 SR 78 was one of the original state highways designated in 1934 , although portions of the route existed as early as 1900 . However , it was not designated east of Brawley until 1959 . The freeway section in the North County of San Diego that connects Oceanside and Escondido was built in the middle of the twentieth century in several stages , including a transitory stage known as the Vista Way Freeway , and has been improved several times . An expressway bypass of the city of Brawley was completed in 2012 . There are many projects slated to improve the freeway due to increasing congestion in the region . 
