Interstate 80 in Utah

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Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Location
CountryUnited States
StateUtah
CountiesTooele, Salt Lake, Summit
Highway system
  • Utah State Highway System
SR-79 SR-81

Interstate 80 (I-80) is a part of the

US-30S
.

Construction of the

SR-58
and 121,205 vehicles using the freeway at the Spaghetti Bowl in Downtown Salt Lake City. Throughout the state, the highway is also known as the Purple Heart Trail.

Route description

Out of the 11 states which I-80 passes through, the 197.51-mile-long (317.86 km) segment in Utah is the fourth shortest. As part of the Interstate Highway System,[2] the entire route is listed on the National Highway System, a system of roads that are important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.[3]

Every year, the

Spaghetti Bowl in Downtown Salt Lake City.[4] Between 7 and 58 percent of the traffic recorded consisted of trucks.[5]
These counts are for the portion of the freeway in Utah.

Tooele County

The freeway enters Utah from Nevada in the city of Wendover on the edge of the Bonneville Salt Flats. The cities of West Wendover, Nevada, and Wendover are accessible by I-80's only business loop in Utah,[6] whose interchange is just south of Danger Cave.[7][8] The highway closely follows the historical routes of the Wendover Cut-off, Victory Highway,[9] and formerly Western Pacific Railroad's Feather River Route (now part of the Union Pacific Railroad Central Corridor) across the salt flats and the larger Great Salt Lake Desert.[10] Bonneville Speedway, home to many land speed records, is accessible from I-80.[11] In the middle of the salt flats is a concrete sculpture, Metaphor: The Tree of Utah, which stands just off the westbound carriageway of I-80, 30 miles (48 km) east of Wendover.[12]

Bounded on each sides by military training grounds,[13] the I-80 corridor is overflown by commercial airliners traveling west from Salt Lake City International Airport.[14] The freeway veers north around the Cedar Mountains in a small gap between them and the Lakeside Mountains. Further east, the highway passes the Stansbury Mountains, which are located in the Wasatch–Cache National Forest.[15] After the mountain ranges, the freeway arrives at the southern shore of the Great Salt Lake and closely follows the shore toward the western suburbs of Salt Lake City.[16] However, the historical routes from which the route of I-80 was derived were routed further from the lake, passing through the towns of Grantsville and Tooele; these communities are now served by SR-138 and SR-36, respectively.[7] It is in this section that I-80 reaches its lowest elevation in Utah, 4,203 feet (1,281 m) above sea level.[17] After an interchange with SR-36 at Lake Point, the highway crosses a bottleneck between the Oquirrh Mountains and the Great Salt Lake.

Salt Lake County

View west along I-80 at the eastern junction with I-15 and SR-201 in Salt Lake County

While traversing the neck, views can be had from I-80 of the lake and

tailings pond to the south. The Kennecott Utah Copper's Bingham Canyon Mine, which was once considered to be the largest open-pit copper mine, can be seen in the distance.[19] The 1,215-foot-tall (370 m) Kennecott Garfield Smelter Stack is one of the tallest freestanding structures in the United States.[20] Along this portion, the freeway passes the historical site of Saltair.[7]

The freeway enters the

beltway around Salt Lake City. It continues through Parleys Canyon,[7] where the freeway joins the historical route of the Lincoln Highway.[23] Between the mouth of the canyon and the Summit County line, the route reenters the Wasatch National Forest.[18]

Summit County

Parleys Canyon carries I-80 up the eastern slope of the

Mormon leader who was asked to survey a new route across the mountains to replace the route through Emigration Canyon. Between 1848 and 1851, Pratt surveyed, completed, and operated the Golden Pass toll road through the canyon that today bears his name. Pratt had unsuccessfully solicited for $800 (equivalent to $22,005 in 2023[25]) to build the road and sold it for $1,500 (equivalent to $42,143 in 2023[25]).[26] On- and offramps for the Wyoming port-of-entry are located just within Utah.[7] In January 2014, UDOT introduced variable speed limits to I-80 in Parleys Canyon, allowing a speed limit between 35 mph (56 km/h) up to the normal 65 mph (105 km/h) depending on weather or traffic conditions.[27]

View along I-80 eastbound in Parleys Canyon

Beyond Parleys Summit lies

Echo Reservoir.[30] The freeway turns north upon reaching the Rockport Reservoir at Wanship[31] following the tributaries of the Weber River toward Echo Reservoir and Dam. Upon reaching Echo Canyon and the junction with the eastern terminus of the western section of I-84, the freeway follows the canyon east until it reaches the Wyoming state line near Evanston. I-80 forms the northeastern border between Rich and Summit counties.[32]

The portion through Echo Canyon follows the historical routes of the

US-30S, and the first transcontinental railroad.[33] A rest area in the canyon just east of the junction with I-84 features signs pointing out features that were obstacles for both the Mormon pioneers and the railroad construction workers, including Pulpit Rock,[34] which was partially demolished when the I-80 was built through the canyon.[35]

History

I-80 eastbound across the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Earlier roads

I-80 follows the routes of two major auto trails through the state. In western Utah, I-80 follows the historical route of the Victory Highway from Wendover at the Nevada state line to the junction of US-40 near Park City. Throughout Utah, I-80 is signed as the modern route of the Lincoln Highway—except through Salt Lake City, where the Lincoln Highway is routed along SR-201 and Parley's Way. The route of the Lincoln Highway across Utah was generally derived from the route of the Pony Express and Central Overland Route. However, much of the original route of the Lincoln Highway west of Salt Lake City is inaccessible. The original route of the Lincoln Highway proceeded southwest from Tooele toward Ely, Nevada. This area is now used for military bases, such as the Dugway Proving Ground and Tooele Army Depot. The area was closed to the public when these bases were established. I-80 and US-93 are the modern signing of the Lincoln Highway between those two cities. East of Salt Lake City, I-80 closely parallels the original route of the Lincoln Highway.[36][37]

In 1926, much of the route covered by I-80, including Pratt's former toll road from the Nevada state line into Salt Lake City, was signed as US-40 then as US-30 to the Wyoming state line.

US-189.[42] By 1959, US-50 Alternate (US-50 Alt) was also routed along the western portion of I-80.[43]

Current road

The first Utah state route to have the number 80 is now known as SR-92, which was originally numbered SR-80 until the 1977 Utah state route renumbering. Previously, the freeway's legislative designation was SR-2.[44]

I-80 passing the Oquirrh Mountains westbound along the shores of the Great Salt Lake

Passage of the

Promontory Summit, where the golden spike of the US's first transcontinental railroad was laid.[49]

View east along I-80 toward the eastern I-215 interchange (foreground) and Downtown Salt Lake City (background)

The original designation of I-84, which begins at an interchange with I-80 in Echo, was I-80N. This designation was changed to I-84 in 1977 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) despite objections from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and with the support of UDOT and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). The legislative designation for this highway was SR-3 until the 1977 renumbering.[44]

Rebuilding of the first portions of I-80 began in October 1990 with a 1.4-mile-long (2.3 km) stretch near Redwood Road in Salt Lake City.[50] By 1991, UDOT estimated that the reconstruction of all federally funded highways in the state would cost up to $4.3 billion (equivalent to $8.28 billion in 2023[25]).[51] The Spaghetti Bowl interchange was first proposed in 1996 to accommodate traffic for the 2002 Winter Olympics being held in the city.[52] Most of the Spaghetti Bowl was open by November 2000; the remainder opened in early 2001.[53] In 2002, the Utah State Legislature named the highway the Purple Heart trail,[54] in honor of wounded war veterans.[55] Additional reconstruction work—which involved the replacement of most of the bridges along the route and the resurfacing and installation of sound barriers—was done on I-80 between the Spaghetti Bowl and Parleys Canyon in 2007 and 2008.[56]

Exit list

CountyLocationmi[note 1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
TooeleWendover0.0000.000
I-80 west – Reno
Continuation into Nevada
0.0430.0691WendoverWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
1.4842.3882
SR-58 west – Wendover
No westbound entrance; I-80 Bus. not signed eastbound
34.8Port of Entry
3.9936.4264Bonneville SpeedwayRest and View Area off exit
9.81615.797Rest Area
41.27866.43141Knolls (Wendover Cut-off)Eastern terminus of the Wendover Cut-off
48.94078.76149
Clive
53.99686.898Grassy Mountain Rest Area
56.19590.43756
Aragonite
61.83799.51762Military Area, Lakeside
69.521111.88370Delle
Rowley, Dugway
83.358134.15284 SR-138 – Grantsville, Tooele
88.395142.25888Grantsville
94.4151.994
SR-179 south (Midvalley Highway)
New interchange opened on October 30, 2021[59]
Stansbury, Tooele
Salt Lake101.544163.419102
SR-201 east (2100 South) – Magna, West Valley City
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
104.273167.811104 SR-202 / Saltair DriveAccess to Great Salt Lake State Park[60]
Salt Lake City
111.287179.0991117200 West
113.276182.300113
SR-172 south (5600 West)
114.336184.006114Wright Brothers DriveWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
115.374185.676115 SR-154 (Bangerter Highway)
Salt Lake City International Airport
Signed as exits 115A (SR-154) and 115B (airport)
116.488187.469115CNorth Temple – Downtown Salt Lake City, Temple SquareEastbound exit and westbound entrance; former SR-186
117.262188.715117 I-215 – Ogden, ProvoI-215 exit 22 northbound, 22A-B southbound
117.862189.681118 SR-68 (Redwood Road)
119.591192.463120
I-15 north (Veteran's Memorial Highway) – Ogden
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; I-15 exit 308
121 SR-269 (600 South)Eastbound exit and westbound entrance

I-15 north (Veteran's Memorial Highway) – Ogden
West end of I-15 overlap; westbound left exit and eastbound left entrance; I-15 exit 308
306600 SouthWestbound exit and eastbound entrance; exit numbers follow I-15
305C1300 SouthEastbound exit and westbound entrance;
C/D
lanes provide access to 2100 South/SR-201
305B2100 SouthEastbound exit accessible from C/D lanes
Spaghetti Bowl
interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance; accessible from C/D lanes eastbound; westbound entrance includes direct entrance ramp from 900 West and direct entrance ramp to 1300 South/900 South

I-15 south (Veteran's Memorial Highway) – Las Vegas
East end of I-15 overlap; eastbound left exit and westbound left entrance; I-15 exit 304
1222100 South / 1300 South / 900 SouthWestbound exit and eastbound entrance; part of the "Spaghetti Bowl" interchange; exit numbers follow I-80
West Valley
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; signed as exits 123A (SR-201) and 123B (I-15) westbound; part of the "Spaghetti Bowl" interchange; I-15 exit 304
123.231198.321124 US 89 (State Street)
Salt Lake City
124.125199.760125 SR-71 (700 East)
125.072201.2841261300 East –
SR-181
126.785204.0411272300 East –
SR-195
127.039204.449128
I-215 south (Belt Route)
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
US-40 Alternate
128.619206.992130 I-215Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; I-215 exit 2 northbound
129.888209.034131Quarry Service RoadNo eastbound exit; signed as "Quarry"
130.399209.857Rock Quarry RoadSigned as "Quarry"
131.869212.223132Mt. Aire Canyon RoadSigned as "Ranch Exit"
132.477213.201133Utility ExitEastbound exit and westbound entrance
133.665215.113134
SR-65 north – East Canyon
136.113219.053137Lambs Canyon
Salt Lake–Summit
county line
SummitSummit Park141.815228.229141Jeremy Ranch
142.847229.890View Area (eastbound); exit 144
Kimball Junction
144.198232.064145
SR-224 south – Park City
US-189 south) – Heber City, Vernal
West end of US-189 overlap; western terminus of US 40
150.724242.567150Tollgate Promontory
Wanship154.972249.403155
SR-32 south – Wanship, Kamas
Coalville162.592261.666162 SR-280 – Coalville
165.005265.550View Area
167.324269.282168
I-84 west – Ogden
Eastern terminus of I-84; exits 120A-B on I-84
167.781270.017169
Pony Express
National Historic Trails
169.505272.792Rest Area
178.703287.595178EmoryWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
180290Port of EntryWestbound exit and entrance
184.126296.322185Castle Rock
187.767302.182187FawcettFormerly signed as "Ranch Exit"
191.690308.495191Wahsatch
UtahWyoming line196.548–
196.680
316.313–
316.526
197Port of EntryEastbound exit and entrance


US 189 north – Cheyenne
Continuation into Wyoming
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

Notes

  1. ^ I-80 has its own mileposts and exits except for the concurrency with I-15,[57] which uses the mileposts and exits from I-15.[58]

References

  1. ^ "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. December 31, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  2. ^ Slater, Rodney E. (Spring 1996). "The National Highway System: A Commitment to America's Future". Public Roads. 59 (4). Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  3. ^ Federal Highway Administration (November 18, 2013). National Highway System: Utah (PDF) (Map). 1:772200. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  4. ^ Staff (2012). Traffic on Utah Highways (Report). Utah Department of Transportation. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 2, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  5. ^ Utah Department of Transportation (2012). Truck Traffic on Utah Highways (Report). Utah Department of Transportation. pp. 14–15. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 2, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  6. ^ Utah Department of Transportation (2005). "Tooele County" (Map). General Highway Map. 1:29,040. Salt Lake City: Utah Department of Transportation. p. 5. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Google (December 25, 2013). "Interstate 80 in Utah" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  8. ^ Tooele County. "Danger Cave". Guide to Historical Attractions. Tooele County. Archived from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  9. ^ California-Oregon-Washington Tourist Association (1927). Copyrighted Official Map (Map) (701 ed.). California-Oregon-Washington Tourist Association. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  10. .
  11. . Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  12. ISBN 978-0-7627-4386-5. Retrieved December 27, 2013.[permanent dead link
    ]
  13. ^ Utah Department of Transportation (2005). "Tooele County" (Map). General Highway Map. 1:29,040. Salt Lake City: Utah Department of Transportation. p. 6. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  14. ^ Federal Aviation Administration; AeroNav Products (October 17, 2013). Salt Lake City — South (Map) (90 ed.). Sectional Raster Aeronautical Charts. Federal Aviation Administration.
  15. ^ Utah Department of Transportation (2005). "Tooele County" (Map). General Highway Map. 1:29,040. Salt Lake City: Utah Department of Transportation. p. 7. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  16. ^ Utah Department of Transportation (2005). "Tooele County" (Map). General Highway Map. 1:29,040. Salt Lake City: Utah Department of Transportation. p. 8. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  17. ^ "Google Maps Elevation API calls". Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  18. ^ a b Utah Department of Transportation (2005). "Salt Lake County" (Map). General Highway Map. 1:22,440. Salt Lake City: Utah Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  19. .
  20. . Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  21. ^ "Motorists Should Avoid Spaghetti Bowl this Weekend". KSL-TV. Salt Lake City, Utah. October 3, 2003. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  22. OCLC 367900151
    . Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  23. OCLC 36006905. Archived from the original
    on December 26, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  24. ^ Utah Department of Transportation (2011). Official Highway Map (Map). Scale not given. Salt Lake City: Utah Department of Transportation. Salt Lake City, Ogden, Provo & Vicinity (Wasatch Front) inset. § D5. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  25. ^
    Gross Domestic Product deflator
    figures follow the Measuring Worth series.
  26. Intellectual Reserve
    . Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  27. OCLC 8086936
    . Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  28. . Retrieved December 28, 2013.
  29. . Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  30. ^ Utah Department of Natural Resources. Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail (Map). Scale not given. Salt Lake City: Utah Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  31. ^ Utah Department of Transportation (2005). "Summit County" (Map). General Highway Map. 1:22,440. Salt Lake City: Utah Department of Transportation. p. 2. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  32. ^ Utah Department of Transportation (2005). "Summit County" (Map). General Highway Map. 1:22,440. Salt Lake City: Utah Department of Transportation. p. 3. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  33. . Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  34. United States Government Printing Office
    . p. 85. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  35. . Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  36. ^ Patrick, Kevin J. "15 - Lincoln Highway in Utah". Lincoln Highway Resource Guide. Indiana University of Pennsylvania. p. 191. Archived from the original on July 27, 2010. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
  37. . Retrieved January 15, 2010.
  38. ^ Salt Lake County; Summit County (March 2010). Parley's Canyon Trail: Feasibility Assessment Report (PDF) (Report). Salt Lake County. p. 15. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  39. OCLC 32889555. Retrieved December 18, 2013 – via Wikimedia Commons
    .
  40. . Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  41. . Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  42. (Map). 1:1203840. H.M. Gousha Company. § E4-5. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  43. ^ United States Geological Survey (1958). State of Utah (Map) (1959 ed.). 1:500,000. Reston, VA: United States Geological Survey. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  44. ^ a b Utah Department of Transportation (November 2008). "Route 80". Highway Resolutions. Utah Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  45. .
  46. ^ Public Roads Administration (August 14, 1957). Official Route Numbering for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways as Adopted by the American Association of State Highway Officials (Map). Scale not given. Washington, DC: Public Roads Administration. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  47. ^ a b "America Celebrates 30th Anniversary of the Interstate System". U.S. Highways. Federal Highway Administration. Fall 1986.
  48. . Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  49. . Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  50. .
  51. .
  52. .
  53. .
  54. ^ "72-4-207: The Purple Heart Trail". Utah State Legislature. 2002. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  55. OCLC 8086936. Archived from the original
    on December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  56. ^ "I-80 bridge replacement complete; State Street reopened". Salt Lake City: KSL-TV. July 31, 2008. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  57. ^ Utah Department of Transportation (February 8, 2010). Route 80. Highway Reference (Report). Utah Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 22, 2008. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  58. ^ Utah Department of Transportation (December 17, 2012). Route 15. Highway Reference (Report). Utah Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 22, 2013. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  59. ^ Sutton, Ceilly (December 30, 2021). "Top News 2021 #1: UDOT finally opens Midvalley Highway". Tooele Transcript Bulletin. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  60. ^ Utah State Parks, Directions, accessed 10 February 2022

External links

KML is from Wikidata


Interstate 80
Previous state:
Nevada
Utah Next state:
Wyoming
Lincoln Highway
Previous state:
Nevada
Utah Next state:
Wyoming