Hi everyone, I have a question about US 93's alignment between LV and Ely, I find it interesting that US 93 jogs east to Caliente and follows US 6/50 west to Ely, while NV 318 / US 6 east is somewhat straighter and shorter. Any reasons for US 93 taking a longer alignment, or is NV 318 a good quality road? :hmmm:
Quote from: national highway 1 on July 02, 2012, 12:21:44 AM
Hi everyone, I have a question about US 93's alignment between LV and Ely, I find it interesting that US 93 jogs east to Caliente and follows US 6/50 west to Ely, while NV 318 / US 6 east is somewhat straighter and shorter. Any reasons for US 93 taking a longer alignment, or is NV 318 a good quality road? :hmmm:
Only time I've ever been through Ely to Vegas I went NV318. Great road, just NOTHING on it from Ely to right near US93. US93 heads east over the mountains to pass through the smaller towns there and then jogs west again. That's why. NV318 has, again, nothing. I drove it in the middle of the night and didn't pass one car going either direction from Ely to the store by the junction.
The reason dates back to the Nevada's original state highway system and the subsequent establishment of the U.S. Highways.
When the U.S. highways came to Nevada, they were each routed along a pre-existing state highway, which generally had some form of improvements (i.e. it was more than just a dirt road, even if it was graded gravel). When US 93 was extended from Wells south to Glendale in the early 1930s, it followed a number of existing routes that connected the mining and stage towns. South of Ely, US 93 followed the entirety of what had been previously established as State Route 7, which was designated to go from Ely (jct US 50/old SR 2) to Glendale (jct US 91/old SR 6) via Major's Place, Pioche, Caliente, Alamo and Moapa.
By comparison, the routing of what would become SR 318 (old SR 38 & old SR) was not in place until the mid 1930s, and was not suitably improved until the 1940s at the earliest. By that point, US 93 was firmly established as the main route.
With established towns like Pioche and Caliente along the US 93 route, compared to dwindling towns (and now ghost towns or former town sites) on the more direct SR 318 alignment, there certainly would be pressure to not reroute the highway. If the highways were designated today, though, US 93 would likely follow present SR 318 and US 6 instead.
Interestingly SR 318 is on the NHS: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/nevada/nv_nevada.pdf
Nearly everybody I know that goes from Vegas to Idaho and back uses NV-318.
It's really interesting on US-93 driving out of Vegas, by the way- pretty much as soon as you get off I-15, a good 30% of the cars on the road have Idaho plates, as that's the fastest way from Boise to LV/LA/SD/Phoenix, and there's really no other population centers between there.
Quote from: NE2 on July 02, 2012, 06:47:39 AM
Interestingly SR 318 is on the NHS: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/nevada/nv_nevada.pdf
And the section of US 93 in question is not...
Random side note: That map is interesting in that it shows, in text form, several pre-1976 state route numbers (as "Old 21" or similar) yet shows no current state highways unless they are NHS routes (except an anomalous 375, which is actually 318).
both 93 and 318 are excellent quality roads.
given Nevada's preference for alternate roads, was 318 ever signed as 93A? In my mind, it is a logical alternate.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 03, 2012, 10:02:13 AM
both 93 and 318 are excellent quality roads.
given Nevada's preference for alternate roads, was 318 ever signed as 93A? In my mind, it is a logical alternate.
That's what I thought, too, by looking at the 93A that goes to Wendover.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 03, 2012, 10:02:13 AM
both 93 and 318 are excellent quality roads.
given Nevada's preference for alternate roads, was 318 ever signed as 93A? In my mind, it is a logical alternate.
SR 318 has never been signed as an alternate route for US 93.
Incidentally, almost every Alternate route currently signed in Nevada was formerly signed as a mainline U.S. highway, but not necessarily the parent highway of the current number.