Colorado Highways: Routes 180 to 199

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180 181 182 183 184 185 US185 186 187 US187 188
189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199

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180

Location: East Metro Denver
W End: Colorado Blvd./Smith Road
E End: Jct US 40 west of Watkins

History:
Dating from the mid-1930s, this SH 180 went from Smith Rd. and Colorado Blvd. east along Smith Rd., ending at US 40 west of Watkins. Deleted by 1939, when the Smith Road routing became part of SH 72.

180

Location: West Metro Denver
Length: ~8mi
W End: Golden
E End: 1939-1945: Jct SH 95 at 38th Ave/Sheridan Blvd.; 1946-1961: Jct US 287-87 at 38th Ave/Federal Blvd.

History:
Brought into the system in 1939, SH 180 went from the intersection of 38th Ave. and Sheridan Blvd. west along 38th to Youngfield Street, then 32nd Ave. west into Golden. By 1946 it was extended east to Federal Blvd. Deleted by 1962. The two SH 180s might be related somehow, but I don't know.

181

Location: South Front Range

Length: 1930-1950: 5mi; 1951-1953: 3mi
NW End: 1930-1950: Jct SH 165 at Rye; 1951-1953: Jct SH 165 at Crow
SE End: 1930-1950: Jct US 85-87 at Greenhorn; 1951-1953: Greenhorn

History:
SH 181 came into the state system in 1930, going from SH 165 at Rye south and east to US 85-87 at Greenhorn. About 1950 US 85-87 was rerouted to the east of Greenhorn and SH 181 took over part of its old route, from SH 165 at Crow south 3 miles to Greenhorn. As of March 2011 Pueblo County still calls the road "Highway 181".

182

Location: West Metro Denver

History:
SH 182 was the original state number for what would ultimately become the 6th Avenue freeway. It was first brought into the state system abut 1939, and went from Colfax Avenue southeast of Golden east to Sheridan Blvd. By 1946 it had been extended east along 6th Ave., northwest on a connector street to Federal, then east on 8th Ave. to US 85-87 at Broadway. By 1957 it was four lanes from SH 58 east into Denver. The freeway between Federal and the Valley Highway (US 87/SH 185) was complete by 1960. Over the rest of the 1960s the freeway was gradually extended west toward Golden.

West of Golden, the route through Clear Creek Canyon opened in 1952, and was given the SH 182 designation, as well as US 6, which previously followed US 40 west out of Denver. It was at that same time 6th Ave. was designated as part of US 6. Because of that, US 6 had taken over all of SH 182's route, making it the de facto carrier route for US 6. SH 182 was decommissioned, along with all the other carrier routes, in the purge of 1968.

See the US 6 listing for more in-depth histories of the Clear Creek Canyon and 6th Avenue routes.

183

Location: Fort Lyon (Arkansas Valley)
Length*: 0.99mi
N End: Jct US 50 northeast of Las Animas
S End: CR HH/CR 15 at Fort Lyon Correctional Facility entrance

Counties: Bent

Annual Average Daily Traffic (2008): 320

History:
SH 183 became a state highway in the mid-1930s. Paved by 1938. The Fort Lyon facility was a veterans' hospital until 2001. The VA then closed and turned it over to the state, who converted it to a low-security prison.



184

Location: South Western Slope
Length*: 26.59mi
W End: Jct US 491 southeast of Lewis
E End: Jct BR US 160 at Main St./Grand Ave. in Mancos

Counties: Montezuma
Places: Lewis, Dolores, Mancos

Scenic & Historic Byways: Trail of the Ancients (US 491 to SH 145) America's Byways

Milepost Guide:

  • 0.00: US 491 (begin SH 184 in Montezuma County)
  • 8.16: Southwest jct SH 145 southwest of Dolores
  • 8.90: Northeast jct SH 145
  • 26.44: US 160 north of Mancos
  • 26.59: BR US 160, Mancos (end SH 184)

Annual Average Daily Traffic (2008):

  • 1400 at US 491
  • 2900 west of SH 145
  • 5600 on SH 145-184
  • 2400 east of SH 145
  • 2400 east of CR 33
  • 3800 east of Jackson Lake Rd./CR 42
  • 1900 at BR US 160, Mancos

Guide:
SH 184 starts at US 491 southeast of Lewis then heads east past a bunch of reservoirs to SH 145. They have a multiplex for a little less than a mile to the southwest side of Dolores, then SH 184 heads southeast, again past numerous reservoirs, ending at BR US 160 in Mancos.

Photo Gallery:

  • SH 184 Whiteboard. Here's a night shot of an old-style whiteboard marker sign on US 491. Somehow it's managed to survive the past 1980s up to this point. Photo by Levente Jakab. (November 2008)

History:
SH 184 became a state highway in 1939, going from US 160 at Arriola northeast via Lebanon to Dolores, then southeast to Mancos. From Mancos it had a spur southward. By 1954 most of it had been turned back, and SH 184 went from Mancos northwest for 9mi, to near Summit Reservoir. By 1972 part of it was finally paved, all except the last two miles near the reservoir. By 1978 it was extended northwest to Dolores then southwest over what had previously been SH 147 to Lewis. All paved at that time, too.

185

Location: Metro Denver > North Front Range
S End: 1930s-1950s: Jct US 85 at Brighton Blvd. in Denver; 1950s-1968: Jct US 85 at Castle Rock
N End: 1930s-1945: Jct SH 14 north of Windsor; 1946-1968: Wyoming border south of Cheyenne

History:
SH 185 is the state highway in the Front Range that would ultimately become I-25 from Castle Rock northward to Wyoming. It became a state highway in the mid-1930s. It became part of US 87 by 1954, and I-25 in the early 1960s. Since SH 185 was serving as US 87's and I-25's carrier route, it was decommissioned along with the other carrier routes in the purge of 1968.

For clarity I'll divide up the historical commentary into two parts: North of SH 7 and south of SH 7.

SH 185 North of SH 7
At first coming north out of metro Denver, SH 185 used Washington Street. It headed north, east, and then north through Johnstown and Windsor, ending at SH 14. By 1939 the turn east through Johnstown and Windsor had been eliminated, and SH 185 went straight north, as I-25 does now, ending at SH 14 east of Fort Collins. Also by 1939 it had been paved north to SH 60, and paved up to US 34 by 1946.

By 1946, SH 185 was extended north to the Wyoming border via Wellington, but at first was shown as projected/impassable between Fossil Creek Reservoir (current SH 392) and SH 14. By 1947 it was paved from Wellington to Wyoming. The section between Fossil Creek and SH 14 was completed by 1950, and by then the only section not paved was from SH 14 to Wellington. That was paved by 1954.

US 87 was run along SH 185 about 1954. Previous to that, US 87 was concurrent with US 287 a few miles to the west, but joined SH 185 at Wellington for the trip north into Wyoming.

The expressway/freeway north of SH 7 started being constructed in the early 1960s. By 1960 the first section of freeway was open, from SH 52 to SH 66. The freeway between SH 7 and SH 52 opened by 1961. By 1963 SH 185/I-25/US 87 was freeway north to US 34. By 1964 a section of freeway opened from north of Wellington (Buckeye Road maybe?) north to the Wyoming border. By 1965 the only section not freeway was from Timnath to Wellington, which was done by 1968.

SH 185 South of SH 7, The Valley Highway
The original 1930s south end of SH 185 was in Denver at Brighton Boulevard and 38th Street. From there it went north on Washington Street out of town.

In 1944, at the direction of state highway engineer Charles Vail, Crocker & Ryan Consulting Engineers issued a report recommending a north-south freeway through Denver. The report set as the end points of the freeway 58th Ave./Acoma St. in the north and Colorado Blvd./C&S Railroad in the south. The report examined five possible routes in between the end points and settled on the "valley" routing (as in Platte River Valley), for it was cheapest. In the early 1950s construction of the Valley Highway in Denver started, with it numbered as SH 185/US 87. The first portion of the Valley Highway constructed was at its north end from 38th Avenue to 58th, including the interchange at 46th Avenue (later to be known as the Mousetrap). Groundbreaking was November 16, 1948, with the section opening in 1950.

By 1954 SH 185 had been extended south to US 85 at Castle Rock, using the "Happy Canyon" alignment of what is now I-25, and US 87 was moved off of the US 85 Sedalia routing to be along SH 185. The Valley Highway freeway was complete from 38th Avenue north to 58th, and from there SH 185 used Broadway, 70th and Washington Street heading north. By 1955 there was more freeway open in the Colorado/Evans area, and SH 185 was expressway down to north of Castle Rock. By 1956 the Valley was opened in the area of University Blvd., and SH 185 was four-laned and moved off of Washington onto what is now I-25's alignment from 70th up to 120th. By 1957 the expressway reached north to SH 7, and more of the Valley was opened from University to Emerson.

The Valley Highway in Denver, in its entirety, was completed on November 23, 1958 with the opening of the Broadway Viaduct and the segment from 3rd Avenue to Emerson. This included the overpass at Alameda, at the time the widest bridge in the state. By 1960 all of SH 185 between Castle Rock and SH 7 was freeway, except for two segments of expressway: One on the north side of Castle Rock and the other from 58th to SH 7. Those were converted to freeway by 1963.

US185

US 185 is a US Highway that "didn't make the cut" when the system was first proposed in 1926. The routing from Denver to Laramie, via Broomfield, Longmont and Fort Collins was at first designated as US 185, but in the final plan it ended up being US 285.

186

Location: North Front Range
Length: 15mi
S End: Jct US 34 west of Loveland
N End: Jct US 287 at Horsetooth Road and College Ave. in Fort Collins
Places: Masonville

History:
SH 186 dates from the mid-1930s, and went from US 287 in Fort Collins west to Masonville, then south to US 34. Turned back by 1954.

187

Location: Paonia (Western Mountains)
Length*: 0.69mi
N End: Jct SH 133 north of Paonia
S End: 4th St./Grand Ave. in Paonia

History:
SH 187 became a state highway in the mid-1930s. However, at first it continued south to SH 92 at Crawford. It was truncated and ended at Paonia by 1954. Paved by 1958. It went from SH 133 south across the North Fork Gunnison River, coming onto Grand Avenue and ending at 4th on the north side of town. CDOT turned it back to Delta County in late 2010.

Photo Gallery:

  • Southbound SH 187. View looking down SH 187's entire length from SH 133 across the river bridge into Paonia. (August 2009)
  • End 187. Sign on Grand Ave as SH 187 ends at 4th St. Downtown is another two blocks ahead. (August 2009)

US187

US 187 appears to be a plan that never came to be. US 187 existed up until the 1980s in Wyoming, but was then decommissioned. It had current US 191's route from I-80 north to Jackson. Here's a paragraph from Andy Field's US 187 page:

According to a 1938 Texaco map of Utah, U.S. 187 was at one time planned to continue beyond its Rock Springs to Moran Junction routing. Plans called for "NEW" U.S. 187 to continue "southward" along U.S. 30 East, then turn south on Baggs Road at Creston Junction (modern Wyoming 789). The map showed "NEW" U.S. 187 heading south into Colorado, where it would have likely connected with modern Colorado 13. This southern extension of U.S. 187 was never adopted nor signed, but I suspect that Rand McNally may have known of a possible extension that was ultimately rejected by AASHTO, the Wyoming or Colorado Highway Departments, or other local entities. Aside from this map, there has not been many changes with the routing of U.S. 187 until the late 1970s and early 1980s.

As Andy says, this route was never marked, as far as I know.

188

Location: Eastern Plains
Alignment: Spur west from US 287 north of Eads

189

Location: South Front Range
Length: 16mi
S End: Jct US 85-87 at Fontanero St. and Nevada Ave. in Colorado Springs
N End: Jct SH 50 north of Black Forest
Places: Colorado Springs, Black Forest

History:
SH 189's alignment dates from the 1920s, but at first was numbered as SH 85. It was renumbered as SH 189 by 1936. It went from SH 50 north of Black Forest south via Black Forest Road, then southwest, probably via Templeton Gap Road, to US 85 at Fontanero and Nevada in Colorado Springs. Turned back by 1954.

190

Location: Eastern Plains
Alignment: Spur which went both east and west from SH 109 at Karval



191

Location: Eastern Plains
Alignment: Spur north from US 40 east of Cheyenne Wells

192

Location: Arkansas Valley
Length: 4mi
E End: Jct 287 in Lamar
W End: Near Lamar Municipal Airport

History:
SH 192 was a spur which went from US 287 at Lamar west via CR HH for ~4mi. Brought into the system by 1939 and paved by 1956. Turned back in 1968.

193

Location: Eastern Plains
Alignment: Spur south from US 40-287 at Wild Horse

194

Location: Arkansas Valley
Length*: 20.33mi
W End: Jct SH 109 north of La Junta
E End: Jct US 50 north of Las Animas

Counties: Otero, Bent

Milepost Guide:

  • 0.00: SH 109 (begin SH 194 in Otero County)
  • 8.68: Begin Otero/Bent County split
  • 10.13: Enter Bent County
  • 20.33: US 50 interchange (end SH 194)

Annual Average Daily Traffic (2008):

  • 980 at SH 109
  • 1100 east of CR 33
  • 810 at US 50

Guide:
From SH 109, SH 194 parallels US 50 on the opposite side of the Arkansas River. The east end at US 50 is a trumpet interchange.

History:
SH 194 was brought into the state system in 1939, at first as a spur westward from US 50 north of Las Animas. That was paved by 1947. By 1950 it was extended west to SH 109, and paved west to the Otero-Bent County line. All paved by 1957. Interchange at US 50 constructed in 1972.

195

Location: Arkansas Valley
Alignment: Spur south from SH 96 at Brandon

196

Location: Arkansas Valley
Length*: 8.92mi
W End: Jct US 50 east of Hasty
E End: Jct US 287 just south of Wiley

Counties: Bent, Prowers
Places: McClave

Milepost Guide:

  • 0.00: US 50 (begin SH 196 in Bent County)
  • 7.91: Enter Prowers County
  • 8.92: US 287 southwest of Wiley

Annual Average Daily Traffic (2008):

  • 600 at US 50
  • 320 east of CR LL.5, McClave

Guide:
SH 196 starts at US 50 between Hasty and US 287, and then heads due north to McClave, then turns east, ending at US 287 just south of Wiley.

<>History:
SH 196 started off in 1939 as a spur which from SH 169 at Kornman north to May Valley. A second section went from Kornman east, then turned south and ended at SH 169.

By 1954 things had been totally shuffled around. SH 196 had taken over most of SH 169, going from US 50 north to McClave, east to US 287, then east from Wiley and south to the US 50-287 curve north of Lamar, then east through Bristol ending at Hartman. A Spur SH 196 was added in Wiley by 1957, creating a south loop through town, and also an extension from Hartman south to US 50 was added.

SH 196 east of US 385 was turned back by 1970 leaving its east end at Bristol. The section east of US 287, including the Wiley spur, was turned back in early 2010.

197

Location: Arkansas Valley
Alignment: Spur south from US 160 at Vilas. Not as short as current SH 100, as SH 197 went a good 20mi south.



198

Location: Arkansas Valley
Alignment: Spur from SH 51 at Midway west to Richards



199

Location: Arkansas Valley
Alignment:
Link from SH 198 east of Richards north to SH 51 south of Walsh

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Last updated 9 March 2014