Wikipedia

Interstate 80 Business (West Wendover, Nevada–Wendover, Utah)

"Utah State Route 58" redirects here. For another road, see List of Utah State Routes deleted in 1969 § State Route 58.

Interstate 80 Business (I-80 Bus) is an unofficial business loop of Interstate 80 (I-80) that is 2.26 miles (3.64 km) long and serves as the main street for the US cities of West Wendover, Nevada, and Wendover, Utah, along a roadway named Wendover Boulevard. Wendover Boulevard was originally part of US Route 40 (US 40), which connected California to New Jersey via Nevada and Utah. A portion of the Nevada segment is concurrent with US 93 Alternate (US 93 Alt), and the entire portion in Utah is coterminous with Utah State Route 58 (SR-58). The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) applied for the business loop designation in the early 1980s, but the designation has never been approved; nevertheless, signs are posted in both states. Between July 1976 and 1993, I-80 Bus was concurrent with Nevada State Route 224 (SR 224) in Nevada.

Interstate 80 Business marker

Interstate 80 Business

Map
A map of I-80 Bus through the two cities and their location on the interstate border
Route information
Business route of I-80
Maintained by City of West Wendover and UDOT
Length2.26 mi (3.64 km)
0.9 mi (1.4 km) in Nevada[1]
1.363 mi (2.194 km) in Utah[2]
HistoryEstablished: 1925 (Victory Highway), 1926 (US 40), 1969 (SR-58), 1976 (SR 224), 1980s (BL-80)
Major junctions
West end
 I-80 / US 93 Alt. in West Wendover, Nevada
Major intersections
 US 93 Alt. in West Wendover
East end I-80 near Wendover, Utah
Location
CountryUnited States
CountiesNevada: Elko Utah: Tooele
Highway system
  • Nevada State Highway System
  • Utah State Highway System
← SR 223SR 224 (NV)→ SR 225
← SR-57SR-58 (UT)→ SR-59

Route description edit

Starting at the easternmost Nevada exit of I-80, I-80 Bus heads south along Florence Way, concurrent with US 93 Alt until it intersects with, and turns east onto Wendover Boulevard. Just west of the intersection, the highway passes the West Wendover City Hall, which houses the West Wendover Municipal Court and Eastline Justice Court.[3] Traveling east along Wendover Boulevard, I-80 Bus passes by the Peppermill Wendover casino, the West Wendover Visitors Center, and Scobie Park.[1][4] US 93 Alt turns south toward Ely, while I-80 Bus continues east until it reaches the Montego Bay Resort and Wendover Nugget casinos.[4] The casinos are connected via a skybridge that allows pedestrian access between the hotels without crossing the highway.[5] A line painted on the street marks the Nevada–Utah border.[6] At the border, I-80 Bus becomes coterminous with SR-58 for the final stretch through Wendover, Utah.[2]

 
I-80 Bus in Wendover, Utah, looking west

I-80 Bus continues to the east past Aria Boulevard, which to the north connects to I-80 and to the south leads to the historic Wendover Air Force Base, where the 509th Composite Group was stationed while it prepared to conduct atomic bomb attacks against Japan during 1944 and 1945.[7] The highway briefly parallels the Shafter Subdivision of the Union Pacific Railroad's Central Corridor,[8][9] which was formerly part of the Feather River Route of the Western Pacific Railroad.[10] As the highway travels east toward a half trumpet interchange with I-80, the number of lanes drops from five to two. Traffic from I-80 Bus can access eastbound I-80 or turn off onto Frontage Road; however, to access westbound I-80, travelers must continue eastbound until the next exit and turn around. Traffic into Wendover can access I-80 Bus from both directions of I-80, and from Frontage Road.[11]

The Utah segment of I-80 Bus is codified into Utah law as Utah Code §72-4-111.[12] Every year, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) conducts a series of surveys on its highways to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of annual average daily traffic (AADT), which is a measure of average traffic volume for any day of the year. In 2009, UDOT calculated that an average of 2,370 vehicles per day traveled on I-80 Bus at the state line.[13] This is a significant decrease from the traffic counts earlier in the decade, which measured 11,205 vehicles in 2006, 10,345 in 2005, and 13,840 in 2004.[14] Of this traffic, 21 percent consists of trucks.[15]

History edit

A roadway, now named Wendover Boulevard, has existed since June 23, 1925, when the Victory Highway was completed through Wendover. Then governors George Dern of Utah and James G. Scrugham of Nevada, as well as the Secretary of Agriculture William Marion Jardine were present to open the highway.[16] Bill Smith and Herman Eckstein opened a filling station at the present location of Wendover Nugget at a cost of $500 early in 1926 (equivalent to $6,892 in 2023[17]).[18] To welcome travelers to his station, he installed a light bulb at the top of a tall pole, which served as the only light in the desert.[19] The earlier Lincoln Highway was rerouted to follow the Victory Highway through the region by an order of the Lincoln Highway Association executive committee on October 18, 1926.[18]

Wendover Boulevard was numbered US 40 through what are now the cities of West Wendover and Wendover beginning in 1926.[20][21] US 40 was the major thoroughfare between San Francisco, in the west, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, in the east.[22] US 40 was routed along the Wendover Cut-off,[23] now known as Frontage Road, which was retained as a service road after the completion of the I-80.[24] The US 40 designation was removed by 1976 or 1977, when I-80 was completed through the area.[25] The designation of roadway now numbered US 93 Alt has changed twice in the past. Between 1932 and 1953,[26][27] it was designated US 50, and, between 1954 and either 1978 or 1979,[28][29] it was designated US 50 Alt.

 
I-80 Bus in West Wendover, Nevada, traveling east approaching the Utah state line

Two other roads have been numbered SR-58 in the past. The first route designated SR-58 was formed in 1945 between SR-36 and Clover, but was decommissioned in 1953.[30] The second road to use the designation was formed in 1965 between I-15 in New Harmony back to I-15 via Kanarraville, but that road was decommissioned in 1969.[30] The current SR-58 was codified into Utah law in 1969 between the state line and the junction with Frontage Road, which was formerly US 40.[30] Wendover Boulevard between US 93 Alt and the state line was designated SR 224 between July 1, 1976, and April 28, 1993, when the highway was transferred to Elko County.[31][32]

Even though I-80 Bus is signed in both Nevada and Utah, the route has never been officially designated a business loop by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) or by the Utah State Legislature. NDOT applied for the designation, but, in July 1982, the application was deferred by AASHTO until Utah submitted a request for a business loop.[33] No such request has ever been submitted.[citation needed]

Prior to 2007, I-80 Bus was the only connection to the city of Wendover from Utah. However, a new partial diamond interchange, which allows traffic from I-80 to exit going westbound and for traffic to enter I-80 eastbound,[11] at Aria Boulevard was constructed.[34] The Aria Boulevard interchange was first planned in 2005[35] and was completed without using any federal funding.[citation needed]

In 2007, the city of West Wendover had two historical markers installed along I-80 Bus, one at the state line and the other at the intersection of US 93 Alt to commemorate the Victory Highway and US 40.[36]

Major intersections edit

StateCountyLocationmi
[1][2][a]		kmDestinationsNotes
NevadaElkoWest Wendover0.0000.000 
 
   US 93 Alt. north / I-80 – Elko		Western end of US 93 Alt. concurrency; western terminus of I-80 Bus.; former western terminus of SR 224; I-80 exit 410
0.280.45 
 
  US 93 Alt. south – Ely		Eastern end of US 93 Alt. concurrency
Nevada–Utah lineElko–Tooele county lineWest Wendover–Wendover line0.90
0.000		1.45
0.000		 
  SR-58 east		Western end of SR-58 concurrency; western terminus of SR-58; former eastern terminus of SR 224
UtahTooeleWendover1.2802.060Wendover Cut-off (Frontage Road)Former US-40
1.3632.194 
  I-80 east – Salt Lake, Bonneville Speedway		Eastern end of SR-58 concurrency; eastern terminus of I-80 Bus. and SR-58; no access to I-80 west; I-80 exit 2
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  1. ^ Mileage resets at state line

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Nevada Department of Transportation (1993). Wendover (PDF) (Map). Carson City: Nevada Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 11, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c "Highway Reference Online - SR 58". maps.udot.utah.gov. Utah Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2008.
  3. ^ City of West Wendover. "Municipal & Justice Court". Residents Guide. City of West Wendover. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  4. ^ a b City of West Wendover. West Wendover Street Map (PDF) (Map). City of West Wendover. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2010. Retrieved October 8, 2008.
  5. ^ Bourie, Steve (2005). American Casino Guide. Casino Vacations Press. p. 295. ISBN 978-1-883768-15-7. Retrieved October 29, 2013 – via Internet Archive.
  6. ^ "Wendover: Where Boom Meets Bust". Deseret News. July 22, 1990. Retrieved December 8, 2010 – via NewsBank.
  7. ^ Vanderbilt, Tom (2010). Survival City: Adventures Among the Ruins of Atomic America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-226-84694-1. Retrieved October 29, 2013 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ Sonrisa Publications (2004). Nevada, Utah & Southern Idaho Railroad Maps (Map). Sonrisa Publications. § B3. Archived from the original on December 16, 2010. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
  9. ^ Union Pacific Railroad. UPRR Common Line Names (PDF) (Map). Union Pacific Railroad. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 6, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  10. ^ City of West Wendover (July 2009). "Wendover Quick Facts" (PDF). City of West Wendover. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 18, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  11. ^ a b Google (August 11, 2008). "Utah State Route 58 overview" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 11, 2008.
  12. ^ Utah Legislature. "Utah Code §72-4-111". Salt Lake City: Utah Legislature. Archived from the original on August 15, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  13. ^ "Traffic Statistics". udot.utah.gov. Utah Department of Transportation. 2009. Archived from the original on January 15, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  14. ^ "Traffic Statistics". udot.utah.gov. Utah Department of Transportation. 2006. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  15. ^ "Traffic Statistics". udot.utah.gov. Utah Department of Transportation. 2009. Archived from the original on June 10, 2010. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  16. ^ Bateman, Ronald R. (2004). Wendover Winds of Change: A History (1st ed.). R.R. Bateman. p. 19. ISBN 0-9745983-1-3.
  17. ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
  18. ^ a b Bateman (2004), p. xv.
  19. ^ Toll, David W. (2002). The Complete Nevada Traveler, Revised Edition: The Affectionate and Intimately Detailed Guidebook to the Most Interesting State in America. University of Nevada Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-940936-12-6. Retrieved October 29, 2013 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ City of West Wendover. "Transportation Services". Residents Guide. City of West Wendover. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010. Retrieved October 9, 2008.
  21. ^ Rand McNally (1926). Junior Atlas Utah (Map). Chicago: Rand McNally. § D. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2010 – via Broer Map Library.
  22. ^ Bureau of Public Roads & American Association of State Highway Officials (November 11, 1926). United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials (Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, DC: United States Geological Survey. OCLC 32889555. Retrieved November 7, 2013 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  23. ^ Patrick, Kevin J. & Wilson, Robert E. "Chapter 15: Lincoln Highway in Utah". The Lincoln Highway Resource Guide (DOC). Indiana, Pennsylvania: Indiana University of Pennsylvania. p. 193. Archived from the original on October 28, 2010.
  24. ^ Barker, Clarence S. (April 17, 1965). "State Road Audit Approved". Deseret News. p. B1. Retrieved December 12, 2010 – via Google News.
  25. ^ Nevada Department of Transportation (1976). Official Highway Map of Nevada (Map) (1976–1977 ed.). Carson City: Nevada Department of Transportation. § B6. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  26. ^ Nevada Department of Transportation (1932). Road Map of the State of Nevada (Map). Carson City: Nevada Department of Transportation. § B7. Archived from the original on June 13, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  27. ^ Nevada Department of Transportation (1953). Official Highway Map of the State of Nevada (Map). Carson City: Nevada Department of Transportation. § B7. Archived from the original on June 11, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  28. ^ Nevada Department of Transportation (1954). Official Highway Map of the State of Nevada (Map). Carson City: Nevada Department of Transportation. § B7. Archived from the original on June 12, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  29. ^ Nevada Department of Transportation (1978). Official Highway Map of Nevada (Map) (1978–1979 ed.). Carson City: Nevada Department of Transportation. § B6. Archived from the original on January 22, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  30. ^ a b c "State Road Resolutions SR-58.pdf". Utah Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2009.
  31. ^ State of Nevada Department of Highways (September 1, 1978). Nevada's Federal & State Routes: Descriptions & Index. State of Nevada Department of Highways.
  32. ^ "State Maintained Highways of Nevada, Descriptions and Maps". Nevada Department of Transportation. 2003. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  33. ^ Francois, Francis E. (July 7, 1982). "NV Request for BL I-80, Alt US 50, BUS US 95 and BUS US 395". American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
  34. ^ "New Interchange Boon to Wendover, Utah". Coyote TV. West Wendover, NV: High Desert Advocate. November 25, 2007. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  35. ^ "State of the State". Salt Lake Tribune. April 4, 2005. p. B3. Archived from the original on January 13, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2010 – via NewsBank.
  36. ^ City of West Wendover (March 9, 2007). "Dedication Ceremony to Place Commemorative Markers on Historic Stretch of the Lincoln and Victory Highway Planned March 16, 2007" (Press release). City of West Wendover. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2010.

External links edit

 
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