Utah State Route 9
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| State Route 9 |
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| Zion Park Scenic Byway Defined by Utah Code §72-4-106 |
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| Length: | 57.075 mi[1] (91.853 km) | ||||||||
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| Formed: | 1920s (as SR-15)[2] | ||||||||
| West end: | .svg/20px-I-15_(big).svg.png){kind=small} I-15 at Harrisburg Junction |
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| Major junctions: |
 SR-318 in Hurricane SR-59 in Hurricane SR-17 in Hurricane |
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| East end: |  US-89 at Mount Carmel Junction |
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State Route 9 (SR-9) is a state highway in southern Utah, serving Zion National Park. It starts at the western terminus at exit 16 on I-15. It passes through Zion National Park, ending at the eastern junction with US-89. The entire length of the highway has been designated the Zion Park Scenic Byway. [3] There is a fee to travel through Zion National Park, but the highway is open to private vehicles year-round. A separate fee is required for vehicles 7'10" wide and/or 11'4" tall or larger. This fee pays for a ranger to stop traffic from the other side of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel to allow the larger vehicles to pass through. [4] There is a smaller tunnel in Zion National Park that does not require an escort. Commercial vehicles are prohibited from using SR-9[5] and are directed to use SR-20 instead.
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[edit] Route description
[edit] St. George to Zion National Park
SR-9 begins at I-15, Exit 16, at Harrisburg Junction, just north of St. George. Immediately upon exiting I-15, SR-9 enters the Coral Canyon Development, which features an 18-hole golf course. Coral Canyon is split by the city boundaries of Hurricane and Washington Cities. Upon leaving this development, SR-9 passes through two ridges and begins its descent into the aptly-named Purgatory Flats, home of the County
Fairgrounds and a penitentiary. The 'flats' are a relatively level area between two sharply defined ridges. Quail Lake, which is in fact a reservoir, lies about a mile to the north of the road between these two ridges. Upon passing through the second ridge, SR-9 crosses the Virgin River & climbs a small plateau to the region of Hurricane known as Brentwood. The road descends from this plateau into downtown Hurricane, where SR-59 splits to the south and the Arizona Border. SR-9 then swings north towards the town of La Verkin, crossing an old bridge over the La Verkin River Ravine, before entering that town. In La Verkin, SR-17 takes off to the north, where it meets back up with I-15. After leaving La Verkin, SR-9 heads uphill and passes several mesas before eventually going through the small towns of Virgin, Rockville and Springdale.[1]
[edit] Zion National Park to Mt. Carmel Junction
This scenic section of SR-9 twists and turns along 14 miles through Zion National Park to Mount Carmel Junction. This section of the road is called the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. The highway begins on the south side of Zion National Park following along the Virgin River. The road then turns at the junction of Pine Creek and the Virgin River and continues up Pine Creek Canyon, up the Switchbacks and into the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. On the east side of the tunnel the highway continues through impressive scenery, past the Canyon Overlook Trailhead, the East Rim Trailhead and the unique Zion landmark, Checkerboard Mesa. Finally the road exits the park through the east entrance and 12 miles later ends at the junction of SR-9 and US-89 in Mount Carmel Junction.
[edit] History
Construction began through and east of the national park in 1927.[6] The Nevada Construction Co. completed the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel in 1930, after three years of construction. The cost was $1,896,000.[4]. The route was first numbered State Route 15. In 1977, the state of Utah renumbered many routes to avoid instances where a state route was using the same number as a U.S. or Interstate Highway within the state. As the number 15 was also in use for Interstate 15 this route was renumbered SR-9.[7]. Prior to that time SR-9 was a legislative designation for what is now US-191 between Crescent Junction and Monticello and US-491 between Monticello and the Colorado state line.[7]
[edit] Major Intersections
| County | Location | Mile | Roads intersected | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | Hurricane | 0.000-0.279[1] | I-15 – Las Vegas, Salt Lake City |
Western terminus |
| 2.766 | SR-318 (5300 West) – Leeds |
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| 9.776 | SR-59 (Main Street) – Hildale |
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| La Verkin | 12.458 | SR-17 (State Street) – Toquerville |
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| Springdale | 32.662 | Enter Zion National Park; Begin National Park Service maintenance | ||
| Kane | 44.881 | Leave Zion National Park; End National Park Service maintenance | ||
| Mount Carmel Junction | 57.075 | US-89 – Kanab, Mount Carmel, Panguitch |
Eastern terminus |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c UDOT Highway Reference, SR-9
- ^ Rand McNally, Auto Road Atlas, 1926
- ^ Zion Park Scenic Byway. Utah Office of Tourism. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
- ^ a b Frequently Asked Questions about the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
- ^ State of Utah, Secondary Highways with Additional Restrictions. Utah Motor Carrier Division / Utah Department of Transportation. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
- ^ Route 15. Utah Department of Transportation.
- ^ a b Route 9. Utah Department of Transportation.
