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State Highway 141 (SH 141) is a long
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
in far western Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
, United States. Though nominally oriented north–south, SH 141 winds around a considerable amount due to the rugged terrain and ultimately forms a giant S shape. SH 141's southern terminus is at U.S. Route 491
U.S. Route 491 (US 491) is a north–south U.S. Highway serving the Four Corners region of the United States. It was created in 2003 as a renumbering of U.S. Route 666 (US 666). With the US 666 designation, the road was nicknamed t ...
(US 491) near Dove Creek, and the northern terminus is at Interstate 70 Business (I-70 Bus.) in Grand Junction. SH 141 is the longest three-digit state highway in Colorado.
Route description
Beginning west of Dove Creek, the highway runs north, then swings east to drop into a canyon and cross theDolores River
The Dolores River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Colorado and Utah. The river drains a rugged and arid region of the Colorado Plateau west of the San Juan Mountains. Its name derives from the S ...
at Slick Rock. SH 141 follows the Dolores for a short while, then continues east through Gypsum Gap, then north through Broad Canyon. At a junction with SH 145 the highway turns west through Naturita, then northwest following the San Miguel River to the Dolores River. It continues a winding path northwest along the Dolores to Gateway. There it turns northeast, running through the Unaweep Canyon to the Gunnison River
The Gunnison River is located in western Colorado, United States and is one of the largest tributaries of the Colorado River.
Description
The river flows east to west and has a drainage area of according to the USGS. The drainage basin of ...
valley where it joins US 50 at Whitewater
Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and w ...
. The highway heads northwest alongside the Gunnison River, splitting off from US 50 as it nears Grand Junction. It heads north across the Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. sta ...
and ends at a junction with I-70 Bus. east of Grand Junction.
SH 141 between Naturita and Whitewater is part of the Colorado designated Unaweep Tabeguache Scenic Byway.
Major intersections
References
External links
{{authority control 141 Transportation in Dolores County, Colorado Transportation in San Miguel County, Colorado Transportation in Montrose County, Colorado Transportation in Mesa County, Colorado Grand Junction, Colorado