Entire route. [CS&HC Sec. 253.1]
From 3 miles south of Route 73 to Route 91. It is currently known as the "Costa Mesa Freeway," referring to its current end in Costa Mesa. Before 1976, it was known as the "Newport Freeway," referring to its intended end in Newport Beach.
Before the freeway was constructed, Route 55 ran north on Newport Boulevard (which has since been largely supplanted by freeway) and then north on Tustin Boulevard through the city of Tustin.
HOV lanes run from Baker Street in Costa Mesa to Route 91 in Anaheim. Occupancy is 2 or more people per vehicle and are open all day. Additionally, there is a direct connection from Route 55 to Route 91's HOT (High Occupancy Toll) lanes. To use these connectors and the subsequent lanes, a transponder is required, since there is no cash collection. These lanes are operated by the Orange County Transportation Authority. For information on rates and updates, visit the official 91 Express Lanes website.
California law legally sets Route 55 to begin "from Newport Beach." Contrary to popular opinion, this vague description does not refer to Route 1. Instead, Route 55 begins at Finley Avenue in Newport Beach. This is just a block north of the Newport Beach city hall, near the Lido Village shopping center.
From Daniel Faigin: "The Route 55/Route 91 interchange is named the 'Mark Denis Melbourne Memorial Interchange'. Mark Denis Melbourne was a fixture on southern California radio, giving traffic reports for four decades. He was regarded as one of the most respected broadcasters in southern California and was used as the 'image voice' for KFI 640 AM. He was also a part-time communications instructor at the University of Southern California, and was regarded as having loved to share his knowledge of broadcasting with others. He advocated reporting traffic without panic and with caring, and was willing to help frustrated drivers avoid bottlenecks. He was also the unidentified voice on the monorail that ferries visitors around Disneyland. He died of a fatal illness in the year 2000 in his home in Anaheim Hills at the early age of 59."