Arizona State Route 74

Infobox road
marker_

state=AZ
highway_name=
name_notes=
type=state
route=74
alternate_name=
maint=

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length_mi=30.58
length_round=2
length_ref=cite web |url=http://tpd.az.gov/data/reports/2006SHSLog.pdf |title=2006 ADOT Highway Log |author=Arizona Department of Transportation|accessdate=2008-04-17]
length_notes=
established=
decommissioned=
direction_a=West
starting_terminus=jct|state=AZ|US|60 near Morristown
junction=
direction_b=East
ending_terminus=jct|state=AZ|I|17
previous_type=AZ
previous_route=73
next_type=AZ
next_route=75
commons=

State Route 74 (or SR 74) is a state highway in central Arizona that stretches east to west from its junction with U.S. Route 60 just south of Wickenburg to its junction with Interstate 17 north of Phoenix. It serves Lake Pleasant Regional Park and serves as a northern bypass around the often congested stretches of U.S. 60 through the northwest suburbs of the Phoenix Metropolitan area. From end to end, it is thirty-one miles long.

Carefree Highway/SR 74 is also the inspiration for a Gordon Lightfoot song of the same name.

Route description

Stretches of the highway are known as the Morristown-New River Highway, Lake Pleasant Road, and Carefree Highway, the last of which actually extends several miles past I-17 to Carefree. The I-17 to Carefree stretch of Carefree Highway is sometimes numbered as SR 74 on maps, but is not actually part of the state highway system.

This route offers good views of undeveloped desert landscapes, especially of large saguaro and other desert plants.

History

Prior to 1932, SR 74 extended as far west as Ehrenberg; this stretch of highway was renumbered as part of U.S. 60.

The passage of a sales tax extension by voters in Maricopa County in 2004 provided significant funding for highway improvements throughout the region. The Arizona Department of Transportation will use a portion of that funding to acquire right-of-way along SR 74 for future improvements, but has no plans to upgrade the highway to a controlled access freeway through 2025. Residential development in the area is expected to increase rapidly.

ADOT is also in the planning stages for a bypass around Wickenburg. This bypass would effectively continue SR 74 beyond its current western terminus with US 60. Whether this bypass would be marked as SR 74 or not is undetermined.

Junction list

The entire route is in Maricopa County.

References

External links

* [http://arizonaroads.com/arizona/az74.html SR 74 at Arizona Roads]