page_title: Arizona State Route 84
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Arizona State Route 84 / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Ghost Ranch Lodge, located at 801 W. Miracle Mile in Tucson, Arizona: sign and central building, seen from the northeast.
context_page_description: State Route 84, also known as SR 84, is a 41-mile east–west highway in south-central Arizona, with its western terminus at Exit 151 of Interstate 8 and its eastern signed terminus at its junction with State Route 387 and State Route 287 in Casa Grande. An unsigned section, which is mostly maintained by local governments, runs from the SR 287 and SR 387 junction southeast through Arizola and Eloy. East of Eloy, SR 84 is concurrent with the beginning 0.87 miles of State Route 87 just north of Interstate 10 near Picacho.
  Formerly, SR 84 ran between Tucson and Gila Bend, serving as the primary route for travelers to San Diego, California and bypassing U.S. Route 80 through Phoenix. SR 84 was also part of the Broadway of America transcontinental highway in the mid-20th Century. It was mostly replaced by both I-10 and I-8 in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
context_section_description: The first highway designated between Gila Bend and Tucson was the Lone Star Trail in 1925. This late auto trail utilized a route through Maricopa alongside the Southern Pacific Railroad between Gila Bend and Casa Grande. Part of the Lone Star Trail was designated as Arizona State Route 84 by the Arizona State Highway Department on September 9, 1927. Originally, SR 84 terminated at US 80 in Tucson in the east and SR 187 in Casa Grande in the west. In 1928, the western terminus of SR 84 was extended to US 80 in Gila Bend. Unlike the Lone Star Trail, SR 84 took a more direct route through the mountains south of Maricopa to reach Gila Bend. This westward extension allowed SR 84 to become a shortcut for US 80 traffic to bypass Phoenix while heading to and from San Diego, California. Starting in 1930, SR 84 also made up the Casa Grande to Tucson segment of the Broadway of America transcontinental highway, with SR 87 and US 80 forming the remainder of the route through Arizona. By 1935, all of SR 84 was paved.
  In 1936, real estate developer Stanley Williamson proposed the idea of developing segments of Casa Grande Highway (which later became West Miracle Mile), Oracle Road and Drachman Street through Tucson into a large commercial area. Williamson's proposal was called Miracle Mile, inspired by the famous Miracle Mile in Los Angeles. Originally, Williamson thought of the name Parkway Boulevard but felt Miracle Mile better suited his new business area. Construction on Tucson's Miracle Mile started in 1937, with roadway improvements along Oracle Road (US 80 and US 89). The improved roadway was intended to handle large volumes of traffic safely and promote business growth, while also attracting national attention. Construction also included the placement of two giant traffic circles at Casa Grande Highway and Drachman Street. Both were built by the Tanner Construction Company. The initial construction of Miracle Mile cost $200,000. In 1937, the eastern terminus of SR 84 was extended southeast along Miracle Mile, US 80 and US 89 to the intersection of Benson Highway and 6th Avenue.
  In 1940, SR 84 became the subject of cultural and political controversy. Two German tourists were observed by locals, giving the Nazi salute to an SR 84 reassurance marker along Miracle Mile in Tucson. Up to this point, the Arizona State Route shields sported a swastika inside an arrowhead below the highway number, which was meant to represent a Native American peace symbol. Careful observation by highway officials concluded the swastika in use was the incorrect design for the Native American  mark, but unintentionally matched the symbol used by Nazi Germany. Upon the discovery, the Arizona Highway Department ordered immediate replacement of all state highway shields to avoid association with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Several motels in Tucson began construction the same year along Miracle Mile. After weathering through the tire and gas shortages of World War II, business exploded along Miracle Mile due to a postwar population boom in Arizona causing a high demand for motel rooms. Even more businesses and motels were constructed throughout the late 1940s. By the 1950s, Miracle Mile was a thriving business district with several iconic neon signed motels and restaurants.
  SR 84 as a whole grew to become a heavily traveled road. In 1940, more traffic was reported along SR 84 between Tucson and Gila Bend than on US 80. In 1948, construction of a new freeway bypass around Tucson was approved by the Arizona Highway Department. This highway would be called the Tucson Controlled Access Highway. Though it was a state highway, the initial construction cost was covered by the city of Tucson through passage of a city bond issue. The new highway was to be signed as State Route 84 Alternate (or SR 84A for short). SR 84A began construction on December 27, 1950. The Santa Cruz River was diverted into a man made channel away from SR 84A during construction to prevent the river from flooding the new highway in the future. The first section of SR 84A between Miracle M
caption: The Ghost Ranch Lodge & Restaurant, an old establishment along the Miracle Mile (former SR 84) in Tucson. SR 84 was the primary route used by US 80 traffic heading to San Diego, California.
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