U.S. ROUTE 491

'U.S. Route 491' is a north-south United States highway. One of the newest additions to the U.S. Highway system, it was commissioned in 2003 as a renumbering of 'U.S. Route 666'. With the 666 designation, this route was given the nickname "The Devil's Highway" because of the common (but not total) Christian belief that 666 is the Number of the Beast.^[1]

Contents

Route description

New Mexico

Colorado

Utah

History

U.S. Route 666

Elimination and Renumbering of U.S. 666

Timeline

Miscellanea

Legal description

See also

Related U.S. Routes

External links

References

Route description

New Mexico

U.S. Route 491 begins at Gallup, New Mexico and passes North through the heart of the Navajo Nation passing many small communities, trading posts, and schools, including the major complex of Shiprock. Shiprock takes its name from an unusual rock formation near the town that can be seen from many miles away.

Colorado

In Colorado the highway proceeds diagonally to the North West passing through both Navajo and
Ute Mountain Ute tribal lands in the extreme southwestern corner of Colorado. The highway exits tribal lands near Cortez and proceeds through the self-proclaimed "Pinto Bean Capital of the World" communities of Montezuma and Dolores counties. The highway also passes near Mesa Verde National Park. In Colorado the highway gradually gains elevation until reaching 7000 ft (2000 m). in elevation, where the highway remains until its end in Utah.

Utah

In Utah the highway travels due west to the farming town of Monticello, Utah at the base of the Abajo Mountains (Blue Mountains). In some unincorporated areas cross street markers only refer to the highway as the "Devil's Highway" in a nod to its infamous past. A restaurant near the terminus of the highway kept a "wall of fame" of people who had taken their pictures up against the "East U.S. 666" reassurance sign that was directly in front of the restaurant.

History

U.S. Route 666

Route 666 was an original 1926 route. The number was appropriate per AASHTO's guidelines as the 6th spur along the highway's parent U.S. Route 66.¹ The route was given the nickname "The Devil's Highway".
This nickname and association made some people uncomfortable, as well as making the signs targets for theft. Because of the highway's number, accidents and other phenomena became repeated as legend. These legends convinced some people the highway was cursed. One unnamed highway patrol officer was quoted in USA Today as stating that a drunk-driving suspect told him that, "Triple 6 is evil. Everyone dies on that highway".¹ Skeptics point out that the highway has a lower than average fatality rate in Utah and Colorado, only the New Mexico portion is statistically a dangerous highway.^[2] Skeptics also point that the high fatality rate in New Mexico can be explained by an inadequate design capacity for current traffic loads.¹

Elimination and Renumbering of U.S. 666

In 1993, the part in Arizona was renamed as an extension of U.S. Route 191. Arizona requested this change in part because the US 666 signs were among the most frequently stolen in the state. The route in the other 3 states became U.S. Route 491 in 2003, mainly through efforts of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. He requested the change due to the "infamy brought by the inopportune naming of the road".¹ Colorado agreed to the change, again citing high rates of sign theft.^[3] Within days of the announcement that U.S. 666 would be renumbered, virtually every sign on the highway had been stolen, some for sale on eBay.^[4]
The "dedication" of the "new" highway was timed with the start of construction projects to improve safety on the highway. At the dedication, a Navajo medicine man performed a ceremony to remove the curse from the highway. However, even some people who believed in the 666 curse disagreed with the change. Multiple newspapers and television stations interviewed people along the route about their opinion on the changing of the highways number. One went on record as stating highway officials "are messing with the wrong guy. They're making the devil mad. They should have left the 666 alone." ⁴ Others were more sarcastic. One Monticello resident stated, "We'll really miss all the potheads stopping and taking pictures of the Route 666 sign."⁴ Most residents interviewed commented that no matter the number they would still call the road the Devil's Highway.
The first "new" number for U.S. 666 selected was U.S. Route 393. But since the route came nowhere near U.S. Route 93, AASHTO suggested U.S. Route 491, noting it as a branch of U.S. Route 191 at Monticello, Utah. Although the next 3-digit "child" of U.S. Route 91 would have been U.S. Route 291, both the 291 and 391 designations were already in use as state route numbers¹.
Even though the highway is no longer officially U.S. 666, most roadside businesses have kept the name "Devils Highway" as part of their name.

Timeline

★ When the route was first commissioned in 1926, its northern terminus was in Cortez, Colorado at an intersection with U.S. Route 450 (modern U.S. Route 160). It extended south to Gallup, New Mexico, one of the famous stops on the original U.S. Route 66, the "parent" of U.S. Route 666.

★ In 1938, its southern terminus was extended to Douglas, Arizona at the Mexican border. It was co-signed with U.S. Route 66 for 30 miles (48.3 km) before its turn south.

★ In 1970, U.S. Route 160 at Cortez, Colorado was rerouted south to serve the Four Corners Monument. U.S. Route 666 was extended up part of the old route of U.S. 160 to Monticello, Utah, at an intersection with then U.S. Route 163 (now U.S. Route 191).

★ In 1985, the U.S. Route 66 designation was eliminated, leaving U.S. 666 (and others) as orphans.

★ In 1993, Arizona requested AASHTO to allow the state's segment of U.S. Route 666 to be redesignated as a southern extension of U.S. Route 191. This truncated U.S. Route 666 again at Gallup, New Mexico, now at Interstate 40.

★ On January 21, 2003, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico declared his intent to change the designation of U.S. 666. Officials in Colorado and Utah concurred.

★ U.S. Route 666 officially ceased to exist on May 31, 2003, though "New 491 - Old 666" signs were posted after the change.

Miscellanea

Aside from the many oddities perceived or caused from the highway's former number, It has other oddities:

★ The highway is not consistent in signing. Utah signs the highway East-West. The highway is signed North-South in Colorado, New Mexico and formerly Arizona.

★ At one time the highway entered all four of the four corners states without coming near the Four Corners Monument.

★ At several points along the route mountain ranges in 4 states are visible from a single location.

Legal description

The Utah section of U.S. 491 is defined at Utah Code Annotated § 72-4-137(11). [2]

See also

★ British A666 road

★ AC/DC's Highway to hell

Related U.S. Routes

★ U.S. Route 91

★ U.S. Route 191

★ U.S. Route 66

★ U.S. Route 166

★ U.S. Route 266

★ U.S. Route 366

★ U.S. Route 466

★ U.S. Route 566

External links

★ Endpoints of U.S. highways - U.S. 491

★ Endpoints of U.S. highways - U.S. 666

References

1. U.S. 666: "Beast of a Highway"? by Richard F. Weingroff (USDOT - FHWA)
2. JOURNEYS; The End of the Road For 'Devil's Highway' by Jodi Wilgoren, New York Times June 13, 2003 last retrieved on April 12, 2007
3. U.S. Highway Ends by Mapguy (personal web site, last retrieved on April 12, 2007)
4. [1]Sixes nixed on 'devil's road, by Christopher Smart, Salt Lake Tribune, July 30, 2003 (fee required)