Hey, Answer Girl -

I believe that the city/state is planning to put a new stop light on Wyoming Boulevard, near the westside Wal-Mart. Rather than put in another stop light, have they considered putting in a pedestrian walkway over Wyoming Boulevard similar to the one south of Sears?

- Tom

The Wyoming Department of Transportation currently has no plans to build any kind of walkway over Wyoming Boulevard, said spokesman Jeff Goetz.

Reasons include money - those walkways cost about $1 million to build - and lack of use.

The pedestrian signals in the area are timed to allow someone to walk across the street without running, and for now that's all WYDOT plans to do.

You're right about more stoplights near the Wal-Mart, too. Construction of lights at Eagle, Plaza and Talon drives at the Wyoming Boulevard intersections began on Monday, and is expected to take about three weeks at each location.

Hey, Answer Girl -

What was the County Annex building before the county annexed it?

- Curious

The building began as the Virginia Hotel, and became a landmark in Casper.

The hotel came about in 1910, when the Burlington railroad reached the city that would, within a decade, experience an oil boom.

It was renamed the Century Building, according to a 1976 Star-Tribune article, because it's located at 100 N. Market St., 100 N. David St., and the 100 block on W. First St.

According to the same article, "it was built like a fortress," with 16-inch-thick walls.

A 1992 Casper Journal article has the county as the building's "new" owner.

Thanks to Kevin Anderson at the Casper College Western History Center for digging through newspaper archives.

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Answer Girl tackles questions about Casper, the universe and everything else. Submit your questions by e-mail to megan.lee@trib.com, or call Megan Lee at (307) 266-0616. Write to Answer Girl, Box 80, Casper, 82602. Visit the AnswerLabs Blog Place at tribtown.trib.com/groups/AnswerLabs_Blog_Place.