End of US highway 138

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Summa

1926-present

East: Big Springs, NE
West: Sterling, CO

US 138 is something of an anomaly among the US routes. One might question how this road got its number, considering that there is no US 38. Well, historically there was a US 38. Originally US 6 was not a coast-to-coast route. From approximately 1925 to 1932, it went only as far west as Erie PA. Today's portion of US 6 from Chicago to Council Bluffs was US 32; and modern US 6 from Omaha through Sterling to Greeley was US 38. So at that time, it made sense for this short segment connecting US 38 in Sterling to US 30 in Big Springs to be designated "US 138". In 1932, when US 38 (and US 32) were assimilated by a westward extension of US 6, perhaps US 138 should have been renumbered as well. Maybe US 306? (since there was already a US 106 and US 206 at the time):

c. 1929, CDoT

Drivers reaching the east terminus of US 138 are actually heading north. The Lincoln Highway (as well as the original US 30) went right through town via 3rd and Pine Streets (instead of bypassing it to the north, as US 30 does today). So the original junction with US 138 was right in Big Springs; these photos were taken looking west on 3rd:

Sanderson, Sep. 2014

That was westbound on the Lincoln Highway, and later the original alignment of US 30, which continued by turning right (north on Pine). To the left (south) was the original east beginning of US 138.

Here, we are looking north on Pine, where US 138 originally ended. Ahead on Pine was westbound US 30, while eastbound US 30 was to the right on 3rd:

Sanderson, Sep. 2014

Several decades ago, US 30 was changed to follow its present alignment, which runs a couple miles north of Big Springs. At that time, the US 138 designation was extended ahead (north on Pine, along former US 30). The last trailblazer was posted where the highway begins to climb the breaks that line the edge of the South Platte valley:

Sanderson, Jun. 2020

About a mile ahead is US 138's terminus at its junction with the modern US 30. Until about 1999, the road forked just before reaching US 30, and drivers were presented with the option to head east or west on that route:

Sanderson, July 1998

Travelers choosing the east fork were greeted by this "End" assembly:

Sanderson, July 1998

For drivers who chose the west fork, there was no "End" sign. But that fork aligned with "Day Road" (a paved county road that heads north from US 30 to connect with US 26 and NE hwy. 92, providing the quickest access to the upstream end of Lake McConaughy). Signs direct travelers following the Mormon Trail auto route to use Day Rd.

(For reasons unknown to me, the Mormons did not follow the North Platte west from its mouth. Instead, they followed the South Platte to a point near Big Springs, and then ascended what came to be known as "California Hill". They then dropped down into the North Platte valley via "Windlass Hill", which is preserved today as a part of Ash Hollow State Park. Reportedly one can still see the deep ruts left there by all the wagons.)

By August 2000, the intersection with US 30 had been reconfigured. There is no longer a "Y"-shaped fork at the junction; it is more of a standard four-way intersection now. The new alignment goes right through the forks of the historic Y-junction, and north of US 30 traffic on Day Road must veer west a bit before reaching its original alignment:

Approaching the east end of US 138, there was a junction diagram (which seems like overkill, but is a common practice in Nebraska)...

Sanderson, Aug. 2005

...and just beyond that, near the stop sign, was an "End" assembly:

Sanderson, Aug. 2000

Morrison, Aug. 2016

Sanderson, Jun. 2020

Next are some perspectives of the east beginning of US 138 as seen from both eastbound and westbound US 30. The junction diagrams had erroneous "NE 138" highway markers...

Sanderson, Jun. 2020

...but signage at the actual junction correctly used US highway shields:

Sanderson, Aug. 2005

Sanderson, Jun. 2020

Summa, 1987

Morrison, May 2009

Sanderson, Jun. 2020

Travelers who take that turn to the south are immediately greeted with the first westbound confirming marker, as well as a panoramic vista of the South Platte River valley:

Sanderson, Aug. 2005

Sanderson, Jun. 2020

The town of Big Springs is about two miles down the hill -- the water tower visible at far right marks its location.

US 138 follows the north bank of the Platte upstream for a mere 71 miles to its western terminus in Sterling. There, it originally had a junction with its parent route, US 38...

c. 1931, CDoT

...but already by 1932 that had been replaced by US 6. And by 1934, Sterling's one-way couplet of 3rd/4th Streets had been established, giving US 138 a split terminus downtown:

c. 1932, CDoT

c. 1934, CDoT

Formerly, only southwestbound traffic used 4th Street, which originally carried both directions of US 138. These photos show the last westbound marker and, a few blocks ahead, the sign bridge at the route's west terminus:

Sanderson, Mar. 2006

Sanderson, Mar. 2019

(Note that the I-76 control point used there is "Brush" -- more on that below.) The light ahead was at Chestnut Street. There, US 138 ended at its junction with historic US 38 (now US 6). There was no "End" assembly, but signage on the signal masts on both sides of 4th made it pretty clear that travelers began following new numbers there:

Sanderson, Mar. 2006

(Note also that several of these photos show references to so-called "Business Loop" I-76, which is dual-signed for 50 miles along a predominantly rural segment of US 6 between Sterling and Ft. Morgan. It is a gross mis-application of the concept. By 2007 all references to BL 76 had been removed in Sterling, but as of 2020 it appears that BL 76 was still signed everywhere south of Sterling.)

The junction with CO hwy. 14 was two blocks ahead. But if a driver were to turn left onto Chestnut, they would have immediately come to the west beginning of US 138 at 3rd:

Sanderson, July 1998

Sanderson, Mar. 2006

A neat old button copy sign there has since been removed. Of course I-76 does provide the quickest access to Denver, but that scene is a little ironic, since it is westbound US 6 that leads to Denver, not eastbound.

Sanderson, Mar. 2019

Ahead, the Chestnut Street viaduct spans the railyards. Then US 6 crosses the South Platte River, and in about two miles reaches I-76 at interchange 125. Travelers coming into Sterling from the opposite direction (west on US 6) see a few references to the upcoming junction with US 138:

Sanderson, Mar. 2019

Sanderson, Mar. 2006

After that, they were bombarded with an array of information, culminating with the signs visible in this scene:

Sanderson, Mar. 2006

The green sign right about in the center of that photo said "Brush", and it indicated that drivers should turn left (south) at the next block ahead. But remember the reference to "Brush" above? That was the same intersection where southbound traffic was directed to turn east! So what is the recommended route to Brush? I-76 or US 6?

(Brush is about 35 miles away. Drivers who have time and who enjoy scenic two-laners can certainly use US 6 to get there. But it is much faster to use I-76. "Atwood" is a more appropriate control point for southwestbound US 6 traffic.)

Anyway: the west beginning of US 138 was to the right on 3rd:

(detail)

Sanderson, Mar. 2019

The sign assembly in the distance was at 4th. In the early 1930s, before these streets were converted to one-ways, US 38 took a left turn there, and the west beginning of US 138 was to the right on 4th.

These photos were taken looking southeast on Main Street at 3rd:

Sanderson, Mar. 2006

Sanderson, Mar. 2019

Turning left, in two blocks one encountered the west beginning of US 138 at the Chestnut intersection, where US 6 traffic was routed out of town to the southeast (right). Although there were no control destinations pointing straight ahead, it should be noted that Julesburg is also served by US 138 (although one can get there more quickly by using I-76):

Sanderson, July 1998

Sanderson, Mar. 2006

Sanderson, Mar. 2019

Continuing ahead from there, the first eastbound confirming assembly was posted in the next block:

Sanderson, Mar. 2006

Sanderson, Mar. 2019

CDoT is working on a project to reconfigure the highway routings in downtown Sterling. It is projected that by fall of 2020, neither US 6 nor US 138 traffic will be directed along one-way couplets. The new endpoint of US 138 will be on 3rd at Chestnut. However, it will no longer terminate at a "bend" in US 6, because US 6 will no longer use 3rd and 4th. Rather, it will run both directions along Chestnut, using a new alignment to connect with SH 14, then continuing south via Division.

Research and/or photo credits: David Backlin; Nathan Edgars; Jeff Morrison; Dale Sanderson; Michael Summa

Page originally created 1998;
last updated June 16, 2020.