Hi,
I am looking for an alternate route between San Diego, CA and Phoenix, AZ, than that proposed by Adventure Cycling. I have been googling a lot of info on the I-8 going in the southern part of CA and AZ. So far I have the following information:
1. There are many paved frontage roads and also the old Highway 80 so basically you only need to stay on the I-8 for small sections.
2. It seems that you
can bicycle on the I-8 everywhere in AZ. When using google maps satellite I cannot see any "cyclists prohibited" on the signs entering the ramps.
3. It seems that you
cannot bicycle on the I-8 everywhere in CA. When using google maps satellite I see "cyclists prohibited" on the signs entering all the ramps. There seems to be 1 exeption: The small stretch from Jacumba Hotsprings to Ocotillo is used by Adventure cycling and it does not have the signs on the interstate ramps.
There is only 1 single problematic stretch of 8.7 miles between in the easternmost part in CA just before Yuma:
https://www.google.dk/maps/dir/32.710168,-114.9573326/32.7630676,-114.8367779/@32.735414,-114.9332959,15157m/am=t/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1 On this stretch there is a slight chance of passing on some dusty sand roads but you need to cross the river 2 times and that is only possible on the I-8 itself - unless you swim across. Furthermore I am not sure how happy US border control is when you try to force your way across only feets away from the border.
Question:
There is an option to bypass that strech by entering Mexico at the Calexico/Mexicali border, stay on paved roads in Mexico for about 50 miles and then enter US again just west of Yuma. It would look something like this:
https://www.google.dk/maps/dir/32.6929969,-115.3791608/32.7430173,-114.7170467/@32.6786304,-115.1936543,11z/am=t/data=!3m1!4b1!4m9!4m8!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-115.0412616!2d32.6146707!3s0x80d70775997b5077:0x37b78882e93bc65f!1m0!3e0Can anyone comment on this route suggestion?
Lucas