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By Bill Sniffin, publisher emeritus
Did you know that when Interstate 80 is closed for weather, that US 30 next door is automatically closed, too?
This is to prevent the 8,000 semi-trailer trucks a day from storming that more narrow, more local highway as an alternate route. The resulting crush of giant rigs would be a disaster.
Those frequent closures create a national financial disaster when goods are no longer moving to their destinations.
Del McOmie Jr. pointed out this fact out when he was asked about the creation of an alternate Interstate 80 highway that would follow the current US 30 road through Hanna, Medicine Bow, Rock River, and Bosler, enroute to Laramie.
McOmie knows all about Interstate 80 or as it is nicknamed Snow Chi Mihn Trail. He worked for Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) for almost 36 years. He also was chief engineer for 15 years. He knows these roads.
So why not build an Interstate 80 alternate route on the current route of US30? It would be good news for national economy.
In an excellent article in Cowboy State Daily by Wendy Corr, the current director of WYDOT, Luke Reiner, thoughtfully suggested the federal government consider spending $6 billion by re-routing Interstate to the US 30 route.
Reiner said the agency has made a unique proposal to the federal government – rerouting I-80 to avoid the part of the…