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Started by andy3175, November 21, 2014, 12:28:32 AM

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andy3175

Latest round of Wyoming highway improvements for summer 2017...

WyoDOT has its newsletter listing summer construction projects from across the state for summer 2017 at http://www.dot.state.wy.us/files/live/sites/wydot/files/shared/Public%20Affairs/RWG/April2017RWGWeb.pdf

Several projects are summarized below:

1. Business 90/U.S. 14-87/North Main Interchange

QuoteIn the northeastern part of the state, WYDOT will continue work on the $46.4 million North Sheridan Interchange project, which includes constructing a new interchange on Interstate 90, realignment and work on several streets in Sheridan. The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded the contract in June 2016. Crews completed phase one in 2016, which included grading and dirt work for the new interchange and Decker Road.

During phase two this year, crews will continue the interchange construction and construct new alignments on North Main Street, Yellowtail Drive, Industrial Road and Decker Road in Sheridan.

2. Interstate 90 bridge deck replacement between Buffalo and Gillette, affecting a six-mile segment.

3. Interstate 80 roadway reconstruction between Lyman and Granger Junction

4. Interstate 80 roadway overlay pavement between Rock Springs and Rawlins, which includes work on four bridges

5. Interstate 80 roadway pavement rehabilitation near Otto Road west of Cheyenne, which includes minor repairs to eight bridges

6. Interstate 80 overlay pavement and reconstruct three bridges near Pine Bluffs

7. Interstate 25 repair cracked pavement and widen shoulders approx. four miles west of Douglas

8. WYO 130-230 Snowy Range Road/Harney Viaduct - remove 53-year-old Clark Street viaduct, construct Harney Street viaduct, connect new viaduct with Snowy Range, and widen the Laramie River Bridge to four lanes. Completion date: July 31, 2019.

9. WYO 120 overlay 11 miles of roadway between Meeteetse and Cody

10. U.S. 14-16-20 rockfall mitigation work between Yellowstone National Park eastern boundary and Cody. This involves removing "loose rock and installing rock bolts, mesh and attenuators."

11. WYO 296 (Chief Joseph Highway) - replace old rockfall mesh with new mesh

12. WYO 94 - overlay 12 miles of highway near Douglas

13. U.S. 16 - smooth the pavement surface on nine miles of road between Ten Sleep and Buffalo

14. WYO 22 and U.S. 26-89-189-191-287 (The Y Intersection) in Jackson - remove rutting and relieve traffic congestion by "paving fiber strands will be incorporated into the new pavement for additional strength and rut resistance. The work also will include modifying the intersection to add a left turn off U.S. 26-89-191 onto WYO 22, removing the separate free right turns on and off WYO 22 and limiting movement into the intersection from Buffalo Way to a right turn only."

14. WYO 136 east of Riverton - repair 12 miles of road "by removing 3 inches of pavement, mixing it with oil and resurfacing the road with the same material."

15. U.S. 191 Spur (Elk Street) and Business 80/Business 30 (Dewar Drive) in Rock Springs - "remove the top section of road, mix it with an oil and resurface the road."

16. WYO 91 - remove the top section of road, mix it with a cement slurry, and resurface the road along an eight-mile segment between Torrington and Huntley.
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com


andy3175

More updates on some ongoing highway projects in Casper:

http://k2radio.com/casper-construction-updates-whats-opening-and-whats-closing/

QuoteCY Avenue (WYO 220): If you've been negotiating this construction since the beginning of April, your wait is almost over. Officials hope to have all four lanes of CY Avenue open to traffic next week. They still need to add a wearing course (the final, top layer of pavement) and paint the lines.

Wyoming Boulevard (WYO 258) at 12th Street Intersection Reconstruction: Traffic has now been switched to the northbound lanes, so demolition can begin on the southbound lanes. This means there is now no access to Wyoming Boulevard from 12th Street, or from Wyoming Boulevard onto 12th Street.  Please plan an alternate route.

Yellowstone (Old Glenrock Highway) (U.S. 20-26-87) Pavement Repair: Traffic control is being put in place on for a job similar to the CY construction. That project is projected to begin next week, to mill and repave the stretch from the I-25 overpass to Hat Six Road. No business accesses will be closed.
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

andy3175

Grand Teton plans roundabout at busy intersection (7/4/2017)

http://www.localnews8.com/news/grand-teton-plans-roundabout-at-busy-intersection/575000399

QuoteThe National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration are planning to build a Roundabout at the busy Gros Ventre Road and Sagebrush Drive intersection of US Highway 26/89/191.  
 
Grand Teton National Park will hold an open house Tuesday, July 11 at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson to explain the project.
 
Construction is expected to begin in spring 2018.
 
The intersection has an average daily traffic volume of approximately 14,200 vehicles and almost 200 bicycle riders during the summer season.  The Federal Highway Administration believes that high-speed, two-lane, rural road without traffic signals is probably the greatest safety risk of any type of intersection in the country. ...

The National Park Service, in partnership with Federal Highways, Wyoming Department of Transportation and Teton County, conducted safety audits and analyses, and evaluated several alternative solutions to the issue.   A roundabout was determined to be the best safety improvement for pathway users, highway users, and wildlife, as well as the best balance of safety, protection of scenic views and cost.  Other considerations included tunnels under the highway and Gros Ventre Road, bridge underpass with an additional pathway, pedestrian bridge, overpass or underpass with on and off ramps, stop light, and activated pedestrian crossing. 
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

SD Mapman

Quote from: andy3175 on July 08, 2017, 07:10:14 PM
15. U.S. 191 Spur (Elk Street) and Business 80/Business 30 (Dewar Drive) in Rock Springs - "remove the top section of road, mix it with an oil and resurface the road."

Will they sign US 191 Spur as well?
The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see. - G.K. Chesterton

andy3175

Quote from: SD Mapman on July 09, 2017, 02:49:35 PM
Quote from: andy3175 on July 08, 2017, 07:10:14 PM
15. U.S. 191 Spur (Elk Street) and Business 80/Business 30 (Dewar Drive) in Rock Springs - "remove the top section of road, mix it with an oil and resurface the road."

Will they sign US 191 Spur as well?

I don't think so. WyoDOT maintains the section of Elk Street between Business 80 and Interstate 80, but it is currently unsigned. The road essentially functions as a spur from U.S. 191 to Business 80, but there is no signage to that effect. WyoDOT inventories Elk Street along with U.S. 191 to the north as one continuous route under its unsigned system, but signs clearly show U.S. 191 leaving Elk Street to join Interstate 80 at Exit 104. I've always thought a new Business 191 could be created between Business 80 and Interstate 80 along Elk Street, with an overlap along Dewar Drive (Business 80) to reconnect to U.S. 191 (or alternatively along Blair Avenue/Blairtown Connector Road, but that is not a state-maintained road). But it seems WyoDOT is content for now to sign the northbound direction of Elk Street as "to Interstate 80 and U.S. 191" (see https://goo.gl/maps/9195dp2Pxy22) and the southbound direction as "Elk Street Rock Springs" (see https://goo.gl/maps/8ptArEbnGNy). 
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

andy3175

Interesting article about planned improvements on Laramie's Third Street (Business 80 and US 30-287): Tactical Urbanism Comes to Outlaw Country (9/8/2017) by Kriston Capps at https://www.citylab.com/equity/2017/09/tactical-urbanism-comes-to-outlaw-country/537429/

QuoteFrom the old Garfield Street Footbridge, trainspotters can idle away the day watching freight trains as they rumble through town. The railroad tracks run directly underneath the pedestrian bridge, a relic built by the Union Pacific Railroad Company in 1929. Around Laramie, hanging around on this bridge waiting for a train to go by is a favorite local pastime, shared by residents and visitors alike.

The bridge over the railroad tracks gives a view of Laramie's past as well as its future: You can see the steeple of the Swedish Lutheran Church that still rises over the old Scandinavian neighborhood on the West Side, as well as the colorful murals that now dot the historic downtown to the east. ...

The train corridor, which defines the western edge of downtown, is a fixed border that Laramie has learned to live with, and even embrace. Not so Third Street, the highway that divides the town again just a few blocks to the east. For four-and-a-half miles, Third Street doubles as both U.S. Highway 30 and 287, a major north-south Wyoming thoroughfare that zips through Laramie, parallel to the rail. The highway is nearly impossible to cross as a pedestrian. This means that nearby Second Street–Laramie's historic downtown corridor–is virtually cut off from everything to the east, including the University of Wyoming, the city's lifeblood.

Solving a problem like Third Street ought to be a straightforward affair–you knock out some traffic lanes, add some landscaping and sidewalks and cycle tracks, and re-focus the road to emphasize other users, not just high-speed drivers. Plenty of cities have figured out that slowing down cars is one surefire way to turn downtown streets into more walkable communities. But a road diet has never looked feasible for Laramie, a town of 32,400 in open-sky country that is about as hostile to taxes as it is inviting to dreamers; around here, most folks don't know Jane Jacobs from Calamity Jane. ...

In Laramie, Community Builders is working with stakeholders–the Laramie Main Street Alliance among them–on a project called 3, 2, 1 . . . 3rd Street, a suite of enhancements to slow down traffic along a mile-long stretch of the highway.

From gateway medians to new on-street parking to turning-lane restrictions, there's nothing particularly revolutionary in this package. What's more striking is where this is happening–in a state that's known to be allergic to anything resembling a top-down government intervention–and the outsized impact the project could have on Laramie. Right now, University of Wyoming students who want to walk from the pocket of bars and restaurants around 17th Street to the main drag on Second Street have to cross 60 feet of highway on Third to get there. Curb extensions and gateway medians will make that safe and feasible for UW students–and ostensibly attract new businesses to Third Street itself.

Laramie doesn't have the money to pull off 3, 2, 1 . . . 3rd Street alone. What makes this proposal possible is a plan already in place by the Wyoming Department of Transportation to repave and repaint this stretch of highway (and add some accessibility improvements) by 2020–your standard "mill-and-fill"  highway project. Laramie's project, including WYDOT's planned road work, is expected to cost several million dollars. Diverting state DOT funds to irrigate local needs is one of the goals of New Mobility West–an umbrella partnership between Community Builders and a few other like-minded regional groups to boost transit and transportation in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Colorado. ...

Some of those Third Street improvements will draw from the tactical urbanist toolkit–public artworks, for example–as a bid to signal to drivers that they're driving through (or one street over from) a funky and walkable downtown filled with indie bookstores and craft beer saloons and one witchy herb shop. Laramie is missing out on a lot of potential sales tax revenue from travelers hauling ass past town instead of rambling along the historic Lincoln Highway tours that the Laramie Visitor's Center put together. Take the recent solar eclipse: Bar and restaurant owners did a brisk business over the weekend leading up to the Solar Super Bowl. But lots of drivers heading north for the totality zone may have skipped through without ever realizing they were missing an artsy college town.

A link to the 3, 2, 1 ... 3rd Street report is at this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxF2nX7QBEntS3BpNE9kX0RIUlk/view

I've seen more pedestrian-oriented improvements along state maintained highways passing through urban cores in Wyoming, so this kind of project is not surprising. Laramie is very walkable place downtown, so improving ways to cross Third Street should be beneficial to the area.
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

andy3175

Article on improvements and changes to the "Y" intersection at US 26-89-189-191 and Wyo. 22 in Jackson:

http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/town_county/why-y-designers-did-it-that-way/article_f9e5b39d-dc35-588c-9800-f1a21549c8ee.html

QuoteBig changes are coming to the "Y"  intersection at Broadway and Highway 22. The traffic-plagued bottleneck sees a daily average volume of 22,000 vehicles, and the Wyoming Department of Transportation starts a revamp of the intersection on Tuesday.

"What's kind of interesting to us in the traffic nerd world is the only other place in Wyoming we tend to see that much traffic is on Interstate 80,"  WYDOT Engineer Christina Spindler said. "When we're talking about the "˜Y' we're talking about a traffic volume on par with a controlled access highway that moves thousands of people each day. We're also met with unique situations of pedestrians and bicycles and turning movements."

The planned improvements to the Y intersection will include:

- Elimination of "free" right-turn lanes from US 26-89-189-191/Broadway south/west onto Wyo. 22 west and from Wyo. 22 east onto US 26-89-189-191/Broadway south/west toward South Park
- Introduction of an adaptive traffic signaling system that can adjust to changing traffic conditions
- Creation of right turn only from adjacent Buffalo Way (a smaller connector road) onto US 26-89-189-191/Broadway, which would eliminate one movement from the signal cycle
- Addition of double left turn lanes from US 26-89-189-191/Broadway north/east to Wyo. 22 west
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

andy3175

Improvements coming to US 26-89-189-191 between Hoback Junction and Jackson, with first phase under construction between 2017 and 2019. Article is from May 2017.

http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/town_county/highway-expansion-ready-to-start/article_69c0bbf0-e081-570c-8a91-522e6ced5a90.html

QuotePlanning to widen and improve Highway 89 between Hoback and Jackson has been going on for 17 years. With federal funds in hand, WYDOT could begin construction as early as next week.

To avoid as many road closures and detours as possible construction work for the 7-mile project has been divided into two sections. The north project starts at milepost 145 on US 89, near the WYDOT building, and continues north to milepost 148 near the South Park Loop Road.

In 2014 the average annual daily traffic on that route ranged from 6,270 to 8,000 vehicles a day. WYDOT estimates the average annual daily traffic by 2035 will be from 9,060 to 12,240 a day. ...

To deal with the growing congestion and fix safety problems that section of Highway 89 will be expanded to five lanes – two lanes heading in both directions and a turn lane in the middle.

Work will also include new roadway pavement, turnouts, pathways, landscaping, and bridge replacements, as well as several wildlife underpasses, wildlife fencing and a pedestrian-and-bike pathway.

The life expectancy of such a job is usually around 20 to 25 years.

The anticipated completion date for the north section is June 2019. The project's south section will be bid in 2019.

The south section of the project runs from milepost 141 to 145. In that section the first half-mile will be expanded to three lanes, with the middle lane acting as a shared turn lane. The next mile will become a four-lane highway with two lanes heading north, one heading south and a central turn lane. The final 2 miles of the section will become five lanes like the north section of the project.
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

andy3175

The following article provides an update on progress to modernize US 212 Beartooth Highway, which links Cooke City and Red Lodge in Montana but passes through Wyoming along its 68 miles length. The road around 3 hours to drive under normal conditions, and its highest elevation is at Beartooth Pass, which is at 10,947 feet above sea level. This makes the US 212 Beartooth Highway one of the highest US-numbered highways in the country. It first opened to autos June 14, 1936, having been previously assigned designations as part of US 12 and US 312.

http://trib.com/lifestyles/recreation/m-goes-to-rebuilding-and-widening--mile-wyoming-section/article_c845c95c-d811-5a46-9567-f6c8c4503ab6.html

$16.6M goes to rebuilding and widening 1.6-mile Wyoming section of Beartooth Highway (US 212)
Lee Newspapers Mar 16, 2018

QuoteWyoming has been awarded a $16.6 million grant to rebuild the final segment of the Beartooth Highway, a section that's only 1.6 miles long but winds along a cliff that drops off precipitously into Beartooth Creek.

To work on that steep sidehill, engineers will design retaining walls to hold the road material so the highway can be widened without blasting into the rock cliffs, said Gregg Fredrick, chief engineer at the Wyoming Department of Transportation.

"We don't get to design and construct roads like this much anymore,"  Fredrick said. "It's kind of exciting that this last 1.6 miles has some funding and we will get this completed."

The seventh phase of reconstruction extends from milepost 24.5, just west of the Clay Butte Lookout turnoff, east to milepost 26.1 near Beartooth Lake at an elevation of about 8,500 feet. The work will include widening the road, improving road surface and drainage, replacing substandard bridges, constructing retaining walls to minimize environmental impacts, adding guardrails and signage and adding roadside pullouts. The reconstruction will also include two 3-foot shoulders on each side to accommodate bicyclists.

That means more delays for summer tourists driving the route in 2020 and 2021 when work will take place. The highway is closed in the winter but typically reopens to automobiles the Saturday before Memorial Day.

The route, known for its zig-zagging climb to almost 11,000 feet while passing through a tundra-like landscape dotted by mountain lakes, connects the Montana towns of Red Lodge and Cooke City to the East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

The federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant will bring the entire stretch of Highway 212 up to modern standards and will complete the reconstruction of the full 67-mile length of the highway.

"This work and these funds are vital to ensure the integrity of the road in years to come,"  said Bill Panos, WYDOT director, in a statement.

WYDOT is part of the Beartooth Steering Committee, which also includes the Montana Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Yellowstone National Park, U.S. Forest Service, Wyoming and Montana Congressional staff, and other federal, state, and local officials, tourism and community development organizations, and several nongovernmental organizations. The group has been working together to address the needs of the Beartooth Highway for nearly 25 years.

"This project wouldn't have been possible without the collaboration of everyone involved,"  Fredrick said in a statement. "The road is not included in the state highway system, which means a partnership like this is vital to getting this road reconstructed."

In other words, even though the road runs through a corner of Wyoming the state does not claim ownership of the route. Instead, the National Park Service has the responsibility to maintain the route.

Crews are already working on a section of road between milepost 28.4 to 31.5 – between Long Lake and the Top of the World Store – which officials anticipate will be completed by fall 2018. That project's price tag is $13.8 million and addresses similar issues.

When first contacted about the grant last week, WYDOT officials were unaware of the award that was touted in a press release from U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Tester helped secure the funding.

"The Beartooth Highway is the most scenic gateway to Yellowstone and draws tourists from around the globe who fuel Montana's outdoor economy,"  Tester said in his news release. "God doesn't make places like this anymore and we ought to keep them accessible. Finishing construction ensures folks can continue to visit the picturesque park and enjoy some of the best hiking, biking, and fishing Montana has to offer."

The Beartooth Highway is designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation as an "All-American"  road because of its one-of-a-kind features.

"The highway is considered a destination unto itself and provides an exceptional travel experience connecting Yellowstone National Park, the country's first, with Red Lodge,"  said Sherry Weamer, director of the Red Lodge Area Chamber of Commerce, in a statement.

In Tester's news release he also reiterated his disapproval of Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke's proposal to raise entrance fees at parks like Yellowstone.

In October Tester said in a press release, "Americans already own these parks and they shouldn't have to empty their wallets to enjoy them. Glacier and Yellowstone should be accessible to all of us. This decision will price Montana families out of our public lands, and hurt local economies, which thrive thanks to our National Parks."

Last week while in Browning, Zinke, a former Montana congressman, said he plans to go ahead with the fee increases that would triple or double fees that travelers had paid in the past. He reiterated that plan during a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday.

"When you give discounted or free passes to elderly, fourth graders, veterans, disabled, and you do it by the carload, there's not a whole lot of people who actually pay at our front door,"  Zinke said. "So, we're looking at ways to make sure we have more revenue in the front door of our parks themselves."

http://www.yellowstonegate.com/2014/01/yellowstone-asks-wyoming-to-adopt-orphan-beartooth-highway/

Yellowstone asks Wyoming to adopt "˜orphan' Beartooth Highway
By: Ruffin Prevost | January 17, 2014

QuoteYellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk traveled to Cheyenne on Thursday to ask Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead and state transportation officials to participate in a unique adopt-a-highway program.

Wenk wasn't looking for volunteers to clean up roadside litter. Instead, he asked Wyoming to take ownership of an "orphan"  stretch of the Beartooth Highway. The soaring, scenic byway connects the Montana towns of Cooke City and Red Lodge, but it also passes through nearly 35 miles of high country just inside Wyoming's northern boundary.

Neither Mead nor members of the Wyoming Transportation Commission–which governs the state's Department of Transportation–appear eager to take on the massive financial burden that would come with assuming ownership of the road.

The question of who should pay to maintain the Beartooth Highway has been a political football almost since the road's completion in 1936. The issue has resurfaced after Congressional budget battles last year brought deep spending cuts under Sequestration to kick off Yellowstone's summer. The season ended with a two-week closure of all national parks under a partial federal government shutdown.

The National Park Service has assumed responsibility for most of the highway since the 1940s. But Wenk told Commission members that Yellowstone's newly reduced budget is now stretched too thin to make the Beartooth a prime concern.

"The work we do on the Beartooth Highway will always be secondary to the work we do in the park,"  he said. "I'm telling you it can't be our highest priority."

The Beartooth Highway is the only project funded and completed through the federal Park Approach Act of 1931, according to records from the Central Federal Lands Highway Division. A 1982 Interior Department legal opinion determined that, until a state or other entity assumes ownership of a segment, the Park Service has "the responsibility for the usual maintenance actions such as repaving, filling potholes, striping and even reconstruction of the road."
Changing travel trends

A 2006 report by the Federal Highway Administration states that "in the early years, Wyoming was never expected or formally asked to maintain"  its portion of the road, which primarily serves Red Lodge, Cooke City and Yellowstone.

But commissioners were reminded that automobile travel and tourism patterns have changed over the decades, and the route connects with Wyoming's Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, bringing an estimated $20 million in annual tourist spending to the gateway town of Cody.

Montana began maintaining 15 miles of the eastern section of the road in 1965, but most of the highway remains unclaimed by either state, according to FHA records. That includes a nearly 10-mile Montana segment–from Yellowstone's Northeast Gate through Cooke City to the Wyoming line–that is still maintained by the Park Service.

Portions of the highway are in poor condition, and neither state has wanted to assume the long-term costs of plowing, maintenance and reconstruction.

WYDOT chief engineer Del McOmie told the Commission that fixing outstanding issues on Wyoming sections of the highway would cost "many tens of millions of dollars,"  and estimated annual maintenance expenses at $480,000 or more.

The Beartooth has been nominated for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, and McOmie said that the highway's designation as a historical route could complicate and raise the cost of future design and repair work. He also stated that Wyoming already has a $64 million shortfall in maintaining existing roads.

Bruce McCormack, editor and publisher of the Cody Enterprise, is one of seven Transportation Commission members representing three- and four-county regions across Wyoming. He said after the meeting that the Commission is "obviously concerned about the high and uncertain construction and maintenance costs,"  as well as the highway's pending historic designation.

Allowing Wyoming to plow its segment of the Beartooth Highway is an idea some Cody business leaders have raised as a way to free up funds in Yellowstone's budget for plowing park entrances on time, while also ensuring the Beartooth is open by Memorial Day weekend each year.

McOmie said a state statute typically prohibits WYDOT employees from working on roads that aren't part of Wyoming's highway system, which the Beartooth is not.
More cooperation possible

Kim Capron, project coordinator for Friends of the Beartooth All-American Road, said a cooperative effort last spring between WYDOT and the Park Service to plow Yellowstone roads leading to Cody and Jackson, Wyo. proved that the state could work out a similar agreement for the Beartooth.

The Park Approach Act gave the Park Service authority to contract for maintenance of the road, but it never established a funding mechanism for maintaining the highway.

"That road is a national treasure, but we can never get to the point where someone cares enough to fund it properly,"  Capron said.

She praised the creative funding approaches WYDOT has adopted in recent years in seeking federal grants for the highway, as well as how the agency has cooperated closely with Montana and federal agencies to rehabilitate small sections of the road as money becomes available.

WYDOT officials have long said they would only consider adopting the road if it is brought up to the state's maintenance standards. Even if that happened, there appears to be little upside for Wyoming in taking over the road.

While it might free up money in Yellowstone's budget to ensure that spring plowing inside the park stays on schedule, many Wyoming officials are quick to point out that is already part of the Park Service's job.

Mead spokesman Renny MacKay said the governor believes "the Park Service should prepare a budget that provides for plowing its roads, opening on time and otherwise meeting its management responsibilities."

Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash characterized the meeting between Wenk and Mead as "cordial,"  and said they also discussed winter use, bison management and other issues.

Both MacKay and McCormack said Thursday's meetings were informative, and are likely to be followed by additional discussions and further consideration. But no immediate action from Wyoming is planned in response to Wenk's request.

Studies have shown that children are typically less likely to be adopted as they get older. Based on the cautious initial reactions to Wenk's request, the adoption prospects don't seem bright for the 78-year-old orphan that is the Beartooth Highway.

Contact Ruffin Prevost at 307-213-9818 or ruffin@yellowstonegate.com.
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

andy3175

https://buckrail.com/work-gros-ventre-roundabout-run-april-november/

Work on Gros Ventre roundabout to run April through November
Buckrail Posted On March 6, 2018



QuoteAuthorities in Grand Teton National Park announced today that construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Highway 89 and Gros Ventre Road/Sagebrush Drive in the southern area of the park will begin on Monday, April 2. Construction activities are expected to last all season through the end of November.

GTNP superintendent David Vela said, "There will be traffic impacts related to this safety improvement project, and we highly encourage travelers to plan ahead for minimal delays and to be aware of the construction schedule for related impacts."

Vela added the park is coordinating with Teton County and others to work together to best minimize impacts and provide for safe access for all users as multiple road improvement and safety projects may be occurring this year.

Here's what they're doing:

- construction of a roundabout with a landscaped center island,
- creation of a temporary two-lane bypass road with a pathway for use during construction,
- relocation of the existing north-south pathway along Highway 89,
- addition of a quarter-mile pathway segment to connect with Sagebrush Drive,
- installation of a formal parking area on the Gros Ventre Road near the intersection,
- installation of a snowplow turnaround on the north side of the intersection, and
- repavement on a short section of the highway south of the intersection to the Gros Ventre Bridge.

During construction, a two-lane bypass with a separated pathway will be maintained to reduce congestion on the highway. Due to reduced speed through the construction zone, travelers should plan for 15-minute delays between 5am-8pm, and 30-minute delays at night between 8pm-5am.

During the construction of the temporary bypass, the Gros Ventre Road may be closed for up to five nights in the late spring to early summer from approximately 6pm to 5am. The Gros Ventre Road may also be closed up to two weeks after September 15, 2018, between 9am and 3pm to complete final roadway improvements. Gros Ventre Road traffic will be rerouted via the Antelope Flats Road during these times.

There will be a temporary pathway closure between the Gros Ventre River Bridge and north of the Gros Ventre Intersection through May 15, and again in late September. Pathway traffic may travel on the roadway shoulder through the Gros Ventre Junction area during the closures.

Any road or pathway closure dates will be confirmed approximately one week in advance of the closure via media release, roadside signs, park road information phone line, park website and park social media.

No parking will be allowed within approximately one-half mile radius of the Gros Ventre intersection throughout the entire construction duration, including the Gros Ventre Road and Sagebrush Drive. Vehicles will be allowed to park in paved parking areas or pullouts located along Highway 89. ...

The park has been working for years with the Federal Highway Administration, Wyoming Department of Transportation, and Teton County traffic experts to analyze the benefits of a modern roundabout. It was identified as the most effective solution to provide the best balance of improved safety, protection of wildlife and visual quality, and cost at the Gros Ventre Intersection.

The completed roundabout will accommodate existing and future traffic volumes. Other alternatives that were reviewed included tunnels under the highway and Gros Ventre Road, bridge underpass with additional pathway, pedestrian bridge, overpass or underpass with on and off ramps, stop light, and activated pedestrian crossing.

The construction contract for the roundabout and other safety improvements was awarded to HK Contractors from Idaho Falls.
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

andy3175

#35
Never knew dust abatement applications were applied to the unpaved road linking WYO 390 with Grand Teton National Park:

https://buckrail.com/moose-wilson-will-close-again-for-dust-abatement/

QuoteThe unpaved section of the Moose-Wilson Road in Grand Teton National Park will be temporarily closed for seasonal dust abatement beginning 4am. Tuesday, July 24 and will reopen by 8am. Thursday, July 26. This routine dust abatement application happens several times during the summer on the approximately one-mile of unpaved section of the seven-mile road.

In addition, the unpaved section of the Moose-Wilson Road will be graded this summer to maintain a better and safer driving surface between dust abatement applications. To minimize the impact to visitors, the grading operations will be conducted at night between the hours of 8pm — 6am. Two grading operations are planned for one night in mid-August and late September. The unpaved section of the road will be closed to public access during these grading operations.

Dust abatement and grading operations will continue until the unpaved section of the Moose-Wilson Road is reconstructed and paved, as determined in the Moose-Wilson Corridor Comprehension Management Plan Record of Decision. The park is working in partnership with Federal Highways to create a preliminary design for the unpaved section, as well as other improvements to the road. Initial work is anticipated to begin in late fall 2019. ...

Electronic signs will be placed on Wyoming Highway 390 to alert park visitors and local residents of the scheduled road closure. For travelers heading south to Teton Village from the Moose area, signs will also be placed near the junction of the Teton Park Road.

The product used for dust abatement is a slurry of magnesium chloride-the same product that is used to treat dirt roads in and around Jackson Hole. This product coats the road surface, but it can also adhere to the undercarriage of vehicles. Motorists who drive the unpaved portion of the Moose-Wilson Road after it reopens on Thursday may want to rinse off their vehicles to eliminate any residue.
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

andy3175

Repairs began July 10, 2018, to fix Park County Route XUX, which is along WYO 296, Chief Joseph Highway:

http://www.kulr8.com/story/38616983/construction-starts-to-fix-destruction-of-wyoming-landslide

QuotePark County road workers are finally repairing a road that is buried in 30 feet of mud and debris. A Memorial Day weekend landslide along the Chief Joseph Highway in Crandall, Wyoming also buried and ripped apart cabins on the mountain side.

Park County Commissioners recently met with Crandall residents, and told them they couldn't start repairing County Road X-U-X until it dried out. The massive slide below Hunter Peak carried dead tree trunks from the 1988 wildfires, and live trees down the mountain.

Park County Commissioner Joe Tilden said geologists told them the land slide is part of an ancient slide. He said deep snow during the last two winters saturated the ground, and created a landslide that destroyed two homes.
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

andy3175

Pavement repair coming to WYO 233 Hams Fork Road near Kemmerer:

https://kemmerergazette.com/article/wydot-will-host-public-meeting-on-wyo-233-work



QuoteThe Wyoming Department of Transportation, along with representatives from Riverside Contractors, will be hosting a public informational meeting on the work that will take place on WYO 233, the Hams Fork Road. The meeting will take place on Thursday, July 12, at the South Lincoln Training and Events Center, 215 WY-233 in Kemmerer from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to present a tentative schedule of work and answer any questions residents might have about the projects.

WYDOT has been working on a pavement rehabilitation project on Wyoming Highway 233, Hams Fork Road, on 17.73 miles of WYO 233 beginning at about road marker 2. WYDOT representatives will be on hand to talk about the upcoming overlay on the Hams Fork Road, as well as the two slide repairs that will take place on WYO 233 in the future. The planned overlay will not be addressing the two slide areas on the Hams Fork Road at mileposts 12.5 (City Dam Slide) and 16.7 (Lake Naughton Slide). However, engineers will discuss when the slides will be repaired and the nature of the work.

The City Dam Slide is a result of settlement of the roadway over the years. WYDOT maintenance crews have been addressing the movement with frequent patching jobs. This slide repair job will be let in September of 2018 and will likely be constructed in 2019. 

The Lake Naughton Slide is located on the "Ten-Percenter" Hill. The settling of the roadway has resulted in a very uneven roadway surface. This project is also in the September 2018 letting and will likely be constructed in 2019. 
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

andy3175

#38
Quote from: andy3175 on July 08, 2017, 07:10:14 PM
8. WYO 130-230 Snowy Range Road/Harney Viaduct - remove 53-year-old Clark Street viaduct, construct Harney Street viaduct, connect new viaduct with Snowy Range, and widen the Laramie River Bridge to four lanes. Completion date: July 31, 2019.

The new Snowy Range Road Bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in Laramie opened to traffic on Monday, July 16, 2018.

http://www.wyomingbusinessreport.com/industry_news/transportation/snowy-range-road-bridge-opened-for-traffic-monday/article_4920f9a8-89d0-11e8-a734-8b4615bce2f8.html

QuoteAhead of schedule and under budget was the main message during a ceremony to open the new Snowy Range Road Bridge that now connects the west and east sides of Laramie.

The bridge was built to replace the old Clark Street Viaduct, which closed Monday. It is scheduled for deconstruction in the coming weeks. When the ribbon was cut, the new bridge became the new route most people will take to cross over the railroad tracks in the city.



Additional images: http://laramielive.com/snowy-range-road-bridge-officially-opens-to-traffic/

QuoteWYDOT Director Bill Panos said the bridge was the culmination of years of work, with meetings discussing the new bridge beginning in 1997.

Panos praised the hard work of the men and women who worked hard to make the bridge a reality, ahead of schedule and under-budget.


"This is what $23.5 million buys," Panos told those in attendance."So when we start talking about other highways and projects, use this as a comparison."

WYDOT Chief Engineer Gregg Fredrick said the project began over twenty years ago with a viaduct review committee.

"Today we stand on a state of the art bridge," Fredrick said. "But this bridge is about more than engineering, it's about community. This bridge connects a community."

Fredrick said the bridge recognizes the importance of other modes of transportation and has included wide sidewalks that provide for safe walking and biking.

Mayor Andi Summerville said there was huge amount of community input that helped shape the bridge.

The old Clark Street Bridge closed immediately after the Snowy Range Road Bridge opened, and WYDOT information specialist Matt Murphy said demolition of the Clark Street Bridge will begin this week.
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

andy3175

Upcoming road projects around Laramie (with completion of WYO 130-230 Snowy Range Road viaduct over Union Pacific Railroad):

http://www.laramieboomerang.com/news/local_news/wydot-updates-commission-on-new-bridge-other-projects/article_5bc38ed6-6c66-11e8-9331-37133653344e.html

In summary, the article cites a replacement bridge on Curtis Street (Business 80) over the Union Pacific Railroad in 2021, new guide signs along Interstate 80 in 2020, new pavement along Business 80 and US 30 Grand Avenue between 3rd and 15th Streets, and a study to improve the Interstate 25-80 interchange in Cheyenne and to widen Interstate 80 to three lanes in each direction between Laramie and Cheyenne.

QuoteProjects within city limits

(An) emerging project for WYDOT in 2019 is construction on Grand Avenue from Third to 15th streets at an estimated cost of $2.6 million.

"This is not necessarily the same type of project that (you've) seen last time on Grand Avenue, that was a much bigger reconstruction."  (WYDOT District 1 Construction Engineer Tim) Morton said. "This is a more of a mill and an overlay. We will fix some of the curbs and gutters that have deteriorated. We'll put new signals in."

Morton also said Third Street between Curtis and Boswell streets were due for maintenance in 2021.

"This is really a mill and an overlay, we'll address as much curb and gutter repairs as we can get to,"  he said.

Morton said they are planning to replace traffic lights and are working with the city to put in some enhancements such as medians or gateway improvements.

For 2022, Morton said they are looking at extending Bill Nye Avenue from 15th Street to Boulder Drive at a cost of about $5 million.

"We are working on a cooperative agreement with the city and the county ... for new construction to finish that road section around 15th Street,"  Morton said.

He said the Curtis Street Bridge project was slated for 2023 and the whole bridge would need to be replaced at a cost of about $7.3 million. He said WYDOT has hosted a meeting to inform the public and businesses on that side about the project. ...

The State Transportation Improvement Program presentation showed the projects for WYDOT District 1, which covers Albany County, most of Laramie and Carbon counties and a small part of Sweetwater County. This includes a large stretch of Interstate 80. Along with routine maintenance on I-80, WYDOT also has plans for I-80 sign upgrades.

"In 2020, we have I-80 sign upgrades – a lot of signs, big signs,"  Morton said. "So, we'll be out there with contractors setting new signs up and maintaining those."

The sign upgrades look to run about $900,000.

WYDOT District Engineer Tom DeHoff also updated the commissioners on I-80 speed limit changes, saying WYDOT plans to raise the speed limit to 80 mph between Creston Junction in Sweetwater County to the Rawlins/Johnson Road exit in Carbon County. He said I-80 east of Rawlins to Cheyenne will remain at 75 mph.

"The studies show that we can't raise it up to 80 in that section ... there are just several things that just don't allow that,"  DeHoff said. "In our long range plan, we are looking at trying to get variable speed limit signs all along I-80."

He also mentioned the new "move over"  law that will go into effect July 1 along with new signs.

"The new signs are being installed by our District 1 sign crew,"  he said. "The new sign says to move for emergency vehicles, but also for work vehicles."  ...

DeHoff said WYDOT is in the planning phase for two major projects that include the reconstruction of the I-80 and I-25 interchange in Cheyenne and widening I-80 to three lanes in each direction between Cheyenne and Laramie.

"We have hired a consultant to (work on) preliminary plans, and it will determine where it will widen, how it will look, what structures we have to replace,"  he said.

Another WYDOT update included a new wildlife-themed license plate that will be available by early 2019. DeHoff said they don't know what the design of it looks like yet, but the initial cost of the plate will be $150, then $50 to renew.

"The fees from this plate will go to a wildlife conservation account,"  he said. "That money will be spent on projects that have wildlife concerns – wildlife crashes with vehicular traffic. It could be signs, it could be a fence, it could be an overpass or underpass. It's not going to generate a lot for (an overpass or underpass) project, because an overpass, we are talking millions. But doing a fence or doing some signs, that's more attainable."
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

sparker

So they're finally getting around to dealing with the I-25/80 interchange, although only in the planning stage so far.  My guess is that there will be several configurations considered; likely the minimal change would involve adding C/D lanes to each of the facilities.  Since a full stack would likely not be considered simply because of cost, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see something like a "semi-turbine" interchange with direct NB 25>WB 80 and SB 25>EB 80 ramps added, but loops retained for the WB 80>SB 25 and EB 80>NB 25 movements, since those would intrinsically involve lower-traffic movements (and Nebraska-Denver traffic would have already shifted over to I-76).  One more obsolescent old cloverleaf either upgraded or replaced!

Henry

With all those projects going on, I wouldn't be surprised if the I-25/I-80 interchange got a makeover. Cloverleaf junctions between two Interstates just don't work anymore.
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

SoCal Kid

Does anyone know the story behind how the heck I-180 in Wyoming became a thing? Wikipedia has no info and cant seems to find any other articles about it...
Are spurs of spurs of spurs of loops of spurs of loops a thing? ;)

Verlanka

Quote from: SoCal Kid on April 07, 2019, 09:12:47 PM
Does anyone know the story behind how the heck I-180 in Wyoming became a thing? Wikipedia has no info and cant seems to find any other articles about it...

https://www.aaroads.com/west/i-180_wy.html

Scroll down to the "history" section to find out more.

SoCal Kid

Quote from: Verlanka on April 08, 2019, 08:56:39 AM
Quote from: SoCal Kid on April 07, 2019, 09:12:47 PM
Does anyone know the story behind how the heck I-180 in Wyoming became a thing? Wikipedia has no info and cant seems to find any other articles about it...

https://www.aaroads.com/west/i-180_wy.html

Scroll down to the "history" section to find out more.
I didn't know AARoads had pages about Interstates. Thanks, will read some more there
Are spurs of spurs of spurs of loops of spurs of loops a thing? ;)

The Ghostbuster

Does anyone think Wyoming will ever get rid of Interstate 180? I know they won't, but it's not like the roadway is lacking in other highway designations (Business 25/US 85/Business 87).

SoCal Kid

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on April 08, 2019, 04:02:14 PM
Does anyone think Wyoming will ever get rid of Interstate 180? I know they won't, but it's not like the roadway is lacking in other highway designations (Business 25/US 85/Business 87).
Possibly, could be resigned as SR-180. However I dont think there any plans to do so
Are spurs of spurs of spurs of loops of spurs of loops a thing? ;)

mrsman

Quote from: SoCal Kid on April 09, 2019, 12:59:24 AM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on April 08, 2019, 04:02:14 PM
Does anyone think Wyoming will ever get rid of Interstate 180? I know they won't, but it's not like the roadway is lacking in other highway designations (Business 25/US 85/Business 87).
Possibly, could be resigned as SR-180. However I dont think there any plans to do so
I like the idea of State route 180.  By using a number that fits the interstate system it shows that the routing is an important way to connect Cheyenne to 80, while acknowledging that the road in question does not meet interstate standards.

It serves a purpose that is similar te 905 in California.

Nexus 5X


andy3175

Article that mentions a long term Wy DOT employee who was involved in creating US 191 in Wyoming ...

https://www.sweetwaternow.com/david-fedrizzi-bids-farewell-to-department-of-transportation-after-61-years-of-service/

ROCK SPRINGS – The Wyoming Department of Transportation's longest running employee, David Fedrizzi, is bringing to a close a very long and successful career of 61 years.  ...

Fedrizzi has also become the unofficial historian for highway work in District 3, managing the micro fiche library of as-constructed plans and taking calls and requests about past work in the area. Looking back, Fedrizzi recalled one of the most impactful jobs in his career–the construction of US 191 from the interstate to the Utah line from 1961 to 1964.

"I worked on the East Side Road (191 South) and I campaigned hard for a lake side road,"  he said. "At the time, there was no road out there and no continuous route from Canada to Mexico. There was a missing link in that route from western Wyoming to the corner of Utah."

"That is why they decided to build it where it is today. It was a high-pressure job that needed to be built quickly — 56 miles of road in less than four years. We had to meet the time schedule and it would have taken too long to build a lakeside road,"  Fedrizzi added. 


Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

andy3175

#49
Fatalities on Wyoming's highways have been greater this year than in 2016, 2017, or 2018.

https://mybighornbasin.com/another-fatality-on-wyoming-highways-the-87th-of-2019/

QuoteOn July 15, 2019, a fatal crash occurred around milepost 23 on Wyoming 50 south of Gillette, Wyoming. Around 4:25 p.m., Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers were dispatched to the area for a motor vehicle collision.

A 1998 Dodge Ram was traveling northbound on Wyoming 50 when the vehicle drifted into the southbound lane colliding head-on with a 2003 Honda Odyssey.

The driver of the Honda has been identified as 29-year-old Kalamazoo, Michigan resident Stephen C. Y. Biddle. Biddle was wearing his seatbelt and succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the crash. Two other passengers in the Honda sustained injuries and were transported to the hospital.

The driver of the Dodge has been identified as 33-year-old Casper, Wyoming resident Sydney N. Peterson. Peterson was wearing her seatbelt and transported to the Campbell County Memorial Hospital for injuries sustained in the crash.

Driver inattention on the part of Peterson is being investigated as a possible contributing factor.

This is the 87th fatality on Wyoming's roadways in 2019 compared to 54 in 2018, 76 in 2017, and 49 in 2016 to date.

https://kgab.com/kansas-man-killed-in-i-80-rollover-east-of-rawlins/

QuoteA 38-year-old Mound City, Kansas man is dead after rolling his pickup east of Rawlins Thursday night.

It happened near milepost 233 on Interstate 80 around 10:30 p.m.​

Wyoming Highway Patrol Sgt. Jeremy Beck says Christopher W. Otto was headed west when he lost control of his pickup in a construction zone crossover and rolled it.

Otto was not wearing his seat belt and died at the scene.

Beck says driver fatigue, speed and inattention are being investigated as possible contributing factors.

Otto is the 85th person to died on Wyoming's highways this year.
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com



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