TETON COUNTY, Wyoming – Crews with the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) and Evans Construction are working hard to reconnect Wyoming State Highway 22 after the catastrophic collapse of Teton Pass that occurred on June 8. A temporary detour is currently being built with packed dirt, with a goal to reopen the detour to the public in just a few weeks (with some weight restrictions). Professional engineer and YouTuber Casey Jones, however, is questioning the plan behind the project.
“WyDOT officials have decided on a course of action to continue working on constructing an adjacent section of new roadway and opening it to traffic in just 2 weeks and they are a week in at this point. This aggressive time table is unlikely to provide sufficient time to determine the causes of the failure, access which areas of the highway embankment may also pose a risk of failure and to determine the best methods for resuming traffic flows. I provide details associated with the geotechnical engineering aspects of these issues.“
RELATED: Projected Timeline For Reopening Of Teton Pass Announced
According to East Idaho News, plans to rebuild the collapsed Teton Pass for the longterm are still being developed, with no timeline currently made available to the public.
“WYDOT’s response through this crisis demonstrates the commitment, passion and ingenuity of our crews. We certainly want to thank ​the Governor, the Federal Highway Administration, the Idaho Transportation Department, the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, Evans Construction and the US Forest Service​ for their quick response, teamwork and dependability in our time of need.” – WYDOT Director Darin Westby
