U.S. Route 93 in Idaho
U.S. Highway 93 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
US 93 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by ITD | ||||
| Length | 350.819 mi[1] (564.588 km) | |||
| Existed | 1926–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  US 93 at the Nevada state line near Jackpot | |||
 US 30 in Twin Falls I-84 near Twin Falls US 26 from Shoshone to Arco US 20 from Carey to Arco | ||||
| North end | US 93 at the Montana state line at Lost Trail Pass | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Idaho | |||
| Counties | Twin Falls, Jerome, Lincoln, Blaine, Butte, Custer, Lemhi | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
U.S. Route 93 (US 93) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the U.S. state of Idaho.
Route description
US 93 enters southern Idaho from Nevada, immediately north of the border casino town of Jackpot. Heading northbound in Twin Falls County, it passes through Rogerson and Hollister towards Twin Falls. West of the city, US-93 turns and runs east–west for a few miles, parallel with US-30. This section is Pole Line Road; the highway returns to its north–south orientation in Twin Falls at the intersection of Pole Line Road and Blue Lakes Boulevard.
North of Twin Falls, US-93 crosses the Snake River Canyon via the Perrine Bridge, 486 feet (148 m) above the water. Approximately 3 miles (5 km) north of the bridge, the highway intersects with Interstate 84 at Exit 173.
Further north in Shoshone, US-93 connects with the southern terminus of State Highway 75, the former route of US-93 to Ketchum and over Galena Summit (8,701 feet (2,652 m) above sea level) to Stanley and Clayton. Present-day US-93 diverts in a northeasterly route to Richfield, Carey, the Craters of the Moon, and Arco. Between Shoshone and Arco, the highway runs concurrently with the east–west US-26, and also with US-20 between Carey and Arco.
From Arco, the highway turns northwest and climbs the Big Lost River valley through Mackay. This section provides views of the Lost River Range to the northeast of the highway, including Borah Peak, the highest point in the state at 12,662 feet (3,859 m). Mackay Dam and reservoir are on the southwest side of the highway. The highway crosses the Willow Creek Summit at 7,161 feet (2,183 m) (web-cam) and later descends into Grand View Canyon and heads into the city of Challis.
US-93 creates the northern terminus of State Highway 75 just south of Challis and takes over as the northern leg of the Salmon River Scenic Byway.[2] It descends with the Salmon River as it winds north around the edge of the Lost River and Lemhi mountain ranges into the city of Salmon at 4,004 feet (1,220 m).
Continuing north, the US-93 runs along portions of the Lewis and Clark Trail. The highway follows the descending northbound river until North Fork at 3,620 feet (1,103 m), where the Salmon River makes a left turn to flow west across the state to Riggins. US-93 continues north, climbing the North Fork of the Salmon River into the Bitterroot Range, passing through the Salmon-Challis National Forest and Gibbonsville. The highway exits Idaho at Lost Trail Pass (web-cam) at 7,014 feet (2,138 m) and enters Montana toward the Bitterroot Valley. West of the highway at the pass is the Lost Trail Powder Mountain ski area, with terrain in both states.
History
US-93 was established in 1926, initially using the modern-day route of SH-75 between Shoshone and Challis. The highway was re-aligned to its modern route via Arco in 1977, replacing an alternative route.[3]
In 2010, the 5.5-mile (8.9 km) Pole Line Road bypass around Twin Falls opened to traffic.[4] US 93 was re-routed to the new bypass, while the old route was signed as US 93 Business.
Gallery
The Perrine Bridge near Twin Falls
Borah Peak, Idaho's tallest mountain, viewed from U.S. Route 93 in Idaho
US 93 in Idaho
Salmon River
US 93 along Salmon River
US Route 93 in Idaho
Major intersections
| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Falls | | 0.000 | 0.000 |  US 93 south – Jackpot, Wells | Continuation into Nevada |
| Godwin | 38.050 | 61.236 |   SH-74 east – Twin Falls | ||
| | 41.498 | 66.785 |   US 93 Bus. north / US 30 (Idaho Byway) – Filer, Twin Falls City Center, Boise | Interchange | |
| | Pole Line Road / 4100 North | Interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance | |||
| Twin Falls | 49.455 | 79.590 | Blue Lakes Boulevard south (US 93 Bus. south) | ||
| Snake River | I.B. Perrine Bridge over Snake River Canyon | ||||
| Jerome | | 53.056 | 85.385 | I-84 – Sun Valley, Boise, Pocatello | I-84 exit 173 |
| | 58.708 | 94.481 |  SH-25 – Jerome, Eden | ||
| Lincoln | Shoshone | 73.195 | 117.796 |  SH-24 east – Dietrich | Western terminus of SH–24 |
| 73.619 | 118.478 |  US 26 west (South Rail Street) – Gooding | Southern end of US-26 concurrency | ||
| 73.659 | 118.543 |  SH-75 north – Sun Valley | Southern terminus of SH–75 | ||
| Blaine | Carey | 112.972 | 181.811 | US 20 west – Picabo | Southern end of US-20 concurrency |
| Butte | Arco | 156.259 | 251.474 | US 20 / US 26 east – Idaho Falls | Northern end of US-20/US-26 concurrencies |
| Custer | | 244.325 | 393.203 | SH-75 south – Stanley, Sun Valley | Northern terminus of SH–75 |
| Pahsimeroi River | Bridge | ||||
| Lemhi | Salmon | 304.675 | 490.327 |  SH-28 south (Sacajawea Historic Byway) – Leadore, Idaho Falls | Northern terminus of SH–28 |
| Lost Trail Pass | 350.819 | 564.588 | US 93 north – Hamilton, Missoula | Continuation into Montana | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
See also
References
- ^ a b "Milepoint Log: U.S. Route 93" (PDF). Idaho Transportation Department. January 12, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
- ^ Idaho Scenic Byways - Salmon River Archived 2012-09-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (November 12, 1976). "Route Numbering Committee Agenda" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. p. 2. Retrieved February 14, 2017 – via Wikimedia Commons.
- ^ Coltrain, Nick (December 17, 2010). "Bypass opens possibilities on Pole Line; Washington Street brakes for winter". The Times-News. Twin Falls, Idaho. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
External links
- Idaho Transportation Dept. – Milepost log – U.S. 93
- Roadcams – U.S. 93
- David Rumsey Map Collection – Historic road map (1937) – Idaho, Montana, Wyoming – Texaco (Rand McNally)
- Idaho highway map (1956) – Shell (H.M. Gousha)