Colorado State Highway 9
State Highway 9 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
SH 9 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by CDOT | ||||
| Length | 138.92 mi[1] (223.57 km) | |||
| Tourist routes | Gold Belt Byway, Colorado River Headwaters Byway | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  US 50 near Cañon City | |||
| North end |  US 40 in Kremmling | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Colorado | |||
| Counties | Fremont, Park, Summit, Grand | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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State Highway 9 (SH 9) in the U.S. state of Colorado is a 138-mile-long (222 km) state highway through central Colorado. SH 9's southern terminus is at U.S. Route 50 (US 50) near Cañon City, and the northern terminus is at US 40 in Kremmling. SH 9 is part of the Gold Belt Byway from US 50 to High Park Road and the Colorado River Headwaters National Scenic Byway from US 40 to Trough Road.
Route description
State Highway 9 starts at a junction with US 50 west of Cañon City. It heads northwest, following Currant Creek most of the way to Currant Creek Pass where it enters an open area known as South Park. The south fork of the South Platte is crossed as the highway enters Hartsel and a junction with US 24. SH 9 follows US 24 west for 0.5 mi (0.80 km), then splits off to head northwest again. Just south of Fairplay, it joins northbound US 285. At Fairplay SH 9 leaves US 285 to head northwest, following the middle fork of the South Platte most of the way to Hoosier Pass where it crosses the Continental Divide 11,532 ft (3,515 m) above sea level. Switchbacks drop the highway to the Blue River which it follows north through Breckenridge to Dillon Reservoir. The highway goes around the west side of the reservoir, through Frisco and joins I 70 as it heads northeast. At Silverthorne, SH 9 leaves I 70 to continue northwest alongside the Blue River. SH 9 crosses the Colorado River just before its termination at a junction with US 40 in Kremmling.[2]
History
An original 1923 Colorado state highway, SH 9 originally ran along much of its current route, from Hartsel to Kremmling. In 1939, the highway was extended south past US 50 near Parkdale, continuing south to Cañon City. In 1954, this extension was reverted, and the southern terminus of SH 9 was returned to US 24 at Hartsel. A year later, in 1955, the southern terminus was again modified, and extended to Guffey. In 1957, the highway was again extended southwards, this time to US 50 near Parkdale, where it stands today. The entire road was paved by 1980.[3]
In 2016, the state completed a wildlife crossing project to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions between Green Mountain Reservoir and Kremmling, including 2 wildlife overpasses and 5 underpasses; the state also widened the road and shoulders.[4][5][6]
Major intersections
| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fremont | | 0.000 | 0.000 | US 50 – Cañon City, Salida | Southern terminus |
| Park | Hartsel | 46.980 | 75.607 |   US 24 east – Colorado Springs | Southern end of US 24 concurrency |
| | 47.582 | 76.576 |  US 24 west – Buena Vista | Northern end of US 24 concurrency | |
| | 63.732 | 102.567 |   US 285 south – Buena Vista | Southern end of US 285 concurrency | |
| Fairplay | 64.673 | 104.081 |  US 285 north – Denver | Northern end of US 285 concurrency | |
| Summit | Frisco | 96.998 | 156.103 |   I-70 west | Southern end of I-70 concurrency; I-70 exit 203 |
| Silverthorne | 101.562 | 163.448 |  I-70 east | Northern end of I-70 concurrency; I-70 exit 205 | |
| Grand | Kremmling | 138.920 | 223.570 | US 40 – Steamboat Springs, Hot Sulphur Springs | Northern terminus |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- ^ a b "Highway Data Explorer". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
- ^ Colorado Atlas & Gazetteer (3rd ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 1997. pp. 27, 37, 38, 61. ISBN 0-89933-206-4.
- ^ Salek, Matthew E. "Colorado Routes 1-19". Retrieved 2024-04-26.
- ^ "The Colorado Highway 9 Wildlife Crossing Project". Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Archived from the original on 2014-03-11. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
- ^ Reuter, Elise (2016-08-03). "Colorado Highway 9 wildlife crossings reduce winter collisions". www.summitdaily.com. Archived from the original on 2016-09-22. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
- ^ "Cameras Show New Highway 9 Wildlife Overpass Is An Early Success". 2016-01-28. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
External links
- Colorado Highways link to State Highway 9