JACKSON HOLE, WYO – WYDOT is reporting Hoback Canyon is again closed after an early morning mudslide oozed over US 189/191 in the same spot as yesterday.
The Wyoming Department of Transportation says large chunks of debris have come down off the hillside and clogged the ditches that were dug out yesterday to catch the water flow.
Debris and mud has now flooded over the ditches and onto the road. Crews closed the road at 2:23am to begin clearing the mud and debris.
WYDOT is hoping to clear a single lane of travel and guide traffic through with a pilot car. Once a lane is cleared, crews will open the road.
WYDOT maintenance workers will continue to clean out the ditch alongside the road that was catching the flowing water for now, but engineers and maintenance technicians will be looking into other possible solutions today.
“At this point, we need to find the source and address it,” District Engineer Keith Compton said.
WYDOT maintenance crews will continue to inspect the canyon for any other potential movements.
UPDATE (10:30am): WYDOT has asked its Geology crew to come out and survey the area. Currently, all lanes are closed on US 189/191 between Hoback Junction and Bondurant, with a pilot car operation on scene for vehicles already in the area. WYDOT is asking motorists to avoid the canyon until open.
Crews are seeing no slowing of the debris flow and concern is still high for travel impacts.
UPDATE (11:30am): US 189/191 has reopened to normal, two-way travel.
