U.S. Route 89 in Arizona

Last updated

US 89.svg

U.S. Route 89

U.S. Route 89 in Arizona
US 89 highlighted in red; US 89T in blue
Route information
Maintained by ADOT
Length136.49 mi [1]  (219.66 km)
Major junctions
South endBusiness Loop 40.svgUS 180.svg I-40 BL  / US 180 in Flagstaff
Major intersections
North endUS 89.svg US 89 northwest of Page
Location
Country United States
State Arizona
Counties Coconino
Highway system
  • Arizona State Highway System
Arizona 88.svg SR 88 Arizona 89.svg SR 89
U.S. 89 crossing Glen Canyon Glen canyon bridge.jpg
U.S. 89 crossing Glen Canyon
U.S. 89 near Flagstaff U.S. Route 89, Arizona.jpg
U.S. 89 near Flagstaff

U.S. Route 89 (US 89) in the U.S. state of Arizona is a U.S. Highway that begins in Flagstaff and heads north to the Utah border northwest of Page.

Contents

Route description

US 89 begins at a junction with I-40 Bus. / US 180 in the city of Flagstaff, Arizona. The highway proceeds northeast, passing by suburban development and the San Francisco Peaks to the west. The highway then continues north through forested areas near Coconino National Forest and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. [2]

US 89 progresses north through sparsely populated desert areas. The highway passes through the community of Gray Mountain before entering the Navajo Nation. In the town of Cameron, the highway passes local businesses before intersecting with AZ 64, the highway that leads to the east entrance of Grand Canyon National Park. After the traffic circle with AZ 64, the road crosses over the Little Colorado River next to the decommissioned Cameron Suspension Bridge, which carried US 89 until 1959. [2] [3]

The highway continues through unpopulated areas of the Navajo Nation, intersecting with the western terminus of US 160 near Tuba City. North of Tuba City, US 89 closely parallels the western edge of the Echo Cliffs. In Bitter Springs, the highway splits into US 89 and US Route 89A, with the latter road continuing to the west towards Kanab, Utah, where the two routes rejoin. Mainline US 89 proceeds northeast, ascending the Echo Cliffs towards Page, Arizona. [2]

Near Page, the highway passes near Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon before meeting the western terminus of AZ 98. It continues past hotels and local businesses before abruptly turning to the west, crossing over the Colorado River on the Glen Canyon Dam Bridge just south of the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. The road travels northwest, passing through Glen Canyon National Recreation Area before entering Utah. [2]

History

Prior to 1992, [4] the southern terminus of US 89 was at Nogales, Arizona. US 89 ran concurrently with Interstate 19 (I-19) until Green Valley. The route was taken (in a northerly direction) through Tucson via 6th Avenue, Congress Street and Granada Avenue. The route was carried out of Tucson via State Route 77 (SR 77). Further north it was carried via the Pinal Pioneer Parkway northwest out of Oracle Junction on SR 79. In Maricopa County, it ran concurrently with existing US 60 along Main Street in Mesa, Apache Boulevard and Mill Avenue in Tempe, then along Van Buren Street in Phoenix to Grand Avenue, [5] then to Wickenburg. Departing Wickenburg, it followed US 93 and SR 89 to Prescott. Departing Prescott, the route followed present-day SR 89 to Ash Fork, then ran east concurrently with I-40 to Flagstaff.

In Flagstaff, US 89 ran along old Route 66, Milton Road and Santa Fe Avenue. The highway crossed the Little Colorado River at Cameron on the Cameron Suspension Bridge until 1959, when the bridge was retired and replaced by a parallel span. [3]

On February 20, 2013, [6] the main alignment of US 89 was closed in both directions approximately 25 miles (40 km) south of Page due to a landslide that caused the roadway to buckle and subside. Traffic was re-routed via 45 miles (72 km) of secondary and tertiary roads on the Navajo Reservation. Alternate routes through Las Vegas, Nevada, or Hurricane, Utah, and Marble Canyon (US 89A) were also suggested. [7] US 89T (see below) opened in August 2013 as a bypass of the closed section, utilizing Navajo Route 20 as an alignment.

U.S. 89 reopened in March 2015 after a $25 million repair project. [6]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Coconino County.

Locationmi [1] kmDestinationsNotes
Flagstaff 418.37673.30Business Loop 40.svgUS 180.svgTo plate blue.svg
I-17.svg
To plate blue.svg
I-40.svg
I-40 BL  / US 180 to I-17  / I-40  Phoenix, Albuquerque
National southern terminus; former interchange, now at-grade T-intersection; highway continues west as I-40 BL/US 180 (former US 89 south)
Cameron 465.21748.68West plate.svg
Arizona 64.svg
SR 64 west Grand Canyon
Roundabout; eastern terminus of SR 64
480.80773.77East plate.svg
US 160.svg
US 160 east Tuba City, Kayenta
Western terminus of US 160
Bitter Springs 524.01843.31North plate.svg
US 89A.svg
US 89A north Jacob Lake, Fredonia
Southern terminus of US 89A; former US 89 north
Page 546.20879.02East plate.svg
Arizona 98.svg
SR 98 east Kayenta, Antelope Point
Western terminus of SR 98
Glen Canyon NRA 556.84896.15North plate.svg
US 89.svg
US 89 north
Continuation into Utah
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

U.S. Route 89T

Temporary plate.svg

US 89.svg

U.S. Route 89T

Location The GapPage
Length46.17 mi [8]  (74.30 km)
Existed2013–2015

Indian Route 20.svg

Navajo Route 20

Location The GapPage
Length43.57 mi [8]  (70.12 km)

U.S. Route 89T (US 89T or US 89X) was the designation for Navajo Route 20 (N20), a road running mostly parallel to US 89 in Arizona. Added to the Arizona state highway system in 2013, US 89T served as a temporary detour for a closed section of US 89. The route was 46.17 miles (74.30 kilometres) long. [8]

The need for US 89T arose in February 2013, when a geological event caused a 150-foot (46 m) [9] stretch of US 89 to buckle 25 miles (40 km) south of Page. The loss of this stretch of road forced detours for traffic entering the Page area from the south. The Navajo Nation declared a state of emergency. [10] Motorists were rerouted on a 115-mile (185 km) detour via US 160 and SR 98 or a 90-mile (145 km) detour on N20, which had a 28-mile (45 km) unpaved stretch. As a result, commute times into Page increased, and merchants in Page and the surrounding area lost significant business.

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) added the road to the state highway system as US 89T and quickly moved to get money ($35 million from the Federal Highway Administration's emergency relief project fund) and equipment to pave the road. As the Navajo had wanted to pave N20 for decades, and some design and environmental clearances had already been obtained, it took just 79 days to pave N20 in a project that might have otherwise taken more than a year. [11] [12] In addition to pavement, right-of-way and fencing to separate the road from the local livestock population were required. [13] The improved road opened to traffic on August 29, 2013. Plans called for the road to be used for three years before the road reverted to Bureau of Indian Affairs jurisdiction. [14]

Initially, the route lacked proper fencing, cattle guards, and pavement markings to support safe travel at higher speeds. As a result, US 89T was open to local traffic only at night, and posted speed limits as low as 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). [11] As of October 15, US 89T restrictions were lifted following the installation of upgraded control features. [15]

With the reopening of mainline US 89 in March 2015, the US 89T designation was retired and ownership of the route returned to the Navajo Nation in April 2015. The route from The Gap to SR 98 is currently designated only as N20. [16]

Major intersections

The entire route was in Coconino County.

Locationmi [8] kmDestinationsNotes
The Gap 0.0000.000US 89.svgTo plate.svg
North plate.svg
US 89A.svg
US 89 to US 89A north Flagstaff, Fredonia
Begin plate.svg
Indian Route 20.svg
N20 begins
Southern terminus of US 89T; current southern terminus of N20; southern end of N20 concurrency
7.87212.669North plate.svg
Indian Route 21.svg
N21 north (Kaibito Road) Kaibito
Southern terminus of N21
Page 43.57070.119End plate.svg
Indian Route 20.svg
N20 ends
East plate.svg
Arizona 98.svg
SR 98 east Kayenta
Northern terminus of N20; northern end of N20 concurrency; southern end of SR 98 concurrency
46.17474.310End plate.svg
Arizona 98.svg
North plate.svg
US 89.svg
SR 98 ends / US 89 north Page
Northern terminus of US 89T; northern end of SR 98 concurrency
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 17</span> Interstate Highway in central Arizona

Interstate 17 (I-17) is a north–south Interstate Highway entirely within the US state of Arizona. I-17's southern terminus lies in Phoenix, at I-10, and its northern terminus is in Flagstaff, at I-40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coconino County, Arizona</span> County in Arizona, United States

Coconino County is a county in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its population was 145,101 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Flagstaff. The county takes its name from Cohonino, a name applied to the Havasupai people. It is the second-largest county by area in the contiguous United States, behind San Bernardino County, California. It has 18,661 sq mi (48,300 km2), or 16.4% of Arizona's total area, and is larger than each of the nine smallest states in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona State Route 79</span> State highway in Arizona, United States

State Route 79, also known as the Pinal Pioneer Parkway, is a 58.40 mi (93.99 km) long state highway in the U.S. state of Arizona. It serves as the main route through the town of Florence, which is also the county seat of Pinal County. Although the highway has been part of the state highway system since at least 1926, it was not designated as SR 79 until 1992. The highway was previously a section of U.S. Route 80 and U.S. Route 89 between Phoenix and Tucson, until both highways were decommissioned in 1977 and 1992 respectively. SR 79 is also the only state highway in Arizona that has a business route, which is SR 79 Business through downtown Florence. SR 79 is also notable for being the location where cowboy western actor Tom Mix lost his life in a car accident on October 14, 1940.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona State Route 89A</span> State highway in Arizona, United States

State Route 89A is an 83.85-mile (134.94 km) state highway that runs from Prescott north to Flagstaff in the U.S. state of Arizona. The highway begins at SR 89 in Yavapai County and heads northward from Prescott, entering Jerome. From Jerome, the route then heads to Cottonwood and Sedona. The highway is notable for its scenic value as it passes through Sedona and the Oak Creek Canyon. The route then enters Coconino County soon after leaving Sedona. The highway proceeds to Flagstaff, where it crosses Interstate 17 (I-17) and I-40. The highway ends at I-40 Business in Flagstaff. What is now SR 89A became a state highway in the late 1920s as SR 79. The highway was extended and improved several times through 1938. SR 79 was renumbered to U.S. Route 89A in 1941 and then to SR 89A in the early 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona State Route 87</span> State highway in Arizona, United States

State Route 87 is a 272.66-mile (438.80 km) north–south highway that travels from I-10 near Picacho northward to State Route 264 near Second Mesa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navajo Bridge</span> Bridge pair in Arizona, United States

Navajo Bridge is the name of twin steel spandrel arch bridges that cross the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon National Park in northern Coconino County, Arizona, United States. The newer of the two spans carries vehicular traffic on U.S. Route 89A (US 89A) over Marble Canyon between Bitter Springs and Jacob Lake, allowing travel into a remote Arizona Strip region north of the Colorado River including the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 89A</span> Highway in Arizona and Utah

U.S. Route 89A is a 91.74-mile (147.64 km) north–south auxiliary U.S. highway in southwestern Kane County, Utah and northeastern Coconino County, Arizona in the southwestern United States. The highway is an old routing of U.S. Route 89 from Bitter Springs, Arizona to Kanab, Utah. The state of Arizona has designated this highway the Fredonia-Vermilion Cliffs Scenic Road. The highway is used to access the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and is known for the Navajo Bridge. Until 2008, the Utah portion was signed State Route 11. The route provides the only direct road connection between the Arizona Strip and the rest of Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 66 in Arizona</span> Former designated US highway in Arizona

U.S. Route 66 also known as the Will Rogers Highway, was a major United States Numbered Highway in the state of Arizona from November 11, 1926, to June 26, 1985. US 66 covered a total of 385.20 miles (619.92 km) through Arizona. The highway ran from west to east, starting in Needles, California, through Kingman and Seligman to the New Mexico state line. Nationally, US 66 ran from Santa Monica, California, to Chicago, Illinois. In its height of popularity, US 66 was one of the most popular highways in the state of Arizona, sometimes carrying over one million cars a year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona State Route 67</span> State highway in Arizona, United States

State Route 67 is a 43.4 mi (69.8 km) long, north–south state highway in northern Arizona. Also called the Kaibab Plateau – North Rim Parkway, SR 67 is the sole road that links U.S. Route 89A at Jacob Lake to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Along the route, the road heads through the national park as well as Kaibab National Forest and traverses extensive coniferous forests. The section inside the national park is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS), whereas the section north of the entrance, completely within Kaibab National Forest, is owned by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). The road was built in the late 1920s and improved through the 1930s. In 1941, the road received its number, and was given its designation as the parkway in the 1980s. The parkway has received designations as a National Forest Scenic Byway as well as a National Scenic Byway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona State Route 64</span> State highway in Arizona, United States

State Route 64 (SR 64) is a 108.31-mile-long (174.31 km) state highway in the northern part of the US state of Arizona. It travels from its western terminus in Williams to its intersection with U.S. Route 89 (US 89) in Cameron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona State Route 77</span> State highway in Arizona, United States

State Route 77 is a state highway in Arizona that traverses much of the state's length, stretching from its northern terminus at the boundary of the Navajo Nation north of Holbrook to its junction with I-10 in Tucson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona State Route 260</span> State highway in Arizona, United States

State Route 260, also known as SR 260, is a 217.78-mile (350.48 km) long east–west major state highway in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. It connects State Route 89A in Cottonwood to U.S. Route 180 and U.S. Route 191 in Eagar. The highway begins in Yavapai County before entering Coconino County and then entering Gila County before reentering Coconino County and then entering Navajo and Apache counties, where the highway ends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona State Route 98</span> State highway in Arizona, United States

State Route 98 is a state highway in Coconino County in the U.S. state of Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 60 in Arizona</span> Section of U.S. Highway in Arizona, United States

U.S. Route 60 (US 60) is an east–west United States Highway within Arizona. The highway runs for 369 miles (594 km) from a junction with Interstate 10 near Quartzsite to the New Mexico State Line near Springerville. As it crosses the state, US 60 overlaps at various points: I-17, I-10, SR 77, SR 260, US 191, and US 180. Between Wickenburg and Phoenix, the route is known as Grand Avenue. From Tempe to Apache Junction, it is known as the Superstition Freeway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona State Route 93</span> Former state highway in Arizona, United States

Arizona State Route 93, abbreviated SR 93, was a state highway in Arizona that existed from 1946 to 1991. The route was co-signed with other highways along nearly all of its route from Kingman to the border at Nogales. SR 93 was the original designation for the highway from Kingman to Wickenburg, which was built in 1946. In 1965, the northern terminus of the state route was moved south to an unnamed desert junction with U.S. Route 89 just north of Wickenburg, and the southern terminus of U.S. Route 93 was moved south to the US 89 junction. The Arizona Highway Department sought U.S. Highway status for SR 93 across the rest of the state, but the proposal was never granted by AASHTO. On December 17, 1984, the SR 93 designation was removed south of the Grand Avenue/Van Buren Street/7th Avenue intersection in Phoenix. The route was completely decommissioned in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 40 in Arizona</span> Interstate Highway in Arizona

Interstate 40 (I-40) is an east–west Interstate Highway that has a 359.11-mile (577.93 km) section in the US state of Arizona, connecting sections in California and New Mexico. The Interstate is also referred to as the Purple Heart Trail to honor those wounded in combat who have received the Purple Heart. It enters Arizona from the west at a crossing of the Colorado River southwest of Kingman. It travels eastward across the northern portion of the state, connecting the cities of Kingman, Ash Fork, Williams, Flagstaff, Winslow, and Holbrook. I-40 continues into New Mexico, heading to Albuquerque. The highway has major junctions with U.S. Route 93 (US 93)—the main highway connecting Phoenix and Las Vegas, Nevada—in Kingman and again approximately 22 miles (35 km) to the east and I-17—the freeway linking Phoenix to northern Arizona) in Flagstaff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 93 in Arizona</span> Highway in Arizona

U.S. Route 93 in the state of Arizona is a United States Numbered Highway that begins in Wickenburg and heads north to the Nevada state line at the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.

Below is a list and summary of the former state highways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business routes of Interstate 40</span> Highway system

Interstate business routes are roads connecting a central or commercial district of a city or town with an Interstate bypass. These roads typically follow along local streets often along a former U.S. Route or state highway that had been replaced by an Interstate. Interstate business route reassurance markers are signed as either loops or spurs using a green shield shaped and numbered like the shield of the parent Interstate highway.

References

  1. 1 2 Arizona Department of Transportation. "2008 ADOT Highway Log" (PDF). Retrieved April 9, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "US-89 · Arizona". US-89 · Arizona. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Fraser, Clayton B. (October 31, 2004). "Cameron Suspension Bridge" (PDF). Historic Bridge Inventory. Arizona Department of Transportation. pp. 308–311. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 21, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  4. "Report of the Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering to the Executive Committee" (PDF). American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. June 15, 1992.
  5. "Web site of the US Route 89 Appreciation Society" . Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "U.S. 89 to open March". Navajo-Hopi Observer. March 17, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  7. Stocks, Deborah (February 20, 2013). "US 89 south of Page buckles, collapses". Phoenix, AZ: KNXV-TV . Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Arizona Department of Transportation. "2013 ADOT Highway Log" (PDF). Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  9. Hwang, Kristen (February 25, 2013). "U.S. Highway 89A near Page remains open despite road collapse". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  10. Kane, Jenny (February 25, 2013). "Navajo Nation to declare emergency after road collapse". The Daily News. Farmington, NM. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  11. 1 2 Dungan, Ron (August 30, 2013). "Road less traveled eases trek near Page". Arizona Republic. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  12. . April 17, 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKY3scPIMd8 . Retrieved May 21, 2015.{{cite AV media}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. De Welles, Angela (August 16, 2013). "Work on N20 isn't finished yet". ADOTBlog. Arizona Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  14. "NDOT: Navajo Route 20 to open Aug. 29". Lake Powell Chronicle. August 27, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  15. "Newly completed US 89 bypass fully open with no restrictions". Arizona Department of Transportation. October 15, 2013. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  16. "US Highway 89 south of Page reopens after 2013 landslide". News Article. St. George News. March 29, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.

Further reading

Template:Attached KML/U.S. Route 89 in Arizona
KML is from Wikidata
US 89.svg U.S. Route 89
Previous state:
Terminus
Arizona Next state:
Utah