Utah State Route 10

State Route 10
Route information
Defined by Utah Code §72-4-106
Maintained by UDOT
Length: 68.816 mi[1] (110.749 km)
Existed: 1910 as a state highway; 1920s as SR-10 – present
Major junctions
South end: I-70 / US-50 / SR-72 at Fremont Junction
  SR-31 in Huntington
US-6 / US-191 in Price
North end:
US-6 Bus. / SR-55 in Price
Highway system

State highways in Utah
Interstate • US • State (Parks) • Scenic

SR-9 SR-12

State Route 10 (SR-10) is a State Highway in the U.S. state of Utah. The highway follows a long valley in Eastern Utah between the Wasatch Plateau on the west and the San Rafael Swell on the east.

The highway serves the primary and most active coal producing region in Utah, accounting for about 2% of the coal supply of the United States[2] Several of the routes that spur from SR-10 to cross the Wasatch Plateau have been honored for their role in energy production. SR-31 has been named The Energy Loop as part of the National Scenic Byways program. Just off SR-10, along SR-29 is the location of the Wilberg Mine fire of 1984. According to a roadside memorial fire is the worst coal mine tragedy in Utah's history.[3] More recently the highway was mentioned in world wide news as part of coverage of the Crandall Canyon Mine collapse of 2007.

Though the highway is not generally used for long haul traffic, the increase in coal extraction along the SR-10 corridor has caused the Utah Department of Transportation to push for funding for improvements calling it one of the most dangerous freight corridors in Utah[4] The northern portion of the highway is loosely paralleled by the Utah Railway that helps service the numerous coal mines along the highway corridor.

Contents

Route description

The highway begins at a junction with I-70 as a continuation of SR-72. The highway follows Castle Valley,[5] a valley defined by the Wasatch Plateau and the San Rafael Swell. The road proceeds in a north east direction passing along several small coal mining communities. The highway also forms the boundary of Huntington State Park. The road terminates in Price at SR-55 which is an old routing of US-6/50 in downtown Price.[1]

History

The road from Price to Salina was added to the state highway system in 1910 in Carbon and Emery Counties and 1912 in Sevier County.[6] The State Road Commission gave it the SR-10 designation in the 1920s.[7] In 1962, the portion from Salina to near Fremont Junction was transferred to the proposed route of I-70.[6]

Major intersections

County Location[8] Mile[1] Junction Notes
Sevier County 0.0 I-70 / SR-72 – Salina, Green River, Loa
Emery County 34.7 SR-57 – Orangeville
41.2 SR-29 – Orangeville, Joe's Valley Reservoir
Huntington 47.6 SR-31 Cleveland Reservoir, Huntington Reservoir
49.4 SR-155 – Elmo, Cleveland, Huntington State Park
56.6 SR-155 – Elmo, Cleveland
Carbon County 60.9 SR-122 – Hiawatha
Price 67.9 US-6 / US-191 – Salt Lake City, Wellington
68.5 Union Pacific Railroad (D&RG Main Line)
68.8
SR-55 / US-6 Bus. 100 North

References

  1. ^ a b c "Highway Reference Information - Route 0010" (PDF). Utah Department of Transportation. http://www.dot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=7269013113017372. Retrieved 2008-02-02. 
  2. ^ "What is your state's role in coal?". American Coal Foundation. http://www.teachcoal.org/aboutcoal/articles/states/ut.html. 
  3. ^ "Wilberg Mine Memorial". Utah State Division of Archives and History. 2006-10. http://history.utah.gov/apps/markers/detailed_results.php?markerid=1153. Retrieved 2008-02-02. 
  4. ^ Daniel B. Kuhn (2006-01-19). "PAVED SHOULDERS & PASSING LANES ON UTAH’S TWO-LANE PRIMARY FREIGHT ROUTES" (PDF). Utah Department of Transportation. http://www.dot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=200609121818301. 
  5. ^ Not the same as Castle Valley near Moab.
  6. ^ a b Utah Department of Transportation, Highway Resolutions: Route 10PDF (6.86 MB), updated September 2007, accessed May 2008
  7. ^ Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas, 1926
  8. ^ Benchmark Maps (2002). Utah Road and Recreation Atlas (Map). 1:250000. p. 60,68. ISBN 0-929591-74-7. http://www.benchmark.com.