U.S. Highway 466
U.S. 466 is an historic U.S. highway that began at California 1 along the central coast of California, then turned north along U.S. 91 to enter Las Vegas, then turn south via U.S. 93 toward Hoover Dam and Kingman. This route was designated in 1935 primarily to provide a route around the southern end of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, but was extended into Nevada and Arizona, perhaps to provide the route with multiple states.
In 1964, U.S. 466 was decommissioned in California. Signs for the route remained in places for a few years, but they were gone by the early 1970s. Since U.S. 466 duplicated other routes for its entire length in Nevada and Arizona, both states decommissioned U.S. 466 in 1972.
In Las Vegas, U.S. 466 followed (from west to east) Las Vegas Blvd to Main Street, Main to Fremont/Boudler, and Fremont/Boulder south toward Boulder City.
Studies on bypassing the part of U.S. 93-466 over Hoover Dam began in the mid-1960s, when the Nevada Department of Highways and the U.S. Department of Commerce published the "US 93-466 Hoover Dam Origin and Destination Study." Even at that point in time, U.S. 466 was referenced. The study determined the characteristics of traffic congestion at Hoover Dam, and suggested construction of a separate crossing. As of 2000, this crossing has not been constructed, but it is proposed as part of the CANAMEX High Priority Corridor.
Prior to the designation of U.S. 466 in Nevada, the highway followed:
- Nevada 6 from the California State Line (now known as Primm) north to Las Vegas
- Nevada 5 from Las Vegas to Boulder City Junction
- Nevada 26 from Boulder City Junction to the Arizona State Line at Hoover Dam
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