End of historic US highway 320
 |
|
|
Claim to fame: at 22 miles in length, US 320 was one of the two shortest mainline US routes, a distinction it shared with US 530. Some would point to US 630, which would have been only three miles long, but it is unlikely that route was ever signposted (more here).
US 320 was a connector route between US 20 at Shoshoni and US 87W at Riverton (which was a precursor to today's US 287): |
c. 1933, WY DoT
|
While the entirety of its former route is now part of US 26, that did not happen until 1948. So presumably US 320 was decommissioned simply because it was too short to be considered a legitimate US route.
|
|
Following are photos of modern signage at the historic junctions. This first one was in Riverton, looking north on WY hwy. 789, or Federal Boulevard:
|
Elbert, July 2005
|
(detail)
|
|
When the US routes were first commissioned, the road northwest out of Lander (today's US 287 through Ft. Washakie) was not used as a highway. Instead, northbound US 87W traffic had to go northeast from Lander to Riverton, then continue northwest via modern US 26. In other words, the photo above shows signage from the perspective of a driver on northbound US 87W, which continued to the left on Main Street via today's US 26. Straight ahead was the west beginning of US 320. This photo was looking the opposite direction (south on Federal):
|
Elbert, July 2005
|
|
That was the west end of US 320; ahead was southbound US 87W, and northbound was to the right. Here, we are looking east on Main/US 26:
|
Teresco, Jul. 2003
|
|
That was southbound US 87W, which continued to the right. To the left was the west beginning of US 320. After heading a mere 22 miles, a traveler heading that direction would come to the junction pictured here:
|
Teresco, Jul. 2003
|
|
That was looking east on 2nd Street in Shoshoni; that intersection with Idaho Street marks the historic east end of US 320. Next, we are looking the opposite direction (west on 2nd/US 20):
|
Elbert, July 2005
|
|
US 20 continues to the right on Idaho; straight ahead was the east beginning of US 320. This photo shows the view from southbound Idaho, or eastbound US 20, which continues to the left on Main. Until 1938, to the right was westbound US 320:
|
Elbert, July 2005
|
Page originally created 2005;
last updated May 5, 2020.
last updated May 5, 2020.
