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The morning commute through the Snake River canyon will likely be congested for one more day. The Wyoming Department of Transportation said on Thursday that Teton Pass will “reopen midday Friday with an interim detour around the Big Fill landslide at milepost 12.8.” Earlier in the week WYDOT announced plans to open the road on Friday but did not provide specifics on time of day. WYDOT said a text alert will be sent through the Wyoming 511 app and alert notifications when the road is officially open.
Teton Pass has been closed for three weeks since a massive landslide caused the collapse of a large portion of the road. Since then WYDOT has worked earnestly with the Idaho Transportation Department and contractors to create a temporary detour road in order to reopen the pass. The closure caused heavy traffic through the Snake River Canyon during peak times as commuter traffic from Idaho was forced to drive around Palisades Reservoir to Alpine and join Star Valley commuters through the Snake River Canyon.
WYDOT Teton County officials began work on a detour around the site immediately after its collapse on June 8. Crews from Evans Construction and WYDOT personnel have been working around the clock for the last three weeks to construct a paved, two-lane detour to connect the severed communities in the Teton Valley
“We saw the viral video of the collapse, and it is a testament to the expertise and dedication of our Wyoming Department of Transportation that they were able to mobilize to construct this temporary road WYDOT is now working diligently on the next steps for the full rebuild, keeping motorist safety paramount,”
Governor Mark Gordon said. “Our residents, commuting workforce and visitors – this road is open to you. I applaud everyone who has come together to solve this problem and help – that’s the Wyoming way.”
The current 60,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight restriction will remain in place as the road opens. There will be no additional restrictions. Trailer traffic will be allowed, but WYDOT encourages drivers to be cautious and aware of the reduced speed and obey all traffic signs. More information about driving Teton Pass is available here:
https://www.wyoroad.info/Highway/Teton.pdf.
WYDOT’s professional geologists have evaluated the stability of the detour roadway. Geotechnical analysis confirms that the temporary detour meets or exceeds minimum requirements as outlined in guidance from the Federal Highway Administration. The calculated factor of safety for stability of the detour exceeds 1.2, with 1.1 being the minimum acceptable to WYDOT’s professional licensed engineers.
WYDOT remains committed to monitoring the area with geologic infrastructure, including real time information on subsurface movement and ground based radar detection, along with personnel inspections.
The new detour is roughly 600 feet long, with a grade of 11.2 percent and a sharper curvature. The speed limit will be reduced to 20 mph through the area. Crews are currently striping and placing barrier. WYDOT estimates the road to open around midday Friday, June 28. Drivers are encouraged to sign up for 511 Notify alerts at
https://www.wyoroad.info/511/511NotifyAnnouncement.html. A text alert will be issued when the roadway is open for traffic.
At the mudslide location at mile marker 15.5, crews have installed the box culvert and are planning for paving operations today. Work has been underway to improve drainage at the site. The Wyoming Transportation Commission recently awarded the emergency bid to Avail Valley Construction LLC during a special meeting. The work was originally scheduled for completion around the same time as the temporary detour, but to provide more flexibility in the schedule, the work will continue after the temporary detour at milepost 12.8 is opened. However, WYDOT and Avail Valley are committed to conducting the work under two-way traffic, so as not to impact travel on Teton Pass.
Courtesy photos: WYDOT
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