"Willie Mays Highway" officially designated along I-80 in San Francisco

On the day he would have turned 95, a stretch of Interstate 80 in San Francisco has been officially renamed to honor San Francisco Giants legend Willie Mays.

The team and Mays' Say Hey Foundation announced Wednesday that a portion of the freeway from Treasure Island to downtown near Oracle Park has been designated the "Willie Mays Highway." Crews installed the signs earlier this week.

"What an incredibly special way to honor Willie's legacy," Giants president and CEO Larry Baer said in a statement. "For generations, this portion of I-80 on the Bay Bridge has carried Giants fans into San Francisco, and now it will forever carry Willie's name—a lasting reminder of the joy and inspiration he brought to this city."

The renaming was made possible after lawmakers approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 169 by State Sens. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) and Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) less than three months after his death in 2024.

"I cannot think of anyone better to welcome people traveling across the Bay Bridge to San Francisco than Willie Mays.  He was an inspiration to so many of us growing up.  I was so pleased to have had a part in making this happen," said Dodd.

Wiener added, "He broke barriers as one of the first Black players in Major League Baseball, empowering generations of athletes to follow their dreams. It's only right that we honor him and the Say Hey Foundation publicly, in the community he loved, and I'm thrilled to present this resolution to do so."

Widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time, Mays most of his career with the New York and San Francisco Giants. During an illustrious 23-year career, Mays won the 1954 World Series with the Giants and was named an All-Star 24 times.

Beginning his career in the Negro Leagues in Alabama, Mays was among the first Black players to be called up to the majors, being named the NL Rookie of the Year in 1951. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.