Existed: 1937 – present Constructed 1937 | Length 491.9 km | |
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West end: US 6 at the California state line (near Benton, CA) East end: US-6 / US-50 at the Utah state line (east of Baker, NV) | ||
In the U.S. state of Nevada, U.S. Route 6 (US 6) cuts across the middle portion of the state, serving the cities of Tonopah and Ely, en route to Utah and points further east.
Contents
The entire highway in Nevada is designated as part of the Grand Army of the Republic Highway.
Route description
US 6 enters Nevada near the town of Benton, where it is signed east–west for the first time on its journey. The route follows the Midland Trail for much of its length across central Nevada. Shortly after entering Nevada, it climbs Montgomery Pass and then descends into Coaldale, where it meets US 95. The two routes run concurrently for 41 miles (66 km) until Tonopah, where US 95 splits southward towards Las Vegas. US 6 then heads eastward towards Ely.
There are no services anywhere between Tonopah and Ely (a distance of about 168 miles), and although US 50 has the nickname "The Loneliest Road in America", US 6 has a solid case for the title, as Tonopah and Ely are the only cities it goes through in the 306 miles (492 km) it traverses in Nevada. In addition, there is not much traffic for US 6, as it ends 38 miles (61 km) south of the California/Nevada border in the small town of Bishop, CA (with connections to the former western terminus of US 6 in Los Angeles). The most heavily traveled portion of US 6 is the portion that is concurrent with US 95, as the latter route connects Las Vegas and Reno, the two largest metropolitan areas in Nevada. Upon reaching Ely, US 6 Business branches off into the central business district before meeting US 50 and US 93. The three routes run southeast out of town for 26 miles (42 km) until Majors Place, where US 93 splits off southward towards Interstate 15 and Las Vegas. US 6 and US 50 both spend the last 37 miles (60 km) running concurrently into Utah.
History
US 6 was one of the original U.S. highways in the 1925 Bureau of Public Roads plan. It was commissioned in 1926, but was not extended west into Nevada until 1937. The alignment of US 6 in Nevada has remained largely unchanged since then.
US 6 was routed entirely over existing state highways in Nevada as follows:
All of the concurrent state routes were removed from US 6 by 1939 except for SR 3 between Coaldale and Tonopah. Also, US 6 was realigned to enter Utah north of Baker instead of passing through the town. In 1940, SR 3 was replaced by US 95 between Coaldale and Tonopah. In 1954, US 50 was realigned between Ely and the Utah border and was concurrently routed over US 6.