Everything about Interstate 15 In Arizona totally explained
Interstate 15 (I-15), a transcontinental
Interstate Highway from
San Diego, California to the
Canadian border, passes through
Mohave County in the far northwest corner of the
U.S. state of
Arizona. Despite its length of and isolation from the rest of the state in the remote
Arizona Strip, it's notable for the scenic section through the
Virgin River Gorge. The highway heads in a northeasterly direction from the
Nevada border northeast of
Mesquite, Nevada to the
Utah border southwest of
St. George, Utah.
The southern portion of the routing of I-15 was built close to the alignment of the old
U.S. Route 91 (US 91), but the northern section through the Virgin River Gorge was built along an alignment that hadn't had a road previously. The southern section of the highway was complete and opened in the early 1960s, while the section through the gorge didn't open to traffic until 1973. When it opened, the portion of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge was the most expensive section of rural Interstate per mile.
Route description
The highway is signed and designated the
Veterans Memorial Highway, a designation which continues into
Utah. I-15 parallels the
Virgin River for its entire length in Arizona, but the terrain abruptly becomes more rugged at mile 13, where the
Virgin River Gorge begins. Traffic volumes along I-15 are approximately 23,000 vehicles per day. The highway is also a part of the
CANAMEX Corridor, a trade corridor in North America linking
Edmonton in Canada and
Mexico City.
The highway enters the state in Mohave County northeast of
Mesquite and
Las Vegas, Nevada, paralleling the old
US 91 heading northeast on an alignment north of the river. The first interchange is exit 8 at
Littlefield, where old US 91 turns north to avoid the gorge. I-15 crosses the river for the first time just beyond Littlefield, and passes another interchange serving local roads east of Littlefield. This exit, exit 9, is a
right-in/right-out design with
frontage roads, and was constructed after the initial opening of I-15. Access under I-15 is provided just south of the ramps. Within the canyon, through which it ascends northbound and descends southbound, five bridges cross or travel above the river. The highway generally follows the winding course of the river, but several
rock cuts allow it to bypass bends. I-15 continues to parallel the Virgin River, but deviates more than through the narrower part of the canyon. When the
Arrowhead Trail was marked in the 1920s, and
U.S. Route 91 in 1926, automobile travelers between Nevada and Utah followed the northerly routing, turning east in Utah to reach
St. George.
When the Interstates were planned, federal authorities decided to save over US 91 and pass through the Virgin River Gorge to take advantage of its scenery and lower grades for trucks. To help expedite the construction of the segment through the gorge, the state of
Utah forwarded a portion of their federal highway funds to Arizona. The highway is of little importance to the transportation needs of Arizona since it doesn't link any Arizona communities, but it does serve as a vital link between the state capital of Utah in
Salt Lake City and
Las Vegas and
Los Angeles to the southwest. Arizona would eventually repay the funds they received from Utah. The planned routing through the gorge required the construction of four bridges over Virgin River. The westernmost bridge and the bridge carrying the northbound lanes at the third bridge location from the west were completed in 1972. By 1973, all five bridges were complete through the gorge.
Exit list
The entire route is in
Mohave County.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Interstate 15 In Arizona'.
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