State Route 68 (SR-68) 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 of
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
. It is a major thoroughfare throughout the
Wasatch Front
The Wasatch Front is a metropolitan region in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Utah. It consists of a chain of contiguous cities and towns stretched along the Wasatch Range from approximately Provo in the south to Logan in the north ...
as it runs north–south for , linking
US-6
U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...
near
Elberta to
US-89
U.S. Route 89 (US 89) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway with two sections, and one former section. The southern section runs for from Flagstaff, Arizona, to the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The northern section ...
in
Woods Cross. The route intersects several major freeways and highways in the
Salt Lake City metropolitan area
The Salt Lake City metropolitan area is the metropolitan area centered on the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau currently define the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical ...
including
I-215 Interstate 215 is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to Interstate 15 (I-15):
* Interstate 215 (California), a regional Interstate bypass for I-15 and a connection to I-10 that serves the ...
,
I-80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
, and
I-15
I15 may refer to:
* Interstate 15, a north–south Interstate Highway in the United States of America
* Polikarpov I-15, a Soviet fighter aircraft
* I15 (band)
"Soulja Girl" is the second single from American rapper Soulja Boy's studio album '' ...
. The route is more commonly referred to as Redwood Road, after the street it is routed along throughout
Salt Lake County
Salt Lake County is located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 1,185,238, making it the most populous county in Utah. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. The coun ...
. The highway is also routed for a short distance along 500 South and 200 West in
Bountiful and Camp Williams Road in Utah County. The route is a surface street for its entire length.
SR-68 became a state highway in 1931, at which time the route ran from then–US-40 (North Temple Street) in Salt Lake City to present-day US-89 in
Lehi
Lehi (; he, לח"י – לוחמי חרות ישראל ''Lohamei Herut Israel – Lehi'', "Fighters for the Freedom of Israel – Lehi"), often known pejoratively as the Stern Gang,"This group was known to its friends as LEHI and to its enemie ...
. In 1933, the route was extended north to US-89 at Beck's Hot Springs. SR-68 was routed onto Redwood Road in 1943, taking over what had been designated SR-153. In 1960, SR-68 switched alignments with SR-249 to follow Redwood Road and 2300 North to Bountiful; the route was extended south to Elberta at this time also. SR-249 was extended west along a proposed roadway to 2200 West and 2200 North in 1961 before being removed in 1969. In 2001, SR-68 was extended south on a former piece of
SR-106 in Bountiful.
Route description
On
average
In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
, the most driven-on portion of SR-68 is between I-215 and 5400 South, with 66,635 cars-per-day traveling between these two points in 2007. The lowest traffic is recorded at the beginning point of the route through Elberta, with an average of 1,120 cars per day.
Traffic along SR-68 in Elberta has increased 135 percent, and the segment between I-215 and 5400 West has increased 13 percent since 1998.
Utah County
A four-way intersection in Elberta with US-6 marks the southern terminus of the route as it starts north on a two-lane undivided highway. The highway exits Elberta and continues north along the sparsely-populated portion of western
Utah County
Utah County is the second-most populous county in the U.S. state of Utah. The county seat and largest city is Provo, which is the state's third-largest city, and the largest outside of Salt Lake County. As of the 2020 United States Census, the ...
. The southwestern shore of
Utah Lake
Utah Lake is a shallow freshwater lake in the center of Utah County, Utah, United States. It lies in Utah Valley, surrounded by the Provo-Orem metropolitan area. The lake's only river outlet, the Jordan River, is a tributary of the Great Salt La ...
appears as the road briefly turns northeast. The route passes the failed
planned community
A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
of
Mosida before turning north again. Once more turning northeast, the highway approaches the western shore of the lake and runs parallel to it before once more turning north. After turning northwest, the highway enters
Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...
. The route turns north near Utah Lake's northern shore, widening to two lanes each direction at the intersection with 400 South. For the rest of the way north of this point, SR-68 is part of the
National Highway System. The route then intersects Pony Express Parkway, which connects to
Eagle Mountain, then the route continues north to intersections with
Pioneer Crossing
State Route 145 (SR-145), a majority of which is also known as Pioneer Crossing, is a west–east thoroughfare completely within Utah County in northern Utah that cuts through Saratoga Springs, Lehi, American Fork, and portions of unincor ...
and
SR-73. Past the SR-73 intersection, the route turns northwest and intersects the east spur of the
Mountain View Corridor
The Mountain View Corridor is a freeway under construction in northern Utah that will run along the western periphery of Salt Lake County and south into northwest Utah County. Except for the last several miles on its southern end the Mountain Vi ...
(SR-85), then passes slightly east of
Camp Williams
Camp W. G. Williams, commonly known as Camp Williams, also known as Army Garrison Camp Williams, is a National Guard training site operated by the Utah National Guard. It is located south of Bluffdale, west of Lehi, and north of Saratoga Spri ...
.
Salt Lake County
The highway then enters
Salt Lake County
Salt Lake County is located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 1,185,238, making it the most populous county in Utah. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. The coun ...
and the
Salt Lake City metropolitan area
The Salt Lake City metropolitan area is the metropolitan area centered on the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau currently define the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical ...
. SR-68 is one of two roads that connect Utah and Salt Lake Counties through a bottleneck in the
Wasatch Front
The Wasatch Front is a metropolitan region in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Utah. It consists of a chain of contiguous cities and towns stretched along the Wasatch Range from approximately Provo in the south to Logan in the north ...
called Point of the Mountain, referring to the
Traverse Mountains
The Traverse Mountains, or sometimes Traverse Range, are an anomalous, geologically complex, east-trending range that separates Salt Lake Valley and Utah Valley in Salt Lake and Utah counties in the U.S. State of Utah.
Point of the Mountain is ...
.
The low-lying area through this neck is occupied by the former
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to ''Rio Grande'', D&RG or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, was an American Class I railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow-gauge line running south from De ...
. SR-68 is routed on the western slope of the canyon, The other highway, I-15/US-89, is routed higher up Point of the Mountain.
As the route enters
Bluffdale on Redwood Road, it turns northeast and intersects with Mountain View Corridor again, then with
SR-140; the
Utah State Prison
Utah State Prison (USP) was one of two prisons managed by the Utah Department of Corrections' Division of Institutional Operations. It was located in Draper, Utah, United States, about southwest of Salt Lake City.Utah Department of Correct ...
is located on this road east of the junction. SR-68 then turns north before crossing
SR-154, commonly known as the Bangerter Highway. Soon reverting to two lanes, the route exits Bluffdale and enters
Riverton, gaining two lanes in each direction as it passes
SR-71
The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a Range (aeronautics), long-range, high-altitude, Mach number, Mach 3+ military strategy, strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporati ...
. Continuing north, it enters
South Jordan
South Jordan is a city in south central Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, south of Salt Lake City. Part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, the city lies in the Salt Lake Valley along the banks of the Jordan River between the Oquir ...
. It intersects with
SR-175,
SR-151, and
SR-209, gaining one more lane in each direction beyond the latter intersection, and enters
West Jordan
West Jordan is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is a suburb of Salt Lake City and has a mixed economy. According to the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 116,961, placing it as the third most populous in the state. T ...
and central Salt Lake County.
Soon reaching
Taylorsville, the highway intersects
I-215 Interstate 215 is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to Interstate 15 (I-15):
* Interstate 215 (California), a regional Interstate bypass for I-15 and a connection to I-10 that serves the ...
. Shortly thereafter, the road passes
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) is a public community college in Salt Lake County, Utah. It is the state's largest two-year college with the most diverse student body. It serves more than 60,000 students on 10 campuses as well as through onl ...
and enters
West Valley City
West Valley City is a city in Salt Lake County and a suburb of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. The population was 140,230 at the 2020 census,
making it the second-largest city in Utah. The city incorporated in 1980 from a large, quic ...
. It soon reaches a
single-point urban interchange
A single-point urban interchange (SPUI, or ), also called a single-point interchange (SPI) or single-point diamond interchange (SPDI), is a type of highway interchange. The design was created in order to help move large volumes of traffic thro ...
at
SR-201 that lies on the border of West Valley City and Salt Lake City. The highway loses one lane in each direction past the frontage road of SR-201. This section of route, from 2100 South to 1700 North, is known as the ''
Pete Suazo
Pete Suazo (died August 2001) was the first Hispanic Utah State Senator.
Suazo was born and raised in Salt Lake City. He graduated from the University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research univers ...
Memorial Highway''.
West of Salt Lake City, the highway passes over the surplus canal of the
Jordan River
The Jordan River or River Jordan ( ar, نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn'', he, נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''; syc, ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ''Nahrāʾ Yurdnan''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Shariea ...
as it goes through the neighborhoods of
Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''.
It may refer to:
Places Australia
* Glendale, New South Wales
** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre
*Glendale, Queensland, ...
and
Poplar Grove. It arrives at an interchange with I-80 east of
Salt Lake City International Airport
Salt Lake City International Airport is a civil-military airport located about west of Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States. The airport is the closest commercial airport for more than 2.5 million people and is within a 30-minu ...
. The road loses one lane northbound beyond 1000 North as it proceeds through the neighborhood of
Rose Park in the northwestern portion of the city; the second southbound lane is lost north of 1300 North. The highway crosses the Jordan River before exiting the county.
Davis County
Entering
Davis County Davis County is or was the name of the following counties in the United States:
*Davis County, Iowa, named in honor of Garrett Davis, a Congressman from Kentucky
*Davis County, Utah, named for Daniel C. Davis, captain in the Mormon Battalion
*Cass ...
and
North Salt Lake
North Salt Lake is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Ogden– Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 16,322 at the 2010 census, which had risen to an estimated 20,948 as of 2019.
The ...
, SR-68 reaches a second interchange with I-215 at its Exit 27. Originally a
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 ...
, this has been reconfigured to a
diverging diamond interchange
A diverging diamond interchange (DDI), also called a double crossover diamond interchange (DCD), is a subset of diamond interchange in which the opposing directions of travel on the non-freeway road cross each other on either side of the inte ...
.
The road briefly turns northeast before drifting north again and gaining one lane in each direction. Before passing
Skypark Airport, the highway loses one lane in each direction. Redwood Road turns east onto 500 South and enters
Bountiful. Past an interchange at I-15, the route gains one passing lane and turns south onto 200 West, a two-lane undivided road. The highway turns southwest and defaults onto southbound US-89 within the city of Woods Cross.
[
]
History
In 1931, the state legislature
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
added State Route 68 to the state highway system. It followed Redwood Road from US-40 (North Temple Street) south to the present SR-73 and then used SR-73 east to US-50
U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic O ...
/US-89/ US-91 (now solely US-89) in Lehi. The state added 900 West and Warm Springs Road from US-40 north to US-89/US-91 at Becks as SR-153 in 1933. Becks is the name of a rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch line, or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end. Sidings often have lighte ...
, north of downtown Salt Lake, that briefly served as the terminus of a commuter rail line to Beck's Hot Springs.[ In 1943 SR-153 was moved west to Redwood Road, returning to Becks via 2300 North. This brought the north end of SR-68 and the south end of SR-153 together, and two years later SR-68 was extended north to absorb SR-153. In 1953, Redwood Road north of 2300 North became SR-249, which turned east at 500 South in Davis County to end at US-89/US-91 (500 West) in Bountiful.]
To provide for route continuity on a truck bypass route
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety. A bypass spe ...
of Salt Lake City, SR-68 and SR-249 were swapped in 1960, bringing the north end of SR-68 to Bountiful and making SR-249 a short connection on 2300 North. At the same time, SR-68 was extended south from the intersection with SR-73 around the west side of Utah Lake to US-6 at Elberta, with the portion east to Lehi becoming an extension of SR-73. SR-249 was extended west along a proposed roadway to 2200 West and 2200 North in 1961, "in order to provide an adequate road from the north to the Salt Lake City municipal airport", but in 1969 the entire route was removed from the state highway system.[ SR-68 was extended slightly east at its north end, from 500 West (US-89) to 200 West ( SR-106), in 1975, and, in 2001, with the removal of SR-106 through downtown Bountiful from the state highway system, SR-68 was extended south along 200 West, formerly SR-106, to Parkin Junction on US-89.][
When the highway was established in 1931, it ran from Lehi to Salt Lake City. The state subsequently extended it south into Elberta and north into Bountiful. The road was routed along its current alignment of Redwood Road in 1943. The road has been moved and extended multiple times, with the most recent change being in 2001 when SR-106 was deleted from the state highway system.
]
Major intersections
References
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Streets in Utah