WILSON, Wyo. — It was a who’s who gathering of local, statewide and national officials at Stilson on Wednesday afternoon for a double ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of both the Big Fill Slide road fix on Teton Pass and the Snake River Bridge expansion project.
Gov. Mark Gordon and Rep. Harriet Hageman both delivered remarks at the event, along with Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) Director Darin Westby, Teton County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Mark Newcomb and Ames Construction Project Manager Rob Wise. WYDOT staffers set up backdrops featuring aerial photographs of the completed projects, framing Stilson’s view of Teton Pass in the distance.
Gordon praised WYDOT and Ames Construction for their collaboration on the pair of projects, which ended up unfolding simultaneously. In his remarks, he said the projects were “remarkable achievements” that facilitated “people enjoying what this country has to offer, which is some of the most glorious country God has ever made.”
“There’s an old maxim in Wyoming,” Gordon said. “Do it the right way, and do it right away. Those came together in this deal.”
The governor also expressed his gratitude to the state’s collaborators in Idaho, including Idaho Gov. Brad Little and the Idaho Department of Transportation, who sprang into action when the Teton Pass landslide occurred last summer.
Westby also took the opportunity to read off a long list of collaborators to thank, shouting out WYDOT’s Resident Engineer Bob Hammond and Public Relations Specialist Stephanie Harsha.
“The grace that was shown throughout these projects was tremendous,” Westby said.
Gordon and Westby both sported yellow feathers in their cowboy hats, a symbol of suicide prevention and awareness.
Chairman Newcomb compared the response team to all-star athletes.
“When the road slipped, I harkened back to the Michael Jordan era when it comes to sports,” Newcomb said. “Back in the day, MJ would say, ‘I don’t know what I’m gonna do with the ball until I’m up in the air.’ When that landslide happened, WYDOT went up in the air; when they came down, a true engineering marvel had been done with creative materials and creative engineering. It’s going to be effective for — I’m gonna guess — the next 100 years. Truly, kudos.”
Newcomb also took the opportunity to poke some fun.
“A lot of politicians know where Jackson is when it comes to raising money, but they may not know where Wyoming is,” Newcomb said. “I’m not saying VP Vance doesn’t know where Wyoming is, but maybe you could give him a pop quiz next time you see him,” he addressed to Hageman.
Rep. Hageman shared that she worked in highway construction while she was in college, and that “hot mix” is one of her “favorite smells.”
“Every time I drive through a construction zone, I roll down the window,” she said, joking that she was available for construction jobs in Jackson this summer.
She took a more serious note in applauding the quality of the projects.
“I want to emphasize that this was not just a quick fix, it was the result of science, experience and an unwavering commitment to public safety,” Hageman said of the Teton Pass repair. “We are not just pouring concrete, we are supporting communities,” she said about the Snake River Bridge. “Thank you for this incredible project and what it does for the future of Wyoming.”
Attendees included local leadership, including State Senator Dan Dockstader; State Reps. Liz Storer and Mike Yin; Jackson Mayor Arne Jorgensen; County Commissioners Natalia D. Macker, Luther Propst, Len Carlman and Wes Gardner; Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr; Teton County Clerk Maureen Murphy and Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins. They were joined by crews from WYDOT and Ames Construction who did the physical labor on both projects. The gathered crowd listened to the politicians’ remarks in blistering afternoon sunlight.
