Wikipedia:Today's featured article/December 5, 2008



Interstate 70 in Utah runs east–west for 232.15 mi across the central part of the state. Richfield is the largest Utah city served by the freeway, which does not serve or connect any urban areas in the state. The highway was built as part of a connection between Los Angeles and the northeastern United States. I-70 was the second attempt to connect southern California to the east coast of the United States via central Utah, after a previous failed attempt at a transcontinental railroad that would partially serve as the guide for the route of I-70. Unlike most Interstate Highways, I-70 in Utah was not constructed parallel to or on top of an existing U.S. Highway. Portions of I-70 were constructed in areas where previously there were no paved roads. Because it was built over an entirely new route, I-70 has many features that are notably unique in the Interstate Highway System. The construction of the Utah portion of I-70 is listed as one of the engineering marvels of the Interstate Highway System. The choice of the route had a significant impact on the character and culture of the Sevier Valley. It has also been a motivating factor for environmentalists to create a new National Park along the path of the highway to protect scenic areas around the route. I-70 from Green River to Grand Junction, Colorado, is part of the Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway, making I-70 one of the few Interstate Highways to be named a National Scenic Byway. (more...)

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