Why did AASHTO disapprove the relocation of US 87 onto WY 193?

[texaskdog]

The U.S. and Interstate routes are supposed to be the best or fastest way between points.  That's the reason the route is signed, to help people unfamiliar with the area find the best route.  A long stretch of U.S. route that is parallel to an interstate contradicts that policy.

That means that the vast majority of the US route system is wholly redundant and should be decommissioned.  Pointless overlaps like those that exist between US and interstate highways out west should not be allowed to exist.

In a lot of the west, the redundant US routes were decommissioned in the early-mid 1960s.  99, 66, 10, 40, etc. etc.  I look at some of the eastern states, the southeast especially, and wonder what all those US routes are still doing there.  US 87 is an exception, probably because it was not redundant on both its ends.

No kidding, why is there no consistency?  US 1 could be a predominant route again if they moved it.

[silverback1065]

US 66 and 99 should never have been decommissioned, I don't care how redundant they were. 

[Rover_0]

US 66 and 99 should never have been decommissioned, I don't care how redundant they were. 

There were parts of US-66 (being a free alternative along the Turner and Will Rogers Turnpikes) and US-99 (CA-99) that would not be redundant at all.

But anyways, I'd prefer to repourpose US-87 than to leave the large parallel/concurrent gap from Raton to Billings if given the choice, though making 87 a distinct through route from Interstates 90 and 25 as much as reasonably possible works well, too.