WILSON, Wyo. — The ongoing bridge replacement and intersection construction at WY22 and WY390 has continued to cause delays this summer as more cars take to the valley’s road system.
The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) announced on June 28 that the agency has adjusted the traffic light timing at the intersection to better accommodate seasonal and daytime traffic flows on WY22.
Engineers have reportedly moved “a fraction of time” from the WY390 traffic light to WY22, to allow more traffic to flow off WY22 “during certain times of day.”
According to WYDOT, the summer congestion has exceeded the roadway’s capacity and at some points, gridlocked lanes.
“During the summer months, the traffic volumes on 22 and 390 are beyond the capacity of the existing highways,” WYDOT Resident Engineer Bob Hammond said. “Basically there are more cars than the roadway can handle. The highways have historically backed up for several years on weekdays in the summer. WYDOT recognized a safety problem with traffic being stopped on the steep grades of Teton Pass in the morning, and into town in the evening, creating complete gridlock.”
With the timing changes, drivers on WY390 may see an increase in congestion and wait times at the light. WYDOT will continue to monitor and make adjustments to the traffic light timing in response to observations and changes in traffic patterns.
“We will be adjusting the timing every few days to find that balance,” Hammond said. “We understand that this means traffic on WYO 390 will have to endure more delays. There is only so much time to go around.”
The projects at the intersection of WY22/390 include the construction of a four-lane bridge, a new “Florida T” intersection—which will allow traffic on WY22 headed towards Jackson to bypass the traffic signal—four new wildlife crossings and two pedestrian underpasses. A new multi-use pathway from Wilson to Stilson is also being constructed this summer. The groundbreaking of the project was last week.
