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]
| 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 |
| Topo map | USGS Cat Mountain |
  The pass is located in Pima County | |
The road is lined with scenic overlooks, and is an area where locals and tourists come to watch the sunset.[4]
History
editThe 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.
According to a December 2000 traffic study, the road carried 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
editGates 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 late 2005, 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
edit- ^ "Gates Pass". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
- ^ a b Cat Mountain, Arizona, 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1996
- ^ Brown Mountain, Arizona, 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1996
- ^ Tucson – New York Times
- ^ http://www.cactuslovers.com/arizona24.jpg [bare URL image file]
- ^ a b "Gates Pass Set to Open Today - Technology - redOrbit". Archived from the original on 2011-08-10. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
- ^ "PSOMAS ENGINEERING – Trusted Expertise". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
