Vine Street (Murray, Utah)
Vine Street is a street that runs the full length of Murray, Utah from east to west, from a point near the Jordan River to an intersection with the Van Winkle Expressway (State Route 152) and 6100 South (connecting immediately to Highland Drive) on the border with Holladay. For most of its length, it follows Little Cottonwood Creek. A large portion of the current extent of Vine Street was used as part of the route for transporting quartz monzonite quarried near the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon to Temple Square during construction of the Salt Lake Temple, until the construction of railroads provided an easier route, and a large portion was also designated Utah State Route 173 from 1935 to 1947 (the modern Utah State Route 173 is nearby, but does not connect to Vine Street).
Route description
Vine Street starts in a suburban residential area near the Jordan River and passes a one-building campus of Stevens-Henager College before crossing over Interstate 15 (with no on- or off-ramps) and entering an industrial area. Despite the current industrial uses in the area, the historic Murray LDS Second Ward Meetinghouse is preserved just off of Vine Street near Commerce Drive (300 West). Vine Street Crosses the Union Pacific, UTA's FrontRunner, and UTA's TRAX (Blue and Red) rail lines at grade along the north side of Murray Central Station before intersecting Cottonwood Street at a three-way intersection from which Vine Street proceeds north-northeast; though the intersection is three way for automobiles, a multi-use trail continues east on the south side of Little Cottonwood Creek to State Street (US Route 89) and Murray Park.
After passing the northwest corner of the Intermountain Medical Center campus and crossing over Little Cottonwood Creek, Vine Street curves to the east again through the southern part of the Murray Downtown Historic District and intersects State Street. This is the only significant section of Vine Street that includes more than two lanes (not counting center turn lanes). The 1935-1947 Utah State Route 173 designation began at the intersection with State Street and continued east. The Murray Theater is just southeast of this intersection, and Murray's post office and city hall are south of that.
Between State Street and 900 East (State Route 71), Vine Street follows a curving route along the top of a ridge on the north side of Little Cottonwood Creek's floodplain. Just east of the Murray Downtown Historic District and the adjacent Murray Downtown Residential Historic District, intensive development disappears as the street curves to the south between Murray Park and a long and thin golf course that follows the route on the north side. Residential buildings, a school, and small office developments front onto Vine Street in this section, but there are no side streets providing access for other development, so the open spaces are visible between the buildings. Vine Street continues south past Murray City Cemetery, then curves east again in a residential area. Vine Street reaches a stop sign at 900 East, where the cross traffic does not stop; since a redesign to favor through traffic on 900 East, Vine Street's route continues east from a four-way signalized intersection about a block to the south (the street heading west from this intersection is known as either 5900 South or 6000 South).
Still just to the north of Little Cottonwood Creek, Vine Street curves a short distance south on an S-curve but then straightens out and heads straight east (away from the creek) until its terminus at State Route 152. Wheeler Historic Farm is just across Little Cottonwood Creek from Vine Street in the area near the S-curve, Woodstock Elementary School is on the north side at 1300 East, and Vine Street also crosses the Jordan and Salt Lake Canal a few blocks west of its terminus. The only commercial areas along this part of Vine Street are at 900 East, 1300 East, and near the eastern terminus.
Traffic continuing further east can use Big Cottonwood Road (6200 South, previously part of State Route 152) or Interstate 215, both a short distance south on Highland Drive (the southern extension of modern State Route 152).