Interstate 80 Business (West Wendover, NV – Wendover, UT)

Infobox road
state=UT
type=Interstate BL
route=80
section=111
alternate_name=Wendover Blvd
maint=Nevada DOT & UDOT


length_mi=2.363
length_round=3
length_ref=
length_notes=convert|1|mi|km|abbr=on in Nevadacite map|title=BL-80 in Nevada|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=US-93&daddr=Wendover+Rd+to:40.735714,-114.043493&hl=en&geocode=FV6lbQIdTp4z-Q%3BFVaUbQIditUz-Q%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=2&sz=15&via=1&sll=40.738576,-114.032807&sspn=0.014535,0.030942&ie=UTF8&ll=40.736559,-114.045467&spn=0.014535,0.030942&z=15 |publisher=Google Maps|cartography=Tele Atlas|accessdate=2008-10-08 ]
convert|1.363|mi|km|abbr=on in Utahcite web|url=http://www.dot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=6993226563216967|title=Route 58|date=May 2008|work= [http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/f?p=100:pg:3977778294530221:::1:T,V:814 Highway Reference] |publisher=Utah Department of Transportation|accessdate=2008-10-08|format=PDF]
established=1980s (BL-80), 1969 (Utah SR-58)
direction_a=West
terminus_a=jct|state=NV|I|80|US-Alt|93 in West Wendover, NV
direction_b=East
terminus_b=jct|state=UT|I|80 near Wendover, UT
junction=jct|state=NV|US-Alt|93 in West Wendover, NV
jct|state=UT|SR|58 in Wendover, UT
spur_of=80
spur_type=I
counties=Elko (NV), Tooele (UT)

Interstate 80 Business (BL-80, Wendover Blvd) is a convert|2.363|mi|km|sing=on long business loop of Interstate 80 (I-80) that connects the towns of West Wendover, Nevada and Wendover, Utah. The departments of transportation applied for the designation in the early 1980s but the name was never approved, despite signs being posted in both Nevada and Utah. A portion of the Nevada segment is cosigned as U.S. Route 93 Alternate (US-93 Alt). BL-80 was also cosigned with Nevada State Route 224 in Nevada, and is still cosigned with Utah State Route 58 (SR-58) in Utah. Wendover Blvd was formerly part of US-40, which connected Nevada and Utah to California and New Jersey.

Route description

Starting at the final Nevada exit of I-80, BL-80 heads south, cosigned with US-93 Alt until it intersects Wendover Blvd. Just west of the intersection is the fire station and courthouse, as well as a filling station and fast food outlet. Traveling east along Wendover Blvd, BL-80 passes by the Peppermill Casino, the West Wendover Visitors Center and Scobie Park. US-93 Alt turns to the south towards Ely while BL-80 continues east until it reaches the Montego Bay and Wendover Nugget Casinos. The two casinos are connected via a sky bridge that allows pedestrian access between the two hotels with out crossing the highway. A painted line on the street signifies the Nevada/|title=West Wendover Street Map |url=http://www.westwendovercity.com/pdf/West%20Wendover%20Nevada%20Street%20Map.pdf|accessdate=2008-10-08 |format=PDF ]

BL-80 continues in an easterly direction, briefly paralleling the Shafter Subdivision of the Union Pacific Railroad (ex-Western Pacific), towards an incomplete trumpet interchange with Interstate 80. Traffic from SR-58 can access eastbound I-80 or turn off to Frontage Road. However to access westbound I-80, travelers must continue eastbound until the next exit, and turn around.cite video|title=West 80, Use Exit 4|url=http://www.rockymountainroads.com/utah050/bl-080_eb_after_wendover.jpg|format=JPG |location=Wendover, Utah |accessdate=2008-10-08|date2=2005-09-08|publisher=RockyMountainRoads] Traffic into Wendover can access SR-58 from both directions of I-80, and from Frontage Road.cite map|title=Utah State Route 58 overview|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?q=salt+lake+city,+ut&ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ll=40.74355,-114.019203&spn=0.025426,0.087891&t=p&z=14 |publisher=Google Maps|cartography=Tele Atlas|accessdate=2008-08-11 ]

For the year 2007, a daily average of 2,520 cars traveled along SR-58, representing a significant decrease from previous years (in 2006, the average was 11,205; in 2005, 10,345).cite web|url=http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=2363711025498494585|format=PDF|title=Traffic on Utah Highways - 2007|date=2008-07-02|publisher=Utah Department of Transportation|accessdate=2008-10-08] Fourteen percent of this traffic was composed of trucks.cite web|url=http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=2363733707060508179|format=PDF|title=Truck Traffic on Utah Highways - 2007|date=2008-07-02|publisher=Utah Department of Transportation|accessdate=2008-10-08] The average traffic measurement is collected at the Nevada/Utah state line.

History

Two other roads have been numbered Utah SR-58 in the past. The first route designated SR-58 was formed in 1945 between SR-36 and Clover, but was deleted in 1953. The second road numbered SR-58 was formed in 1965 between SR-1 in New Harmony back to SR-1 via Kanarraville. This designation was abolished in 1969.

BL-80 was routed over the former |accessdate=2008-08-11 ]

Formerly BL-80 was the only connection to both West Wendover and Wendover from I-80, but both the Nevada Department of Transportation (Nevada DOT) and Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) completed a new interchange in their respective states. Nevada DOT opened a diamond intersection, exit 407,cite map|title=Exit 407, I-80 (NV)|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?q=west+wendover,+nv&ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ll=40.750768,-114.111686&spn=0.010989,0.031714&z=15 |publisher=Google Maps|cartography=Tele Atlas|accessdate=2008-10-09] west of town during the first half of 2008 while UDOT opened a partial diamond interchange at Aria Blvd, exit 1,cite map|title=Exit 1, I-80 (UT)|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?q=west+wendover,+nv&ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ll=40.737941,-114.041305&spn=0.003146,0.007929&z=17 |publisher=Google Maps|cartography=Tele Atlas|accessdate=2008-10-09] by June 2008.The interchange was not listed in: cite web|url=http://www.nevadadot.com/reports_pubs/state_maintained/pdf/sm_book.pdf|title=Nevada's State Maintained Highways Descriptions, Index & Maps|date=January 2008|publisher=Nevada Department of Transportation|accessdate=2008-10-09|format=PDF] cite web|url=http://www.dot.state.ut.us/main/uconowner.gf?n=2080047704031428842|title=UDOT Region 2 Construction Update – June 13, 2008 (Salt Lake, Summit and Tooele Counties)|date=2008-06-13|publisher=Utah Department of Transportation|pages= pg 13|format=PDF|accessdate=2008-08-11]

Even though BL-80 is signed both in Nevada and Utah,cite video|title=BL-80 / US-93 ALT split (NV)|url=http://www.rockymountainroads.com/nevada050/bl-080_eb_us-093a_sb_split.jpg|format=JPG |location=West Wendover, Nevada |accessdate=2008-10-08|date2=2005-09-08|publisher=RockyMountainRoads] cite video|title=Exit 2, I-80 (Utah)|url=http://www.rockymountainroads.com/utah050/i-080_wb_exit_002_05.jpg|format=JPG |location=Wendover, Utah |accessdate=2008-10-08|date2=2005-09-08|publisher=RockyMountainRoads] the route was never officially designated a business loop by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials or by the Utah State Legislature. Nevada DOT applied for the designation but it was deferred in July 1982 until Utah submitted a request for a business loop.cite news|title=NV Request for BL I-80, Alt US 50, BUS US 95 and BUS US 395|last=Francois|first=Francis E.|date=1982-07-07|publisher=AASHTO|accessdate=2008-10-09] No such request was submitted.

Major intersections

References