BOISE, Idaho — Commuters who used the Teton Pass in Wyoming rejoice as the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) opened the temporary route on Friday after the road was closed for three weeks.
As previously reported, on Friday, June 8, the road at milepost 12.8 on Teton Pass, which links Idaho to Wyoming, "catastrophically failed," WYDOT said. The road was already closed due to a previous mudslide, and no one was injured.
In a Friday news release, WYDOT said the slide site will continue to be monitored, and plans are being developed. Officials hope to have a more permanent solution built before the winter season.
For now, the detour will feature two 12-foot lanes, one in each direction and concrete barriers on the outer portion of the road to protect drivers.
“While temporary, this detour safely reconnects communities and gives commuting families their valuable personal time back,” WYDOT Director Darin Westby said. “This process underscores the vital importance of infrastructure like mountain passes that connect people to work, family, medical care, affordable housing and other necessities.”
Officials from Wyoming and Idaho worked around the clock as the road linked both states. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, the US Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration helped by providing WYDOT with emergency funding.
“I think every Wyoming resident or regional commuter can be proud of their transportation department,” Westby said. “WYDOT staff from a variety of departments and areas of expertise rolled up their sleeves and got to work for the people – a master level class in public service.”
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