The
Arroyo Seco Parkway, formerly known as the
Pasadena Freeway, is the first
freeway in the
Western United States. It connects
Los Angeles with
Pasadena alongside the
Arroyo Seco seasonal river. It is notable not only for being the first, mostly opened in 1940, but for representing the transitional phase between early
parkways and modern freeways. It conformed to modern standards when it was built, but is now regarded as a narrow, outdated roadway. A 1953 extension brought the south end to the
Four Level Interchange in
downtown Los Angeles and a connection with the rest of the freeway system.