Gates Pass

Gates Pass

Saguaro at Gates Pass
Elevation 3,169 ft (966 m)[1]
Traversed by Gates Pass Road
Location  Arizona
 United States
Range Tucson Mountains
Coordinates 32°13′20″N 111°06′03″W / 32.2222985°N 111.10093°W / 32.2222985; -111.10093Coordinates: 32°13′20″N 111°06′03″W / 32.2222985°N 111.10093°W / 32.2222985; -111.10093
Topo map USGS Cat Mountain

The pass is located in Pima County

Looking down toward Tucson from Gates Pass, 1940. Car is a 1938 Ford.

Gates Pass is a mountain pass along the crest of the Tucson Mountains. The road through the pass is a scenic route west of Tucson, Arizona. The road from the east is West Anklam Road which merges with West Speedway Boulevard in the city just east of North Camino De Oeste. West of the pass the road is known as Saguaro Road and continues until it reaches Kinney Road just north of Old Tucson.[2][3] The elevation of the pass is 3,172 feet (967 m).[2]

The road is lined with scenic overlooks, and is an area where locals and tourists come to watch the sunset.[4]

History

The road through Gates Pass was started in 1883 by Thomas Gates, in a search for a shortcut through the Tucson Mountains; Gates was a local pioneer, and a saloon and ranch keeper.[5] He purchased the land in order to build this road.

Currently, the road carries approximately 3100 cars daily.[6]

Gates Pass was featured in David Leighton's popular series, "Street Smarts," in the Arizona Daily Star on Jan. 1, 2013.

Safety

Gates Pass has been considered an extremely dangerous road due to a slope that occurs midway through the route, with 58 wrecks reported between 1996 and 2001.[6] In 2006, a project was undertaken to improve the safety of the road, which included widening and a temporary closure. This project was named the third best road project in the country for the year 2006 in Roads and Bridges Magazine.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Gates Pass". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  2. 1 2 Cat Mountain, Arizona, 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1996
  3. ↑ Brown Mountain, Arizona, 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1996
  4. ↑ Tucson - New York Times
  5. ↑ http://www.cactuslovers.com/arizona24.jpg
  6. 1 2 Gates Pass Set to Open Today - Technology - redOrbit
  7. ↑ PSOMAS ENGINEERING - Trusted Expertise

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/29/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.