State Route 90 (SR 90) is a highway in Cochise County, Arizona that runs from the I-10 junction at Benson to a junction with State Route 80 between Bisbee and Tombstone. It is a north–south route north of Sierra Vista, and an east–west route east of the city. It passes through the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area at milepost 329; the riparian area makes up a large part of the southern section of the San Pedro Valley.
 State Route 90 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 SR 90 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by ADOT | ||||
| Length | 46.77 mi[1] (75.27 km) | |||
| Existed | 1957–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  SR 80 near Tombstone | |||
| North end |  I-10 in Benson | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Arizona | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
Route description
editThe northern terminus of SR 90 is located at an interchange with I-10 west in Benson. It heads south from the interchange and provides access to Kartchner Caverns State Park. It continues south from the state park to a junction with SR 82 north of Huachuca City. It continues towards the south, but curves towards the southeast before passing through Huachuca City. SR 90 continues to the southeast passing through the Fort Huachuca Military Reservation and passes near the Sierra Vista Municipal Airport. The highway turns towards the east as it enters Sierra Vista. It continues to the east along the north side of the city before curving towards the south to a junction with SR 92. As SR 92 continues south from the junction, SR 90 turns towards the east. It continues to the east until curving towards the southeast near the overpass over the San Pedro & South Western Railroad line. The highway continues to the southeast to its eastern terminus at a junction with SR 80 between Tombstone and Bisbee.[1][2]
History
editThe highway was designated in 1936, but constructed in the 1940s, and originally covered the route from Sierra Vista to US 80 near Bisbee. In 1961, the road was extended north, overtaking State Route 92's path to Whetstone and continuing north to Benson, providing easier access to Sierra Vista and Fort Huachuca from the north. This segment was widened to four lanes in the 1990s.
Junction list
editThe entire route is in Cochise County.
| Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benson | 289.25 | 465.50 | I-10 – Tucson, El Paso | Western terminus; I-10 exit 302 | |
| Whetstone | 308.39 | 496.31 |  SR 82 – Tombstone, Nogales | ||
| Sierra Vista | 317.20 | 510.48 | SR 90 Spur – Business District, Fort Huachuca (Van Deman Gate, Visitors & Commercial Vehicles), Buffalo Soldier Gate | ||
| 321.52 | 517.44 |  SR 92 – Palominas | |||
| | 336.40 | 541.38 | SR 80 – Benson, Tombstone, Bisbee, Douglas | Eastern terminus | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
Spur Route
editSR 90 has a spur route, logged as two separate sections and located entirely within the city of Sierra Vista. Both sections of the spur are less than 0.5 miles (0.80 kilometres) and are located near Fort Huachuca.[1]
East leg
editState Route 90 Spur (1) | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sierra Vista |
| Length | 0.12 mi[1]: 562 (190 m) |
| Existed | 1974–present[1] |
State Spur Route 90 (1) (SR 90 Spur) is a 0.12-mile (0.19 km) long spur route of SR 90. The route begins immediately south of SR 90 on Buffalo Soldier Trail. The spur travels north along Buffalo Soldier Trail to a traffic light with SR 90 and the second SR 90 Spur. The second spur begins at the western end of the intersection.[3] The remainder of Buffalo Soldier trail acts as the western edge of Sierra Vista. The road also provides a direct connection to SR 92 and can be used as a bypass of downtown Sierra Vista by SR 90 traffic headed to SR 92. All of SR 90 Spur is unsigned.[4]
West leg
editState Route 90 Spur (2) | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sierra Vista |
| Length | 0.30 mi[1]: 563 (480 m) |
| Existed | 1974–present[1] |
State Spur Route 90 (2) (SR 90 Spur) is a 0.30-mile (0.48 km) long spur route of SR 90. The route starts close to a checkpoint at the eastern gate of Fort Huachuca. The roadway continues west of here as Hatfield Street, which is the main thoroughfare within the fort. SR 90 Spur heads east along the remainder of Hatfield Street to a traffic-controlled intersection with SR 90 and the first SR 90 Spur. The roadway continues east as SR 90 proper. The second spur begins on the south end of the intersection.[3] On some satellite photographs, the spot where ADOT maintenance of Hatfield Street begins can easily be seen where the road has a sudden change in the pavement. The entire route is unsigned.[4]
Major intersections
editThe entire route is in Sierra Vista, Cochise County.
| mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 316.88 | 509.97 | Fort Huachuca East Gate | Western terminus of SR 90 Spur; road continues into Ft. Huachuca as Hatfield Street | ||
| 317.18 | 510.45 |   SR 90 to I-10 | |||
| 317.29 | 510.63 | Buffalo Soldier Trail south | Continuation beyond eastern terminus of SR 90 Spur | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i Arizona Department of Transportation. "2008 ADOT Highway Log" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-28. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
- ^ "overview map of SR 90" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
- ^ a b Arizona Department of Transportation, Multimodal Planning Division (2015). "State Highway System (ArcGIS)". Arizona Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ a b "Map of Sierra Vista" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved September 24, 2019.