Interchange May Be Named for Gene Autry

The interchange where the Ventura and Golden State freeways cross in the east San Fernando Valley may soon have a name: The Gene Autry Memorial Interchange.

Autry, the singing cowboy superstar of the silver screen, was also a media entrepreneur and original owner of the California Angels major league baseball team. He was 91 when he died in October at his Studio City home.

State Sen. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank) announced Tuesday that he would introduce a resolution to name the interchange after Autry, the only entertainer who has five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“It still has to pass through committees in both houses, then the governor has to approve it, but I can’t imagine anyone voting against it,” said Schiff spokesman Paul Hubler. “Most of these concurrent resolutions pass.”

The idea came from administrators at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, which is across from the zoo in Griffith Park, near the interchange. The 148,000-square-foot museum houses the actor’s historic Old West and movie memorabilia.

“We’re absolutely thrilled,” said Autry Museum spokesman Jay Aldrich. “It’s going to make it an easier designation for people to get here. Right now it just says Zoo Drive over there.”

Autry would have loved the idea, said his widow, Jackie, on Tuesday. In 1991 the city of Anaheim named a street leading to Angel Stadium in his honor, Autry Way.

“I know Gene would be so pleased with this special honor,” Jackie said.

Naming freeway interchanges after people seems to be a growing trend, say Caltrans officials. But because it’s done by an act of the state Legislature, Caltrans keeps no record of all of them.

“We just go and put the signs up,” said Caltrans spokesman Presley Burroughs. “Other than that we really have nothing to do with it.”

State law requires that the money for the signs--about $5,000 for four of them--come from private donations.