Manchester Avenue

Manchester Avenue is a major west-east thoroughfare in Los Angeles County. It begins in Playa Del Rey near the Pacific Ocean at Vista del Mar Lane. It is known as Manchester Boulevard in Inglewood before changing back to Manchester Avenue in Los Angeles. It is known as Firestone Boulevard from Central Avenue east, ending in Norwalk. A portion of this street was formerly known as California State Route 42. The latter segment was named after the eponymous company of tires.

Route description

Manchester Avenue begins in Los Angeles near the Pacific Ocean at Vista del Mar Lane, and becomes a major road at Pershing Drive going east. The part west of Lincoln Boulevard (State Route 1) was never a numbered route. East of Sepulveda Boulevard, Manchester Avenue crosses into Inglewood where it is known as Manchester Boulevard. It jogs about two blocks to the north just west of Interstate 405, and back to the south after passing downtown Inglewood. Upon crossing back into Los Angeles, it is again Manchester Avenue.

At Central Avenue, the road leaves L.A. and into Florence-Graham (unincorporated LA County city). It becomes Firestone Boulevard and passes through South Gate, Downey, and ending in Norwalk at a merge with Interstate 5 (the Santa Ana Freeway); where SR 42 would've ended. The name continues however on the frontage roads of I-5 until it enters Buena Park at Artesia Boulevard, where the name changes back to Manchester Boulevard until Orangethorpe Avenue. Manchester Boulevard in Buena Park was changed to Auto Center Drive in August 2006. The frontage road begins again in Anaheim, named Manchester Avenue in several pieces between Euclid Street and State College Boulevard.

Transportation

Metro Local line 115 operates on Manchester Avenue and Firestone Boulevard.

Manchester Avenue serves a Metro J Line station underneath the Harbor Freeway.

Firestone Boulevard intersects with the Metro A Line light rail, served by the station of the same name in Florence-Graham.