Nowadays, U.S. Highway 30 running between Hanna and Laramie is a back road.
Savvy travelers sometimes us it as an alternative to the busy parallel stretch of Interstate 80, particularly during nasty weather.
But at one time, it was one of Wyomingâs busiest, most congested highways. It even gained the nickname âBlood Alleyâ because of the high number of fatal crashes there, including a collision that killed one of Elvis Presleyâs movie co-stars.
Thatâs why thereâs roughly 19 miles of wide-open four-lane pavement along the route between Rock River and Bosler, even though today it seems strange to hit a seemingly arbitrary section of divided highway in the middle of nowhere.
âThat Whole Chunk Of Road Was Deterioratingâ
In the late 1950s, Interstate 80 was a distant dream. The Interstate wouldnât open until October 1970, and only after much consternation over what the route should be.
Meanwhile, the congested two lanes along âBlood Alleyâ was piling up casualties.
Most notably, movie actress Judy Tyler and her husband were killed in a collision near Rock River on July 3, 1957. Tyler had just finished filming âJailhouse Rock,â in which she co-stared with Presley.
Tyler and her husband were driving from Los Angeles to New York when they were killed.
âSnow Chi Minh Trailâ
Tylerâs death, numerous other high casualties and the generally rotten condition of the road prompted Wyoming to take action in 1961, historian John Waggener told Cowboy State Daily.
âThat whole chunk of road was deteriorating. And the traffic volume was such that it was really difficult to rebuild it without causing significant problems. So, they built an all-new road parallel to the old road so traffic could continue to run on the old road during construction,â he said. Â
After the new stretch of U.S. 30 was completed, the old highway was also rebuilt and both were kept open, effectively creating that stretch of divided four-lane thatâs still open, he said. The four-lane was never extended farther because plans were underway to build 1-80.
Waggener probably knows the history of Wyomingâs highways in that region better than anybody. Heâs an archivist and historian at the University of Wyomingâs American Heritage Center. And he wrote the 1973 book âSnow Chi Minh Trail: The History of Interstate 80 Between Laramie and Walcott Junction.â
The bookâs title is based upon the âSnow Chi Minh Trailâ nickname for that stretch of I-80, which can be notoriously bad during the winter.
False Rumors
Over the years, some rumors have sprung up around the middle-of-nowhere four-lane, Waggener said.
There are two in particular Waggener points out. The first is that it was the initial section of I-80 or a section of I-80 built before it was ultimately decided to route the interstate through the Elk Mountain area. The second is that the state of Wyoming always wanted I-80 to take the old U.S. 30 route, and started building a section of interstate there to force the Federal Highway Departmentâs hand.
Neither are true. And the proof of that is in the construction of the four-lane section itself, he said. It simply isnât up to federal interstate highway standards.
Too Narrow, Not Enough Visibility
For starters, itâs too narrow.
âWhen you drive it, youâll notice the shoulders, on both the inside and adjacent to the passing lane, arenât as wide as the shoulders on the interstate highways. And the overall width of the road just isnât as wide as an interstate,â he said.
Moreover, there are a couple of hill crests that could never pass interstate highway standards for forward visibility coming over the hills.
âThere are two hills in particular that donât offer drivers the minimum view forward in order to meet interstate construction standards,â he said. âOne in particular: If youâre are eastbound, shortly after you leave Rock River, you go up a hill, and you canât see 25 feet in front of you.â
âSource Of Contentionâ
The story about wishes for the routing of I-80 is at least partially true, Waggener said.
Many Wyomingites wanted the Interstate to take the U.S. 30 route, especially folks in Hanna, Medicine Bow and Rock River. Moving the main highway route south would mean a lot less traffic and business for them.
âThat was a big source of contention in Rock River and Medicine Bow, and to a lesser degree, Hanna,â he said.
Hanna had already lost out to an extent in the 1950s, when Highway 30 was moved south of the town.
âU.S. Highway 30 used to go right through Hanna. If you go straight through town, youâll see the old east-west highway. But in the very early 1950s, the highway was moved to its present location,â he said.
Nevertheless, there was, and still is, a feeling there that the feds played dirty pool by using Elk Mountain as the main marker for routing I-80 where it ended up going.
According to standards, interstates should be built in a manner that adds direct service to the most people, while taking it away from the fewest. And pitting Hanna against Elk Mountain wasnât fair in that regard, Waggener said.
Federal government officials âwere cheating. Elk Mountain is farther away from I-80 than Hanna is from Highway 30. Thatâs the sort of game-playing the feds were doing in their report. Part of bypass policy is determining how many people are getting bypassed verses how many are served by the new road,â he said.
A Better, Quieter Drive
Regardless of any wrangling during the decision-making process, Highway 30 âreally started quieting downâ once I-80 opened, he said.
But many drivers appreciate the old highway, and the four-lane section in particular, because they perceive it to be a safer drive, particularly during winter.
And thatâs not just a perception. Conditions frequently are much better along Highway 30 than along the parallel stretch of 1-80, Waggener said.
âThe closer you get to the mountains there (adjacent to I-80), two things occur,â he said. âThe wind velocity gets higher, and youâre closer to the heavier deposits of snow. So, thatâs going to create more blowing snow.âÂ
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
