Colorado State Highway 103

State Highway 103 marker
State Highway 103
Map
SH 103 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by CDOT
Length22.488 mi[1] (36.191 km)
Major junctions
North end I-70 / US 6 / US 40 at Idaho Springs
South endCR 151 at Mestaa'ėhehe Pass (formerly Squaw Pass)
Location
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountiesClear Creek
Highway system
  • Colorado State Highway System
← SH 101→ SH 105

State Highway 103 (SH 103) in the U.S. state of Colorado runs from Interstate 70 (I-70), U.S. Route 6 (US 6) and US 40 at Idaho Springs to county roads 151 and 103 at Mestaa'ėhehe Pass. The 13 miles (19 km) from Idaho Springs to SH 5 forms about half of the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway.

Route description

East of where the route begins at County Road 151, the highway is not marked by CDOT, where it continues as Mestaa'ėhehe Road (formerly Squaw Pass Road)[2] that descends toward Evergreen. Near Mestaa'ėhehe Pass, the highway heads west along the upper end of Echo Mountain Ski Area. The highway then reaches an elevation of 10,000 feet at Echo Lake Park,[3] where it meets SH 5. At this point, both SH 103 and SH 5 forms the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway,[4] which is the highest paved road in North America. The route then descends in elevation, heading northeast along the Chicago Creek, then enters Idaho Springs after crossing Clear Creek. SH 103 terminates at Interstate 70 at a diamond interchange and the road continues as 13th Avenue through the neighborhood.

History

The route was established in 1923, where it began at US 285 and traversed to Idaho Springs. The segment east of Mestaa'ėhehe Pass was renumbered in 1954, and the route was entirely paved by 1956.[3]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Clear Creek County. [5][6]

Location[5][6]mi[5]kmDestinationsNotes
Mestaa'ėhehe Pass0.0000.000Little Bear Creek Road (CR 151)Southern terminus; road continues east as Mestaa'ėhehe Road
​5.488–
6.771		8.832–
10.897		Juniper Pass Summit – elevation 11,020 feet (3,360 m)
​9.22314.843
 SH 5 south – Mount Blue Sky		Northern terminus of SH 5
Idaho Springs22.369–
22.488		35.999–
36.191		 I-70 / US 6 / US 40 – Denver, Grand JunctionNorthern terminus; I-70 exit 240; road continues as 13th Street
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  • SH 103 at Echo Lake
    SH 103 at Echo Lake
  • Looking northwest from near the summit of Mestaa'ėhehe Pass
    Looking northwest from near the summit of Mestaa'ėhehe Pass
  • State Highway 103 near the southern terminus
    State Highway 103 near the southern terminus

See also

References

  1. ^ "Segment list for SH 103". Retrieved 2007-05-12.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ Hgrapid (n.d.). "Mestaa'ėhehe Mountain". Summitpost. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Salek, Matthew E. "Colorado Routes 100-119". Retrieved 2010-05-09.
  4. ^ "Driving Directions". America's Byways. Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Highway Data Explorer, Online Transportation Information System". Colorado Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  6. ^ "Highway Data Explorer, Online Transportation Information System". Colorado Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
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