Colorado State Highway 3
State Highway 3 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Map of La Plata County in southwestern Colorado with SH 3 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by CDOT | ||||
| Length | 2.444 mi[1] (3.933 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |   US 160 / US 550 in Durango | |||
| North end | US 160 / US 550 in Durango | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Colorado | |||
| Counties | La Plata | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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State Highway 3 (SH 3) is a short north–south state highway located in and near the city of Durango, in the county of La Plata in the U.S. State of Colorado, United States. It follows the former alignment of U.S. Routes 160 and 550 south of downtown, lying across the Animas River from the modern highway constructed about 1980.
Route description
State Highway 3 begins in southern Durango at US 160-550 (Camino del Rio), just south of that route's crossing of the Animas River to the Durango Mall. SH 3 travels northward along the former alignment of US 160-550 (an even older alignment[citation needed] is now County Road 209, Sawmill Road), following the eastern bank of the Animas River for about 1+3⁄4 miles (2.8 km). After leaving and re-entering the city of Durango, SH 3 turns left onto Santa Rita Drive, which curves to the southwest before ending at US 160-550 about 1⁄4 mile (0.40 km) later.[2][1] The former alignment of US 160-550 does not use Santa Rita Drive, but instead continues north on East Eighth Avenue and turns west on College Drive to Main Avenue, where the two routes used to split.[3][4]
History
A new alignment of US 160-550 was built in 1979-1980, crossing the Animas River twice south of downtown Durango. The old road east of the river was redesignated SH 3 in 1981-1982.[5]
Major intersections
The entire route is in La Plata County.
| Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durango | 0.000 | 0.000 | US 160 / US 550 (Camino del Rio) | ||
| 0.681 | 1.096 |  CR 209 (Sawmill Road) | |||
| 1.619 | 2.606 | CR 209 (Sawmill Road) | |||
| 2.194 | 3.531 | East Eighth Avenue | |||
| 2.444 | 3.933 | US 160 / US 550 (Camino del Rio) | |||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
References
- ^ a b c Colorado Department of Transportation, Highway Data Explorer, accessed November 2013
- ^ Google Maps including Street View photographs, accessed November 2013
- ^ United States Geological Survey, Durango East 1:24000, 1965
- ^ United States Geological Survey, Durango West 1:24000, 1970
- ^ Colorado Department of Transportation, official highway maps: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982