Along Wyoming’s highways, motorists will occasionally see a sign that features a broken heart and a dove.

These signs on a tall, white background over an outline that resembles a memorial marker are symbols of grief and sorrow, and healing and hope. They have been requested by families in honor of their loved ones who lost their lives in traffic crashes on state and federal highways and interstates.

Beginning in 2003, the Wyoming Department of Transportation has offered these specially designed and free memorial signs to families. It’s not uncommon to see memorials to those lost on state roadways, most maintained by friends and families featuring a cross and/or a cache of flowers and other personal items.

It’s not widely known that families also can request an official marker from WYDOT, even though the program has been around for more than 20 years.

“The Roadside Memorial Program was created because we are sympathetic to the families who want to remember their loved ones this way,” WYDOT spokesperson Cody Beers said. “We work with them so that they can place these memorials.”

The goal of the signage program is to remember the victims of traffic crashes and recognize the needs of grieving families, while still maintaining a safe clear zone along the highways.

Highway Safety

Even though people put them up, those independent memorials are discouraged.

“We don’t allow private memorials alongside of our roads,” Beers said. “One of the reasons is for safety. We try to try to keep people from stopping along the roadway and then walking across the highway.

“When we go through this memorial program with applicants, we ask them not to decorate the memorial and let the sign speak for itself.”

The sign program was created as a compromise so families could still have their memorials at the area where their loved one died, but without the danger to themselves or breaking the law.

Wyoming law prohibits any encroachment, such as advertising signs or private memorials, on highway rights of way. These private installations, according to WYDOT, can pose a danger to motorists and those who put the memorials up or stop to add to it.

By having WYDOT personnel install and maintain the breakaway signs, they meet federal safety standards. It also eliminates the dangers of family members erecting memorials beside a highway, and of having unregulated obstructions in the clear zone along the road.

Any private memorials placed in highway rights of way will be removed and held at the nearest WYDOT shop for two weeks to give family members an opportunity to retrieve them.

The Roadside Memorial Program was created as a compromise, Beers said.

Requesting A Sign

“If families want us to place a sign by where their loved one died in a car crash, we have an application process on the WYDOT website,” Beers said. “We need a copy of the application, the crash report, and then we can look into it. If it has merit, we put up a sign form at the crash site, or as close to the crash site as we can.”

After receiving the application, WYDOT will install the memorial sign as soon as it is practical, and it will remain in place for ten years. At that time, the family will have the option of having the sign removed so they can claim it, leaving the sign up without maintenance until deterioration requires it be removed or having a new sign installed for a $50 fee to cover the costs of fabrication and installation.

WYDOT makes every effort to locate memorial signs as close as possible to the site of the fatalities, but maintenance personnel have the flexibility to consider safety concerns.

“Families are thankful this program exists,” Cody said. “We only get a few applications each year in my district. I can’t speak for the other districts, but we don’t get an application for everybody who dies in a car crash. But some people are very adamant that this is the way they want to remember their family member who is important to them. The crash occurred, and we respect that.”

Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.

LARAMIE — Jordan Bertagnole reiterated Saturday night that no one in Wyoming’s locker room is pointing fingers.

Outside that safe space is a much different story.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Evan Svoboda completed 39% of his throws, tossed two picks — including one that was immediately returned for a touchdown by San Diego State safety Eric Butler — and was sacked six times.

The Cowboys’ junior quarterback is once again in the crosshairs of the faithful after a 27-24 setback against the Aztecs inside a sun-splashed War Memorial Stadium.

Svoboda, again, was far from the only target after this one.

There were dropped balls, numerous miscues in the undermanned secondary and a pair of unnecessary special teams penalties.

This loss, as they say, was a group effort.

The signal caller, though, gets the glory, as he did after a valiant effort in a win over Air Force. He also bears the brunt, as you’ll see below.

Here are this week’s rants and raves on social media:

FIRST HALF:

Helen Beck WYOMING NEEDS A BETTER QUARTEBACK !!!!!

Richard Vasey Please, do not throw into the flats, no out routes, FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON!! I’m begging you.

James T. Anest He doesn’t understand passing. There a touch throws and fastballs. #17 not helped with 2 drops.

Mike McGraw How many passes will this kid miss

Thomas Anthony Rhodes 3 mistakes by QB1. What is his GPA?

Jason McMackin Svaboda needs to get it together dammit

Dustin Merritt Watching us go 20 yards the wrong direction after a huge defensive stop, then miss a FG, encapsulates our season.

SECOND HALF:

Bill Snively I’m not able to watch the game, only follow it on ESPN, which is painful enough. What I’m seeing in the stats is a failure at the coaching level, wether that’s the Head Coach or the O.C., is anyone’s blame game. Either way the coaching drop off from last year to this is precipitous and just damned embarrassing. Not really interested – at this point – in hearing all the aftermath platitudes about how “this isn’t good enough”, or “We’re better than this and we need to play like it.” They are what they are. They are what their coaching has put on the field.

Dustin Merritt Watching our offense is like watching an elementary game of 500

Mike McGraw Terrible clock management by this inept over his head coach!

Cindy Moe White Our Wyoming starting running back Sam Scott out ran San Diego states running back in this game. That’s one highlight

Sean Harrison We simply can’t do much worse than 12-31 with 2 INTS including a pick 6. Sawvel going to ride Svboda to 1-11 season?

Jacob Bullinger Poor coaching, Wyoming gave this one away!

David McDonald Oh well, I’m sure the weather was nice in Laramie!

Jeff White We’re back to Vic Koening

Bonnie Ruud Foster Disappointing…coach and QB..he is no #17. I am generally positive abd supportive, but the strategy at the end of the game sucked.

Tony Marlatt We sure looked unprepared for the most part. I wonder what the school record is for false starts in a game?

Toy Buell Coach has to go!!

Justin Gorman Im not sure we can get any lower than this. This is an embarrassing product to watch. They are so far out of their league and the coach and “QB” need to go! There was nothing positive to take from this game – wait 2 trick plays. Those were awesome, why didn’t we just keep running them util they didn’t work?

Thomas Anthony Rhodes What was Sawvel’s GPA?

Tony B. Garetto Wyo isn’t that bad. This game proves that. This team is so banged up it’s ridiculous. Plus, everyone goes crazy about being 1-5. This is a new team with new coaches and new systems…as well as those injuries, They have played and lost to ASU 5-1 (just beat Utah), BYU 6-0 (surprising everyone, including the Big 12, North Texas 4-1 (currently beating FAU) and Idaho 4-2 (had a lot of momentum coming to Laramie after playing a good Oregon team close). And we just lost in a nail biter to SDSU. I still think we will see several more wins before the end of this year. 6 wins would be great, but I’m thinking 5. Yeah, it sucks, but far better than 1-11 or 2-10. That all said, I do think Anderson should be the qb.

RC Decker The offensive coordinators, an idiot, get rid of him and will be all right. There’s a reason Michigan State get rid of Him

Brett Larson I don’t care how mad people get at me, Wyoming football has a bad coaching problem. Take a look at the drive right before the 2 minute timeout. We have the ball and are facing a crucial game changing 3rd and 2 call, Sawvel substitutes guys on the line with 6 SECONDS left on the play clock! What. The. Hell? Because of the stupid substitution the line was left confused and the middle linebacker came through the B gap unblocked and 17 was sacked and the game was over. Sawvel never has his team prepared never and makes in game adjustments. He needs FIRED.

Paul Janney HC Sawvel signed a five-year contract worth $5.8 million with Wyoming that runs through 2027

– University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players