JACKSON, Wyo. — The Teton County Board of County Commissioners rescinded the county’s two emergency resolutions this morning July 29, related to the Teton Pass road failure on June 8.
During the voucher meeting, Deputy County Attorney Keith Gingery presented the item to the board.
Most notably, the resolution ends the use of Legacy Lodge as emergency housing for commuters. The board voted three to two on July 18 to approve temporary use of the 53-unit building. A week before, on June 12, the board approved a resolution that allowed use permits to be waived for property owners offering temporary shelter. That resolution is also rescinded.
In the days leading up to the “Big Fill” landslide that carried the road into the ravine and upended the lives of commuters for three weeks, crews from the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) and Evans Construction crews had been working to handle the twin problems of a mudslide at milepost 15 and a growing crack in the road at milepost 12.8, both of which had caused short-term closures of the road.
The road reopened on June 28 with a temporary 600-foot road segment. The new road segment possesses a sharper curve and steeper grade, prompting a 20 mph speed limit through the detour. Trailer traffic is allowed, and the standard summer weight limit of 60,000 pounds of gross vehicle weight remains in place.
While a full reconstruction plan has not been released, on June 24, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration announced the immediate release of $6 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief funds to offset the costs of repairs for WYDOT.
WYDOT says crews worked on a new alignment while constructing the detour, to improve stormwater drainage, one of the factors that contributed to the failure due to heavy late-season snow and above-average soil moisture.
