Yes, Merging Onto The 110's Arroyo Seco Parkway Is Terrifying. We Have Pictures And Stories

If there’s one thing that connects most drivers in Los Angeles, it's probably the feeling of angst as they merge onto the Arroyo Seco Parkway — that section of the 110 Freeway that cuts through neighborhoods like Highland Park and Mount Washington.

Photographic evidence

That stretch of road is narrow and winding, and the on-and off-ramps appear suddenly around bends with short runways and blind curves. If one is attempting to get on from spots in Highland Park, for example, a driver must wait for a brief break in the traffic, hold their breath, put the pedal to the metal and hope for the best. It’s not for the faint of heart.

L.A.-based documentary filmmaker Jake Wolfert recognized this and took a series of photos of folks attempting the merge.

“I just felt like I had to take some pictures because it seemed like a pretty universal experience,” Wolfert says. “Having driven on the road myself, I noticed how I would almost physically have to turn completely around in my driver's seat to see. I felt my body contorting in a weird way. And I knew that everyone else had to do that as well.”

Wolfert took the photos back in 2021, but because of social media, and the forever relevancy of L.A. freeway frustration, the shots got some renewed attention recently.

The first freeway in the U.S.

For Wolfert, it all started with his fascination of the freeway’s history. Wolfert says he started to notice different, antiquated things about it, like the Figueroa Street tunnels that used to be open for pedestrians and an abandoned on-ramp near Fair Oaks Avenue.

One day, he decided to explore the river that runs parallel to the freeway. He says he noticed a little perch up above on the side. He climbed up and realized that he had a straight shot on Avenue 52.

The Arroyo Seco Parkway is the oldest freeway in the United States, officially opening in 1940. Back in those days, the U.S. was still involved in World War II and car production had a major setback. Around that time, cars were indeed stylish, but pretty slow. After World War II, car production picked back up and so did the competition for new styling and upgrades, including more acceleration.

However, that section of the 110 was built to support a maximum speed of 45 mph, and it was only designed to hold 27,000 vehicles daily. The Arroyo Seco Parkway has never been upgraded for 21st century drivers, and it has to deal with more than four times as many cars driving across it every day.

The on-ramp dread that connects us all

Discussing the photos — and the overall Arroyo Seco experience — with LAist colleagues, How to LA producer Monica Bushman chimes in: “I still have nightmares about this from when I lived in Highland Park and for a time was borrowing my mom’s PT Cruiser. Those things hardly accelerate even when you floor it!”

Realizing how strongly most people feel about this stretch of freeway, I posted a call-out on X (formerly known as Twitter). Several people responded about their experiences.

Tips from LAist drivers (FWIW)

Some of my LAist colleagues also chimed in to say that the Arroyo Seco Parkway always terrified them. Some people even say they’ve had car accidents.

Malinda Castaneda, who manages LAist’s member database, says one of her family’s favorite places, Folliero's, is off the exit. One time she remembers someone hit her mom’s car at slow speed.

“I still dread it as an adult,” Malinda writes.

News producer Makenna Sievertson says her first and only accident was getting onto the freeway in Highland Park when she was 17.

“I tapped the car in front of me when he had to stop suddenly while merging. When we pulled over he saw that I was panicking and crying so he refused to take my info,” Makenna says. “My aunt has an identical story from the same on-ramp decades ago.”

Intern Laura Dux got a rude awakening her first day living in L.A. “I took this ramp and almost cried. I was a new driver and TERRIFIED. My friend had to give me a pep talk the whole time to merge.”

Peter Hernandez, the product manager for LAist newsletters and social, says that he lives near the Avenue 52 ramp and would sometimes take an Uber to his former job.

“One time the driver didn’t see the stop sign and drove right onto the freeway into oncoming traffic,” Peter says. “Thankfully a car that was coming saw us and changed lanes."

Since then, his 110 rules are:

1. Avoid driving in the slow lane unless exiting.
2. Gently instruct other drivers to stop before entering the freeway.

For his part, Wolfert says he's happy his photos have started up a conversation — again.

“I really wasn't expecting that," he says. "It's definitely the most well-received thing I've ever done. I think people like it just because it's so relatable.”