Snowy Range Road open for the season

May 25, 2017

LARAMIE, Wyo. – Snowy Range Road (WYO 130) over the Snowy Range is open for the season.

Crews swung open the gates earlier today.

Travelers are advised that current high country conditions can be wet with cold nights. All vehicles, especially motorcycles and bicycles, should watch for patches of frozen runoff before the morning sun dries the road surface.

Crews from Laramie and Saratoga have been working to clear the road from their respective sides of the Snowy Range for several weeks. They met on May 15, but last week’s snowstorm added several inches of new snow to be cleared.

Focus now turns to WYO 70 over Battle Pass, which is still closed for the season.

All travelers should also be prepared for possible closures due to winter-like weather on both roadways even after they open.

WYO 130 over the Snowy Range and WYO 70 over Battle Pass close annually in late autumn when relatively low traffic and deep snow accumulations render plowing operations impractical. Both roads closed for this season on Nov. 28, 2016.

After the snow is cleared, crews must also make any necessary repairs to the road before it reopens.

WYO 130 has a target opening date of Memorial Day weekend. It opened on May 15 in 2012, May 23 in 2013, May 24 in 2014, May 22 in 2015, and May 25 in 2016.

WYO 130 and WYO 70 are two of several high-elevation mountain roads in Wyoming with seasonal closures. WYO 130 tops out at more than 10,800 feet, and WYO 70 crosses the Continental Divide at the 9,955-foot Battle Pass.

For information about this news release, contact WYDOT District 1 public information specialist Matt Murphy at (307) 745-2142 or (307) 287-8749, 

snowy-open-web.jpg