Nearly three weeks after the catastrophic failure of the main highway connecting Wyoming to southeast Idaho, a temporary detour for the Teton Pass has reopened after non-stop work from crews.
A landslide on June 8 knocked out State Highway 22 that runs through the Teton Pass, which connects Jackson, Wyo., with Victor, Idaho.
No one was on the highway when it collapsed due to a nearby mudslide, but the roadway was being closely monitored due to cracks that had formed in the days before.
The event forced drivers to take a detour of 85 miles around the collapse, a journey that took nearly two hours to complete.
"While temporary, this detour safely reconnects communities and gives commuting families their valuable personal time back," said Darin Westby, the director of the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT), in a statement.
The agency said the temporary roadway meets or exceeds minimum requirements of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), but there are increased restrictions.
A 60,000 pound vehicle weight restriction is in place, and due to a steeper grade, the speed limit has been reduced to 20 mph.
National Weather Service meteorologists attributed heavy spring rainfall in combination with a significant snowmelt, which led to an increase in landslides and flooding.
In addition to the road repairs, crews also said they also installed culverts and improved drainage to an area vulnerable to mudslides about 3 miles away.
WYDOT says a permanent fix is still in the works, which it hopes to have in place by winter.
"The Teton Pass is a key route for workers and visitors traveling between Idaho and Wyoming, and the emergency funding we’re sending will help reopen and restore access to this important roadway as quickly as possible," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, in a statement. "In discussing the situation with WYDOT, it has been clear how urgent the need is to support their efforts to reconnect one of the region’s heavily traveled mountain thoroughfares - and to make our infrastructure more resilient to future weather events."
Source: Fox Weather, KTVB.com
