Road collapse
WY22 over Teton Pass,
Saturday, July 8, 2024. WYDOT
photo.
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Teton Pass closed indefinitely due to catastrophic road failure
by Pinedale Online!
June 8, 2024
The Wyoming Department of Transportation reported that WY22 over Teton Pass suffered a catastrophic failure that completely destroyed a section of the road and underlying fill material. A "long-term closure is expected," they said.
Fortunately, WYDOT personnel had some warning of road issues and had closed the road earlier, so no one was on the road or injured when the roadway collapsed. A crack had been observed in the road surface at milepost 12.8 on Thursday, June 6th. Multiple mudslides were reported along the route recently. A large mudslide occurred early Friday morning at milepost 15 near the scale house, flowing across both lanes of traffic. The road was closed as construction crews were onsite working to clean up the mudslide. The growing crack at milepost 12.8 was an increased concern as it indicated movement of the underlying fill material. Crews were in the process of attempting to create a detour around the road damage area when the slide occurred early Saturday morning, June 8th. No one was injured and no equipment was lost when the road collapsed.
There is no estimate for when WY22 over Teton Pass will reopen. WYDOT said, "a long-term closure is expected." Repair will require major engineering work since the entire road surface and underlying fill material collapsed and slid into the ravine below.
This closure significantly impacts travelers and commuters driving between Jackson and Victor, Idaho. Drivers will need to find an alternative route and plan for additional travel time. The shortest detour is to travel through Alpine, Wyoming and go through the Snake River Canyon on US 26/89. This route takes an hour and 45 minutes compared to the 35 minutes to travel over Teton Pass. Teton Pass will be unusable for the foreseeable future, likely weeks, possibly months to repair.
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon issued an Executive Order on Saturday, June 8th, declaring an emergency in response to the catastrophic failure of Wyoming Highway 22, Teton Pass. The declaration will help the State access additional resources from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to begin the substantial repairs required.
Recreationists and curious residents are being asked to avoid the area until it can be stabilized. WYDOT will share any updates on the status of Teton Pass through its website and social media channels, in addition to the WYDOT 511 app.
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