Utah 201

Route 201 is the 21st South Freeway in Salt Lake County. The route was originally used as the alignment for US 50. In 1950, US 50 was moved away from Salt Lake City, changing the routing in the western half of Utah to overlay with US 6. At that time, the original route of US 50, including 21st South in Salt Lake County, was assigned the moniker US 50 ALT. Later, an alternate for US 40 was created and added to 21st South, also.

But this route has a history as a transportation corrisor that pre-dates numbered routes -- and even the invention of the automobile! The inauspicious Donner Party crossed the Salt Lake Valley in the summer of 1846, one year before Brigham Young led the Mormons into Utah and probably followed a route very close to the present alignment of U-201.

Half a century later, as automobile travel began to gain popularity, the Lincoln Highway was routed through Salt Lake City along 21st South.

Today, U-201 is disgnated as a part of the California Trail and Pony Exress Trail automobile tour routes, as well as historic Lincoln Highway. (I should note that, while the Pony Express automobuile tour route follows U-201, the actual route followed by the riders of the day exited the Salt Lake Valley to the south and is more closely approximated by U-73).

Near the western end of U-201, this sign assembly marks the California Trail and Pony Express Trail automobile tour routes, as well as the routing of the historic Lincoln Highway. The bridge in the background toward the right is a flyover leading U-201 traffic onto westbound I-80 at exit 102.

Today, this route is a freeway for seven miles, but the road is not built to interstate standards. There are short merges and narrow bridges, and the signage, while recently upgraded in some sections, is inadequate. The freeway was built in sections over 25 years. The portion of the route near I-15 and stretching westward beyond Redwood Road, was built in the mid 1960s, while the western freeway sections, near Bangerter Highway and 5600 West, weren't upgraded to freeway status until the late 1980s. West of 5600 West, U-201 has expressway status all the way to U-202, south of Saltair, with a traffic light at 7200 West, and cross traffic at 8400 West, 9180 West, and various access gates on the Kennecott Utah Copper property.

As a part of the I-15 reconstruction project, U-201's interchange with I-15 was completely rebuilt. The cloverleaf with connections to and from I-80 east via the collector roads has been torn out, and replaced with direct connections to and from I-80 and I-15. U-201 intersected I-15 just north of the I-80/I-15 southern merge/split, and it has long served as a favorite bypass for truckers connecting along I-80, despite the fact that its intersection was I-15 was overburdened. Most ramps in that intersection opened on November 1, 2000, allowing direct connections from U-201 eastbound to I-80 eastbound and from I-80 westbound to U-201 westbound. Also a part of the project, U-201's interchange with 900 West was rebuilt as a SPUI, and that interchange opened in May 2001.

The route officially runs from I-80 at exit 102, and passes along the northern side of Magna and West Valley City to I-15, and then along the city street of 2100 South to State Street (US 89). Historically, when U-201 was created thirty years ago, the route continued east along 2100 South through Sugarhouse, all the way to I-80 at Foothill Blvd. However, U-201 has ended at State Street and US 89 since at least 1979, if not longer.

Of more concern, is the fact that the freeway portion of the route no longer connects with the 21st South surface street. One has to wonder if the portion of U-201 which is routed along that surface street -- that protion between I-15 and US 89 (State Street) -- will remain as a part of U-201. It would seem more logical just to end U-201 at the I-15/I-80 interchange and relinquish the 21st South surface street section back to local control -- after all, it's only four blocks anyway. But, for the moment, 2100 South, between State Street and 300 West remains as part of U-201.

Now to the other end of the route...

A view along westbound U-201 approaching U-202. Since the interchange with I-80 is incomplete, use U-202 between U-201 and I-80 to and from the east. This photo is taken along the expressway section of the route. Just beyond the U-202 junction, U-201 narrows to one lane in each direction for the remaining 3.7 miles to I-80. The Great Salt Lake appears in the distance. The mountain that appears out on the horizon is actually Stansbury Island, out in the middle of the lake. "Kennecott" is not actually a community, as one might gather from this sign, but the Utah Kennecott Copper Company, which owns all the land on both sides of the road from I-80 to Magna. One more thing makes this photo interesting: it was taken at one of only a handful places where two consecutive route numbers intersect. In this case, it's 201 and 202.

The interchange with I-80 at the western end of the route is not fully realized: only eastbound traffic from I-80 can exit onto U-201 and U-201 westbound traffic can access only westbound I-80, as the exit list below suggests. To make the other connections, U-202, about three miles east provides a good link to I-80 at exit 104 near Saltair.

The freeway portion of U-201 is between 7200 West and I-15; the sections west of there are limited access with at-grade crossings. The westernmost 3.7 miles, from the junction with U-202 to I-80, is a two lane road.

Route Definition in Utah Code

Control Points

When the new interchange with 900 South opened in May 2001, the control point for westbound U-201 was listed as "WEST VALLY". In UDOT's defense, the misspelling on this sign was a contractor's error, and was correctly fairly quickly. (Unfortunately, it wasn't corrected before I had a chance to snap this photo!) Also, note that the eastbound freeway entrance makes no mention of U-201; only I-15 and I-80. 900 West is the last (easternmost) exit on the U-201 freeway.

Business Loops

A view along the old route of US 50, constructed long before the 21st South Freeway was built, and beofre the route was numbered U-201. This view is of 2100 South where it crosses the Jordan River near 1300 West. This structure appears to date from the late 1930s. The replacement freeway, 150 yeards to the south, was constructed in the mid 1960s, and re-built in 2000.

Lanes

There is one lane in each direction from the western I-80 junction to the junction with U-202 (3.7 miles), and two lanes in each direction from there to I-15/I-80.

HOV lanes

There are no lanes on this route.

Exit Numbering

All freeways in Utah feature standard milepost-based exits. This includes even short sections such as US 89 near Clearfield and US 6/191 in Price. Accordingly, U-201's exits are numbered.