State Route 61 (SR-61) is a nearly 7.3-mile-long (11.7 km) state highway in Cache County, Utah, connecting SR-23 in Cornish, to U.S. Route 91 (US-91) in Cove via Lewiston, in the extreme northern part of the state. The highway has existed since at least 1914 and as SR-61 since at least 1937. Between 735 and 2,180 vehicles travel along the highway on an average day in 2012.
State Route 61 | ||||
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by UDOT | ||||
| Length | 7.287 mi[1] (11.727 km) | |||
| Existed | 1931–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  SR-23 in Cornish | |||
 SR-200 near Lewiston | ||||
| East end |  US 91 near Richmond | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Utah | |||
| Counties | Cache | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Route description edit
At the intersection of SR-23 (4800 West) and 13400 North in the center of Cornish, SR-61 departs east on 13400 North due east, crossing over a single track belonging to the Union Pacific Railroad (UP).[1] Exiting Cornish, the highway crosses the Bear River and continues east through rural Cache County. Just shy of the western city limits of Lewiston, the highway intersects SR-200 (800 West), a connector road to Preston, Idaho.[2] From the western terminus to SR-200, the shoulder is up to four feet (1.2 m) wide, suitable for bicycling, however the remainder of the route has much narrower shoulders, between less than or equal to one and nine-tenths feet (0.58 m) wide.[3]
The highway's name changes from 13400 South to Center Street through Lewiston. Passing the Lewiston Cemetery, SR-61 crosses over the Cub River and a second single track belonging to UP, and then a third UP single track just before the highway's eastern terminus at US-91 north of Richmond.[1] All of the rail lines that SR-61 crosses originally belonged to the Oregon Short Line Railway.[4] Aside from the segment through Lewiston, the highway is surrounded by farmland for its entire journey across northern Utah.[2]
Every year, UDOT conducts a series of surveys on its highways in the state to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of average annual daily traffic (AADT), a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. In 2012, UDOT calculated that as few as 735 vehicles used the highway on an average day at its western terminus in Cornish, and as many as 2,180 vehicles used the highway at its junction with SR-200.[5] Thirty-five percent of this was truck traffic.[6]
History edit
A roadway linking Cornish to the east has existed since at least 1914.[4] The roadway that serves as the eastern terminus was numbered SR-1 by 1927,[7] and the highway officially was designated SR-61 in 1931.[8][9] The 53-foot-long (16.2 m) bridge that carries SR-61 over the Cub River today was constructed in 1952,[10] while the 182-foot-long (55.5 m) bridge over the Bear River was built in 1961.[11] The original river crossings were slightly further south than their current locations.[4] Until 1953, SR-61 continued north to the Idaho border. This section was replaced by SR-23 in 1953.
Major intersections edit
The entire route is in Cache County. [12]
| Location[12] | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornish | 0.000 | 0.000 | SR-23 (4800 West) – Ogden, Pocatello | Western terminus | |
| Lewiston | 4.025 | 6.478 |  SR-200 north (800 West) – Preston | Southern terminus of SR-200 | |
| 7.287 | 11.727 | US 91 (950 East) – Logan, Franklin | Eastern terminus | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d Staff (August 13, 2013). "State Route 61". Highway Reference. Utah Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ a b Google (December 22, 2013). "Utah State Route 61" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ Utah Bicycle Suitability Map (Map). Scale not given. Utah Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
- ^ a b c Utah-Idaho: Logan Quadrangle (Map). 1:250,000. Cartography by USGS. United States Geological Survey. 1914. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
- ^ Staff (2012). Traffic on Utah Highways (PDF) (Report). Utah Department of Transportation. p. 11. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ Staff (2012). Truck Traffic on Utah Highways (PDF) (Report). Utah Department of Transportation. p. 11. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ Official Paved Road and Commercial Survey of the United States (Map) (1262 ed.). Scale not given. National Map Company. 1927. p. 27. OCLC 767737945. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ Utah State Legislature (1931). "Chapter 55: Designation of State Roads". Session Laws of Utah.
(61) From route 1 at Webster Spur westerly via Lewiston and Cornish and northerly to Idaho State line.
- ^ Texaco Road Map Idaho, Montana, Wyoming (Map). 1:1,774,080. Cartography by Rand McNally. Texaco. 1937. § K-6. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ Federal Highway Administration (2012). "NBI Structure Number: 0D 548". National Bridge Inventory. Federal Highway Administration.
- ^ Federal Highway Administration (2012). "NBI Structure Number: 0F 25". National Bridge Inventory. Federal Highway Administration.
- ^ "Cache County" (Map). General Highway Map. 1:22,440. Utah Department of Transportation. 2005. p. 2. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
External links edit
Media related to Utah State Route 61 at Wikimedia Commons