Route

• South End: corner of 13th East and Van Winkle Expressway (U-152) near Holladay
• North End: corner of 13th East and Fifth South (U-186) in Salt Lake City

• Junction U-152
• Junction U-266, at 45th South and 13th East
• Junction U-171, at 33rd South and 13th East
• Junction I-80, at exit 126
• Junction U-186

Route History
The route is very congested for the one mile section between 2100 South abd 1300 South, as the road narrows to one lane in each direction. By contrast, it is two lanes each way north of there, and three lanes in each direction to the south.

Interesting things along the Route:

• The University of Utah - Established in 1850 as the University of Deseret, this state-owned institution schools 40,000 students. The school is a nationally recongnized research and medical training facility. The world's first first artificial heart transplant was given to Dr. Barney Clark in 1983 at the University of Utah medical center. The, "U", as it is called locally, is at the northern end of U-181.

• Sugarhouse Park - At 13th East and 21st South, just north of the junction with I-80, this huge county park was once the state prison.

• Westminister College - Near 17th South, this private college was founded as a Presbyterian school. Until 1998, the Utah Jazz used its gymnasium as their practice facility.

Route 182 is not currently assigned

Route 183 is not currently assigned

Route

• South End: Corner of North Temple and State Street in Salt Lake City
• North End: Corner of Victory Road and Beck Street in Salt Lake City

• Junction US 89, at State Street and North Temple
• Junction US 89, at Beck Street and Victory Road

Route History
Originally, this route was a part of U-181. Eventually, the middle section of the route, that portion which ran along South Temple Street between the University of Utah and State Street was removed from the state system and turned back to Salt Lake City. That decommissioning left two disjointed sections of the route, so the western section was renumbered and assigned U-184.

Route Notes
This route both begins and ends at US 89, making U-184 one of a small handful of Utah routes which begin and end at the same route (U-19, U-88, and U-121 are some others).

US 89 runs northward on State Street for the length of the Salt Lake Valley, until it reaches North Temple Street, at the foot of Capitol Hill. At this point US 89 veers to the west to remain on the valley floor, while U-184 takes on Capitol Hill head on, climbing north in this photo from the bend in US 89 to the Capitol grounds at the top of the hill.

Change in directions - While the route is posted as a north/south, there is a one-block jog from State Street to Main Street on the south side of the Capitol. For some strange reason, the directional placards change to east/west, for only one block. It seems pointless, and it's undoubtedly the shortest direction change on any route in Utah.

As U-184 reaches the top of Capitol Hill at the northern end of State Street, the route makes a turn to the west on 300 North Street, for a one block jog to avoid the State Capitol.

Interesting things along the Route:

• The State Capitol - The Utah Legislature meets here for 45 days every beginning on the third Monday in January every year. That day happens to be a holiday, Martin Luther King, Jr., Day and because of that fact, there has some sentiment to change the date for opening the legislative session. The date, however, was written into the state constitution long before MLK Day was fixed as a holiday -- indeed, even before Dr. King was born! -- and there has not yet been a serious effort to change that.

  The Capitol Building itself sits facing south perched atop what is today called "Capitol Hill". The location, 20 acres on top of what was then known as "Arsenal Hill", was donated by Salt Lake City in 1888, even before Utah attained statehood! Utah's capitol building was modeled after the United States Capitol building and features a copper dome and Corinthian columns. Ground was broken on the site on the day after Christmas in 1912, and the building was dedicated April 14, 1916.

  On August 11, 1999, the capitol grounds were grazed by a freak tornado. On average, Utah generally sees less than two tornadoes per year statewide, but on that particular afternoon, a twister ripped through downtown Salt Lake City, leaving a trail of debris from the Delta Center to Memory Grove. Some of the heaviest damage was on the Capitol grounds and in the immediate vicinity, but the capitol building itself was unscathed.

  Recent seismic studies have indicated that the capitol is very vulnerable to earthquakes, and would likely tumble in the event of a temblor in the 6.8 range. Utah will spend some $200 million for seismic upgrades and a restoration of Capitol Hill. It is expected that the building will be gutted and rebuilt between 2005 and 2008.

  Route 184 passes around the southwestern corner and along the western side of the capitol grounds.

Route 185 is not currently assigned

Route

• West End: I-80 at exit 115
• East End: I-80 at exit 129

• Junction I-80
• Junction I-215 (no access)
• Junction U-68, at Redwood Road and North Temple
• Junction I-15 (no access)
• Junction US 89, North Temple and 3rd West
• Junction U-270, and 4th South and West Temple
• Junction US 89, at 4th South and State Street
• Junction U-71, at 4th South and 7th East
• Junction U-181, at 5th South and 13th East
• Junction I-80

The I-80 freeway wasn't completed on the west side of town, near the airport, until 1988, and transcontinental traffic was diverted northward from the freeway's temporary end west of Redwood Road to North Temple Street, aka U-186. At that time, U-186 continued further west, past the airport and the International Center, until I-80 picked up again, west of 5600 West.

The completion of the freeway resulted in a shortening of U-186. The freeway was built about 1000 yards south of North Temple Street, and the land between the freeway and North Temple was put into use by the airport authority to lenghten the runways -- so North Temple was paved over. U-186's west end now turns southwestward afer passing under I-215 and feeds via direct ramps onto I-80.

Currently, a light rail line is being installed on U-186, beginning at Main Street and 400 South where it will connect with the existing line, and stretching east to the University of Utah. U-186 has remained opened throughout construction, and the line should be operational before the Olympics arrive in February.

Route Notes:
This route has all of the elements to be considered as the I-80 Business Loop through downtown: easy, direct connections to I-80 at both ends, the routing of the old US highway, and a routing through the city center and near many of its local attractions. Nevertheless, it is not signed as such, probably because Salt Lake is too large a city to have a business loop.

An oddity of this route is that, even though it passes under both I-215 and I-15, it does not have an exit from either one, very strange considering what a major thouroughfare North Temple Street, the thoroughfare on which U-186 runs as it passes under those two freeways, is. Through the years, dating back to the time that I-15 was first built in 1964, UDOT proposed building interchanges with North Temple, but the proposals have always been beaten back by local residents. As recently as 1998, UDOT again broached the idea, as part of its I-15 rebuild project, but again it was panned.

Interesting things along the Route:

• The City/County Building - Located in Washington Square, in the block bounded by State Street, 400 South, 200 East, and 500 South, U-186 skirts along the northern side on 400 South. The building, the secular symbol of Salt Lake City is sometimes confused with the LDS Temple by tourists.

• The Delta Center - Located along 300 West between South Temple and 100 South in Salt Lake, the Delta Center is the home of the Utah Jazz NBA franchise, and the site of numerous concerts, rodeos, and conventions throughout the year. Unlike so many arenas around the country, this arena was built without public funding; Jazz owner Larry H. Miller, secured $66 miilion in personal loans to build the facility in 1991.

  The Utah Jazz are the only major league professional team of any sport to play in Utah. They appeared in the NBA Finals in both 1996 and 1997, only to lose both series in six games to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

• The Utah State Fairpark - The state fairgrounds are located on the north of North Temple Street from 1000 West to about 14th West.

• The University of Utah - Established in 1850 as the University of Deseret, this state-owned institution schools 40,000 students. The school is a nationally recongnized research and medical training facility. The world's first first artificial heart transplant was given to Dr. Barney Clark in 1983 at the University of Utah medical center. Rice-Eccles Stadium, at 1500 East on 500 South, will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics.

The easiest access to I-15, is to use 900 West, just two blocks to the west, and head north to 600 North, which features a complete intersection with the freeway.

Despite the Crescent Junction's long history as a highway intersection, there is very little settlement in the area: the exit has only a mini-mart gas station and one restaurant.

Route 187 is not currently assigned

Route 188 is not currently assigned

Route

• South End: Junction I-15, at exit 266
• North End: Junction US 40, on the east side of Heber City
• North End (in Wyoming): In Jackson. See notes below and Andy Field's US 189 page for information on the controversy surrounding this route.

• Junction I-15
• Junction US 89, at 300 South and University Avenue in Provo
• Junction U-265, near Brigham Young University
• Junction U-52
• Junction U-92
• Junction U-113
• Junction US 40

This sign assembly is at the current [Utah] northern end of US 189 in Heber. Wyoming hasn't acknowledged Utah's unilateral decision, and still posts US 189 shields along the I-80 right of way, beginning at the state line.

Since the completion of the Jordanelle Reservoir, that old routing of US 189 through Kamas has been renumbered U-32, and, according to Utah signage, US 189 now ends at US 40 near Heber.

But Wyoming officials apparently weren't consulted about that decision. They still have a very active routing of US 189, beginning at the Utah border west of Evanston, Wyoming. And, in true Wyoming DOT fashion they actively sign it, beginning with the very first trailblazer on I-80 at the state line.

As if all of the controversy about the northern end of the route weren't enough to make the history of US 189 thoroughly confusing, US 189 actually existed in Utah in an earlier incarnation. The map scan at right is from 1931, and it shows that US 189 ran from US 89 near Ephraim to US 91 in Nephi, along the modern route of U-132. This routing of US 189 survived until at least 1938.
Map from Rand McNally ©1931; Scan provided by Robert V Droz.

Interesting things along the Route:

• Bridal Veil Falls - Until a landslide ruined the area in 1995, the scenic spot featured an aerial tramway which whisked patrons to a restaurant at the top. The tram station also served as the western end of the "Heber Creeper" railway.

  Today, the former development rests in an ugly heap, behind chain link fence posted for NO TRESSPASSING, while owners and developers litigate the future of the once-scenic spot. The falls are still there, although more difficult to reach because the footbridge across the Provo River has been closed along with everything else, but you can still pull into the parking lot and take some beautiful photos if you can disregard the rubble behind you.

• Deer Creek Reservoir - The highway crosses on the dam itself, with northbound traffic switching from the west side of the canyon to the eastern shore of the reservoir.

  Deer Creek Dam is a legacy of the depression, having been funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938, and completed in 1941. Water from the lake reaches Salt Lake City via an aqueduct.

• The Tunnels - In the second of UDOT's planned three phase project to upgrade the former two lane US 189 through Provo Canyon. A pair of tunnels was bored through a granite outcropping at a cost of $37 million. For most of the eight miles between East Orem and Deer Crrek Dam, US 189 and the picturesque Provo share a narrow canyon, barely large enough for them both.

  But, US 189 carries far more traffic capacity than it should, including a great deal of heavy truck traffic which uses US 189 and US 40 to bypass the steep Parleys Summit on I-80 and traffic in Salt Lake when carrying loads between I-15 in the south and I-80 in the east. For years, accident rates on US 189 had been dangerous high, so UDOT proposed an amibitious widening of the canyon road to four lanes.

  UDOT's plans immediately brought out the NIMBYs and protectionists, including actor Robert Redford, whose Sundance Resort is just three miles north of US 189. Protests and litigation from these groups have held up portions of the project for nearly twenty years.

  The first phase, from U-52 in East Orem to just east of Bridalveil Falls, was completed between 1986 and 1988. The second phase, from the eastern end of the first phase to east of the Sundance turnoff was more problematic, as this is the narrowest portion of the canyon. To placate the concerns of the environmental groups, UDOT proposed keeping the road away from the river while eliminating a dangerous, sharp, blind curve by boring twin tunnels just south of the Sundance turnoff, at a cost of $37 million.

  In other places in the second phase, the deep blasting of the canyon walls to accommodate the wider roads, has left the canyon unstable, with frequent rockslides. The tunnels opened in early 1999, and the second phase, is at least nearing completion.

Route Overlays
According to Wyoming, US 189 has overlays on both US 40 and I-80 in order to make its connection with the dangling stub of US 189 in that state.

Freeway sections
You won't find any freeways with US 189 trailblazers on them, but, following the logic from the "Route Overlays" paragraph above, if US 189 is considered to be one continuous route, then I-80, and possibly the US 40 freeway, would have to be considered as a part of US 189's routing from Heber to Evanston.

US 189 Links
US 189 Wyoming by Andy Field

Route

• West End: Junction I-215, at exit 6
• East End: An unpaved road north of Midway

• Jct I-215, at exit 6
• Jct 210, at Wastach Blvd and Ft. Union Blvd at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon in Salt Lake County

Interesting things along the Route:

• Brighton Ski Area - xxxxxxxxx

• Solitude Ski Area - xxxxxxxxx

• Big Cottonwood Canyon - xxxxxxxxx

• Guardsman Pass - xxxxxxxxx

US 191 has its own page.

Route 192 is not currently assigned

Route

• West End: Junction U-126, at State Street and 700 South in Clearfield
• East End: Junction US 89 at exit 343

• I-15, at exit 336
• US 89, at exit 343

Interesting things along the Route:

• Hill Air Force Base - xxxxxxxx

Route 194 is not currently assigned

Route

• South End: Junction U-266, at 4500 South and 2300 East in Salt Lake County
• North End: Junction I-80, at exit 127

However, even that interchange itself is incomplete: only eastbound traffic on I-80 can exit here, and an entrance ramp is provided to westbound I-80 only. As a north-south street, 23rd East ends at I-80.

Route

• South End: Junction U-199, south of Skull Valley Indian Reservation
• North End: Junction I-80, at exit 77

Interesting things along the Route:

• Skull Valley Indian Reservation - See the "Route History" section above.
• Iosepa - This now-nearly abandoned community was originally an enclave of Hawaiian converts to the LDS faith. The church sent missionaries to the islands and those who became believers wanted to come to Zion to join their fellow saints. Iosepa, Hawaiian for "Joseph", was established as a community for the newcomers. Unfortunately, the remoteness of the community and the failure of tropical farming methods in this desert climate doomed the community.

Route

• South End: Junction U-73, west of central Lehi
• North End: Junction US 89, north of central Lehi

Route Notes
This route is a north-south bypass on the western edge of Lehi, connecting to and from the west on U-73 with traffic to and from the north on I-15 and US 89. U-73 runs east-west, while US 89 and I-15 run diagonally southeast to northwest, so U-197 can be envisioned as the western leg of a right triangle surrounding central Lehi.

Route

• South End: I-15, at exit 248
• North End: Junction US 6, northeast of Spanish Fork

A couple of views of signage along U-198 in the Utah County community of Payson. Note that U-147 no longer ends at U-198. This photo was taken in 1998.

As noted above, the route presently designated as U-198 was the routing of US 6 until 1995, when that highway was re-routed to use I-15 in this area. I-15 passes over the interchange on a grade separation and US 6 approaches from the west. If one continues on the same road past the I-15 northbound ramps, it becomes U-198. However, at this exit, only US 6 is noted on the guide signage along I-15 for exit 248.

Route

• West End: Dugway Proving Grounds main gate
• East End: Junction U-36, near St. John

Route

• South End: Junction U-61 in Lewiston
• North End: Idaho State Line, connecting to State Street in Franklin County

Route Notes
There are three Utah-shielded state routes which reach the Idaho state line: U-42, U-61, and U-200. Interestingly, none of them connect to Idaho state numbered routes. All Utah routes which reach the Idaho border are conencted to county roads across the state line. The only numbered roads which are met by numbered routes on the Idaho side are US and Interstate routes.