Oklahoma State Highway 49
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Country | United States | |||
State | Oklahoma | |||
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State Highway 49 (SH-49) is a 30-mile-long (48 km)[1] state highway in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It runs from SH-54 in Kiowa County to Interstate 44 (I-44) near Lawton. Part of the highway runs through the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge; this portion of SH-49 carries no signage identifying it as such. It has no lettered spur routes.
SH-49 was established in 1939. Originally, it turned south in the refuge to serve Cache; its present-day routing was established in 1973.
Route description
SH-49 begins in
Through the refuge, SH-49 is unsigned, appearing only as a nameless road.[4] Inside the refuge, the speed limit drops to 45 miles per hour (72 km/h), with a night speed limit of 35 miles per hour (56 km/h).[1]
Upon entering the refuge, the highway curves around to the southwest. SH-49 passes in between Big Four Mountain (elev. 2,233 feet (681 m)) and Sunset Peak. The road then drops down to Antelope Flat, where it crosses the stream that feeds Caddo Lake, as well as passing near the lake itself. It serves as the northern terminus of Indiahoma Road, which heads south towards French Lake, the trailhead of the Dog Run Hollow hiking trail, and many of the peaks in the southwest part of the refuge, before eventually serving the town of Indiahoma south of the refuge. After the Indiahoma Road intersection, it crosses the stream that forms French Lake. At the Boulder Turnoff, it intersects the road leading to Lost Lake and Eagle Mountain.[3] The road then curves northeast to bypass Quanah Parker Lake and its campsite. The road then curves due south towards the Cache Wye.[5]
At the Cache Wye, SH-49 intersects
SH-49 continues through the eastern part of the refuge. It serves as the primary access to Mount Scott, with an access road connecting the highway to the mountain's summit. SH-49 then passes between Elmer Thomas Lake and Lake Lawtonka before exiting the refuge.[3] At this entrance to the park, there is an "end SH-49" assembly posted on westbound SH-49. This is an error, as SH-49 exits the other side of the park, and ODOT does not list two different SH-49s.[4]
After leaving the refuge, SH-49 passes through the south side of
History
SH-49 was added to the state highway system in 1939. At this time, SH-49 began at US-62 in Cache (now designated Old Cache Road; US-62 had not yet been shifted to the freeway north of town), and entered the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, following present-day SH-115 until the Cache Wye. SH-49 then emerged from the refuge near Medicine Park and followed the remainder of its present-day routing.[2]
The portion of highway between the Cache Wye and Cache itself was renumbered to become part of SH-115 in 1962. The same year, the portion of road leading west from the Cache Wye to SH-54 was added to the highway, bringing it to its present-day extent. At this time, the road between SH-54 and the Cache Wye was gravel.[6] It was paved in 1973.[7]
Junction list
County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
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SH-54 | Western terminus | ||||
SH-115 | SH-115 joins eastbound and splits westbound | ||||
18.5 | 29.8 | SH-115 | SH-115 joins westbound and splits eastbound | ||
SH-58 | Southern terminus of SH-58 | ||||
| 30.0 | 48.3 | I-44 | Eastern terminus, I-44 exit 45 | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- ^ a b c d Stuve, Eric. "OK-49". OKHighways.com.[self-published source]
- ^ a b Map Showing Condition of Improvement of the State Highway System (PDF) (Map) (April 1940 ed.). Oklahoma Department of Highways. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ a b c d Oklahoma Atlas and Gazetteer (Map). 1:200,000. DeLorme. 2006. p. 50. § 10I.
- ^ a b McMahon, Martin (2003-05-30). "Terminus: SH-49". Roadklahoma. Retrieved 2010-02-12.
- ^ Google (2010-02-12). "Oklahoma State Highway 49" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2010-02-12.
- ^ Oklahoma 1963 (PDF) (Map). Oklahoma Department of Highways. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ Official State Highway Map (PDF) (Map) (1974 ed.). Oklahoma Department of Highways. Retrieved 2011-02-11.