Tony Gwynn Memorial Freeway Dedicated in San Diego’s North County

By Friar Wire

When one thinks about San Diego it’s almost impossible to not think about Tony Gwynn.

Given his devotion to America’s Finest City and the San Diego Padres after a 20-year Hall of Fame career, it just makes sense to associate Mr. Padre with the city he loved and gave so much to.

Now, it will literally be impossible to not think about Gwynn when driving into town.

The city of San Diego officially dedicated a 4.5 mile corridor of Interstate 15 to Mr. Padre by naming a section of the North County Freeway the “Tony Gwynn Memorial Freeway” on Monday morning. Specifically, the stretch of freeway between Scripps Poway Parkway and Camino Del Norte shall be named in Gwynn’s honor.

Gwynn, who passed away on June 16, 2014 after a hard-fought battle against cancer, was a longtime resident of Poway and beloved hero who devoted so much to the San Diego and Poway communities.

The section of freeway named after Gwynn is appropriate for a number of reasons. During Monday’s dedication, the Gwynn family — his son Tony Gwynn Jr., wife Alicia Gwynn and daughter Anisha Gwynn — talked about how that stretch of the I-15 held a special place in the family’s heart as that was the route they would take to the ballpark each summer.

Aside from the freeway’s proximity to the city of Poway, that section of the I-15 also includes a junction with State Route 56 aptly named Ted Williams Parkway which connects to the Ted Williams Freeway. Fellow Hall of Famer Ted Williams, who was one of Gwynn’s own heroes and later personal friend during his playing career, had his namesake attached to SR-56 back in 1993.

To read more on the dedication, along with local response and additional honors given to Gwynn by the city, then check out NBC San Diego’s article on the Tony Gwynn Memorial Freeway here.