JACKSON, Wyo. — The Teton County Board of County Commissioners approved additional funding, in the amount of $27,000, to be applied toward the WY390-Granite Entrance Station Pathway Connector project, during its meeting on Tuesday, June 4.
The project involves extending the existing WY390 pathway 280 feet north to the Grand Teton National Park boundary to improve safety for people entering and exiting the pathway.
Currently, the pathway ends south of the entrance station and pedestrians and bikers are directed onto WY390 at a point where traffic can be moving at speeds up to 45mph. The new pathway will be located approximately 100 feet north of the entrance kiosk where traffic is restricted to 15mph or less. The Teton County portion will be located within the WY390 right-of-way and will require extending the existing culverts in Granite Creek to accommodate a widened roadway/pathway section.
In February 2023, Teton County awarded a contract to Harmony Design and Engineering for the civil design of the project, and the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) requested additional hydrologic studies of Granite Creek prior to pathway construction.
The pathway will now include a crossing of Granite Creek, requiring wetland mitigation. The additional funding will be directly applied toward the assessment of the surrounding land features and hydrology of the creek. Due to embankment widening for the proposed pathway, additional studies are needed to ensure Granite Creek’s stability and to monitor flooding. The additional assessments will include site survey and geomorphic/land assessment, vertical and horizontal channel stability assessment and culvert hydraulics analysis and floodplain mapping.
The information provided by these additional studies will allow the County to submit permit applications to WYDOT for the eventual project construction.
