MEGAN LEE Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 12:00 am
Hey Answer Girl -
As one drives Wyoming's highways, there are mile markers displayed at (most) every mile. However, at various places, there are two markers, each displaying the milepost and a decimal fraction with some letters below. What is the significance of these odd markers?
- John
Mile markers, while usually pretty straight forward, get a little complicated when it comes to the fractions and letters and all that good stuff.
Jeff Goetz, public involvement specialist for the Wyoming Department of Transportation, said those special markers are used to denote changes in the length of a highway. Sometimes, when highways are realigned or undergo some sort of construction, the equation markers are used to keep the mile marker system true to the actual mileage.
Here's how to tell where an equation was used for the mile marker system along the highway, as eloquently stated by Goetz:
"Milepost signs will include a number along with the letters 'AH' or 'BK.' 'AH' equals 'ahead' while 'BK' equals 'back.' They are placed together at the first full location point [an area without obstructions] on either side of the area where the length of the road has changed. If there is a sign with only the letters 'BK,' it means the road has been lengthened at least one mile."
So, a sample equation (and this is, I'll admit, way over my head):
If a car is headed down a highway that was shortened by a distance of 1.6 miles, there will be a special milepost with two signs, one saying 7.6BK and another saying 9.2AH. This means that the section between milepost 7 and milepost 10 has been shortened from 3 miles to 1.4 miles, at a loss of 1.6 miles.
So… yeah. I hope that helps you. I think I'm more confused.
Hey Answer Girl -
What's the significance of the signs along the highway saying "Sand Creek Massacre Trail?" I thought that happened in Colorado, so why have signs here?
-Unidentified lady on the phone
You're right - the Sand Creek Massacre happened in Kiowa County, Colo., on Nov. 29, 1864.
After the event, the Cheyenne and Northern Arapaho tribes traveled northwest through Wyoming until eventually surrendering. Once they surrendered, Goetz said, survivors were given a portion of the Wind River Indian Reservation near Riverton.
Goetz said WYDOT put up the trail signs after the state legislature passed a resolution declaring parts of highways as the official trail "in an effort to promote tourism and to improve relations with the Arapaho tribe."
The actual trail follows several state highways. The designation, by legislative resolution, says:
"That the following portions of state highways are designated as the 'Sand Creek Massacre Trail:' State highway 287 from the Wyoming/Colorado border to Medicine Bow; state highway 487 from Medicine Bow to state highway 220; state highway 220 from state highway 487 to Casper; state highway 26 from Casper to Riverton; state highway 138 from Riverton to Arapahoe; state highway 137 from Arapahoe to state highway 132; and state highway 132 from state highway 137 to Ethete."
Contact reporter Megan Lee at (307) 266-0589 or megan.lee@trib.com
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Answer Girl tackles your questions about Casper, the universe and everything else. Submit your questions by email to megan.lee@trib.com, or call Megan Lee at 266-0589.