Wyoming’s Teton Pass roadway to reopen with detour June 28, 3 weeks after collapse

KTVX
·3 min read
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JACKSON, Wyo. (ABC4) — Wyoming State Highway 22, a roadway through Teton Pass that saw a collapse in what’s being called the Big Fill landslide on June 8, will reopen to traffic on Friday, June 28 with a detour.

The Wyoming Department of Transportation reports that crews have been working “around the clock for the last three weeks” since the collapse to create a paved, two-lane detour. For those needing to take the road, officials said a text message alert will be sent via the state’s 511 Alert system Friday when the road reopens.

PREVIOUS: ‘Catastrophic Failure’: Teton Pass road collapses, long-term closure expected

The detour is roughly 600 feet long but is around 11% steeper than the original roadway, which has led to a lower speed limit. Motorists will need to slow to 20 mph.

“We saw the viral video of the collapse, and it is a testament to the expertise and dedication of our Wyoming Department of Transportation that they were able to mobilize to construct this temporary road. WYDOT is now working diligently on the next steps for the full rebuild, keeping motorist safety paramount,” said Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon. “Our residents, commuting workforce, and visitors – this road is open to you. I applaud everyone who has come together to solve this problem and help – that’s the Wyoming way.”

June 25 picture of the reconstruction. Courtesy Wyoming Dept. of Transportation.
June 25 picture of the reconstruction. Courtesy Wyoming Dept. of Transportation.

The detour will have a gross vehicle weight limit of 60,000 lbs. Officials said in a press release that the temporary detour “meets or exceeds minimum requirements as outlined in guidance from the Federal Highway Administration.”

While cracks originally appeared in the roadway as early as June 6, inclinometer measurements in May did not show “unmanageable movement” in the roadway. WYDOT said that a sudden 25-degree temperature change led to snowpack in the mountains melting more quickly than expected. The extra water saturated the material under the roadway, causing the clay soil to fail.

Luckily for motorists, the roadway was already closed on the day of the failure. A mudslide event nearby kept anyone from being hurt during the collapse, according to WYDOT.

As for a long-term solution, WYDOT officials say they’re reviewing what kind of permanent fix would be best. The steep grades of the pass make building a bridge in the area unfeasible.

June 27 picture of nearly completed work on the roadway. Courtesy Wyoming Dept. of Transportation
June 27 picture of nearly completed work on the roadway. Courtesy Wyoming Dept. of Transportation

“This is why you generally see switchback-type designs through the mountains,” states an FAQ about the collapse. “It’s a safer way to traverse steep grades for vehicles. General safety design indicates that a 5-6% grade is a safe steepness for most vehicles. Teton Pass was built in the 1960s with a 10% grade. A bridge through the area would more than likely have a 20-25% grade.”

Wyoming officials are hoping to tap into emergency federal funding to help finance the reconstruction. Gov. Gordon declared an emergency shortly after the collapse to be able to tap into such funding.

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