UPDATE: Teton Pass weekend closure for Big Fill Slide work rescheduled for June 27-30

Jackson, Wyo.  The Wyoming Department of Transportation and contract crews from Ames Construction have rescheduled the weekend closure for Wyoming State Highway 22, Teton Pass, from the weekend of June 21 to the weekend of June 28, due to weather delays and scheduling conflicts.

Crews are entering the final phases of work this month and as crews pave the final stretch of new roadway, WYDOT will need to close the road to traffic for the weekend of June 28. The closure is planned to begin the evening of June 27, at 6 p.m. and will run through Saturday and Sunday, opening back up on Monday, June 30 at 6 a.m. The hourly work schedule will remain the same, and crews will work 24 hours a day to expedite the work. During the closure, drivers will have to detour around Teton Pass using US 26 through Swan Valley and then into the Snake River Canyon.

During the closure, WYDOT and crews will be milling, grading, placing crushed base, paving, and installing guardrail and signs. WYDOT came to the decision after weighing alternative schedules with the contractor, discussing how they could accommodate the work with the least amount of impact on drivers and commuters.

“We had some rain recently that put us behind schedule, and we wanted to make sure the crews were absolutely ready for the compressed weekend schedule. We didn’t want to schedule the closure during the week and disrupt commuters, so we opted to move the work to the following weekend,” WYDOT resident engineer Bob Hammond said.

During the weekend closure, WYO 22 will be closed to vehicles at the Coal Creek Campground on the west side of the pass and closed to vehicles at the mile marker 7 road closure gate on the east side of the pass. During that time, bicyclists and recreationalists will still have access to Coal Creek Campground on the west side, as well as access to the top of Teton Pass from the east side. However, WYDOT asks that those walking or biking be cautious and aware of heavy trucks traveling to and from the work site and not to descend west toward the construction site.

WYDOT and the contractor are confident the work can be completed in a single weekend, but unpredictable weather and other unforeseen variables could necessitate last-minute changes to the plans. WYDOT remains committed to updating the public with timely information and recommends that drivers who travel the area sign up for 511 Notify Text alerts to receive up-to-date information about the work. Drivers can sign up for 511 Notify at 511Notify.

“I know that rescheduling the work will impact people’s daily lives, but we want to be sure we are ready when the weekend comes,” Hammond said.

For more information about the Big Fill Slide, visit our media kit at: Big Fill Slide.

WYDOT would like to remind drivers to remember to obey all roadside signs, traffic control devices and closures.  For more information on construction projects across Wyoming, visit our web site at www.wyoroad.info, select the “map” link, and highlight “construction” on the additional layers menu.