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|route=491
|maint=[[New Mexico Department of Transportation|NMDOT]], [[Colorado Department of Transportation|CDOT]], [[Utah Department of Transportation|UDOT]]
|map={{maplink-road|from=U.S. Route 491.map}}
|map_custom=yes
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{{nm browse|previous_type=NM|previous_route=485|route=[[List of New Mexico highways|NM]]|next_type=NM|next_route=494}}
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'''U.S. Route 491''' ('''US 491''') is a north–south [[U.S. Highway]] serving the [[Four Corners]] region of the United States. It was created in 2003 as a renumbering of '''U.S. Route 666''' ('''US 666'''). With the US 666 designation, the road was nicknamed the "Devil's Highway" because of the significance of the number [[666 (number)|666]] to many [[Christianity|Christian]] denominations as the [[Number of the beast|Number of the Beast]].<ref name="beastofahighway">{{cite web |url=
The highway, now a spur route of [[U.S. Route 91|US 91]] via its connection to [[U.S. Route 191|US 191]], runs through [[New Mexico]], [[Colorado]] and [[Utah]], as well as the tribal nations of the [[Navajo Nation]] and [[Ute Mountain Ute Tribe]]. The highway passes by two mountains considered sacred by Native Americans: [[Ute Mountain]] and an extinct volcanic core named [[Shiprock]]. Other features along the route include [[Mesa Verde National Park]] and [[Dove Creek, Colorado|Dove Creek]], Colorado, the self-proclaimed pinto-bean capital of the world.
Line 46 ⟶ 45:
===Colorado===
[[File:MesaVerdeNationalParkCliffPalace.jpg|thumb|Visitors touring [[Mesa Verde National Park]], along US 491|alt=a group of people observing Indian ruins located in a cave.]]
The New Mexico
===Utah===
Line 54 ⟶ 53:
===Pre-1926===
[[File:Abajo Mts LR.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Abajo Mountains]] near Monticello|alt=Snow-covered mountains protruding from a plain with tilled soil in the foreground.]]Before the [[Mexican–American War]], when this area was ceded to the United States, the main trade route through this part of Mexico was the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]]. This trail extended from [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]], New Mexico to Los Angeles. The trail had multiple routes; however, the main route proceeded north towards [[Moab, Utah|Moab]], Utah, one of the few places where the [[Colorado River]] can be crossed without having to traverse steep cliffs. The modern US 491 roughly correlates with the main route of the Old Spanish Trail between [[Cortez, Colorado|Cortez]], Colorado and its northern terminus.<ref name=oldspanishtrail>{{cite web |url= http://www.oldspanishtrail.org/trail_history.php |title= Old Spanish Trail History |access-date= March 19, 2008 |last= von Till Warren |first= Elizabeth |publisher= Old Spanish Trail Association |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080308045310/http://www.oldspanishtrail.org/trail_history.php |archive-date= March 8, 2008}}</ref>
Before 1926, all of modern US 491 existed as state routes. In New Mexico, US 666 absorbed a portion of [[New Mexico State Road 32|State Road 32]] (NM 32) from Gallup to Shiprock, and completely replaced NM 121 from Shiprock to the Colorado state line.<ref name=broernm>{{cite map |url= http://www.broermapsonline.org/online/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/Southwest/NewMexico/unitedstates1926ra_061.html |title= Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas |year= 1926 |publisher= Rand McNally |page= 69 |access-date= June 26, 2008}}</ref> The portion in Colorado was numbered State Highway 106 (SH 106) from the New Mexico state line to Cortez, and [[Colorado State Highway 10|SH 10]] from Cortez to Utah.<ref name=broerco>{{cite map |url= http://www.broermapsonline.org/online/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/NorthernRockies/Colorado/unitedstates1926ra_062.html |title= Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas |year= 1926 |publisher= Rand McNally |page= 70 |access-date= June 26, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite map |url=https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~33765~1171481:Colorado |title= Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas |year= 1927 |publisher= Rand McNally |page= 68 |access-date= April 1, 2023}}</ref> At the time, SH 10 traversed the southern portion of Colorado. While most of this
===U.S. Route 666===
{{Infobox road small
[[File:USA Route666 UT.jpg|thumb|right|Old and new route number at the intersection with US 191 in Monticello|alt=Sign assembly with 4 signs:Top left – Old US 666, Top right – New US 491, Bottom Left – North US 191 straight ahead, Bottom Right – US 491 Right turn]]▼
|country=USA
|type=US
|route=666
|location=[[Gallup, New Mexico|Gallup, NM]] – [[Monticello, Utah|Monticello, UT]]
|formed=1926
|deleted=2003
}}
The route was upgraded to a [[U.S. Highway]] in 1926, as U.S. Route 666. This number was appropriate and in accordance with the road numbering guidelines for U.S. Highways, being the sixth spur along the highway's parent highway, the famed cross-continental highway [[U.S. Route 66]], from which US 491 breaks around [[Gallup, New Mexico|Gallup]], New Mexico. This number was assigned by the [[American Association of State Highway Officials]] (AASHO), a coordinating body that created the U.S. Highway System.<ref name="beastofahighway" /> At that time, the northern terminus of the route was in Cortez, at an intersection with then [[U.S. Route 450|US 450]] (modern [[U.S. Route 160|US 160]]).<ref name=1926map>{{cite map |author1= [[Bureau of Public Roads]] |author2= [[American Association of State Highway Officials]] |date= November 11, 1926 |title= United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials |url= https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_System_of_Highways_Adopted_for_Uniform_Marking_by_the_American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials.jpg |scale= 1:7,000,000 |location= Washington, DC |publisher= [[United States Geological Survey]] |oclc= 32889555 |access-date= November 7, 2013 |via= [[Wikimedia Commons]] |name-list-style= amp}}</ref>
▲[[File:USA Route666 UT.jpg|thumb|
Over time the route became known as the "Devil's Highway", a reference to the [[Number of the beast|Number of the Beast]].<ref name=saltlaketribune/> This nickname and association made some visitors uncomfortable,<ref name="nationalgeographic">{{cite journal |last= MGZ |date=December 2003 |title= Its Number Was Up |journal= [[National Geographic Magazine]]}}</ref> as well as making the signs targets for [[Street sign theft|theft]].<ref name="nytimes2"/> Because of the highway's number, accidents and other phenomena, this became repeated as legend. These legends convinced some people the highway was cursed.<ref name=abqjournal>{{cite news |url= http://www.abqjournal.com/quirky/67534news07-31-03.htm |title= It's Now US 491, Not US 666 |last= Linthicum |first= Leslie |work= Albuquerque Journal |date= July 31, 2003}}</ref> One unnamed highway patrol officer was quoted in ''[[USA Today]]'' as stating a drunk-driving suspect told him, "Triple 6 is evil. Everyone dies on that highway."<ref name="beastofahighway" /> Skeptics point out that the highway has a lower than average fatality rate in Utah and Colorado;<ref name="nytimes">{{cite news |url= https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9506E3D71E39F930A25755C0A9659C8B63 |title= Journeys; The End of the Road For 'Devil's Highway' |access-date= April 12, 2007 |last= Wilgoren |first = Jodi |date= June 13, 2003 |work= The New York Times}}</ref> only the New Mexico portion is statistically a dangerous highway.<ref name=abqjournal/> Skeptics further state the high fatality rate in New Mexico can be explained by an inadequate design for the traffic loads at the time.<ref>{{cite web |publisher = [[Indian Country Today]] |url=https://ictnews.org/archive/devils-highway-navajos-grapple-with-one-of-most-dangerous-roads-in-us |title=
|date=June 21, 2015 |access-date=January 26, 2023}}</ref> During the renumbering debate, the ''[[Albuquerque Journal]]'' opined that the planned highway improvements would do more to reduce fatalities than the renumbering itself.<ref name=abqjournal/>
The curse of US 666 is briefly discussed in Jonathan D. Rosenblum's book, ''Copper Crucible'', which investigates the [[Arizona Copper Mine Strike of 1983]]. This strike occurred along the highway near [[Morenci, Arizona|Morenci]], Arizona.<ref name=coppercrucible>{{cite book |last= Rosenblum |first= Jonathan D. |title= Copper Crucible |year= 1998 |edition= 2nd |url= http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=3447 |publisher= [[Cornell University]] Press |isbn = 978-0-8014-8554-1}}</ref> The highway was used as a plot element in films and television, including ''[[Route 666 (film)|Route 666]]'', ''[[Natural Born Killers]]'',<ref name=beastofahighway/> and ''[[Repo Man (film)|Repo Man]]'', as well as a two-part episode of the series ''[[Married... with Children]]'', titled "Route 666".<ref name=sonypictures>{{cite web |url= http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=20500102 |title= Married... with Children: Complete Season 5 DVD |publisher= Sony Electronics Inc. |access-date= June 14, 2008 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110616021239/http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=20500102 |archive-date= June 16, 2011 }}</ref> These pieces are not accurate in portraying the route; for example, one depicts the route in [[Nevada]].<ref name=sonypictures/>
{{Clear}}
===Extensions into Arizona and Utah===
{{see also|U.S. Route 191 in Arizona#U.S. Route 666}}
By 1942, the southern terminus of the route was extended to [[Douglas, Arizona]], at the Mexican border.<ref name=quepasa/> It ran [[concurrency (road)|concurrent]] with US 66 for 30 miles (48.3 km) before the turn south.<ref name=beastofahighway/> The Arizona portion of the highway is known as the [[Coronado Trail Scenic Byway]], as it approximated the path of the Spanish explorer, [[Francisco Vásquez de Coronado]].<ref name="coronado">{{cite web |url= http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2059/ |title= Coronado Trail Scenic Byway |access-date= November 17, 2007 |work= America's Byways |publisher= Federal Highway Administration |author= Staff}}</ref> This portion is noted for mountainous terrain, with [[hairpin turn]]s and steep grades, that reaches an altitude of over {{convert|9000|ft|m|sigfig=2}}. The curves force a speed limit of {{convert|10|mph|km/h}} in spots.<ref name=beastofahighway/>▼
[[File:
▲
In 1970, several U.S. Highways in the Four Corners region were re-aligned. As part of this change, US 160 was rerouted west of [[Cortez, Colorado|Cortez]] to serve the [[Four Corners Monument]] and enter Arizona instead of Utah.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Arizona Department of Transportation |url=https://azdot.gov/adot-blog/highway-history-navajo-route-1-us-160 |title=Highway History: From Navajo Route 1 to US 160 |first=David |last=Rookhuyzen |date=January 20, 2020 |access-date=January 25, 2023}}</ref> US 666 was extended up part of the old route of US 160 to [[Monticello, Utah]], at an intersection with then [[U.S. Route 163|US 163]] (now [[U.S. Route 191|US 191]]).<ref name=resolutions>{{UDOT Resolutions |routenum=163 |access-date= April 2, 2012}}</ref>
In 1985, the [[Utah Department of Transportation]] petitioned to extend US 666 northwest to [[Richfield, Utah|Richfield]], but the proposal was rejected. The proposed extension followed [[Utah State Route 95|SR 95]], [[Utah State Route 24|SR 24]], and [[Utah State Route 119|SR 119]]. A concurrency with US 191 would have been routed through [[Blanding, Utah|Blanding]] and Monticello to connect to the rest of the route. One of the reasons cited for rejecting the proposal was that portions of SR 24 were not built to standards desired for additions to the U.S. Highway System.<ref name=extend666>{{UDOT Resolutions |routenum=666 |access-date= April 2, 2012}}</ref>
{{Clear}}
===Elimination and renumbering of US 666===
Line 81 ⟶ 91:
In New Mexico's motion to renumber the highway, they selected U.S. Route 393. Since the route came nowhere near [[U.S. Route 93|US 93]], [[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials|AASHTO]] instead suggested US 491, noting it as a branch of US 191 at Monticello, Utah. Although the next three-digit child of [[U.S. Route 91|US 91]] would have been U.S. Route 291, both the 291 and 391 designations were already in use as state route numbers in at least one of the affected states.<ref name=beastofahighway/> At the news that the motion had passed, a New Mexico spokesperson stated, "The devil's out of here, and we say goodbye and good riddance."<ref name="abqjournal"/> Referring to the motion passing with a different number from what New Mexico requested, another spokesperson responded, "As long as it's not 666 and it's nothing satanic, that's OK."<ref name=beastofahighway/> US 666 officially ceased to exist on May 31, 2003, although temporary "New 491 – Old 666" signs were posted after the change to aid travelers using old maps.<ref name="abqjournal"/>
[[File:Utemountain.JPG|thumb|[[Ute Mountain]], in southwest Colorado, is the sacred mountain, and namesake of the [[Ute Mountain Ute Tribe]]|alt=Mountain range with one prominent peak in the center left of the photograph.]]
Although sign theft
The dedication of the "new" highway was postponed until July 30, 2003, to coincide with the start of construction projects to improve safety on the highway.<ref name="saltlaketribune">{{cite news |title= Sixes nixed on 'devil's road' |first= Christopher |last= Smart |date= July 30, 2003 |work= Salt Lake Tribune |page= A1 |url= https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s64b88cg/27902822 |via= [[J. Willard Marriott Library]] |accessdate= March 27, 2023}}</ref> At the dedication George Blue Horse, a Navajo medicine man, performed a ceremony to remove the curse from the highway. In the Navajo language he stated, "The road itself never ends. It goes on generation to generation. The new number is a good one. The new road will be a medicine."<ref name=abqjournal/>
Line 99 ⟶ 109:
|location=Gallup
|mile=0.000
|road={{Jct|state=NM|NM|602|dir1=south|city1=Zuni Pueblo}}<br/>{{Jct|state=NM|I|40|city1=Albuquerque|location2=[[Flagstaff, Arizona|Flagstaff]]}}
|notes=Southern terminus; I-40 exit 20; road continues beyond I-40 as NM 602}}
{{NMint
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{{COint
|county=Dolores
|location=
|mile=63.272
|road={{Jct|state=CO|SH|141|dir1=north|city1=Egnar|city2=Uravan}}
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