When you're going from point A to point B, you probably don't take much notice of whether the roads that get you there conform to official standards. A drive on I-180 through Cheyenne, however, should trigger the notion that things don't add up. For an Interstate Highway, it's kind of short. Plus, other than the signage, nothing else along the way indicates that you're traveling on a federally constructed roadway designed to connect the continental United States together.
If you take a good look around as you drive along I-180 in Wyoming, you'll notice that it isn't like any other Interstate in the country.
Though I-180 is officially an Interstate, most of it is not in fact "Interstate standard."
This little stretch of interstate - and we do mean little - is entirely in the city of Cheyenne.
Interstate 180 is only about 1 mile long, running northwest-ish for about a mile between I-80 and US-30. While there isn't an official standard for how long an interstate has to be, it's one of the shortest in the country.
On top of the fact that this interstate is entirely in one city (forget about running state-to-state), it has several stoplights and intersections.
If you drive the length of I-180, you'll hit four stoplights in all.
Since the expressway runs right through the city, you'll notice other odd characteristics such as turnoffs that lead directly to neighborhoods and the business district, yet there are no standard exits on Interstate 180.
Additionally, there is only one interchange (at I-80), another Interstate 180 oddity.
Viaducts on Interstate 180 have sidewalks, a trait that other Interstates don't have.
In fact, the twin viaducts that take I-180 over the Union Pacific Railroad are two of the few features that are considered standard for Interstates.
Once you've crested the overpass crossing the rail road and start coming down the other side, you realize you're still in Cheyenne.
Of course you can get out of Cheyenne and, eventually, Wyoming, if you want to, but you'll never do it while driving on I-180.
To take a quick peek at the road, check out the video below:
Have you ever traveled on I-180? What other Wyoming freeways and highways defy the rules of the road?
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