Implied history of implied US Routes through Yellowstone

Started by CNGL-Leudimin, July 09, 2019, 06:31:02 PM

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CNGL-Leudimin

Due to obvious reasons I do not post on the Regional Boards (except for the occasional post in International Highways). However this time I do, since this topic is about a particular area of the USA, the Yellowstone National Park (okay, it touches a bit of Idaho which is Northwest, but that bit is unpopulated and most of Yellowstone is in Wyoming anyway). As we know there are no US routes officially defined inside Yellowstone, but some of us consider they have an implied routing through it. In this thread I attempt to do a history of implied US routes in Yellowstone, which may be fictional but as there is evidence for them I post here instead. Apologies if this has been done before, I couldn't find anything using the Search function.

1926: US routes first commissioned, three US routes serve Yellowstone: US 20, US 87W and US 191. Of these, only US 87W serves two entrances (North and South), so somehow has to traverse the park. Most likely its implied path through the park was North Entrance Rd from North Entrance to Mammoth Hot Springs, then the West side of the Grand Loop Rd to West Thumb and finally South Entrance Rd to South Entrance. US 20 and US 191 only served one entrance each (East and West respectively), so they likely had an implied end at implied US 87W. The path of US 20 would be East Entrance Rd from East Entrance to Lake Village, then Grand Loop Rd to West Thumb. US 191 would simply go on West Entrance Rd from West Yellowstone to Madison, ending at implied US 87W (Ironically this is again part of the implied route of US 191, but with directions reversed: What was then North is now South and vice-versa).

1934: US 191 is removed from Yellowstone and instead rerouted to Bozeman, so West Entrance Rd no longer is an implied part of a US route. That same year US 87W is replaced by an extended US 89 from Spanish Fork UT through the Park to Piegan MT at the Canadian border, with the same implied route. The rest of US 87W is replaced by the newly created US 287 (which continues on what was US 87 and US 285 to Fort Collins CO)... but that route is also extended to the South Entrance. US 287 would probably had an implied ending at West Thumb (the only junction with another implied US route at the time).

1938: US 14 is extended from Cody WY to the East Entrance. Its implied routing matches that of US 20 at the time.

1939: US 12 is extended from Miles City MT to the Northeast Entrance, which until then had not been served by a US route. US 12's implied continuation through the Park is Northeast Entrance Rd to Tower Junction, then Grand Loop Rd to Mammoth Hot Springs, ending at implied US 89.

1940: US 20 is extended out of Yellowstone to Albany OR. For the section to Madison two scenarios are seen:
- Simply extended on Grand Loop Rd
- Rerouted from Lake Village on Grand Loop Rd in the opposite direction to Canyon Village, then Norris-Canyon Rd to Norris and finally Grand Loop Rd again

From Madison it would continue on West Entrance Rd, which becomes an implied US route again after 6 years without being one, to West Yellowstone. At the same time it could be implied US 287 was extended from West Thumb to Madison on Grand Loop Rd, if US 20 is implied to be rerouted.

1959: US 312 is created to replace US 12 West of Forsyth MT to the Northeast Entrance. Its implied routing in Yellowstone is the same as US 12.

1961: US 212 is rerouted from Broadus MT to the Northeast Entrance, replacing US 312 West of Billings. Again, its implied routing in Yellowstone is the same as US 312.

1965: US 16 is extended from Worland WY to the East Entrance. Again, two scenarios can be seen.
- Same implied route as US 14, ending at implied US 89/US 287 at West Thumb
- This is the most fantastical theory. If US 20 is in Norris Canyon Rd, then US 16 could be implied as traveling up the only remaining road that wasn't an implied US route at the time, Grand Loop Rd between Canyon Village and Tower Jct, ending there at implied US 212.

Also in the same year US 287 is extended out of Yellowstone to Choteau MT. Thus, inside Yellowstone is impliedly extended on the same route as implied US 20.

1982: US 191 is again rerouted from West Yellowstone through the Park and all the way to Chambers AZ. It may have had an implied ending at Madison again (This time the Southern terminus, it was the Northern when first commissioned). Its implied route through the Park matches that of US 287. No changes have been made since then.

Any thoughts or corrections? Also, could this be my first moved topic?
Supporter of the construction of several running gags, including I-366 with a speed limit of 85 mph (137 km/h) and the Hypotenuse.

Please note that I may mention "invalid" FM channels, i.e. ending in an even number or down to 87.5. These are valid in Europe.


Mapmikey

Preliminary 1925:  US 87 used south and north entrances and US 20 used West and East entrances

1926 Auto Trails Map of Idaho shows this (http://cdm16876.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p16876coll14/id/4/rec/9) plus other routes that never came to be such as US 220 in Montana; US 320 Weiser ID; US 191 southeast of Burley ID; US 530 in SE Idaho; US 20 going to Baker OR; US 2 going NW to Canada via today's ID 1

ethanhopkin14

It's not a Yellowstone thing, its a National Park thing.  Same as Big Bend, US 385 ends at the park entrance, not Panther Junction.  US 180 (or SR-64) doesn't enter Grand Canyon National Park either.  Of course I don't understand why US routes can't exist in US National Parks  :pan:

US 89

Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 13, 2020, 03:08:15 PM
Of course I don't understand why US routes can't exist in US National Parks  :pan:

They do in some cases. As far as I know, US 34 does officially enter Rocky Mountain National Park.

skluth

Quote from: US 89 on July 13, 2020, 05:09:45 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 13, 2020, 03:08:15 PM
Of course I don't understand why US routes can't exist in US National Parks  :pan:

They do in some cases. As far as I know, US 34 does officially enter Rocky Mountain National Park.
US 441 passes through the heart of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. US 33 and US 211 pass through Shenandoah National Park with exits for Skyline Drive.

rte66man

Quote from: skluth on July 13, 2020, 05:26:59 PM
Quote from: US 89 on July 13, 2020, 05:09:45 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 13, 2020, 03:08:15 PM
Of course I don't understand why US routes can't exist in US National Parks  :pan:
They do in some cases. As far as I know, US 34 does officially enter Rocky Mountain National Park.
US 441 passes through the heart of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. US 33 and US 211 pass through Shenandoah National Park with exits for Skyline Drive.

As mentioned above US191 passe through both Yellowstone and Grand Tetons parks. It almost runs through Arches as well making it the only US highway to 'almost' pass through 3 National Parks.
When you come to a fork in the road... TAKE IT.

                                                               -Yogi Berra

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: US 89 on July 13, 2020, 05:09:45 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 13, 2020, 03:08:15 PM
Of course I don't understand why US routes can't exist in US National Parks  :pan:

They do in some cases. As far as I know, US 34 does officially enter Rocky Mountain National Park.

US 34's route definition apparently includes Trail Ridge.  US 101 is definitely signed through parts of Redwood National Park and maintained by Caltrans.  Depending on the National Park the NPS will attempt to sign State Highways as though they exist within their boundaries (CA 120 is a good example of this). 

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: skluth on July 13, 2020, 05:26:59 PM
Quote from: US 89 on July 13, 2020, 05:09:45 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 13, 2020, 03:08:15 PM
Of course I don't understand why US routes can't exist in US National Parks  :pan:

They do in some cases. As far as I know, US 34 does officially enter Rocky Mountain National Park.
US 441 passes through the heart of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. US 33 and US 211 pass through Shenandoah National Park with exits for Skyline Drive.

Kind of but not really.  The signage of US 441 was removed during the 1950s I believe from Newfound Gap Road in an effort to stop truckers from using it. 

Mapmikey

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 18, 2020, 07:01:47 PM
Quote from: skluth on July 13, 2020, 05:26:59 PM
Quote from: US 89 on July 13, 2020, 05:09:45 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 13, 2020, 03:08:15 PM
Of course I don't understand why US routes can't exist in US National Parks  :pan:

They do in some cases. As far as I know, US 34 does officially enter Rocky Mountain National Park.
US 441 passes through the heart of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. US 33 and US 211 pass through Shenandoah National Park with exits for Skyline Drive.

Kind of but not really.  The signage of US 441 was removed during the 1950s I believe from Newfound Gap Road in an effort to stop truckers from using it. 

US 441 was formally removed from GSMNP in 1968 by TN and NC with AASHO concurrence.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: Mapmikey on July 18, 2020, 07:33:10 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 18, 2020, 07:01:47 PM
Quote from: skluth on July 13, 2020, 05:26:59 PM
Quote from: US 89 on July 13, 2020, 05:09:45 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 13, 2020, 03:08:15 PM
Of course I don't understand why US routes can't exist in US National Parks  :pan:

They do in some cases. As far as I know, US 34 does officially enter Rocky Mountain National Park.
US 441 passes through the heart of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. US 33 and US 211 pass through Shenandoah National Park with exits for Skyline Drive.

Kind of but not really.  The signage of US 441 was removed during the 1950s I believe from Newfound Gap Road in an effort to stop truckers from using it. 

US 441 was formally removed from GSMNP in 1968 by TN and NC with AASHO concurrence.

That right...I'm thinking of when US 441 was extended through the Park which I believe was 1952?



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