| After passing the Lavender Pit, Arizona 80 meets Arizona 92 at a traffic circle south of Bisbee. Arizona 92 leads southwest to Warren, then heads west to meet Arizona 90 near Sierra Vista. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
| Eastbound Arizona 80 approaching Junction Northbound U.S. 191. Although signage at this intersection seems to indicate that this is the southern terminus of transcontinental U.S. 191, U.S. 191 in fact merges with Arizona 80 east en route to Douglas and the international port of entry. Nevertheless, there is an END southbound U.S. 191 shield assembly located at this intersection to confuse matters. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
| Westbound Arizona 80
|
| Westbound Arizona 80 approaching Junction Northbound U.S. 191. The sun angle does not cooperate too well with this photo, but the sign is still visible: U.S. 191 leads north to Wilcox, while westbound Arizona 80 continues onward to Bisbee. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
| Westbound Arizona 80 at Junction Northbound U.S. 191. U.S. 191 is a major north-south corridor through the Rocky Mountain states. Connecting Arizona with Utah, Wyoming, and Montana, U.S. 191 passes through some of the most scenic desert environs in the West, including Petrified Forest National Park, Monument Valley, Arches National Park, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, and Yellowstone National Park. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
| Westbound Arizona 80 at the turn-off for old U.S. 80 into historic downtown Bisbee. Unfortunately this picture was partially obscured by the car window, but it shows how the off-ramp leads directly into the old town. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| Now northwest of Bisbee, Arizona 80 passes through historic Tombstone. The Boothill Trading Post is the last attraction as Arizona 80 leaves Tombstone. Notably, the construction of Arizona 80 resulted in the relocation of the famous Boot Hill cemetery to a nearby location behind this trading post. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| This is the first reassurance marker along westbound Arizona 80 as it leaves Tombstone. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| Mileage sign along westbound Arizona 80 for the distance to the junction with Arizona 82, St. David, and Benson. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| View of westbound Arizona 80 as it departs the city of Tombstone. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| The first major intersection along Arizona 80 after leaving historic Tombstone is with Arizona 82, an route that heads southwest toward Nogales and the international border with Mexico. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| These shields for Arizona 80 and Arizona 82 are posted about a quarter mile south of the intersection between the two routes. A scenic route, Arizona 82 passes through the Coronado National Forest. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| To reach Sonoita, Patagonia, and Nogales, use Arizona 82. To reach Benson and Tucson, continue straight ahead on westbound Arizona 80. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| Mileage sign along westbound for the next two towns after the junction with Arizona 82: St. David (13 miles) and Benson (20 miles). Benson is the junction with Interstate 10. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| The next town along westbound Arizona 80 is St. David, which was founded in 1877 and is home to the Holy Trinity Monastery to the west of the highway just south of downtown. The Shrine of the True Cross is visible from the highway. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| The Arizona Department of Transportation has a maintenance facility in St. David as evidenced by this sign. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| Westbound Arizona 80 reassurance shield after leaving St. David. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| Mileage sign along westbound Arizona 80 as it leaves St. David. The only remaining control point is the interchange with Business Loop I-10 and downtown Benson, which is six miles north of here. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| Between St. David and Benson, Arizona 80 passes over the San Pedro River on this older bridge. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| This Arizona 80 shield is located along westbound as the highway approaches the city limits of Benson. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| Arizona 80 finally enters the city of Benson, home to 4,711 people as of 2000. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| Benson is a relatively old community, having been incorporated since 1880. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| Junction Business Loop I-10 one-half mile sign along westbound Arizona 80 in Benson. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| Westbound Arizona 80 at Seventh Street, just prior to the Business Loop I-10 interchange. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| This is the final reassurance shield along westbound Arizona 80. An end shield follows after the highway passes over Business Loop I-10. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| View of the interchange with Business Loop I-10 east of downtown Benson as seen from the transition ramp from westbound Arizona 80 onto westbound Business Loop I-10. This is the original interchange between U.S. 80 and Arizona 86 prior to the completion of Interstate 10. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| End Arizona 80 shield as the highway approaches the interchange with Business Loop I-10. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| The transition ramp from Arizona 80 merges onto the business loop. Note that a left turn is required for traffic turning from westbound Business Loop I-10 onto eastbound Arizona 80. Photo taken 03/28/04.
|
| Eastbound Historic U.S. 80/Bisbee
|
| View of historical eastbound U.S. 80 over Bisbee Pass. Modern Arizona 80 passes through the Bisbee Tunnel, several hundred feet below this point. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
| This marker, located on the west side of old U.S. 80 at the apex of its climb over Bisbee Pass, shows the elevation (6,080 feet) and considers this to be a "continental divide." It is not, however, the main Continental Divide that separates the Atlantic and Pacific watersheds. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
| View of eastbound Arizona 80 shield as seen from old U.S. 80 in Bisbee. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
| Old U.S. 80 meets modern Arizona 80 at this tight interchange at the base of the grade from Bisbee Pass. The ramp to the right leads to eastbound, while the next turn after the bridge leads to westbound Arizona 80. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
| Old U.S. 80 avoids the modern highway as it meanders through old-town Bisbee. A canal carries water in cases of flash floods and other rain events in this narrow canyon. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
| Eastbound Old U.S. 80 passes by several houses as it passes through Bisbee. Notably, there are not many chain establishments (restaurants, fuel stations, etc.) in this part of town; much of the town is purposefully kept older. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
| Most of the old route descends as it heads east through the old town of Bisbee. Photo taken 03/26/04.
|
| In several locations, street signs are painted onto the buildings due to the lack of space. An example is this one-way sign painted onto the side of a building. Photo taken 03/26/04.
|
| Shops, such as antique stores, furniture stores, art galleries, coffee shops, and more are closely spaced along the old road as it passes through the downtown section of Bisbee. Photo taken 03/26/04.
|
| View of the giant "B" located on the side of the hill as seen from the old route. Note the pink, art deco building located here; the highway runs around it in a jog. Photo taken 03/26/04.
|
| The old road reaches Arizona 80 after passing by the Copper Queen Hotel and mining museum (which is a branch of the Smithsonian). Photo taken 03/26/04.
|
| Westbound Historic U.S. 80/Bisbee
|
| Unlike the current Arizona 80 bypass, old U.S. 80 passed through the city of Bisbee, the Queen of Copper Camps. The site was founded in 1877 at the base of Mule Pass when a group of cavalrymen and army soldiers realized the potential mining value of the copper, silver, and lead in the vicinity. By 1902, the city of Bisbee was incorporated, and by 1910, 25,000 people lived in Bisbee, making it among the most populous areas in Arizona territory. Photo taken 03/26/04.
|
| View of the shops lining Bisbee as seen along the historic route (headed westbound). Note that no parking is allowed on this stretch due to the narrowness of the street, so it is best to park at the south end of Old Bisbee and walk from there. Photo taken 03/26/04.
|
| Houses and apartments come very close to the roadway, with little or no provision for sidewalks in some areas. Photo taken 03/26/04.
|
| These stairs are locally famous for an annual stair climbing event, and they are among several that enable connections throughout Old Bisbee. Photo taken 03/26/04.
|
| The old road was built over a natural drainage pattern, so the waterway was redirected under the street as seen by this culvert. Photo taken 03/26/04.
|
| As old U.S. 80 leaves the downtown area of Old Bisbee, the road widens out substantially. Photo taken 03/26/04.
|
| View of Arizona 80 heading west away from the Mule Pass Tunnel as seen from the top of Bisbee Pass along the original route of U.S. 80. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
| Even the entrance to the Mule Pass Tunnel can be seen from the top of Bisbee Pass, as seen in this photo. Arizona 80 westbound winds off into the distance. The Mule Pass Tunnel was the longest in Arizona until construction of the tunnel in Phoenix on Interstate 10 through downtown. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
| At the top of Bisbee Pass, above the modern day tunnel that carries Arizona 80 underneath Bisbee Pass, is this old road. It is unclear as to whether it carried old U.S. 80 along an alternate alignment on the north slope. Walking down this path revealed some evidence of prior pavement, so it is possible. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
| Lavender Pit/Bisbee
|
| This photo shows the massive Lavender Pit, which was last mined in 1975 by the company Phelps Dodge. Some have suggested that additional mining could occur here, but it would require expansion of the pit, including the bench on which the highway now sits. Therefore, any additional mining activity here would require relocation of Arizona 80. Since mining is not the focal point of the city, Bisbee now hosts a variety of retirees and artists who have changed the town significantly since its mining heyday in the early 1900s-1910s. Photo taken 03/26/04.
|
| Many of the signs proclaiming the history of the Lavender Pit are laced with graffiti, including some in Spanish that shames the Americans for creating such a large sore on the earth and not taking into account the beauty of the land. Any expansion of the Lavender Pit will require a great deal of environmental review, but to many, the damage caused by the pit is already wrought. It will be interesting to see if additional mining could be allowed here. Photo taken 03/26/04.
|
| The Lavender Pit spreads out front the parking area adjacent to Arizona 80. The sight of this pit to the uninitiated is nothing short of dramatic, especially for those travelers heading east along Arizona 80 and passing through the tight confines of old Bisbee. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
| This is another view of the Lavender Pit as seen through a fence in Bisbee just west of four-lane Arizona 80. Words cannot describe the vastness of this pit, or the history that it espouses. Men dug this pit for many years, and this is the result of that herculean effort, still visible many years after the closure of the mine. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
| This marker, located at the parking area on the west side of Arizona 80 in Bisbee, identifies the huge open pit as the Lavender Pit. Photo taken 05/24/03.
|
Page Updated April 25, 2004.
