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Revision as of 03:21, 8 August 2007 by Moabdave (talk | contribs) (→Route Description: Wellsville Mountains not wasatch)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)U.S. Route 91 is a north-south United States highway. The highway currently serves as a connection between the Cache Valley area of Utah and Idaho to the Salt Lake and Pocatello population centers. Prior the mid-1970s, U.S. 91 was a long haul route from Long Beach, California to the Canadian border north of Shelby, Montana. The route has been largely decommissioned in favor of Interstate 15. A portion of the highway's former route in California is currently California State Route 91.
Route Description
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Utah
U.S 91 begins at Brigham City and winds its way through the Wellsville Mountains using Sardine and Wellsville Canyons for its path to the Cache Valley. Along the way it passes Mantua, Utah and Lake Mantua. Once entering Cache Valley it serves as the major thoroughfare of the valley. Logan, Utah is the largest city in the valley. Both the Utah and Idaho portions of Cache Valley are part of the Logan Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The Utah section of U.S. 91 is defined at Utah Code Annotated § 72-4-115(1).
Idaho
U.S. 91 continues serving the Idaho portion of the Cache Valley with Preston as the largest city. Preston gained fame as the filming location for the movie Napoleon Dynamite. The highway then crosses back to rejoin the path of Interstate 15. U.S. 91 follows Yellowstone Avenue in Pocatello.
History
At its peak, from 1947 to 1965, US 91 extended from the Pacific Ocean at Long Beach, California to Canada, roughly following the path of Interstate 15 north of Riverside. There are some parts where U.S. 91/I-15 had significantly different paths. The first is from Littlefield, Arizona to Saint George, Utah where the 2 routes took different paths through the Arizona Strip. The second is the surviving portion of U.S. 91 from Brigham City to Downey, where Interstate 15 follows an old route of U.S. Route 191.
Retracing the path of historic U.S. Route 91 is possible but difficult. In most cities the route of U.S. 91 is still in use as a local street or highway. In many rural areas, I-15 was literally built on top of the former U.S. 91.
The highway passed through the following states:
- California (until 1973)
- Nevada (until 1974)
- Arizona (10 miles (16 km) in the Arizona Strip, until 1974)
- Utah
- Idaho
- Montana (until 1980)
California
U.S. 91's original southern terminus was at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue (historically CA 15) and East Pacific Coast Highway (CA 1) in Long Beach. This intersection also marked the historic western terminus of US 6, which proceeded west from that intersection. East of the intersection, U.S. 91 proceeded east along East Pacific Coast Highway to Los Alamitos Circle.
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The portions in California were replaced with:
- California State Route 1 (from Lakewood Blvd to the center of Long Beach)
- California State Route 19 (Lakewood Blvd),
- California State Route 214 (decommissioned--Lincoln Avenue in Orange County and Carson Street in Los Angeles County)
- California State Route 91
- Interstate 215
- Interstate 15
Nevada
The route of U.S. 91 in Nevada was directly replaced with I-15.
In Las Vegas U.S. 91 was better known as Las Vegas Boulevard (NV 604). The intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street is the historic intersection with U.S. 93 and U.S. 95. Here, U.S. 466 left U.S. 91 and headed south on Fremont Street with U.S. 93 and 95. At this intersection, U.S. 93 and 95 left Fremont Street and turned north onto Las Vegas Boulevard, heading north with U.S. 91. One block further up, at Bonanza Road, U.S. 95 turned west until it hit Rancho Dr., then continued north. U.S. 91/93 stayed aligned with Las Vegas Boulevard.
Leaving Las Vegas, U.S. 91 followed I-15 to exit 112 (NV 170) to Mesquite (NV 144) and then to Hillside Drive into Arizona, where the road becomes Fairview Avenue.
Arizona
U.S. 91 entered Arizona on Fairview Avenue and followed it northeast to Littlefield. Once Fairview Avenue crosses I-15, it becomes Cane Beds Road through downtown Littlefield and into Utah, where the road becomes Old Highway 91.
Utah
From the State Line to Saint George U.S. 91 followed a semi-circular route that is now simply called Old Highway 91. Old Highway 91 continues to Santa Clara and what is now UT 18 to St. George.
From St. George to Springville U.S. 91 is in the shadows of I-15. At times the old pavement is visible off to the side of the freeway; at other times the old pavement for U.S. 91 is underneath the pavement for I-15.
U.S. 91 first joined U.S. Route 89 in Springville at one of the oldest grade separated interchanges in Utah (this portion is now Utah State Route 51. From this junction to Logan the two highways ran mostly concurrent. This portion is mostly intact as US 89.
US 91 did have a unique route between Farmington and Ogden and where U.S. 89/91 split and then rejoined on what is now Utah State Route 126 and Utah State Route 26. These highways form the Main Street through Kaysville and Layton; State Street from the Layton-Clearfield border to Main Street in Clearfield though the city of Sunset turning in to 1900 West at the Sunset-Roy border, then following 1900 W to a junction with Riverdale Road in Roy, then following Riverdale Road through Riverdale, and then meeting back up with U.S. 89 at Washington Blvd in Ogden.
Idaho
 | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. |
Montana
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. |
See also
Related U.S. Routes
- U.S. Highway 191
- There has never been a US Highway 291 or US-391
- U.S. Highway 491
References and external links
- ^ http://members.aol.com/utahhwys/081-100.htm#rte091 Dan Stober's Utah Highways, personal website last accessed 05.08.2007
- http://members.aol.com/utahhwys/041-060.htm#rte051 Dan Stober's Utah Highways, personal website, last checked 05.08.2007
 United States Numbered Highway System | |
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| Routes in italics are no longer a part of the system. Highlighted routes are considered main routes of the system. |
| Browse numbered routes | ||||
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←  US 89 | ID | →  US 93 | ||
←  SR-90 | UT | →  SR-92 | ||