| U.S. Route 93 | |
|---|---|
| Route information | |
| Length: | 1,457 mi[1] (2,345 km) |
| Existed: | 1926[1] – present |
| Major junctions | |
| South end: | US 60 in Wickenburg, AZ |
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I-40 near Kingman, AZ |
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| North end: | BC 93 at Canadian Border at the Port of Roosville near Eureka, MT |
| Highway system | |
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United States Numbered Highways |
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U.S. Route 93 is a major north–south United States highway in the western United States. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 60 in Wickenburg, Arizona. The northern terminus is at the Canadian border north of Eureka in Lincoln County, Montana, where the roadway continues into Roosville, British Columbia, as Highway 93.[2] Major cities that US 93 travels through include Las Vegas, Nevada, Twin Falls, Idaho, and Missoula, Montana.
Contents |
US 93 begins at US 60 in Wickenburg, a small town about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Phoenix. 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Wickenburg, it passes through a large forest of Joshua Trees, and is thus labeled the Arizona Joshua Parkway until it merges with I-40 to Kingman. US 93 then splits from I-40 in Kingman and heads north to the Hoover Dam. Chloride is located off this highway, and Santa's Land remains are on the west side about 15 miles (24 km) before the Chloride exit.
This highway was known to be one of the deadliest highways in America until recently. The years of improvement have made it a much safer road to travel, according to the Federal Highway Administration.[3]
US 93 enters Nevada on the Hoover Dam Bypass, then heads north through Boulder City towards Las Vegas. The route merges with U.S. Route 95 through Henderson and southeast Las Vegas, then continues north concurrently with Interstate 15 through North Las Vegas. Outside of the Las Vegas area, US 93 diverges from I-15 to head north towards Great Basin National Park. Near here, the highway overlaps with U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 50 towards Ely. US 93 leaves US 6/50 in Ely and continues north, intersecting Interstate 80 at Wells before crossing the Idaho state line near Jackpot.
Between State Route 318 and Majors Junction (US 6/50), US 93 is designated a Nevada Scenic Byway.[4]
From Ely to Schellbourne Ranch,[5] US 93 is part of the Lincoln Highway, the first road across the United States.
Shortly after entering Idaho at Jackpot, Nevada, US 93 overlaps US 30 as it enters Twin Falls. North of here, the highway crosses the Snake River Canyon via the Perrine Bridge en route to an interchange with Interstate 84. US 93 passes through Shoshone and runs concurrently with both US 26 and US 20 before reaching Arco. The highway then turns northwest to enter the Big Lost River valley through Mackay. Just south of Challis, US 93 becomes the northern leg of the Salmon River Scenic Byway as it heads towards the town of Salmon.[6] From there, the highway follows portions of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and passes through the Salmon-Challis National Forest before entering Montana.
US 93 enters Montana from Idaho at Lost Trail Pass (web-cam) and travels north descending through the Bitterroot National Forest. The highway continues along the Lewis and Clark trail into the Bitterroot Valley toward Missoula, passing through Darby and Hamilton.
From Missoula it continues north through the Flathead Indian Reservation. Portions of this section run along the National Bison Range. North of the reservation, US 93 traverses the western shore of Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River. North of the lake the highway runs through the cities of Kalispell and Whitefish, traveling through the Flathead National Forest and the Stillwater State Forest before reaching its terminus at the Canadian border near Eureka.
The portion north of Hamilton travels through one of the most densely populated areas in Montana. This section also serves as a popular north–south connection between Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park. As a result, the road tends to become more congested between Hamilton and Whitefish. A popular bumper sticker in Montana reads, "Pray for me, I drive Hwy 93!"[8]
U.S. Route 93 was not one of the original U.S. highways proposed in the 1925 Bureau of Public Roads plan.[9] However, the revised numbering plan approved by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on November 11, 1926, established US 93 from the Canadian border near Eureka, Montana south through Montana and Idaho to a southern terminus at Wells, Nevada.[10][11]
AASHO, at its June 8, 1931, meeting, approved a southerly extension of US 93 south to Glendale, Nevada.[10] By 1932, the Nevada Department of Highways had marked the continuation of the highway using the routing of several preexisting state highways.[12]
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.[10] Nevada officials again extended the route along preexisting highways; however, they may not have signed the extension right away as it was not shown on Nevada's state-published maps until 1939.[10][13][14]
Until 1993, US 93 ended a short distance north of Wickenburg, Arizona at a junction with U.S. Highway 89. When US 89 was decommissioned in the area, the US 93 designation was carried on into Wickenburg.
A new highway segment opened in October 2010 in the area of Hoover Dam;[15] the Hoover Dam Bypass replaces a highway that had been closed to truck traffic due to security concerns over the dam since the September 11, 2001 attacks.[16] The bypass crosses the Colorado River on a new bridge downstream of the dam. The new bypass will now make the truck detour through either Laughlin, Nevada or Needles, California unnecessary.
US 93 (with US 60 to the southeast of Wickenburg) is the shortest route between Las Vegas and Phoenix, two of the fastest-growing cities in America. Upgrades of US 60 and US 93 to expressway status are scheduled between Las Vegas and Phoenix.[17]
A bypass route is currently being planned to redirect US 93 around Kalispell, Montana.[18] Currently, US 93 enters Kalispell and becomes Main Street, a 25 mph (40 km/h) arterial.
U.S. Route 93 Alternate |
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|---|---|
| Location: | Lages Junction–Wells, Nevada |
U.S. Route 93 Alternate is an alternate route of US 93 in northeastern Nevada. The southern terminus is at Lages Station in northern White Pine County, where it separates from US 93. The route continues north to West Wendover where it joins Interstate 80. US 93 Alternate follows I-80 west to Wells, where it terminates at an interchange with US 93.
Alternate 93 provides a shortcut from central Nevada to Salt Lake City, Utah via eastbound Interstate 80.
U.S. Route 93 Alternate |
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|---|---|
| Location: | Shoshone–Challis, Idaho |
| Existed: | 1926–1977 |
Between 1926 and 1977 a road between Shoshone, Idaho and Challis, Idaho was also labeled Alternate US 93. This stretch of road is now designated as part of US 93. The pre-1977 routing of US 93 between those points is now designated as State Highway 75.
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Main U.S. Routes |
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | |
| 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | |
| 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 |
| 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 87 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | ||
| 101 | 163 | 400 | 412 | 425 | |||||||||||||||
| Lists | U.S. Routes • Bannered • Divided • Bypassed | ||||||||||||||||||
| Browse numbered routes | ||||
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| ← US 91 | MT | I-94 → | ||
