Utah State Route 201 - History

History

State Route 201 is one of the original highways through the Salt Lake Valley. Signs along the route claim the path of the highway to be the historical route of the California Trail, Pony Express and Lincoln Highway. While signed as the route of the California Trail, modern 2100 South is a less common branch called Hastings Cutoff that became infamous because of the Donner Party. The Lincoln Highway, generally derived from the route of the Pony Express across Utah, was routed on 2100 South. However, no modern highway exactly follows the route of the Pony Express west of Salt Lake City. SR-201 is one of a few auto-tour routes that approximates the Pony Express trail, which actually ran south of the road.

In the 1910s, 2100 South in Salt Lake County became an unnumbered state highway. In 1919, when the state legislature redefined the state road system to include only a short list given in the law and any federal aid projects, 2100 South east of State Street remained as a portion of the Lincoln Highway. In 1926, 2100 South became part of US-40, following the creation of the United States Numbered Highway system. By 1937, 2100 South west of 9180 West was assigned to US-50, US-40 now turning northward toward Downtown Salt Lake City. This created two signed highways over 2100 South: US-40 east of US-91 and US-50 east of 9200 West (US-50 traveled west on 3500 South through Salt Lake City from US-91 to 2100 South in Magna, whereas US-40 turned from eastbound 2100 South to northbound State Street to connect to North Temple).

In 1939, the state legislature designated State Route 201, running west on 2100 South from State Street (US-40/US-91) to US-50 (9180 West) in Magna. By 1954, US-50 was moved south to an alignment through central Utah, the old routing mostly replaced by US-50 Alternate (US-50A). However, US-50A was placed in Salt Lake City on 2100 South west of State Street, replacing the SR-201 designation. By 1965, US-40 was realigned along Foothill Drive (then US-40A), the Utah Highway Department believing the Foothill route was more direct in connecting with North Temple toward the airport. US-40A was now aligned along the entirety of 2100 South from US-40/future I-215 at the mouth of Parley's Canyon west to State Street and beyond with US-50A to US-40 west of Magna. Both mainline and Alternate US-40, along with US-50A, were truncated to east of the city by 1979.