End of historic US highway 189 [I]

Note: since I don't have access to a comprehensive collection of historical road atlases, much of the info on this page is based on the research of Robert Droz; click here to view his site. Photo credits: Michael Stewart

US 189 [I] was an odd little highway that probably shouldn't have ever been on the US route system. Perhaps that's why - less than 10 years after it was assigned - it was decommissioned, so that its number could instead be used on a more deserving route: that of modern US 189 (you can read about its endpoints on this page).

US 189 [I] existed only to connect towns along US 89 in the Sanpete Valley with US 91 at Nephi (US 91 no longer exists in this part of Utah, because I-15 now occupies its historic corridor). South of Provo, US 91 originally ran essentially parallel with US 89, but on the opposite side of the San Pitch, Pavant, and Tushar mountain ranges. There were many roads that crossed these mountains and connected the two corridors, so it seems odd that only one of them was given US route status.

(That's from a 1931 Rand McNally, scan courtesy of Robert Droz. The towns cut off at the bottom are Chester on the right and Spring City on the left. Ephriam is just south of the highway junction.) As you can see, US 189 [I] was only about 30 miles long, and its function was more appropriately served by a state route. Starting in 1939, that's exactly what happened: US 189 was redesignated as Utah hwy. 11. Then around 1969 the route was renumbered as U-132, which it remains to this day. The photo below shows how the historic north end of US 189 looks today:

Stewart, May 2004

That's westbound on historic US 189 (now U-132) at old US 91 (now U-41); the sign assemblies are shown close-up below:

Stewart, May 2004

Below we're looking south at the same intersection (on Main Street at 100 North Street:

Stewart, May 2004

Today U-132 also goes to the west, but US 189 only went east (left). If you turn that way, there's a nice view of the San Pitch Mountains:

Stewart, May 2004

U-132 (old US 189) rounds the north (left) edge of that range, and then heads south (right) into the Sanpete Valley on the far side. There US 189 terminated at its junction with US 89:

Stewart, May 2004

Part of the Wasatch Plateau is visible in the background. This is known as Pigeon Hollow Junction - Ephraim is about 5 miles to the south (right); Mt. Pleasant is about 10 miles to the left; and Moroni is about 7 miles behind the camera. The signage is shown close-up below:

Stewart, May 2004

The end of today's U-132 marks the historic south end of US 189 [I].