Utah State Route 95

Infobox road
state=UT
type=SR
route=95
alternate_name=Bicentennial Highway
section=115
maint=UDOT
length_mi=121.351
length_ref=cite web
url=http://www.dot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=6676701893178466
title=Highway Descriptions - Route 0095
publisher=Utah Department of Transportation]
established=1935
direction_a=West
terminus_a=jct|state=UT|SR|24 in Hanksville
junction=jct|state=UT|SR|276 twice near Lake Powell
jct|state=UT|SR|275 near Natural Bridges National Monument
jct|state=UT|SR|261 near Abajo Mountains
direction_b=East
terminus_b=jct|state=UT|US|191 south of Blanding
previous_type=SR
previous_route=94
next_type=SR
next_route=96

State Route 95 or Bicentennial Highway is a state highway located in west-central San Juan, eastern Garfield, and central Wayne counties, in the southeast of the U.S. state of Utah. The highway received the name as its dedication coincided with the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976. The highway forms part of the Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway.

Route description

It runs convert|121|mi|km west from the junction of U.S. Route 191 (4.3 miles south of the town of Blanding), to the junction of SR-24 in the town of Hanksville. It crosses Cottonwood Wash just west of the US-191 junction; follows and crosses White Canyon; and crosses the Colorado River and the northeast end of Lake Powell, near the confluence of the Dirty Devil River, which it crosses just two miles later.

29 miles west of the US-191 junction it meets State Route 261, 2 miles west of there State Route 275 spurs off to the northwest to Natural Bridges National Monument, and it intersects with State Route 276 twice, on either side of Lake Powell.

It passes through the small community of Fry Canyon. Fry's Canyon (also referred to as Fry's Gulch) contains the only gas station between Hanksville and Blanding.

History

SR-95 was added to the state highway system in 1935 as a spur connecting SR-47 (now US-191) near Blanding with Natural Bridges National Monument. [cite UTSR law|year=1935|quote=Route 95. From Blanding westerly to Natural Bridges National Monument.] It was extended in 1949, crossing the Colorado River at Hite and continuing to SR-24 at Hanksville. [cite UTSR law|year=1949|quote=Route 95. From Blanding on route 47 westerly via Natural Bridges National Monument to Hite; thence northerly to route 24 at Hanksville.] Except for a short piece near Blanding, the road remained unpaved through the 1960s. [H.M. Gousha Company, [http://www.broermapsonline.org/members/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/NorthernRockies/gousha_ra_1967_024.html Road Atlas] , 1967] The first major realignment was approved in 1962 and completed in 1966, [Jack Goodman, New York Times, [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10715FE3E5D13778DDDA00A94DD405B868AF1D3 Unnatural Arches; Utah to Dedicate 3 Man-Made Spans In Natural Bridges Area on Friday] , May 29, 1966, p. XX17] bypassing the old crossing at Hite, which is now flooded by Lake Powell, in favor of the new Hite Crossing Bridge.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=200609181300291 Route 95] |2=6.99 MB, updated November 2007, accessed May 2008] The highway was improved and paved in time for the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976, and has since been known as the Bicentennial Highway. [cite web|url=http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2016/|publisher=U.S. Department of Transportation|title=Bicentennial Highway|accessdate=10-24-2007]

Major intersections

References

External links

* [http://members.aol.com/utahhwys/081-100.htm#rte095 Utah Highways] by Dan Stober