End of US highway 138

Note: since I don't have access to a comprehensive collection of historical road atlases, much of the info below is based on the research of Robert Droz; click here to view his site. Photo credits: Michael Summa; me

US 138 is sort of an anomaly among the federal roads. Astute observers might wonder how this road got its number, considering that there is no US 38. Good point. Here's the answer: there used to be a US 38. It's a long story...

You see, originally US 6 was not a coast-to-coast route. From approximately 1925 to 1932, it only went as far west as Erie PA. Today's portion of US 6 from Chicago to Council Bluffs IA was US 32; and modern US 6 from Omaha through Sterling CO to Greeley was US 38. So at that time, it made sense for this short segment connecting US 38 in Sterling to US 30 north of Big Springs NE to be called "US 138". In 1932, when US 38 (and US 32) were assimilated by a westward-expanding US 6, perhaps US 138 should've been renamed as well. Maybe US 306? (since there was already a US 106 and US 206 at the time.) Anyway, I guess either nobody figured it was necessary, or else nobody noticed there was an aberration from the "rules".

The west terminus of US 138 is in Sterling CO; you can view photos from there on this page. If you follow US 138 out of Sterling for a mere 70 miles or so, you'll be in Big Springs NE, approaching the east end of US 138 (although you'll actually be heading north). When I was there in 1998 (and for many years before then), the road forked, and you were presented with the option to head east or west on 30:

me, July 1998

If you chose the east fork, you were greeted by the sign shown below, just before you reached the stop sign at US 30:

me, July 1998

If you chose the west fork, there was no sign. But that was the fork that was aligned with "Day Road" (a paved county road that heads due north from US 30 to connect with US 26 and NE hwy. 92, providing the quickest access to the upstream end of Lake McConaughy). If you are following the Mormon Trail auto route, the signs direct you to use Day Rd. (For reasons unknown to me, the Mormons didn't follow the North Platte west from its mouth. Instead, they followed the South Platte to a point near Big Springs, and then headed north. They then dropped down into the North Platte valley via "Windlass Hill", which is preserved today as a part of Ash Hollow State Park. Supposedly one can still see the deep ruts left there by all the wagons...)

The next time I was at the east terminus (August 2000), I noticed that the intersection with US 30 had been redesigned. There is no longer a "Y"-shaped fork at the junction; it's just a normal four-way intersection now. I think the new alignment goes right between the two forks visible in the photo above, because north of US 30 the road has to veer west a bit to line up with Day Rd. Approaching the east end of US 138, there's a junction diagram now:

me, Aug. 2005

That seems a little unnecessary, but maybe they did it because the junction has been reconfigured. In the distance, near the stop sign, you can see the "End" assembly; it's shown close-up in the photo below:

me, Aug. 2000

Here's an historic shot from eastbound US 30:

Summa, 1987

That was back when there was still a "Y" intersection; this was taken approaching the west fork. Below is the modern equivalent of that sign:

me, Aug. 2005

If you take that right turn, you're immediately greeted with the first westbound confirming marker:

me, Aug. 2005

The town of Big Springs is situated in the South Platte River valley, about two miles down the hill - the watertower at far right marks its location.