at Verona Beach, where it becomes the Santa Maria Drive, which travels through Rodeo before terminating at the Flint Intersection, connecting to the San Fierro Highway. The road travels through a short tunnel underneath the hills just south of the junction. There is a small median dividing the road in half, which is lined up by lampposts for illumination at night.