Utah State Route 162
Encyclopedia
State Route 162 is a state highway
located in San Juan County, Utah
. It begins at US-191
east of Bluff. It then follows the former alignment of SR-163
to Montezuma Creek
. There, it intersects UT-262
at its southern terminus. Afterwards, it follows SR-262's former alignment past Aneth
to the Colorado
state line. Colorado State Highway 41 takes over in the Centennial State, ending at a junction with US-160 6 miles east of the Four Corners Monument
.
in Bluff
in a desert area. Paralleling the San Juan River along Mission Road, the road winds eastward along the north border of the Navajo Indian Reservation. Travelling through the city of Montezuma Creek
, the road intersects State Route 262
. The route then travels through the city of Aneth
along the Trail of the Ancients, entering the Navajo Indian Reservation. SH 162 meets its east end at the Colorado
state line, where State Highway 41
continues into the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation.
, near the curve to the south-southwest. In 1961, the route was extended to just beyond its present end in the settlement of Montezuma Creek
, where the road to Aneth
(now SR-162) turns east, and in 1965 it was extended further to the Colorado
state line, connecting to SH 41 across the border. A road from Montezuma Creek west to US-191 at Bluff was added to the state highway system in 1986 as SR-163. At the time, Utah was considering making the road part of an extension of US-163 into Colorado, but plans fell through, leaving an overlap with US-191 and Route 163 near Bluff that became US-163 to the west and SR-163 to the east. To fix this issue, SR-163 was renumbered SR-162 in 2004, and the part of SR-262 east of Montezuma Creek also became SR-162.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
located in San Juan County, Utah
San Juan County, Utah
As of the current census of 2010, there were 14,746 people and 4,505 households. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 50.4% Native American, 45.8% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% African American and 2.3% reporting two or more races...
. It begins at US-191
U.S. Route 191 in Utah
U.S. Route 191 is a major north–south state highway through the eastern part of the U.S. state of Utah. The present alignment of US-191, which stretches from Mexico to Canada, was created in 1981 through Utah...
east of Bluff. It then follows the former alignment of SR-163
Utah State Route 163
Utah State Route 163 may refer to:*U.S. Route 163 *Utah State Route 163 *Utah State Route 163 *Utah State Route 163...
to Montezuma Creek
Montezuma Creek, Utah
Montezuma Creek is a census-designated place in San Juan County, Utah, United States. The population was 507 at the 2000 census, a large increase over the 1990 figure of 345.-Education:...
. There, it intersects UT-262
Utah State Route 262
State Route 262 is a highway completely within San Juan County in southeastern Utah that connects US-191 north of Bluff to SR-162 in Montezuma Creek.-Route description:...
at its southern terminus. Afterwards, it follows SR-262's former alignment past Aneth
Aneth, Utah
Aneth is a census-designated place in San Juan County, Utah, United States. The population was 598 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Aneth is located at ....
to the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
state line. Colorado State Highway 41 takes over in the Centennial State, ending at a junction with US-160 6 miles east of the Four Corners Monument
Four Corners Monument
The Four Corners Monument marks the quadripoint in the Southwestern United States where the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet. It is the only point in the United States shared by four states, leading to this area being called the Four Corners region...
.
Route description
The road begins at U.S. Route 191U.S. Route 191
U.S. Route 191 is a spur of U.S. Route 91 that has two branches. The southern branch runs for 1,465 miles from Douglas, Arizona on the Mexican border to the southern part of Yellowstone National Park. The northern branch runs for 440 miles from the northern part of Yellowstone National Park to...
in Bluff
Bluff, Utah
Bluff is a census-designated place in San Juan County, Utah, United States. The population was 320 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bluff is located at , in the scenic and very sparsely populated southeastern Utah canyonlands of the Colorado Plateau.According to the United States Census Bureau, the...
in a desert area. Paralleling the San Juan River along Mission Road, the road winds eastward along the north border of the Navajo Indian Reservation. Travelling through the city of Montezuma Creek
Montezuma Creek, Utah
Montezuma Creek is a census-designated place in San Juan County, Utah, United States. The population was 507 at the 2000 census, a large increase over the 1990 figure of 345.-Education:...
, the road intersects State Route 262
Utah State Route 262
State Route 262 is a highway completely within San Juan County in southeastern Utah that connects US-191 north of Bluff to SR-162 in Montezuma Creek.-Route description:...
. The route then travels through the city of Aneth
Aneth, Utah
Aneth is a census-designated place in San Juan County, Utah, United States. The population was 598 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Aneth is located at ....
along the Trail of the Ancients, entering the Navajo Indian Reservation. SH 162 meets its east end at the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
state line, where State Highway 41
Colorado State Highway 41
State Highway 41 is a highway on the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation in southwest Colorado.-Route description:SH 41 runs , starting at a junction with US-160 near the Four Corners Monument. The highway goes northwest and ends at the Utah state line...
continues into the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation.
History
The State Road Commission created SR-262 in 1958, running from SR-47 (now US-191) north of Bluff east and south for 20.0 miles (32.2 km) to a point in the Aneth Oil Field about a mile (1.5 km) beyond the bridge over Montezuma CreekMontezuma Creek (San Juan River)
Montezuma Creek is a tributary of the San Juan River. The river is approximately long and is a seasonal river, becoming dry for several months of the year.-Location:...
, near the curve to the south-southwest. In 1961, the route was extended to just beyond its present end in the settlement of Montezuma Creek
Montezuma Creek, Utah
Montezuma Creek is a census-designated place in San Juan County, Utah, United States. The population was 507 at the 2000 census, a large increase over the 1990 figure of 345.-Education:...
, where the road to Aneth
Aneth, Utah
Aneth is a census-designated place in San Juan County, Utah, United States. The population was 598 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Aneth is located at ....
(now SR-162) turns east, and in 1965 it was extended further to the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
state line, connecting to SH 41 across the border. A road from Montezuma Creek west to US-191 at Bluff was added to the state highway system in 1986 as SR-163. At the time, Utah was considering making the road part of an extension of US-163 into Colorado, but plans fell through, leaving an overlap with US-191 and Route 163 near Bluff that became US-163 to the west and SR-163 to the east. To fix this issue, SR-163 was renumbered SR-162 in 2004, and the part of SR-262 east of Montezuma Creek also became SR-162.