Grove/Shafter Freeway (Highway 24)

The Grove/Shafter Freeway, so named because its route ran along Grove Street (now Martin Luther King Blvd) and Shafter Street, was a highly controversial addition to the Temescal neighborhood. Originally planned to run through Berkeley along Ashby, it was rerouted when planners found the City of Oakland far more welcoming of the project. Still, the local councilman objected to its construction. Land was seized under imminent domain and construction of the homes began in the early 1960s. The project was completed in 1969. As Americans continued to move to suburban areas, the State of California, heavily influenced by land developers, wanted to make it easier for people to commute and live farther from where they worked.