Five at-grade intersections down to three, with the new road about as wide as the old. The only direct private property access was the one school, and a house right next to it.
The only reason I can conceive for this bypass to be necessary was to flatten out grades through town; maybe it was a problem for truckers? The area's lumpiness is most visible in Google Terrain view; grades aren't so apparent on the old alignment in GMSV, though we can see a WB passing lane (climbing lane). On the new alignment OTOH, we can see big rock cuts, especially where it ties in at the E end.
