The highway the OP was complaining about is a typical California divided highway, with state number. The subject line said freeway, the text put it in quotes.
The first time I took I90 to Washington I encountered a stop light - in a small canyon town in Idaho. Eventually the freeway was rerouted onto an expensive 'bridge' over the town, but at the time it used main street.
In the Redding area, CA299 and CA273 have a stop light intersection. They are divided, and I see (on streetview) a 50mph speed limit sign. And a static stop light warning sign. It's a much more urban setting than the one in the desert, so I imagine drivers are prepared to slow down and stop.