Arizona State Route 85 - History

History

The first numbered highway along the Route 85 corridor was established in 1927 between Gila Bend and Phoenix as US 80. At the time, it was only paved from Phoenix to Hassayampa. Although not paved between Hassayampa and Gila Bend, it was an improved road. This original routing of US 80 still exists as Old US 80 west of the Route 85 alignment. A dirt road between Gila Bend and Ajo did exist at this time, but it was not a part of the state highway system. By 1935, the entire route of US 80 between Gila Bend and Phoenix had been paved. The road south of Gila Bend had also been improved to a gravel road.

In 1936, Route 85 was established, but it only extended as far north as Gila Bend and as far south as Ajo. By 1938, Route 85 had been paved as well as the portion between Ajo and Why that would eventually become part of Route 85. The portion between Why and the border with Mexico began showing up on maps at this time as a gravel road. In 1943, the portion of the highway between Ajo and Why was added to the state highway system, but as SR 86, when it was extended west from Tucson to Ajo. In 1955, the highway was extended to Lukeville at the United States-Mexico border with an overlap with SR 86 between Ajo and Why when a county road was added to Route 85.

In 1973, the connector between I-10 and Baseline Road was established, and was redesignated in 1978 as a spur route of Route 85. As the old, indirect US 80 was removed from Arizona, Route 85 was extended north in 1977 over the old alignment of US 80 to Buckeye and extended east to Phoenix. Portions of the route in Buckeye and Phoenix were turned over to their respective cities for maintenance in 1990. The following year, a portion of the highway between Avondale and Phoenix was turned over to Maricopa County for maintenance. Also in 1991, the overlap between Route 85 and SR 86 was eliminated and the western terminus of SR 86 was changed to its junction with Route 85 in Why. In 1994, the northern end of Route 85 was moved onto the Route 85 Spur that connected to I-10 and the remaining portions along the old alignment to the east were redesignated as a temporary route of Route 85. In 1999, the portion of the old route in Avondale was turned over to the city for maintenance. The portion of the old route around the state capitol complex, the last remaining section of the old route between Phoenix and Buckeye, was turned over to the city of Phoenix in 2001.