WILSON, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) shared an update on the Teton Pass closure on the evening of Monday, June 17, stating that progress is being made both on the detour project at milepost 12.8 and on the mudslide containment project at milepost 15.
WYDOT also shared an update video on Wednesday, June 19, offering a glimpse at the detour project in action.
WYDOT and Evans Construction crews are nearing completion of “the dirt work” at the site of the Big Fill Slide, which means they’ll be preparing the new segment for paving operations next. Paving is expected to be complete in about a week. Soon after paving, the road should open to traffic, WYDOT said. Expect more updates as this project progresses.
The new roadway will include two 12-foot lanes and concrete barriers. WYDOT said the detour has been constructed on the interior of the former roadway, “away form the unstable slide area.” The agency also noted that the road is being built out of “quality material to build a solid foundation for the road.”
“WYDOT’s engineers, geologists and other licensed professionals with several decades of experience have done their due diligence to ensure the detour is safe for traffic,” WYDOT Director Darin Westby said in a statement.
Monday’s update said WYDOT’s geologists have been researching the site of the slide to learn more about the integrity of the soil beneath the roadway.
“Crews have taken material off the old embankment and used it as some of the detour fill, which will relieve the driving forces that are pushing on the slide,” the update said.
Over at the site of the mudslide, an $880,600 emergency bid to Avail Valley Construction (based in Victor, Idaho) has funded a box culvert drainage project at milepost 15. Initially projected to be completed on a similar timeline as the milepost 12.8 detour, WYDOT now predicts that this work might continue after the detour opens. WYDOT said it is “committed to conducting the work under two-way traffic, so as not to impact travel on Teton Pass.”
In a show of support for WYDOT’s efforts, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg posted a photo to social media depicting a meeting with Westby.
“I met with WYDOT Director Westby for updates on the emergency repairs underway on a portion of Highway 22 near the Wyoming-Idaho border,” Buttigieg posted. “Teton Pass is a key route for workers, residents and our supply chains. USDOT will be supporting WYDOT’s work to get things here back to normal.”
