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Arizona State Highway Numbering Theory

Started by Max Rockatansky, September 06, 2017, 06:40:27 PM

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Max Rockatansky

I've been wracking my brain on this for awhile and thought I'd throw this out to the forum to see if anyone has any idea on this subject.  SO!....Arizona state highway numberings tend to be grouped in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.  Early state highways especially tended to stick to numbers in those specified ranges and I've always been curious as to why.

So my theory is that the early State Route numbers were assigned to be somewhat in sequence with the early US Routes in Arizona.  By 1927 those US Routes would have been; 66, 70, 80, 89, 91, 180 (i), and 260 so it would seem the state route numbers were assigned to fit within those ranges.  Obviously that numbering scheme has kind of fallen apart with numbers like 24, 51, and 143 just to name a few but is largely still intact to this very day. 

Anyone have any thoughts on this particular subject or any documentation that might explain what the state route numbering convention was in the 1927?  I attached a 1927 state highway map from Arizonaroads.com as a reference to look at:





sparker

My own guess is that since the AZ highway network was, to say the least, sparse before WW II that they simply took their numbering cues from the various U.S. highways planned for the area.  Following that, they probably figured that those "inter state" routes would in all likelihood continue to occupy a big chunk of the state network as well as carry most of the traffic -- and elected to let those numbers, starting with 60, serve as the "low field" for reference as primary routes, and fill in the numbers above that as other U.S. highways were commissioned within the state or as needed to fill in where the U.S. network left off.  So the lowest state number would have been 61, which from that point until the Interstate system arrived or, much later, lower numbers were assigned to Phoenix-area freeways, was in fact the case.   Actually, from the info on the maps provided, the state elected to start with numbers in the 80's, eventually working themselves out from there -- probably figuring that that was a reasonable place to be, considering the physical location of the state within the U.S. highway grid. 

KeithE4Phx

#2
Here is a map from the April 1928 edition of Arizona Highways. From what I understand, this is the way the original group of state highways were laid out and signed.  The 1926 and 1927 maps were mostly speculation.

The only state highways shown on the map are:
AZ 71 -- San Jose to Clifton, the current US 191 and former US 666.
AZ 73 -- Globe to McNary, the current US 60 and AZ 73.
AZ 74 -- Wickenburg to Ehrenburg, the current US 60.  I don't know if it extended into California at the time.
AZ 79 -- Prescott to Flagstaff, the current AZ 89A and former US 89A.
AZ 81 -- Douglas to Safford, the current US 191 and former US 666.
AZ 82 -- Nogales to just north of Tombstone, same as today.
AZ 83 -- Vail to Sonoita, part of the current route.
AZ 84 -- Casa Grande to Tucson, eventually replaced by I-10.
AZ 87 -- Mesa to Eloy, part of the current route.
AZ 88 -- Apache Junction to Globe.  Now truncated from AJ to Roosevelt Dam.
AZ 187 -- Sacaton to Casa Grande, a "bridge" between AZ 84 and 87.  Now AZ 187 north of I-10 and AZ 387 from I-10 to CG.

The only highways through Phoenix were US 80, 89, and 180, with AZ 87 starting in Mesa and going south.  IIRC, US 180 became US 70 in 1934 or '35, and US 60 was extended into Arizona a few years before that.

(Edit -- The last entry is AZ 187, not 181.)
"Oh, so you hate your job? Well, why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called "EVERYBODY!" They meet at the bar." -- Drew Carey

sparker

Quote from: KeithE4Phx on September 08, 2017, 11:06:52 PM
Here is a map from the April 1928 edition of Arizona Highways. From what I understand, this is the way the original group of state highways were laid out and signed.  The 1926 and 1927 maps were mostly speculation.

The only state highways shown on the map are:
AZ 71 -- San Jose to Clifton, the current US 191 and former US 666.
AZ 73 -- Globe to McNary, the current US 60 and AZ 73.
AZ 74 -- Wickenburg to Ehrenburg, the current US 60.  I don't know if it extended into California at the time.
AZ 79 -- Prescott to Flagstaff, the current AZ 89A and former US 89A.
AZ 81 -- Douglas to Safford, the current US 191 and former US 666.
AZ 82 -- Nogales to just north of Tombstone, same as today.
AZ 83 -- Vail to Sonoita, part of the current route.
AZ 84 -- Casa Grande to Tucson, eventually replaced by I-10.
AZ 87 -- Mesa to Eloy, part of the current route.
AZ 88 -- Apache Junction to Globe.  Now truncated from AJ to Roosevelt Dam.
AZ 181 -- Sacaton to Casa Grande, a "bridge" between AZ 84 and 87.  Now AZ 181 north of I-10 and AZ 387 from I-10 to CG.

The only highways through Phoenix were US 80, 89, and 180, with AZ 87 starting in Mesa and going south.  IIRC, US 180 became US 70 in 1934 or '35, and US 60 was extended into Arizona a few years before that.

All those maps are real finds!  Looks as if the U.S. system was still evolving in 1928 -- but at least the 66 designation had replaced the original 60 as the main E-W corridor in N. AZ and NM by that time.  If anyone can dig up a series of maps from 1930 to 1941, that would further elucidate the ongoing process.  At least both the '27 and '28 maps reminded me that US 91 originally headed south along the current US 95 alignment from Las Vegas prior to the deployment of US 466 about 1933 or so; I'd forgotten about that original routing.

kurumi

My first SF/horror short story collection is available: "Young Man, Open Your Winter Eye"

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: sparker on September 09, 2017, 01:55:23 AM
Quote from: KeithE4Phx on September 08, 2017, 11:06:52 PM
Here is a map from the April 1928 edition of Arizona Highways. From what I understand, this is the way the original group of state highways were laid out and signed.  The 1926 and 1927 maps were mostly speculation.

The only state highways shown on the map are:
AZ 71 -- San Jose to Clifton, the current US 191 and former US 666.
AZ 73 -- Globe to McNary, the current US 60 and AZ 73.
AZ 74 -- Wickenburg to Ehrenburg, the current US 60.  I don't know if it extended into California at the time.
AZ 79 -- Prescott to Flagstaff, the current AZ 89A and former US 89A.
AZ 81 -- Douglas to Safford, the current US 191 and former US 666.
AZ 82 -- Nogales to just north of Tombstone, same as today.
AZ 83 -- Vail to Sonoita, part of the current route.
AZ 84 -- Casa Grande to Tucson, eventually replaced by I-10.
AZ 87 -- Mesa to Eloy, part of the current route.
AZ 88 -- Apache Junction to Globe.  Now truncated from AJ to Roosevelt Dam.
AZ 181 -- Sacaton to Casa Grande, a "bridge" between AZ 84 and 87.  Now AZ 181 north of I-10 and AZ 387 from I-10 to CG.

The only highways through Phoenix were US 80, 89, and 180, with AZ 87 starting in Mesa and going south.  IIRC, US 180 became US 70 in 1934 or '35, and US 60 was extended into Arizona a few years before that.

All those maps are real finds!  Looks as if the U.S. system was still evolving in 1928 -- but at least the 66 designation had replaced the original 60 as the main E-W corridor in N. AZ and NM by that time.  If anyone can dig up a series of maps from 1930 to 1941, that would further elucidate the ongoing process.  At least both the '27 and '28 maps reminded me that US 91 originally headed south along the current US 95 alignment from Las Vegas prior to the deployment of US 466 about 1933 or so; I'd forgotten about that original routing.

If you got the ArizonaRoads link from my map he has a 1935 state highway map with US 60T running on what was AZ 73 through the San Carlos reservation.  The one I wasn't aware of on the 1928 map was AZ 74 going all the way to California before US 60 came to town.

KeithE4Phx

#6
Quote from: kurumi on September 09, 2017, 12:19:05 PM
(my conspiracy theory is here)

Arizona and Utah can't be "reunited" because they were never united in the first place.  Despite a common LDS heritage, the two were never part of the same territory, at least under US jurisdiction.

Arizona was split from the original Territory of New Mexico, which comprised both current states plus Clark County NV, in 1863.  The Confederacy claimed the southern half of the New Mexico Territory, calling it the Arizona Territory, but that didn't survive the war.
"Oh, so you hate your job? Well, why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called "EVERYBODY!" They meet at the bar." -- Drew Carey



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