Arizona State Route 85
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Route Summary
Arizona State Highway 85, or AZ-85, is a north-south state highway in south-central Arizona. Its northern terminus is on Interstate 10 near Buckeye, Arizona ; its southern terminus is the Mexican border near Lukeville, Arizona where it feeds into Mexican Federal Highway 8 near Sonoita, Sonora at a border crossing. It passes through Gila Bend, where it meets Interstate 8, Ajo, amd Why at its intersection with Arizona State Highway 86. Between Gila Bend and Ajo it passes through the Barry Goldwater Air Force Range, named in honor of the long-time Republican Senator from Arizona, Air Force General, and 1964 Republican candidate for President of the United States. On the border, the southernmost miles of AZ-85 traverse Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
AZ-85 traverses very hot desert throughout its route, and travelers should be prepared for its peculiar hazards. Any signs that warn people to not turn off the road through the Air Force Range should be taken with deadly seriousness due to the lethality of Air Force munitions.
History
Historically, AZ-85 only extended as far north as Gila Bend. As the old, indirect US 80 was decommissioned in Arizona, AZ-85 was assigned to the segment of old US 80 between Phoenix, Arizona and Gila Bend. When Interstate 10 was completed as far west as Buckeye, AZ 85 was diverted to its current terminus on Interstate 10.
The segment of AZ-85 between Buckeye and Gila Bend is a connector between Interstate 8 and Interstate 10, and serves both as a connector from Interstate 8 to Phoenix and as a long-distance bypass of Phoenix for those with Tucson or points farther east from greater Los Angeles This segment is scheduled for upgrade to an expressway that will likely be incorporated into the Interstate Highway System, after which AZ-85 will be scaled back to its original route.