U.S. Route 50 | ||||
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Route information | ||||
Defined by Utah Code §72-4-110 | ||||
Maintained by UDOT | ||||
Length: | 334.920 mi (539.001 km) | |||
Existed: | 1926 – present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end: | US 6 / US 50 at the Nevada state line (east of Baker, NV) | |||
US-6 in Delta I-15 in Holden I-15 in Scipio I-70 / US-89 in Salina US-6 / US-191 near Green River US-191 at Crescent Junction |
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East end: | I-70 / US 6 / US 50 at the Colorado state line (west of Fruita, CO) | |||
Highway system | ||||
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U.S. Route 50 (US-50) in Utah crosses the center of the state. The highway serves no major population centers in Utah, with the largest city along its path being Delta. Most of the route passes through desolate, remote areas. Through the eastern half of the state the route is concurrent with Interstate 70 (I-70). US-50 both enters and exits Utah concurrent with US-6, however the two routes are separate through the center of the state.
Three completely different routings of US-50 have existed between Green River and Ely, Nevada. The route between these cities has become progressively shorter as new roads have been paved through this largely uninhabited region of both states. The earlier routings were a result of a dispute between Utah and Nevada over which auto trails would be paved and converted to U.S. Highways.
The highway enters Utah from Nevada in a desolate portion of the Great Basin desert. Similar to many portions of the route in Nevada, there are no services from this point to Delta, a span of roadway that is about 100 miles (160 km). While passing through the Great Basin the highway crosses two mountain ranges, the Confusion Range via kings canyon and House Range via Skull Rock Pass, before arriving at the shore of Sevier Lake. Sevier Lake is an intermittent lake which is fed by snow melt from many mountain ranges in the eastern half of the Great Basin. From US-50, water is only usually visible in the spring months. The highway follows Sevier Lake to Delta.