End of historic US highway 187
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Approx. time period
|
North Terminus
|
South Terminus
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| 1926-1950's |
Jackson Lake Jct. WY |
Rock Springs, WY |
|
1950's-1982
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Moran Jct. WY
|
Rock Springs, WY
|
(about 113 k)
Note: since I don't have access to a comprehensive collection of historical
road atlases, much of the info on this page is based on the research of Robert
Droz; click here to view
his site. Photo credits: Chris
Elbert; me
US 187 was an original 1926 route, and it lasted until 1982. The north end
was always in what is now Grand Teton National Park, but not always at the same
location. Originally US 187 did not follow the route of today's US 26/89/191.
Instead, north from Moose Jct, US 187 followed what is now know as "Teton
Park Road" right past Jenny Lake. So it intersected the other highways
at Jackson Lake Jct. The photo below was taken from the perspective of what
was originally northbound US 87W...
Elbert,
July 2005
...but which later became US 287 (and is now US 89 and US 191 as well). US
187 began to the left. The photo below shows that same sign, but from the perspective
of a driver at the original north end of US 187:
Elbert,
July 2005
Note the reference to "Moran Jct" to the east. It was around 1950
when US 187 (which by then was also US 26 and US 89) was rerouted to the present
highway along the east bank of the Snake River. After that, it met US 287 at
Moran Jct.
and ended there (you can view photos on this
page).
The south end of US 187 was in Rock Springs WY. The USGS topo (dated 1978)
was printed back when that was still the case:
Of my photos, the only one that didn't turn out (thanks to the position of
the sun) was looking at the former end of US 187 - in other words, the opposite
direction from this first one below - which is looking north on Elk Street:
me, Mar. 2001
The cross street is the main drag through town: former US 30, and
modern Business Loop I-80. These cars stopped at the light are about
to enter what was once the south beginning of US 187. Below is a
closeup of the gantry shown above:
me, Mar. 2001
It's a bit misleading: it seems to imply that Elk is US
191, but it's not until the north side of I-80 (which is about a mile
ahead). According to Andy
Field, it is unsigned Spur US 191.
The shot below is looking east on old US 30; the truck is about to
enter the former south beginning of US 187:
me, Mar. 2001
The signs are shown close-up below.
me, Mar. 2001
Page created 17 April 2001; last updated 21 October 2005.
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