Interstate 84 (west)

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Interstate 84 Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Length:	770 mi (1,239.19 km)
Formed:	1966
West end:	I-5 / US 30 in Portland, OR
Major junctions:	I-82 near Hermiston, OR I-184 at Boise, ID I-86 near Declo, ID I-15 near Tremonton, UT
East end:	I-80 in Echo, UT

Interstate 84 (I-84) is an Interstate Highway in the Western United States that runs from Portland, Oregon, (intersecting I-5) to Echo, Utah, (intersecting I-80^[1]) and connects with I-86 to Pocatello, Idaho, where it intersects with I-15. From the junction with I-86 west to Portland, I-84 follows roughly the same route as the Oregon Trail. (There is also a separate I-84 in the Northeastern United States.)

Starting in Portland, where it is referred to as the Banfield Highway, the interstate runs eastbound through the Columbia River Gorge, parallel to the Historic Columbia River Highway to The Dalles. It then continues along the Columbia River until it veers in a southeasterly direction at Boardman. Southwest of Hermiston it intersects with I-82 and then continues east to cross the Blue Mountains. It then continues southeast towards Ontario, where it crosses the Snake River into Idaho.

Crossing southern Idaho, I-84 passes through the Treasure Valley to Boise (a spur, I-184 connects to the city center), then later rejoins the Snake River and follows it near Twin Falls and through Burley and Rupert. East of Rupert is the junction with I-86, I-84 veers southeast and crosses the Utah state line. The highway runs concurrently with I-15 between Tremonton and Ogden, running through Brigham City. I-84 terminates at an intersection with I-80 in Summit County near Echo.

The western section of I-84 was known as I-80N until May 1, 1980^[2]. There was also an I-80S, which is now numbered I-76. Changes in federal guidelines discouraged the use of suffix letters on Interstate Highways. As a result these two were renumbered. ^[3]

Contents 1 Route description 1.1 Oregon 1.2 Idaho 1.3 Utah 2 History 3 Major intersections 4 Auxiliary routes 5 See also 6 References

[edit] Route description

Lengths

	mi	km
OR	375	603
ID	276	444
UT	119	192
Total	770	1239

[edit] Oregon

In the Portland metropolitan area, I-84 is sometimes referred to as the "Banfield Freeway" or simply "the Banfield", although the official name is the Banfield Expressway. This freeway is named after Thomas H. Banfield, the chairman of the Oregon Transportation Commission from 1943 to 1950.

East of Pendleton, I-84 climbs Emigrant Hill, a 6% grade, into the Blue Mountains. This grade is known for the fact that the westbound lanes switchback twice on its descent into Pendleton. Eastbound lanes feature what are the tightest curves allowed on the Interstate Highway system, even though those curves are on the uphill (eastbound) direction. This grade is also well known due to the fact that it features such a great distance between eastbound and westbound lanes, nearly 2 miles (3.2 km) between the opposite directions of travel at some points. The road summits at 4193 feet (1278 m) above sea level before descending to the Grand Ronde River and La Grande. It passes by North Powder and Baker City and through the Burnt River canyon. Outside of Farewell Bend, it crosses into the Mountain Time Zone then briefly follows the Snake River (Brownlee Reservoir), then continues to Ontario to cross the Snake River into Idaho.

[edit] Idaho

I-84 enters Idaho by crossing the Snake River at Ontario, Oregon. From there, it continues on to the major cities of the Treasure Valley, or Boise metropolitan area, including Caldwell, Nampa, Meridian, and Boise (where I-184 connects travelers to downtown). From Boise, I-84 continues southeast towards Twin Falls, after passing near several small cities (Mountain Home, Glenns Ferry, and Jerome).

Just east of Jerome, I-84 passes within 5 miles (8 km) of Twin Falls, but does not cross the Snake River Canyon or into Twin Falls County. Access to Twin Falls is afforded by an intersection with US 93 at Exit 173; US 93 southbound crosses the Snake River via the Perrine Bridge.

After Twin Falls, I-84 continues through Burley and Heyburn. Approximately 7 miles (11 km) east of Declo in rural Cassia County, I-84 meets I-86. I-84 heads southeast towards Utah and I-86 heads east, then northeast to American Falls and Pocatello, following the Oregon Trail.

[edit] Utah

From Idaho, I-84 enters Utah at a point approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) from Snowville in Box Elder County. It proceeds southeast towards Tremonton where I-84 joins I-15.

Just south, at Corinne, Utah, I-84 joins the route of the First Transcontinental Railroad which the highway follows to its terminus. I-15/I-84 pass to the west of Ogden where I-84 separates from I-15 and follows the Weber River. As the freeway passes through Weber Canyon it also passes through several small farming communities, including Morgan, where the Browning Arms Company headquarters can be seen from the freeway. Also visible in the canyon is Devil's Slide, an unusual rock formation just off the freeway. ^[4] Farther up the canyon is the 1,000-mile (1,600 km) tree, planted by Union Pacific Railroad workers to mark 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from the railroad's origin in Omaha, Nebraska.^[5] The freeway ends at Echo, a near ghost town that before served as a stopover for the railroad, at a junction with Interstate 80. Also near the junction is Echo Reservoir and Echo Dam.

The Utah sections of I-84 not concurrent with Interstate 15 are defined at Utah Code Annotated § 72-4-114(4).^[6]

[edit] History

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials established guidelines recommending that "suffixed" highways, such as I-80N, be renumbered. In 1977, Idaho officials recommended that I-80N be renumbered to I-84. The motion was seconded by officials in Utah, but opposed by Oregon and Washington. The motion passed on July 7, 1977, and the states were given until July 1, 1980 to implement a co-ordinated renumbering strategy.^[2]

After renumbering, I-84 violated the Interstate Highway Numbering Convention by being south of I-82. The Portland segment of then-I-80N was proposed to run on the Mount Hood Freeway. Plans for this were officially dropped in 1978 after a successful freeway revolt.

[edit] Major intersections

• Interstate 5 in Portland, Oregon
• Interstate 205 in Portland, Oregon
• Interstate 82 in Hermiston, Oregon
• Interstate 184 in Boise, Idaho
• Interstate 86 in Heyburn, Idaho
• Interstate 15 from Tremonton, Utah to Ogden, Utah.
• Interstate 80 in Echo, Utah

[edit] Auxiliary routes

• Boise, Idaho - I-184

v • d • e Auxiliary routes of Interstate 84 Idaho: 184

[edit] See also

• Interstate 86 (west)
• Interstate 84 (east)

[edit] References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Interstate 84 (west)

edit Main Interstate Highways (major interstates highlighted)
4	5	8	10	12	15	16	17	19	20	22	24	25	26	27	29	30
35	37	39	40	43	44	45	49	55	57	59	64	65	66	68	69
70	71	72	73	74	75	76 (W)		76 (E)		77	78	79	80	81	82
83	84 (W)		84 (E)		85	86 (W)		86 (E)		87	88 (W)		88 (E)		89	90
91	93	94	95	96	97	99	(238)		H-1		H-2		H-3
Unsigned			A-1		A-2		A-3		A-4		PRI-1		PRI-2		PRI-3
Lists		Primary			Main - Intrastate - Suffixed - Future - Gaps
		Auxiliary			Main - Future - Unsigned
		Other			Standards - Business - Bypassed