Nevada Roads
Nevada
Right: Wendover Will, who used to greet travelers entering Nevada on US 40 (now I-80 Business), or wave farewell as they headed east again. He was born in 1952 from the head of Wendover Will Smith, a service station and casino owner, and replaced a tall light on a pole, one of the best sign replacements that has ever occurred. Equally famous (by which I mean, ever heard of either one) Vegas Vic was also born at this time. Wendover Will is officially the world's largest mechanical cowboy, since Guinness needed to distinguish him from the non-mechanical cowboys, at 63 feet tall. His arms wave, his eye winks, and he even flicks his cigarette to the delight of young teenagers.
US 6 - taken by Michael Summa in 1983
I-80 - taken by Michael Summa in 1976
Old US 91 - taken by Michael Summa in 1986
Other historical Summa photos
Two photos taken by Mike Natale, coming to me via Doug Kerr. I-215 is gradually turning into a beltway, but for now it's half a belt plus a dangling end, and that dangling end is Clark County 215, the only county-maintained freeway in Nevada (for now). I don't understand why it's not at least a state route for the time being, seeing as how it's state and federal money going into the project. The text "215 West" is a mite unnecessary, as is the overly ambitious right tab that wants to jump off the sign and bury itself nose-first in the shoulder. As for the second sign, I'm pretty sure that says LOOP above the 215, which is decidedly nonstandard (the only LOOPs say BUSINESS on top instead of INTERSTATE... and are white on green). The 2di width of the shield is also nonstandard. Las Vegas Boulevard was NV 604 all the way through the city for awhile but was truncated well south.
Andy Field's and Alex Nitzman's Nevada Highways
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