WILSON, Wyo. — On Monday, June 24, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced the immediate release of $6 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief funds for the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) to offset the costs of repairs on Teton Pass.
According to the FHWA, this emergency funding will help ensure that WYDOT won’t have to re-budget funds for current and future construction projects around the state. Governor Mark Gordon’s emergency declaration allowed WYDOT to be eligible to receive this emergency funding so quickly.
“The Emergency Relief funding we are providing will help get repairs done as soon as possible and restore temporary access to the area during the busy summer tourist season,” Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt said in the announcement.
As WYDOT crews work to open the Teton Pass detour, a new alignment is being constructed to improve stormwater drainage.
“The appropriate measures will be in place to ensure proper drainage for the temporary detour and future reconstruction,” WYDOT wrote on social media on Saturday, June 23.
According to civil engineers, above-average soil moisture and heavy late-season snow contributed to the collapse of Teton Pass, so adequate water drainage is central in the reconstruction. Additionally, accelerated snowmelt rates due to early spring high temperatures, could have also played a role in destabilizing the already saturated soils.
According to WYDOT, the design of the detour addresses drainage improvements by contouring the fill to ensure that water flows will be directed away from the temporary detour. In 1969, engineers placed the roadway so that it did not require culverts for drainage. Crews are utilizing the existing contours of the original alignment to allow surface run-off to be naturally carried away both north and south of the fill.
