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AZ 69, AZ 79 (ii), and I-17

Started by Max Rockatansky, April 05, 2020, 11:56:22 PM

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Max Rockatansky

I've been working on an article for AZ 69 and I-17 on Gribblenation.  So far I've worked up the original alignment of AZ 69 which is way interesting not to share:

From Phoenix north to Prescott the original alignment of the current AZ 69 was as follows:


-  AZ 69 originated at US 60/70/89 at Grand Avenue at what is now the Glendale/Phoenix City line at 43rd Avenue.

-  AZ 69 followed 43rd Avenue north to Yorkshire Drive in Phoenix.

-  AZ 69 followed Yorkshire Drive east to 35th Avenue.

-  AZ 69 followed 35th Avenue over Skunk Creek into what is now the Skunk Creek Landfill and merged into what is now I-17 near Happy Valley Road.

-  AZ 69 followed much of the current route of I-17 north to Black Canyon City.  Part of the original route of AZ 69 can be found in New River via North Black Canyon Highway.

-  Within Black Canyon City the original route of AZ 69 followed Old Black Canyon Highway.

-  North of Black Canyon City AZ 69 originally followed Maggie Mine Road to Crown King Road.

-  AZ 69 originally followed Crown King Road through Bumble Bee north to Antelope Creek Road.

-  AZ 69 originally followed Antelope Creek Road north through Cordes to Main Street in Mayer.

-  In Mayer AZ 69 originally followed Main Street north to Central Avenue.

-  From Central Avenue AZ 69 more or less followed the modern highway grade to Old Black Canyon Highway in Humboldt.

-  Within Humboldt AZ 69 followed; Main Street, Prescott Street, and Old Black Canyon Highway.

-  AZ 69 north of Humboldt followed Old Black Canyon Highway to Dewey.

-  From Dewey AZ 69 crossed the modern highway onto a grade that no longer exists to South Dewey Road.

-  AZ 69 would have followed a grade through what is now the Prescott Country Club northwest to East Old Black Canyon Highway.

-  AZ 69 originally followed East Old Black Canyon Highway back to the modern route.

-  AZ 69 originally followed a road through what is now the Lowe's parking lot in Prescott to Old Black Canyon Highway.  AZ 69 would have terminated at US 89 via Old Black Canyon Highway which is now located at the intersection of Sun Dog Ranch Road.


I based much of the above on my old Arizona notes from the early 2010 and what Arizonaroads.com had already published.  Much of the original route of AZ 69 around Prescott was pretty much obliterated.  Crown King Road is always interesting, the Maggie Mine Road from what I remember was barely even accessible in modern times.


Max Rockatansky

Finished Part 25 of the 2016 Fall Mountain Trip Series.  Part 25 covers the origins of AZ 69 and the second AZ 79 which preceded what became Interstate 17.  This feature has a ton of vintage highway maps of Arizona and probably will give the traveler a sense of how important of a cut-off route I-17 really is compared what came before it.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2020/04/2016-fall-mountain-trip-part-25-arizona.html



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