WYDOT public meeting Sept. 9 on Dry Piney Connectivity Project
by Wyoming Department of Transportation
August 18, 2021
The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) will be hosting a public meeting on Sept. 9 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Marbleton Town Hall, located at 10700 Hwy 189 in Marbleton, about the Big Piney Wildlife Connectivity Project on U.S. Highway 189 between La Barge and Big Piney. The meeting will share information about the upcoming project details and construction schedule.
The project was awarded this summer to McMillen, LLC, out of Idaho for a total construction cost of $13.7 million dollars.
In 2019, WYDOT received The Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant for $14.5 million from the U.S Department of Transportation to construct eight underpass wildlife crossings, fencing and related improvements along the 19-mile stretch of US 189 between La Barge and Big Piney.
The crossings and fencing will provide a safer means of travel for motorists while ensuring wildlife can continue to use historic migration routes. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) estimates that crossings built in this section of highway would be used by approximately 3,000 mule deer, 300-500 pronghorn, 100-150 elk and 50-100 moose annually.
In addition to the $14.5 million BUILD grant, the Wyoming Transportation Commission and the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission both contributed $1.25 million for a total of $2.5 million toward the Dry Piney project. WYDOT will also receive funding for the project through the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Volgenau Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Knobloch Family Foundation, the Muley Fanatic Foundation and the WYldlife Fund. These private funds were further matched by the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust, which the legislature approved during the 2021 session. The Sublette County Commission also supported the project in-kind with the use of their gravel pits adjacent to the project.
"The cost associated with building wildlife crossings can seem daunting, but Wyoming has a proven system of drawing on local support to leverage federal funds," Chris Colligan, wildlife program coordinator for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition said.
"There is a systematic approach to this work in Wyoming that starts with the coordinated leadership at our state agencies to make our highways safer for our families and wildlife," he added.
More general information about the design and construction schedule will be available at the meeting and online here.
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