Wyoming

[andy3175]

Update on WYO 22... according to WyDOT, construction to build a detour of the collapsed section of WYO Hwy 22 over Teton Pass could be ready for driving by the middle of next week.

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/06/18/teton-pass-temporary-fix-could-be-paved-and-re-open-by-middle-of-next-week

An end may be in sight for Jackson, Wyoming, workers who live in Idaho and have had to add hours of extra travel a day to get around a "catastrophic" failure of Highway 22 that has kept Teton Pass closed for a week and a half.

On June 8, a large chuck of the mountain slid away from under Highway 22 at milepost 12.8, sending it into the ravine below. This event and the full-blast, 24/7 road reconstruction effort is now being referred to as the "Big Fill Slide."

On Monday night, the Wyoming Department of Transportation announced that officials hope to have a temporary rerouting of the road paved by the middle of next week and the road opened to traffic "soon after."

Opened about an hour ago. Will post a non-FB link if I stumble across one.

https://www.facebook.com/100064686821344/posts/pfbid0KPpTdTSGiSdRHA9EZDzKbFmDf6ppSmo5Fkc15LpFMAXNSAKsF4ixQtYf1VXKJtBVl/?

On May 1, 2025, The Wyoming Department of Transportation reported to the Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee (see https://www.wyoleg.gov/Committees/2025/J08) that the slope failure/landslide that caused Wyoming Highway 22 to collapse and slide off Teton Pass on June 8, 2024, was not avoidable and was caused by extreme, fast-changing weather conditions. The Big Fill Slide project was a rapid reconstruction effort to build the temporary roadway shown in the following photo from WyDOT. However, additional work is needed for the permanent solution.



https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/05/03/failure-that-caused-teton-pass-to-slide-off-mountain-was-unavoidable-wydot-says/

The actual mudslide that caused the collapse was triggered several thousand feet up the mountain from where the road was eventually wiped out, leaving several feet of mud over the top of the highway. ...

Shortly after the slide, Gov. Mark Gordon issued an emergency declaration, allowing WYDOT to be able to apply with the federal government for emergency repair money. ... Under this program, for the first 180 days after an event, the feds will reimburse 100% of all costs. After that, the costs move to a 50/50 split with the state.

A box culvert was installed on Teton Pass by WYDOT to better channel mud during future runoff and high moisture events. This came at a cost of $1.4 million. ...

Two days after the Highway 22 collapse, WYDOT started developing plans for a temporary detour route to get the road back open, and on June 28, 2024, they accomplished that — just 20 days after the slide wiped out the road. ...

About one week after the slide, WYDOT also issued a request for proposals for a permanent reconstruction of the road. The agency decided to build the road back as it had been prior to the slide.

Fulton said some members of the public questioned why they didn't move the road to avoid future slides. Doing so would've increased Highway 22's 10% grade to 22%, or required the construction of another horseshoe switchback in the road, he said. ...

The actual work on this part of the project started in September, with work continuing through Dec. 16. Fulton said the work stopped at this point because the quantity of snow became too much to overcome. ...

Stabilizing the slopes above the incident cost about $11 million and installing drainage pipes and various foam glass aggregates for the base of the road cost another $30 million.

[bing101]

Road Guy Rob takes a tour of the tunnel in Wyoming.

[rte66man]

https://www.dot.state.wy.us/news/final-paving-work-on-the-big-fill-slide-will-close-teton-pass-for-the

Final paving work on the Big Fill Slide will close Teton Pass for the weekend of June 21
June 6, 2025
Jackson, Wyo.  The Wyoming Department of Transportation and contract crews from Ames Construction will be entering the final phases of work this month on the Big Fill Slide on Wyoming State Highway 22, Teton Pass. As crews pave the final stretch of new roadway, WYDOT will need to close the road to traffic for the weekend of June 21. The closure is planned to begin the evening of June 20, at 6 p.m. and will run through Saturday and Sunday, opening back up on Monday, June 23 at 6 a.m. Crews will work 24 hours a day, with an hour by hour schedule to expedite the work. During the closure, drivers will have to detour around Teton Pass using US 26 through Swan Valley and then into the Snake River Canyon.

During the closure, WYDOT and crews will be milling, grading, placing crushed base, paving, installing guardrail and signs. WYDOT came to the decision after weighing alternative schedules with the contractor, discussing how they could accommodate the work with the least amount of impact on drivers and commuters.

"We really only had two options. We could do the work under a lane closure, which would only give drivers one, alternating lane of travel for ten days or more. If we did that, it would cause extensive delays and wait times for drivers for weeks, backing up traffic on the mountain every day. Those delays would likely be longer than the detour around during commuter times. After discussing with the contractor and local stakeholders, we thought it was best for the community if we just close the road and get the work done quickly in one weekend," WYDOT resident engineer Bob Hammond said.

During the weekend closure, WYO 22 will be closed to vehicles at the Coal Creek Campground on the west side of the pass and closed to vehicles at the mile marker 7 road closure gate on the east side of the pass. During that time, bicyclists and recreationalists will still have access to Coal Creek Campground on the west side, as well as access to the top of Teton Pass from the east side. However, WYDOT asks that those walking or biking be cautious and aware of heavy trucks traveling to and from the work site and not to descend west toward the construction site.

WYDOT and the contractor are confident the work can be completed in a single weekend, but unpredictable weather and other unforeseen variables could necessitate last-minute changes to the plans. WYDOT remains committed to updating the public with timely information and recommends that drivers who travel the area sign up for 511 Notify Text alerts to receive up-to-date information about the work. Drivers can sign up for 511 Notify at 511Notify.

With the calendar hitting the one year anniversary of the Big Fill Slide event, WYDOT remains aware of the impacts the road failure and subsequent construction has had on the people and economies in both Wyoming and Idaho.

"We know how this has impacted the commuters in the area. We are asking for your support and patience one more time. We're almost there, and soon the public will be driving on the new, paved alignment after the closure," Hammond said.

For more information about the Big Fill Slide, visit our media kit at: Big Fill Slide.
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