Utah State Route 38

infobox road
state=UT
type=SR
route=38
section=109
maint=UDOT
length_mi=18.952
length_ref=Utah Department of Transportation, [http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/f?p=100:pg:7100099758777741733::::V,T:,814 Highway Reference Information] , accessed July 2007]
length_round=3
established=1931 as SR-69; renumbered 1993
direction_a=South
terminus_a=jct|state=UT|SR|13 in Brigham City
junction=jct|state=UT|SR|240 in Honeyville
jct|state=UT|SR|102 in Deweyville
direction_b=North
terminus_b=jct|state=UT|SR|30 at Collinston
previous_type=SR
previous_route=37
next_type=SR
next_route=39

State Route 38 is a state highway in Box Elder County in the U.S. state of Utah. It runs north from Brigham City to Collinston (northeast of Tremonton). The highway was originally State Route 69, but was renumbered in 1993 due to sign theft caused by the sexual connotation of the number.

Route description

Starting in the north end of Brigham City at the east edge of the Bear River Valley, the route travels north for approximately one mile until it reaches the west edge of the Wellsville Mountains, turning north-northeast to follow along the edge of the mountain range. Upon reaching the city of Honeyville, it resumes a more northerly direction through Crystal Springs, Madsen, and Deweyville, before ending in Collinston.

History

The Utah State Road Commission took over maintenance of State Route 69 from Brigham City via Collinston to Logan on May 12, 1931. The route began at the present SR-13 - then US-30S (SR-41) - in Brigham City, and ran north on the east side of the valley to Collinston. There it turned east over Beaver Dam Summit to the north of the Wellsville Mountains, and crossed the Cache Valley to US-91 (SR-1) in Logan. This remained the route of SR-69 until the 1977 renumbering, though in 1966 SR-30 became the "state signed guide number" northeast of the junction with SR-102 in Deweyville, in order to provide a continuous signed route across the northern counties of Utah.Utah Department of Transportation, [http://www.udot.utah.gov/download.php/tid=1348/SR-030.pdf Route 30] history, updated October 2005] Utah Department of Transportation, [http://www.udot.utah.gov/download.php/tid=1348/SR-069.pdf Route 69] history, updated October 2005]

On May 20, 1977, the portion that had been signed as SR-30 since 1966 was officially renumbered as part of SR-30, truncating SR-69 to a Brigham City (SR-13) to Deweyville (SR-30) highway. The Department of Transportation passed a resolution on March 24, 1989, recommending that the State Legislature modify SR-30 to run west from Collinston to the under-construction I-15, partially restoring the portion of SR-69 that had been eliminated in 1977. The Legislature approved the change in 1991, after this part of I-15 - the last Interstate section in Utah - opened on November 20, 1990. [Deseret News, The Finish Line: Tremonton-Plymouth Portion of Interstate Finished, 18 Years Late, November 18, 1990]

In 1993, the director of UDOT's District One, which included SR-69, requested a renumbering, due to problems with sign theft:

"The SR-69 route signs have become a collectors' item for a large number of individuals, resulting in a large expense for us in replacing the signs. We suspect it is college students that are taking most of the signs, as there is a very significant loss in SR-69 sign panels during the college school year. We lose approximately 35 sign panels each year from this route. Often, the post is also damaged - requiring replacement. We do not experience losses anywhere close to this magnitude on any other route."

The Utah Transportation Commission approved the request, changing the number from 69 to 38 (which had been unused since 1975) on October 15, 1993; signs were replaced in April 1994. [Salt Lake Tribune, Racy Route 69 Gets New Number, April 15, 1994] No changes of any significance have been made since then.Utah Department of Transportation, [http://www.udot.utah.gov/download.php/tid=1348/SR-038.pdf Route 38] history, updated October 2005]

Major intersections

jctint
state=UT
county=Box Elder
cspan=4
location=Brigham City
mile=0.000
road=jct|state=UT|SR|13|name1=900 North
notes=Southern terminusjctint
state=UT
location=Honeyville
mile=8.290
road=jct|state=UT|SR|240|name1=6900 Northjctint
state=UT
location=Deweyville
mile=14.011
road=jct|state=UT|SR|102jctint
state=UT
location=Collinston
mile=18.952
road=jct|state=UT|SR|30|name1=15200 North
notes=Northern terminus

References