WYO 70 in southern Wyoming open for the season

SARATOGA, Wyo. – WYO 70 over Battle Pass is open for the season beginning today, June 1.

Crews from Saratoga and Baggs have been working to clear the road from their respective sides of the Sierra Madre and completed the work this week.

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.

WYO 70 and WYO 130 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.

The seasonally-closed section of Snowy Range Road (WYO 130) opened last week.

Both roads close annually in late autumn when relatively low traffic and deep snow accumulations render plowing operations impractical. They 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 70 has a target opening time of early June. It opened on May 15 in 2012, May 24 in 2013, June 3 in 2014, May 27 in 2015, and June 9 in 2016.

Travelers should also be prepared for possible closures due to winter-like weather on both WYO 130 and WYO 70 even after they open.

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