WILSON, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) provided a Teton Pass closure update at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 7, sharing that its crews are still contending with the mudslide at milepost 15. The agency noted that the road is expected to remain closed through Friday night while crews continue working.
“Crews have been working to clear the debris, but additional material continues to flow into the roadway,” WYDOT’s update said. “There is no estimated time of completion.”
The pass has been hit with a double whammy over the past 24 hours. Road damage at milepost 12.8 shut down the pass for three hours on Thursday, June 6, and despite the construction of a temporary road patch, “continued movement” of the roadway is requiring WYDOT to address that problem simultaneously.
“Crews are now working on a temporary solution to stabilize the slide area by removing the asphalt on the roadway, minimizing the weight on the unstable ground,” WYDOT said. “This in turn will help reduce the driving force pushing the movement. The road will be realigned closer to the mountain in shoe fly [sic] detour configuration, similar to what drivers see on a two-lane road construction project. WYDOT is currently mobilizing crews and equipment to perform the work.”
The combination of these two ongoing projects will cause further delays in opening Teton Pass.
“Both the ongoing work at milepost 15 and milepost 12.8, Teton Pass will likely remain closed for the rest of the day and tonight,” WYDOT said. “Crews will be working to open the road within the next day or two, but opening will be dependent on availability of equipment and contractors, as well as weather. Work will be ongoing at milepost 12.8 as WYDOT crews pursue a more permanent solution.”
