Interstate 215 (Utah)

Infobox road
state=UT
type=Interstate
route=215
section=127
maint=

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length_mi=28.946
length_round=3
length_ref=cite web | title=Interstate 215 Reference | publisher=Utah Department of Transportation | url=http://www.dot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=7262615752008692|format=PDF | date = 2008 | accessdate = 2008-08-09]
length_notes=
established=1962
decommissioned=
beltway_city=Salt Lake City
direction_a=CCW
starting_terminus=jct|state=UT|I|80 in Salt Lake City
junction=jct|state=UT|US|89 in Murray
jct|state=UT|I|15 in Murray
jct|state=UT|UT|201 in West Valley City
jct|state=UT|I|80 in Salt Lake City
direction_b=CW
ending_terminus=jct|state=UT|I|15 in North Salt Lake
previous_type=UT
previous_route=212
next_type=UT
next_route=218

Interstate 215 (I-215)—also known as the "Belt Route" or simply "the 215"cite news|url=http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3720987|title=Morning accident has some questioning if semi truck ban is needed|last=Boal|first=Jed|coauthors=Giauque, Marc|date=2008-07-09|publisher=KSL.com|accessdate=2008-08-10] —is an auxiliary interstate in the U.S. state of Utah that forms a 270-degree loop around Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs. The route begins at the mouth of Parley's Canyon at the junction of I-80 and heads south through the edge of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area's eastern suburbs of East Millcreek, Mount Olympus, Holladay, and Cottonwood Heights. It continues west through Murray before turning north again, passing through the city's first-ring western suburbs of Taylorsville and West Valley City. It then enters North Salt Lake and Davis County for a short distance before defaulting onto I-15.

The interstate was formed in 1962, coinciding with the construction of I-15 and I-80 in the metropolitan area. The freeway was constructed in segments, beginning with a section completed in 1968 from I-15 in Murray to SR-171 in West Valley City. At the time, only the western portion of the belt route was given to I-215. The eastern portion of the belt route was designated "Interstate 415". However, the I-415 designation was decommissioned to maintain continuity in 1969, and I-215 was extended to cover this abolished portion.

Route description

I-215 begins at an interchange at the mouth of Parley's Canyon at the southeast corner of Salt Lake City that connects I-80, SR-186 and Parleys Way. The freeway begins at exit 128 on eastbound I-80 and briefly heads east with two lanes in each direction. The freeway turns southeast; SR-186 connects to I-215, and the latter gains one lane in each direction. The route enters a residential area of East Millcreek and turns south. Then, the first exit appears, an incomplete diamond interchange with SR-171 that is missing an off-ramp from northbound I-215. Eastwood Elementary School is on the eastern side of the highway. Past this interchange, the route turns slightly south-southwest. At 3800 South, Skyline High School appears on the western side of the freeway, and an on-ramp connects 3800 South to I-215. A block further south is a partial interchange lacking an off-ramp from northbound I-215 onto 3900 South. At this point, I-215 is heading south but soon turns southwest. An off-ramp here allows northbound motorists to connect to Wasatch Boulevard. However, this exit is signed as 3900 South and 3300 South (SR-171) because of the incomplete interchanges on both roads. As the freeway enters Holladay, an interchange serving southbound travelers appears at SR-266, along with Churchill Junior High School on the east side. Past SR-266, the road turns south again. As the road approaches a single-point urban interchange with SR-190 at Knudsen's Corner, Old Mill Golf Course appears on the eastern side of the route.cite map |title=Interstate 215 Overview |url=http://maps.google.com/maps?q=salt+lake+city,+ut&ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ll=40.736332,-111.86554&spn=0.215398,0.703125&z=11 |publisher=Google Maps | date = 2008 |cartography=NAVTEQ |accessdate=2008-08-10 ] The interstate turns west and enters Cottonwood Heights, then turns south-southwest until reaching an interchange with SR-152. Past this junction, the route reverts to a westerly direction, and another interchange at Union Park Avenue appears. At this point, I-215 is a sunken freeway as it enters Murray. An interchange serving westbound motorists connects 280 East and US-89. Eastbound travelers connect to US-89 further west at a separate exit. The road turns northwest for a short time to approach a junction at I-15. Approaching the interchange, the route gains two lanes. The freeway crosses I-15 and loses one lane as it enters Taylorsville and curves to the northwest, passing the Jordan River Parkway and Murray Park Golf Course in the process. Right before an interchange with SR-68 the route turns west one final time before turning north after the interchange. The freeway continues north and has another interchange at SR-266, more than convert|8|mi|km to the west.cite web | title=State Route 266 Highway reference | publisher=Utah Department of Transportation | url=http://www.dot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=81434802927308431|format=PDF ] The route enters West Valley City and has an interchange at SR-171. The Valley Fair Mall lies west of this exit. The E Center is east of the freeway past the exit at SR-171. The road turns northeast and enters the west side of Salt Lake City. After reaching a cloverleaf interchange with SR-201, the route turns north again. Beyond a single-point urban interchange at California Avenue, the freeway continues north and crosses the Jordan River.

An interchange involving I-80, SR-68, and the access road to Salt Lake City International Airport is next. The freeway loses one lane in each direction as the interstate passes the airport to the east. Two interchanges at 700 North and 2100 North occur as the freeway approaches Davis County. Past 2100 North, the freeway enters rural Salt Lake County, and the road curves to the northwest. An under-construction interchange at Legacy Parkway gives northbound I-215 motorists and southbound Legacy Parkway motorists their respective connections. The road turns east and loses one lane in each direction. There is a diamond interchange at SR-68 before the road defaults onto northbound I-15.

History

Interstate 215 (initially given the internal designation of State Route 5) was established in 1962; however, this designation was only on paper as construction had not begun yet. With the formation of I-215, SR-171 was truncated from Wasatch Boulevard north to US-40 (which the construction of I-80 was replacing at the time), as I-215 defeated the purpose of that part of the highway. Before any portion of the freeway began construction, the freeway from I-80 at the mouth of Parley's Canyon south and west to I-15 in Murray was numbered Interstate 415. To maintain continuity in the belt route, the 415 number was replaced in favor of the I-215 designation covering the entire belt route. As the east side of the interstate was not completed until 1988, no part of the interstate ever carried the I-415 designation.cite web|url=http://www.dot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=200609191605231|title=SR-215 History|date=1968-10-14|publisher=State Road Commission of Utah|accessdate=2008-07-29|format=PDF] The construction of I-215 was progressing, with a portion from I-15 to SR-171 in West Valley City completed in 1968. By the mid-1980s, three non-continuous sections were open for traffic: from the I-80 interchange at the mouth at Parley's Canyon south to SR-266, SR-201 in West Valley City south and east to US-89 in Murray, and from I-80 by the Salt Lake City International Airport north to I-15 in Davis County. The remaining portions (SR-266 to US-89 on the east side and SR-201 north to I-80) were finished in 1988.cite web | title=State Route 5 History | publisher=Utah Department of Transportation|format=PDF | url=http://www.dot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=200609121733073 | date = 2007 | accessdate = 2008-08-10] cite web | title=State Route 215 History | publisher=Utah Department of Transportation | url=http://www.dot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=200609191605231| date = 2007 |format=PDF | accessdate = 2008-08-10] cite web | title=Utah Highway Pages, Interstate 215 | publisher=Stober, Dan | date = c. 2003 | url=http://members.aol.com/utahhwys/rte215.htm | accessdate = 2008-08-10 ] I-215 was reconstructed in 2008 from 2100 North north and east to Redwood Road, and a partial interchange with the Legacy Parkway was built, with the new freeway opening 13 September 2008.cite web | title=Legacy Parkway & Preserve | publisher=Utah Department of Transportation | date = 2008 | url=http://www.udot.utah.gov/legacy/index.php | accessdate = 2008-08-09]

Exit list

CCW – counterclockwise ; CW – clockwise

References

External links

* [http://members.aol.com/utahhwys/rte215.htm I-215 at Utah highways page]