JACKSON, Wyo. — Drivers should expect delays in Hoback Canyon and on Teton Pass on Tuesday morning while crews perform maintenance on avalanche infrastructure, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) announced Monday.
Motorists will see brief closures of up to 20 minutes on US189/191 through the Hoback Canyon between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., WYDOT said. Work on Teton Pass is expected to take place from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and also include 20-minute closures. Roadside flaggers will control traffic for the operation.
“All times are approximate and dependent and subject to change,” says WYDOT.
Drivers should consider that 20-minute road closures could lead to longer traffic delays, depending on the volume of cars on the road at a given time.
Crews will be utilizing a helicopter in the Stinking Springs area of Hoback Canyon to do some general maintenance and refueling of the avalanche infrastructure known as the O’Bellx units, which are used to remotely trigger smaller controlled avalanches aimed at preventing dangerous conditions.
Once the work is done in Hoback Canyon, the helicopter will move to Teton Pass to replenish fuel for the gazex system, which also remotely triggers avalanches.
“For the safety of the traveling public and the safety of WYDOT crews, the road must be briefly closed and free of moving traffic for helicopter operation,” WYDOT said. “Ideally, motorists should only see brief delays as the helicopter carries the O’Bellx units down the mountain.”
