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State Highway 34 (abbreviated SH-34) is a
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 the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
. It runs for south-to-north in the western part of the state. The highway begins northeast of
Eldorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...
, in the southwest corner of the state, and extends north to the Kansas state line between Woodward and
Coldwater, Kansas Coldwater is a city and county seat of Comanche County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 687. History In 1884 G.W. Vickers conceived the idea of laying out a town in the northern part of Comanch ...
. SH-34 has always been a lengthy highway, starting with its commissioning in June 1931, when it was a border-to-border highway stretching from Texas to Kansas. Most of SH-34 has followed the same basic corridor since its inception, with the exception of the portion of highway north of Woodward. The southernmost portion of highway, connecting it to Texas, became solely SH-6 in 1987. There are three letter-suffixed spur highways branching from SH-34. SH-34A and SH-34B serve small towns in Greer County off the mainline of SH-34, while SH-34C serves
Boiling Springs State Park Boiling Springs State Park is a park built northeast of Woodward, Oklahoma, USA. It was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. History The park originated in the 1930s and was named for its springs.Eldorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...
. Heading north from there, it intersects
U.S. Route 62 U.S. Route 62 or U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) runs from the Mexican border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York, near the Canadian border. It is the only east-west United States Numbered Highway that connects Mexico and Can ...
(US-62) just east of
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
. The highway continues north into Greer County to its county seat of Mangum, where SH-34 joins US-283. Two miles (3 km) north of Mangum, SH-9 joins for a four-mile (6 km) concurrency with SH-34 and US-283. Thereafter, SH-9 splits off to the east. Nine miles (14 km) north of Mangum, SH-34B branches off to the west, connecting to the town of Brinkman, and four miles (6 km) later, SH-34A branches off to the west to the town of
Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...
. US-283 splits off to the northwest two miles (3 km) after that, and SH-34 continues north, crossing into Beckham County. SH-34 then bridges over the
North Fork of the Red River The North Fork Red River, sometimes called simply the "North Fork", is a tributary of the Red River of the South about long, heading along the eastern Caprock Escarpment of the Llano Estacado about southwest of Pampa, Texas.United States Board ...
. In
Carter Carter(s), or Carter's, Tha Carter, or The Carter(s), may refer to: Geography United States * Carter, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Carter, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Carter, Montana, a census-designated place * Carter, ...
, the highway serves as the western terminus of SH-55. Five miles (8 km) north of Carter, SH-34 crosses SH-152. SH-34 continues on to an interchange with
Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...
(I-40) west of Elk City. Here, the highway begins a concurrency with eastbound I-40. SH-34 accesses I-40 from exit 32, a partial
diamond interchange A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road. Design The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
, with no access to or from I-40 eastbound; the missing movements must be completed via another partial interchange further to the east, also numbered as exit 32, which serves Business I-40 (I-40 BUS). SH-34 follows I-40 to the east for . While concurrent with I-40, SH-34 has an interchange with SH-6, its northernmost junction with the latter highway. SH-34 exits the interstate from the left at exit 41 on the east side of Elk City, turning back to the north and intersecting I-40 BUS. The highway continues north out of Elk City, exiting Beckham County. After leaving Beckham County, SH-34 enters Roger Mills County. SH-73's western terminus is at SH-34 at nine miles (14 km) north of Elk City. North of this junction, SH-34 lies along the Roger Mills–
Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class, b ...
county line, which it continues to follow as it passes through the east side of Hammon, where it meets State Highway 33. North of town, the route crosses over the
Washita River The Washita River () is a river in the states of Texas and Oklahoma in the United States. The river is long and terminates at its confluence with the Red River, which is now part of Lake Texoma () on the TexasOklahoma border. Geography The ...
, and shortly thereafter turns northeast to fully enter Custer County. Northwest of Moorewood, the highway crosses into Dewey County. In Dewey County, SH-34 crosses SH-47, two miles (3 km) south of Leedey, and crosses the
Canadian River The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River in the United States. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about .Trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. Th ...
. The highway then passes through Camargo. Just east of Vici, SH-34 joins US-60 and SH-51 for a one-mile (1.6 km) concurrency, then SH-34 heads north again at Vici. The highway passes through
Sharon Sharon ( he, שָׁרוֹן ''Šārôn'' "plain") is a given name as well as an Israeli surname. In English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name. However, historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In I ...
north of Vici, then joins US-183/ US-270/
SH-3 The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King (company designation S-61) is an American twin-engined anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed and built by Sikorsky Aircraft. A landmark design, it was one of the first ASW rotorcraft to use turboshaft engi ...
four miles (6 km) southeast of Woodward. At Woodward, SH-34 again sets off to the north alone, and right after crossing the
North Canadian River The North Canadian River is a river, long, in Oklahoma in the United States. It is a tributary of the Canadian River, draining an area of U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset/Watershed Boundary Dataset, area data covering North ...
, SH-34C branches to the east about two miles (3 km) north of Woodward, connecting to Boiling Springs State Park. SH-34 joins US-64 in far eastern Harper County for a four-mile (6 km) concurrency to the east, crossing the Cimarron River east of Buffalo. The highway then turns back to the north, where it is to its terminus at the Kansas state line.


History

State Highway 34 was first designated on June 15, 1931. At that time, the highway began at the free bridge over the Red River north of
Quanah, Texas Quanah is a city in and the county seat of Hardeman County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 2,641, down from 3,022 at the 2000 census. Quanah is northwest of Fort Worth and south of the Red River, which forms ...
, and followed what is today SH-6 to the point that is now SH-34's southern terminus. There, it turned north, following its current alignment. Its 1931 alignment did not differ significantly from that of the present day (although it followed
US-66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
through Elk City prior to the establishment of I-40) until it got to Woodward. Rather than continue north out of town, the SH-34 of that day instead turned west, then north, passing through Fort Supply and crossing into Harper County just north of that town. It then began a concurrency with US-60 in Buffalo, turning east and connecting with its final segment, bringing it to the Kansas state line. Thus, SH-34 started life as a border-to-border highway. SH-34 was rerouted north of Buffalo on January 30, 1934. The new alignment continued due north out of Buffalo to the Kansas state line along a new road. The old portion of SH-34 between US-64 and the Kansas state line became part of SH-50. The next major change to SH-34 occurred in 1954. On November 1 of that year, the highway was realigned to follow a new road extending north of Woodward, intersecting US-64 east of Buffalo, and following existing highways north to the state line. This would put SH-34 on its present-day route north of Woodward. SH-50 would remain concurrent with SH-34 north of US-64 until November 9, 1964. The next major change to SH-34 would be brought about by the establishment of the southern part of State Highway 6. The new highway was introduced on July 7, 1975. SH-34 remained in place; the two highways were concurrent from northwest of Eldorado to the Red River bridge, where they both ended. On January 5, 1987, the redundant section of SH-34 was removed, truncating it to its current southern terminus. The final modification to SH-34 occurred just under a month later, on February 2, 1987, when SH-34 was realigned in Elk City to follow I-40 instead of the old alignment of the now-dead US-66, which had become a business loop of I-40. No further changes have taken place since then.


Junction list


Spurs


SH-34A

SH-34A is a spur connecting SH-34 with Willow, north of Mangum. The highway begins at the west edge of Willow and follows Main Street east as it bisects the town. East of the town limits, the highway intersects US-283/SH-34 and ends. SH-34A first appeared on the 1944 state highway map.


SH-34B

SH-34B is a spur connecting SH-34 with Brinkman, north of Mangum. The highway follows Main Street from unincorporated Brinkman to US-283/SH-34. SH-34B first appeared on the 1944 state highway map.


SH-34C

SH-34C is a spur connecting SH-34 with Boiling Springs State Park north of Woodward. The highway heads east from SH-34, curving northeast near the park's golf course, before making a sharp turn toward the northeast. The highway ends on the west side of the park, with an access road continuing through it; on the east side of the park, the access road intersects SH-50B at its western terminus. The road that is currently SH-34C first appeared on the 1948 state highway map as SH-15A. At this time, the highway began at US-183/US-270/SH-15/SH-34 in Woodward and headed north, then turned east north of the city and headed to Boiling Springs State Park. When SH-34 was realigned north of Woodward on November 1, 1954, it took over the portion of SH-15A in Woodward, severing the highway's link to its parent. SH-15A had been renumbered as SH-34C by 1956. By 1957, the highway was extended east, passing through the park and continuing onward to SH-50. However, by 1959, the road through the park had been removed from the state highway system; the segment of highway east of the park was renumbered to SH-50B.


References


External links

{{Attached KML, display=title,inline
SH-34 at OKHighways






034 Transportation in Jackson County, Oklahoma Transportation in Greer County, Oklahoma Transportation in Beckham County, Oklahoma Transportation in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma Transportation in Custer County, Oklahoma Transportation in Dewey County, Oklahoma Transportation in Woodward County, Oklahoma Transportation in Woods County, Oklahoma