Utah State Route 18

Infobox road
state=UT
type=SR
route=18
alternate_name=Legacy Loop Highway

---

section=107
maint=UDOT
length_mi=51.005
length_round=3
length_ref= [http://www.dot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=7244708433978199 UDOT Highway Reference, SR-18] ]
established=1918 as a state highway; 1927 as SR-18
direction_a=South
terminus_a=jct|state=UT|I|15 in St. George
junction=jct|state=UT|SR|34 in St. George
jct|state=UT|SR|8 in St. George
jct|state=UT|SR|219 in Enterprise
direction_b=North
terminus_b=jct|state=UT|SR|56 at Beryl Junction
previous_type=SR
previous_route=17
next_type=SR
next_route=19

State Route 18 (SR-18) is a state highway in southern Utah, running for 51.005 miles in Washington and Iron Counties from St. George to Beryl Junction near Toquerville. It forms part of the Legacy Loop Highway from St. George to Parowan. [http://members.aol.com/utahhwys/001-020.htm#rte018 Utah Highways, SR-18] ] The highway closely follows the route of the Old Spanish Trail through Dixie National Forest.

Route description

t. George to Veyo

SR-18 begins at a frontage road just south of an interchange with I-15 in southern St. George and heads north through the west side of the city. It continues north through Snow Canyon State Park and continues northwest through Wide Canyon to Dammeron Valley and past Veyo Volcano. It then turns north into Veyo, running through the center of the town.

Veyo to Beryl Junction

SR-18 leaves Veyo heading northeast to Central, then continues north and northwest through mountainous terrain in the Dixie National Forest past the Mountain Meadows Massacre site and continues into Enterprise. It turns northeast in eastern Enterprise, then turns north through farmland outside of the town to Beryl Junction, where it ends at an intersection with SR-54.

History

The highway closely follows the route of the Old Spanish Trail through the extreme corner of southwestern Utah.cite map
publisher=Utah Travel Council
title=Southwestern Utah Multipurpose Map
year=1978
cartography=AAA Engineering and Drafting
scale=1:250000
series=5 of 8
section=B4] This portion of the trail is known for the 1857 Mountain Meadows massacre, a controversial event in both Utah and Mormon history which occurred just off what is now SR-18.

The road from SR-1 (US-91) at Enterprise Junction north through Enterprise to Modena was added to the state highway system in 1918.Utah Department of Transportation, [http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/f?p=100:pg:5285268476414239680:::1:T,V:1348, Highway Resolutions] : PDFlink|1= [http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=200609121827371 Route 18] |2=2.49 MB, updated September 2007, accessed May 2008] A 1927 law gave it the number and extended it west to the Nevada state line, where it became SR 25 to Panaca. [cite UTSR law|year=1927|quote=18. From Enterprise Junction near St. George, northerly via Central, and Enterprise to Modena, thence, westerly to the Nevada State line.] In 1935, the portion from Beryl Junction west to Nevada became an extension of SR-56, which ran east from Beryl Junction to Cedar City. [cite UTSR|year=1935|quote=Route 18. From Enterprise Junction on route 1, near St. George, northerly via Central and Enterprise to Modena Junction on route 56." "Route 56. From Cedar City westerly via Newcastle and Modena to the Utah-Nevada state line.] A branch from Enterprise west to Nevada, where SR 75 continued as a shortcut to Panaca, was added to SR-18 in 1941, [cite UTSR law|year=1941|chapter=34 ] but split off as SR-120 in 1945. [cite UTSR law|year=1945|quote=Route 120. From Enterprise on route 18 westerly via Terry's Ranch to the Utah-Nevada state line.] At the south end of SR-18, SR-1 was moved from old US-91 to new I-15 in 1969, resulting in an extension of SR-18 southeast over old SR-1 to SR-34 in St. George. A further extension to I-15 at exit 6 was made in 1974, replacing the south half of SR-34.

Major intersections

Jctint
state=UT
county=Washington
cspan=5
location=Saint George
lspan=4
type=
mile=0.000
road=Frontage Road
notes=Southern terminusJctint
state=UT
type=
mile=0.043-0.289
road=jct|state=UT|I|15 – Las Vegas, Salt Lake City
notes=Jctint
state=UT
type=
mile=2.103
road=jct|state=UT|SR|34|dir1=east|name1=Saint George Boulevard
notes=Jctint
state=UT
type=
mile=3.181
road=jct|state=UT|SR|8|dir1=west|name1=Sunset Boulevard|city1=Santa Clara
notes=Jctint
state=UT
type=
location=Enterprise
lspan=1
mile=40.338
road=jct|state=UT|SR|219|dir1=west|name1=Main Street
notes=Jctint
state=UT
type=
county=Iron
cspan=1
location=Beryl Junction
lspan=1
mile=51.005
road=jct|state=UT|SR|56|city1=Modena|city2=Cedar City
notes=Northern terminus

References