Utility Box
Art Spotlight:
Artist:
Rick Hines
Location:
3299 El Cajon Blvd
Theme:
On the corner of 33rd street in front of Wells Fargo, the artist captures
that value of a triumphant multicultural environment.
The Boulevard
Arts District is now online!
Historic
Highway 80 signs are hung along El Cajon Boulevard, signifying an
official historic cultural tourism route.
Highway
80 was once referred to as the Broadway of America, a grand transcontinental
highway stretching coast to coast, from Tybee Island in Georgia to
San Diego, California. No other highway even comes close to being
an integral part of so many of the early auto trails. The highway
was enjoyed by both travelers and locals a like. Drag races, malt
shops, drive-in movie theaters, classic car dealerships, sock hops
and other neighborhood amenities shaped the character along El Cajon
Boulevard and Highway 80 where car culture was born. However, as the
need for ever faster transportation and expansive urban sprawl became
apparent, Highway 80 found itself being bypassed as the new interstates
took an increasingly larger share of the traffic and business.
The
completion of I-8 in 1957 was nearly death of U.S. 80 in California.
By 1974, the last official signs were being removed and U.S. 80 technically
ceased to exist. Fortunately, in 2006, the State of California designated
US 80 a state historic route. With help from County Supervisor Ron
Roberts, the El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement Association has
begun to promote cultural tourism along this historic route by installing
Historic Highway 80 road signs and banners to encourage drivers to
'Cruise Historic Highway 80.' With 30,000 drivers on the road daily,
the Boulevard remains one of the most traveled thoroughfares in San
Diego. The El Cajon Boulevard BIA will continue to promote this historic
character in our newsletter, utility box murals and through future
development of the Boulevard Arts District.
