Arizona State Route 78 (SR 78) and New Mexico State Road 78 (NM 78) are a pair of adjoining state highways located in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico linking U.S. Route 191 (US 191) and Arizona State Route 75 near Greenlee County Airport to US 180 northwest of Cliff, New Mexico. The Arizona stretch is also known as Mule Creek Road.
  Arizona State Route 78 and New Mexico State Road 78 | |||||||
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 Route 78 highlighted in red | |||||||
| Route information | |||||||
| Maintained by ADOT & NMDOT | |||||||
| Length | 34.68 mi (55.81 km) | ||||||
| Existed | 1938–present | ||||||
| Major junctions | |||||||
| West end |   US 191 / SR 75 in Three Way, AZ | ||||||
| East end |  US 180 near Cliff, NM | ||||||
| Location | |||||||
| Country | United States | ||||||
| State | Arizona | ||||||
| Highway system | |||||||
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Route description
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The western terminus of SR 78 is located at a junction with US 191 and SR 75 in Three Way, Arizona near Greenlee County Airport. The highway heads northeast from this intersection along Mule Creek Road. There are multiple hairpin turns along this stretch of highway as it follows the surrounding terrain.[1][3] State Road 78 heads eastward through the desert, passing through the community of Mule Creek, New Mexico. The road continues eastward until terminating at U.S. Route 180 northwest of Cliff, New Mexico.[4]
History
editArizona section of the highway was designated as SR 78 on February 17, 1959,[5] and the New Mexico section was designated along its current route in the mid-1930s as New Mexico State Road 78.[6]
By 1938, what would eventually become SR 78 on the Arizona side was still just a gravel road as were many roads in the area including US 666.[7] This section would remain a gravel road until 1961. The other state highways in the area were paved by this time including the majority of the New Mexico section.[8] By 1971, nearly the entire highway had been paved with the exception of a portion near the New Mexico-Arizona state line.[9] It was extended to U.S. Route 60 in New Mexico, going through Mogollon, New Mexico, by the mid-1940s and truncated at its present terminus in 1988.[10]
Junction list
edit| State | County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Greenlee | Three Way | 0.00 | 0.00 |  US 191 / SR 75 south – Safford, Duncan, Clifton | Western terminus; US 191 is former US 666; road continues as US 191 south |
| 19.47 0.000 | 31.33 0.000 | Arizona–New Mexico state line | ||||
| New Mexico | Grant | | 15.213 | 24.483 | US 180 – Glenwood, Silver City | Eastern terminus |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||||
See also
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References
edit- ^ a b c Arizona Department of Transportation. "2006 ADOT Highway Log" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2008.
- ^ a b New Mexico Department of Transportation. "New Mexico Department of Transportation State Road Log" (PDF). Retrieved December 8, 2010.
- ^ "Overview Map of SR 78" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
- ^ "Overview Map of State Road 78" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
- ^ Arizona State Highway Department (February 17, 1959). "ADOT Right-of-Way Resolution 1959-079". Retrieved June 5, 2023 – via Arizona Highway Data.
ESTABLISH AS A STATE ROUTE FROM JCT S.R.75 & U.S.666 NE APPROX 20 MILES TO NEW MEXICO STATE LINE
- ^ Rand McNally (1927). Auto Road Map of Arizona and New Mexico (Map). Scale not given. Chicago: Rand McNally. Retrieved May 5, 2008 – via Arizona Roads.
- ^ Rand McNally (1938). Road Map of Arizona and New Mexico (Map). Scale not given. Chicago: Rand McNally. Retrieved May 5, 2008 – via Arizona Roads.
- ^ Rand McNally (1961). Road Map of Arizona (Map). Scale not given. Chicago: Rand McNally. Retrieved May 5, 2008 – via Arizona Roads.
- ^ Arizona State Highway Department (1971). Road Map of Arizona (Map). Scale not given. Phoenix: Arizona State Highway Department. Retrieved May 5, 2008 – via Arizona Roads.
- ^ Rimer, Steve. "New Mexico Highways 76-100". The Unofficial New Mexico Highways Page. Retrieved December 8, 2010.[self-published source]