Site Navigation Arizona Colorado Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico Utah Wyoming     Interstate 70 - Salina to Cove Fort The final stretch of Interstate 70 exists between Cove Fort and Salina across the Pahvant Range and Fishlake National Forest. U.S. 89 shares pavement with the freeway from Sevier to Salina through the Richfield vicinity. Interstate 70, while originally planned to end at Spanish Fork along the U.S. 6 & 50 corridor, instead saw redirection to Cove Fort to benefit traffic interests to and from southern California. Interstate 70 west U.S. 89 southbound joins Interstate 70 westbound between Exits 56 and 23. Unlike most of U.S. 50 and all of U.S. 6, the federal highway retains reassurance shields on its overlap with the freeway. Pictured here is the first shield assembly for the 33-mile overlap. Note the usage of a guide sign style cut-out shield for U.S. 89 used in place of a standard marker. Cut-outs such as these are commonly found along the Interstate 70 & U.S. 89 cosigning. Photo taken 10/18/04. Utah 24 returns from Sigurd and Loa to the southeast at Exit 48. The state highway begins at Interstate 70 & U.S. 50 at Exit 149 west of Green River and loops southwest to Hanksville and the Capitol Reef National Park northwest to Loa. Photo taken 10/18/04. Use Utah 24 south 32 miles south to Utah 25 north for Fish Lake. Capital Reef National Park lies 35 miles to the east of junction Utah 25 beyond Loa and Torrey. Photo taken 10/18/04. One half mile east of the Exit 48 diamond interchange with Utah 259 (Old Highway 89) on Interstate 70 west & U.S. 89 south. U.S. 89 originally followed the routing of Utah 24 southwest from Salina to Sigurd, and Utah 118 from Sigurd to Richfield. Utah 259 replaced an earlier routing of U.S. 89 to the north of Salina and west of Utah 24. The state highway entails Old Highway 89 between Exit 48 and Utah 24. Photo taken 10/18/04. Westbound at the ramp departure of Exit 48 to Utah 24. Utah 24 continues a short distance northward 3.3 miles to Aurora and 7.4 miles to junction U.S. 50 at Salina. Photo taken 10/18/04. Continuing southwest on Interstate 70 & U.S. 89 toward the Sevier County seat of Richfield. A pair of interchanges serve the town of 6,500. The freeway parallels the eastern reaches of the Pahvant Range from Aurora southwest to Sevier. Photo taken 10/18/04. A third Business Route of Interstate 70 in Utah loops into Richfield alongside Utah 120 between Exits 40 and 38. Business Loop Interstate 70 & Utah 120 west follow Main Street south to west 1200 South. Photo taken 10/18/04. Interstate 70 west A diamond interchange facilitates the movements between the north end of Main Street and Interstate 70 & U.S. 89 at Exit 40. The Interstate 70 Business Loop is vastly unsigned along the Utah 120 routing through Richfield. Main Street meets the former U.S. 89 (Utah 118)/ 300 North in 1.3 miles. Photo taken 10/18/04. Exit 40 leaves Interstate 70 west & U.S. 89 southbound for Business Loop Interstate 70 & Utah 120 (Main Street) westbound. Main Street carries the business loop south 2.1 miles to its split with Utah 118. Utah 118 continues Main Street southward to Richfield Municipal Airport and the south edge of town. The state highway follows old U.S. 89 between Richfield and Elsinore. Photo taken 10/18/04. Interstate 70 & U.S. 89 meanwhile bypass Richfield just west of town and east of Fishlake National Forest. Photo taken 10/18/04. Exit 37 represents the return of Business Loop Interstate 70 and Utah 120 via 1200 South. The tandem venture 1.9 miles west from Main Street to end at Interstate 70 & U.S. 89. Photo taken 10/18/04. Drawing to within one half mile of the Exit 37 diamond interchange with Business Loop Interstate 70 & Utah 120. Like Exit 40, the surface road of Utah 120 and the business loop dead ends at the interchange with the freeway. Photo taken 10/18/04. The towering Monroe Peak (el. 11,226 ft) rises south of Richfield at the Exit 37 off-ramp to 1200 South. Use 1200 South east for Richfield Municipal Airport. Interests to the village of Annabella should use Exits 37 or 32. Photo taken 10/18/04. Another set of Interstate 70 & U.S. 89 reassurance shields posted south of the Exit 37 on-ramp from Business Loop Interstate 70 & Utah 120. Photo taken 10/18/04. Mileage signs along Interstate 70 include distances to Interstate 15, and the Interstate 15 southbound control points of Saint George and Las Vegas, Nevada. Interstate 70 on-ramps from the area list Las Vegas as the control city from Richland westward. Photo taken 10/18/04. The next westbound interchange of Interstate 70 & U.S. 89 joins the freeway with Main Street at Elsinore (Exit 32). Main Street (Utah 258) provides a short connector between Elsinore Road west of the freeway and old U.S. 89 (300 West). Photo taken 10/18/04. Utah 258 begins at Exit 32 and travels east two miles to Utah 118. Utah 118 stems south from the former U.S. 89 at Austin 3.4 miles to Monroe. Photo taken 10/18/04. Exit 32 off-ramp departs Interstate 70 west & U.S. 89 southbound for Utah 258 (Main Street) east into Elsinore. Utah 258 overtakes former U.S. 89 through Elsinore to Utah 118. Old U.S. 89 parallels Interstate 70 & U.S. 89 closely southwest from Main Street to Joseph (Exit 26). Photo taken 10/18/04. More orographic-lifting based showers shroud the landscape and Marysville Peak (el. 10,761 ft) to the south of Interstate 70 west & U.S. 89 south. Note the use of a cutout shield for U.S. 89. Photo taken 10/18/04. Utah 118 (Main Street) draws to a close at the Exit 26 diamond interchange with Interstate 70 & U.S. 89 at Joseph. The state highway travels 24 miles east from here to Monroe, Austin, Central Valley, Richfield, Venice, and Sigurd including various portions of old U.S. 89. Photo taken 10/18/04. Guide signs for Exit 26 omit the Utah 118 designation and simply sign the exit for Joseph. Joseph lies at the junction of Utah 118 (Main Street) with former U.S. 89 (State Street). Utah 118 intersects State Street two blocks east of Interstate 70 & U.S. 89. Photo taken 10/18/04. Interstate 70 west & U.S. 89 southbound at the Exit 26 off-ramp to Utah 118 (Main Street) east to Joseph. Rockwood Road continues west from Main Street into Fishlake National Forest. Photo taken 10/18/04. The final set of reassurance markers posted for Interstate 70 west & U.S. 89 south. The two highways part ways three miles west of Joseph. Photo taken 10/18/04. U.S. 89 prepares to split from Interstate 70 westbound at Exit 23. A trumpet interchange facilitates the movements between the two highways near the settlement of Sevier. U.S. 89 meanders 12 miles southward Piute County and Marysvale. Photo taken 10/18/04. Exit 23 auxiliary guide sign posted for the U.S. 89 southbound connections to Bryce Canyon National Park (via Utah 12 east of Panguitch) and Zion National Park (via Utah 9 west of Mt. Carmel Junction). Photo taken 10/18/04. Drivers departing Interstate 70 west via Exit 23 for U.S. 89 south reach Junction in 27 miles, Panguitch in 61 miles, and Kanab in 128 miles. The federal highway ends 331 miles to the south at Flagstaff, Arizona. Photo taken 10/18/04. Interstate 70 west and U.S. 89 south part ways at Exit 23. U.S. 89 merges with its former routing 0.75 miles to the south at the intersection with Sevier County 4. Sevier County 4 represents the original roadway between Sevier and Cove Fort to the west. U.S. 89 otherwise travels east of Delano Peak (el. 12,169 ft) and Mt. Holly (el. 11,999 ft) on the drive to the Piute County seat of Junction. Photo taken 10/18/04. The last mileage sign for Interstate 70 westbound lists 21 miles to Interstate 15. Photo taken 10/18/04. Interstate 70 turns westward again for its final stretch across the Pahvant Range and Fishlake National Forest. Photo taken 10/18/04. Ascending across the Pahvant Range on Interstate 70 west. The highway rises to an ultimate height of 7,076 feet. Therefore during the winter months snow chains may be required for all vehicles crossing the pass. A chain up area exists at the Kimberly Road diamond interchange (Exit 17). Photo taken 10/18/04. Exit 17 serves Fremont Indian State Park and the Fremont Indian Museum. The interchange serves Kimberly Road via an adjacent forest road. Kimberly Road stems south from Sevier County 4 to Lower Kimberly in northern Piute County. Photo taken 10/18/04. Interstate 70 westbound at the Exit 17 off-ramp. Kimberly Road comes into view along the right-hand side of the freeway. The local road parallels the westbound side of Interstate 70 briefly from Sevier County 4 southward. Photo taken 10/18/04. Interstate 70 continues its journey across the Pahvant Range and Fishlake National Forest to Exit 8. Signed simple as a ranch exit, the diamond interchange joins the freeway with Sevier County 4. Photo taken 10/18/04. Interstate 70 replaced County 4 from Exit 8 westward to Cove Fort. Sevier County 4 otherwise travels east to Pavant Corn Creek Road and other National Forest Roads back to Exit 17 and Sevier. Photo taken 10/18/04. Interstate 70 descends from a 7,076 foot summit toward Cove Fort. The roadway loops north and then southwest to junction Interstate 15. Photo taken 10/18/04. The first guide sign for Interstate 15, the western terminus of Interstate 70, lies ahead of the Exit 1 off-ramp to Cove Fort. Interstate 15 travels north-south from Beaver to Fillmore just west of the Pahvant Range within 30 miles of Interstate 70. Photo taken 10/18/04. The final Interstate 70 rest area lies at the Exit 1 diamond interchange with Utah 161. Utah 161 begins at Exit 1 and travels northwest 2.8 miles to Exit 135 of Interstate 15. Photo taken 10/18/04. Utah 161 links Interstate 70 and Interstate 15 with historic Cove Fort. The state highway follows old U.S. 91. Cove Fort itself began in 1867 as an outpost for weary pioneers traveling between Beaver and Fillmore. Created by Ira Hinckley at the request of Brigham Young, the settlement remained an attraction long after its duties came to an end. Photo taken 10/18/04. The one mile guide sign for junction Interstate 15 (renumbered to Exit 1 in 2005), resides within the Utah 161 interchange (renumbered Exit 2 in 2005). Interstate 15 meets Interstate 70 near the Millard and Beaver County line southwest of Cove Fort. The freeway replaced all of U.S. 91 from San Bernardino, California northward to Brigham City, Utah. The freeway joins Las Vegas with Salt Lake City along that stretch. Photo taken 10/18/04. A look at the final Interstate 70 westbound reassurance marker, posted over 2,200 miles west of its beginning in Baltimore, Maryland. The Mineral Mountains rise above the western landscape giving the highway a much different look than that of the urban park and ride lot at it's eastern terminus. Photo taken 10/18/04. Westbound Interstate 70 reaches its western terminus at the interchange with Interstate 15 near Cove Fort. This interchange is a trumpet interchange, with the right lane heading to northbound Interstate 15 en route to Provo and Salt Lake City, while the left lane defaults onto southbound Interstate 15. Photo taken 10/18/04. Milepost zero situates along the westbound on-ramp to Interstate 15 southbound. Interstate 15 carries motorists 19 miles to Beaver, 73 miles to Cedar City, and 124 miles to St. George. Photo taken 10/18/04. Interstate 70 east The eastbound beginning of Interstate 70 and the Pahvant Range. The freeway rises to 7,076 feet on the drive through Fishlake National Forest between Cove Fort and Sevier. The first off-ramp joins Interstate 70 with Utah 161 and historic Cove Fort. Photo taken 10/18/04. A rest stop exists at the Exit 1 (renumbered Exit 2 in 2005) interchange of Interstate 70. The next rest area lies in eastern Sevier County at Exit 86. Photo taken 10/18/04. Exit 1 departs Interstate 70 eastbound for the southern terminus of Utah 161. Utah 161 follows old U.S. 91 north from here to Cove Fort and Exit 135 of Interstate 15. Old U.S. 91 continues south of Interstate 70 to Manderfield Road and Interstate 15 - Exit 129. Photo taken 10/18/04. Page Updated September 26, 2005.