U.S. Route 93 in Nevada

Last updated

US 93.svg
U.S. Route 93
U.S. Route 93 in Nevada
US 93 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NDOT
Length527 mi [1]  (848 km)
437.200 mi (703.605 km) separate from other routes [2]
ExistedNovember 11, 1926–present
Major junctions
South endUS 93.svg US 93 at the Arizona state line
Major intersections
North endUS 93.svg US 93 at the Idaho state line
Location
Country United States
State Nevada
Counties Clark, Lincoln, White Pine, Elko
Highway system
  • Nevada State Highway System
Nevada 88.svg SR 88 US 95.svg US 95

In the U.S. state of Nevada, U.S. Route 93 (US 93) is a major United States Numbered Highway traversing the eastern edge of the state. The highway connects the Las Vegas area to the Great Basin National Park, and provides further connections to Ely and Wells. US 93 also provides the majority of the most direct connection from the major metropolitan areas of Las Vegas and Phoenix (via Boulder City, Kingman and Wickenburg with a final link to Phoenix via US 60) to the Boise, Idaho metropolitan area (with a final connection to Boise via Interstate 84 from Twin Falls, Idaho).

Contents

Route description

Near Interstate 15, looking north in 2006 Great Basin Highway 1.jpg
Near Interstate 15, looking north in 2006

U.S. Route 93 in Nevada is known as the Great Basin Highway from Interstate 15 in North Las Vegas to Interstate 80 in Wells. [3] It begins at the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge in Boulder City, concurrent with Interstate 11. U.S. Route 95 joins the two routes from State Route 173 in Boulder City to Interstate 15 in downtown Las Vegas. They run to the Las Vegas Valley, passing through the cities of Henderson, Las Vegas, and North Las Vegas. At the Spaghetti Bowl, US 93 leaves I-11 and merges with Interstate 15. They then head northeast for approximately 21 miles (34 km). At exit 64, US 93 heads northwest toward Alamo.

Signage along the Scenic Byway section of US 93, as seen in 2014 2014-08-09 11 31 57 Signs along southbound U.S. Route 93 about 26.7 miles north of the Lincoln County line near Majors Place, Nevada.JPG
Signage along the Scenic Byway section of US 93, as seen in 2014

Near Crystal Springs, US 93 curves right while intersecting State Routes 318 and 375. US 93 continues east to mountainous terrain to the town of Caliente. The highway turns left to go north to Pioche. 80 miles (130 km) later, the highway turns left at an intersection with U.S. Routes 6 and 50. From State Route 318 to the US Routes 6 and 50 intersection, the highway is a Nevada Scenic Byway. Near Ely, the three U.S. routes separate. US 6 turns left before the intersection US 50 and 93 separate, heading southwest. US 50 and 93 separate, with route 50 heading northwest towards Austin, Nevada and route 93 heading northeast.

At Lages Station, US 93 turns left, while US 93 Alternate continues straight. In Wells, US 93 intersects Interstate 80. The highway continues into Idaho after passing through Jackpot. Between Ely and Wells, there are no services for 136 miles (219 km).

History

Establishment

U.S. Route 93 was not one of the original U.S. highways proposed in the 1925 Bureau of Public Roads plan.[ citation needed ] However, the revised numbering plan approved by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on November 11, 1926 established US 93 from the Canada–US border near Eureka, Montana south through Montana and Idaho to a southern terminus at Wells, Nevada. [4] The establishment of the highway was reflected on Nevada's 1927 official highway map. [5] The Nevada section was approximately 70 miles (110 km), commissioned along what was then the northern portion of State Route 13. [6]

AASHO, at its June 8, 1931 meeting, approved a southerly extension of US 93 south to Glendale, Nevada. [4] By 1932, the Nevada Department of Highways had marked the continuation of the highway using the routing of several preexisting state highways as follows: [7]

At the request of the Arizona State Highway Department, the AASHO route numbering committee approved another extension of US 93 in 1935. This shifted the southern terminus south to Kingman, Arizona by way of Las Vegas. [4] However, Nevada officials may not have signed the extension of US 93 right away, since it was not shown on state-published maps until 1939. [4] [8] [9] The highway was again extended along existing highways: [8] [9]

The new routing put the Nevada mileage of U.S. Route 93 at approximately 540 miles (870 km). The entire highway within Nevada was paved by 1939. [9]

View south along US 93 just north of Wells 2014-06-10 18 21 15 View south along U.S. Route 93 a little north of Nevada State Route 223 in Wells, Nevada.JPG
View south along US 93 just north of Wells

Route changes

After US 93 was extended to Arizona in the 1930s, the route remained unchanged for many years. A 19-mile (31 km) concurrency with U.S. Route 95 between Las Vegas and Alunite was added in 1940, when that highway was extended through southern Nevada along State Route 5. [10]

The first major shift of US 93 occurred in 1967, when a new highway connection was completed between US 91 (now I-15) and a point 24 miles (39 km) northwest of Glendale. The new alignment was oriented more north–south, shortening the distance between the Las Vegas area and Caliente by 23 miles (37 km). The old section of US 93 northwest of Glendale paralleling the Muddy River remained as State Route 7, [11] and was renumbered in 1976 to State Route 168.

In 1982, a "truck bypass" along the upper reaches of Hemenway Wash, to skirt the central portion of Boulder City and allow a straighter, more steady climb for commercial vehicles, was nearing completion. But by the time this new route opened, it had been signed as mainline US 93, with the old, winding route of US 93 on the Nevada Highway (original SR 26) through town being changed to SR 500. This state highway designation was later dropped and that roadway is now maintained by Boulder City as "Nevada Way". The western end of this 1982 bypass was also later realigned from Colorado Street south to intersect directly at Buchanan Boulevard (in place of a wye intersection with Nevada Way a block to the east at Joshua Street), by using a small portion of abandoned railroad right-of-way. A shopping center now sits where the original truck bypass alignment once ran.

US 93 was realigned again on October 19, 2010, when the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge over the Black Canyon of the Colorado River opened to vehicular traffic. With that, the highway no longer passes over Hoover Dam, and the state-maintained portion of the replaced route was renamed as Hoover Dam Access Road (SR 172). [12] In 2011, US 93 from Buchanan Boulevard to the Nevada terminus of the Hoover Dam Bypass was expanded to four through lanes with dedicated turn lanes at major intersections to better handle increased traffic loads from the Hoover Dam Bypass until its long-planned companion freeway around Boulder City was completed in 2018. [13]

On August 9, 2018, US 93 was rerouted onto the Boulder City Bypass around the historic town. The most recent previous alignment (1982–2018) through the heart of Boulder City and along Hemenway Wash has now been re-signed as U.S. Route 93 Business.

Major intersections

Note: Mileposts in Nevada reset at county lines; the start and end mileposts for each county are given in the county column.
CountyLocationmi [14] kmDestinationsNotes
Colorado River 0.000.00South plate.svg
US 93.svg
US 93 south Kingman
Begin plate blue.svg
I-11.svg
I-11 begins
Continuation into Arizona; southern terminus of I-11
Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge; Arizona—Nevada state line
Clark
CL 0.00–86.58
Lake Mead NRA to Las Vegas US 93 concurrent with I-11 and US 95 (exits 14 to 37)
Las Vegas North plate blue.svg
I-11.svg
North plate.svg
US 95.svg
South plate blue.svg
I-15.svg
I-11 north / US 95 north / I-15 south Tonopah, Reno, Los Angeles
Northern end of I-11/US 95 concurrency; southern end of I-15 concurrency; I-11 exit 37; I-15 exit 42
Las Vegas to North Las Vegas US 93 concurrent with I-15 (exits 42 to 64)
North Las Vegas 52.0383.73Northern end of freeway
North plate blue.svg
I-15.svg
I-15 north Salt Lake City
Northern end of I-15 concurrency; Diverging diamond interchange; I-15 exit 64
Apex Great Basin Way / Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas Boulevard was formerly part of US 91/US 93 south
Grand Valley ParkwayInterchange southbound; serves Chuck Lenzie Generating Station
Apex Power ParkwayServes Silverhawk Generating Station
East plate.svg
Nevada 168.svg
SR 168 east (Glendale–Moapa Road) Moapa, Glendale
SR 168 east was formerly part of US 93 south
Lincoln
LN 0.00–172.87
Crystal Springs North plate.svg
Nevada 318.svg
SR 318 north Hiko, Sunnyside, Ely
Caliente South plate.svg
Nevada 317.svg
SR 317 south Elgin
Panaca East plate.svg
Nevada 319.svg
SR 319 east Cedar City (Utah)
West plate.svg
Nevada 816.svg
SR 816 west (Airport Road)
Serves Lincoln County Airport
North plate.svg
Nevada 320.svg
SR 320 north (Caselton Mine Road)
North plate.svg
Nevada 321.svg
SR 321 north Pioche
Pioche Nevada 322.svg SR 322  Ursine, Spring Valley State Park
South plate.svg
Nevada 321.svg
SR 321 south Pioche
South plate.svg
Nevada 320.svg
SR 320 south (Caselton Mine Road)
White Pine
WP 0.00–116.69
South plate.svg
Nevada 894.svg
SR 894 south Shoshone
Majors Place 27.6144.43East plate.svg
US 6.svg
East plate.svg
US 50.svg
US 6 east / US 50 east Baker, Delta (Utah)
Southern end of US 6/US 50 concurrency
Ely West plate.svg
US 6.svg
US 6 west Las Vegas, Tonopah
Northern end of US 6 concurrency
53.4586.02West plate.svg
US 50.svg
US 50 west Eureka, Austin
Northern end of US 50 concurrency
West plate.svg
Nevada 490.svg
SR 490 west (Ely Prison Road)
Serves Ely State Prison
Lages Station North plate.svg
Alt plate.svg
US 93.svg
US 93 Alt. north West Wendover
Elko
EL 0.00–127.54
West plate.svg
Nevada 229.svg
SR 229 west (Secret Pass Road) Ruby Valley
Serves Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge
South plate.svg
Nevada 232.svg
SR 232 south (Clover Valley Road)
Wells I-80.svgSouth plate.svg
Alt plate.svg
US 93.svg
I-80  / US 93 Alt. south Salt Lake City, Elko
West plate green.svg
Business Loop 80.svg
West plate.svg
Nevada 223.svg
I-80 BL west / SR 223 west (6th Street)
Jackpot 127.54205.26North plate.svg
US 93.svg
US 93 north Twin Falls
Continuation into Idaho
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Special routes

See also

References

  1. "Overview of US 93 in Nevada" (Map). Google Maps . Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  2. Nevada Department of Transportation (January 2020). "State Maintained Highways of Nevada: Descriptions and Maps" . Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  3. Nevada Department of Transportation (2018). Named Highways of Nevada (Map). Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "U.S. 93 Reaching For The Border". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. January 9, 2009. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  5. Highway Map of the State of Nevada (Map). 1 in. = 25 mi. Nevada Department of Highways. 1927. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2009.
  6. Highway Map State of Nevada (Map). 1 in. = 25 mi. Nevada Department of Highways. 1929. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2009.
  7. Road Map (Map). 1 in. = 20 mi. Nevada Department of Highways. 1932. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2009.
  8. 1 2 Official Road Map of the State of Nevada (Map) (1936 ed.). Nevada Department of Highways. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  9. 1 2 3 Official Road Map of the State of Nevada (Map) (1939 ed.). Nevada Department of Highways. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
  10. Official Road Map of the State of Nevada (Map) (1940 ed.). Nevada Department of Highways. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
  11. Official Highway Map of Nevada (Map) (1967 ed.). Nevada State Highway Department. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
  12. Nevada Department of Transportation (January 2012). "2012 Nevada State Maintained Highways, Descriptions, Index and Maps" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 10, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  13. Nevada Department of Transportation. "The Boulder City Bypass". Archived from the original on March 24, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  14. Nevada Department of Transportation (May 2008). Maps of Milepost Location on Nevada's Federal and State Highway System by County.
Template:Attached KML/U.S. Route 93 in Nevada
KML is not from Wikidata
US 93.svg U.S. Route 93
Previous state:
Arizona
Nevada Next state:
Idaho