District News

Headquarters Commission awards nearly $6.8 million in contracts in July

CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded almost $6.8 million in contracts for four Wyoming Department of Transportation construction projects during its July 20 regular business meeting.

A $2.7 million bid was awarded to Sheridan-based Advanced Electrical Contracting Inc. for a project involving electrical work, traffic control, sidewalk, curb and gutter and other work in various locations within Carbon, Converse, Goshen, Johnson, Natrona and Platte Counties. The contracted completion date is October 31, 2024.

The commission awarded a nearly $1.8 million bid to Casper-based Oftedal Construction Inc. for a combined project involving seeding, erosion control, traffic control, grading and other work on US Highway 14/16/20 in Park County. The contracted completion date is October 31, 2023.

Cheyenne-based Simon Contractors was awarded a $1.1 million bid for a project involving paving, traffic control, grading, fencing, milling and other work on about 0.5 mile of Wyoming Highway 387 in Campbell County. The contracted completion date is July 31, 2024.

The three projects above are primarily funded with federal dollars. The only work primarily funded with state dollars awarded this month is a combined project involving structure work, traffic control, paving and other work on a portion of Interstate 80 and Wyoming Highway 212 in Laramie County. Cheyenne-based Reiman Corp. was awarded a $1.2 million bid for that project, with a contracted completion date of June 30, 2024.

Almost all WYDOT projects are awarded to the lowest bid.

District 1

WYDOT projects caused delays during Cheyenne Frontier Days

CHEYENNE – Many of the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s construction projects in Cheyenne were put on pause during the “Daddy of ‘em All,” but there were some lingering traffic impacts that caused delays for motorists attending CFD festivities.

Construction work on the Interstate 25 bridge over Lincolnway was suspended for the duration of the event. Speed limits were raised through construction zones and a detour was implemented to facilitate better traffic flow.

Traffic control shifted to close two exits from I-80 to I-25 north and redirect traffic through a short detour via Lincolnway.

Heavy event traffic was expected throughout CFD week, especially near Missile Drive interchange for the Parkn-Ride and Randall interchange for the CFD Park itself. The I-80/I-25 detour should not impact these exits.

The Terry Ranch Road project remained closed throughout Cheyenne Frontier Days, but had minimal impact on travel.

I-80 traffic detoured for bridge rebuild

LARAMIE – Crews with Reiman Corp. and the Wyoming Department of Transportation temporarily detoured Interstate 80 traffic by the Curtis Street Bridge rebuild on July 7.

The detour was for the safety of the crews and the traveling public while the center girders for the Curtis Street Bridge were secured.

Traffic was detoured to the on and off ramps at exit 310/Curtis Street.

The operation happened in two phases. I-80 detoured traffic again on July 10, with the same detour.

The project is expected to be completed in September 2023.

Utility work along I-80 in Cheyenne

CHEYENNE – Travelers on Interstate 80 experienced delays as crews with Black Hills Energy began utility work on July 10.

I-80 had interior lane closures in both east and westbound lanes between mileposts 353-355 to facilitate the repair of overhead power lines in the area.

Motorists were encouraged to watch for lane closures, reduced speed limits and other traffic changes during the project.

Utility work was complete by the end of the day July 12.

Chip seal project caused delays in Laramie

LARAMIE – Motorists around Laramie experienced minor delays as a chip sealing project began June 29.

Chip sealing helps preserve the pavement and improves pavement traction. This chip seal project is a continuation from last year in the same area.

Crews with Knife River began work on Wyoming Highway 230 at milepost 2.5 and ended at milepost 11.5.

Drivers encountered pilot car operations and 30 mph speed limit signs through construction zones to eliminate potential vehicle damage.

District 2

Casper I-25 traffic lanes switch ahead of bridge replacement project

CASPER – Lane shifts, reduced speeds and other work was encountered by drivers June 27-28 on Interstate 25 through Casper as northbound traffic shifted onto the southbound lanes prior to construction on I-25.

On June 28, traffic, roughly between the area of McKinley and Poplar streets, was reduced to one lane in each direction in the southbound lanes. Motorists encountered flaggers at the ramps, pilot cars and other safety measures designed to make the initial crossover as safe as possible. Once traffic was shifted, the speed limit through the area was posted at 45 mph.

The traffic shift comes as contractors prepare to remove five bridges (F Street, two I-25 bridges over the North Platte River and two over Center Street). All five will be replaced starting with the removal of the F Street bridge over the river.

The project replaces the aging bridge structures and includes new road surface between the interstate structures. The project covers 0.97 miles and is expected to take two years to complete. The estimated cost of the project is $57.6 million.

District 3

Drilling work had traffic impacts on Teton Pass

JACKSON – Jorgensen Associates, Inc. performed geotechnical drilling work along Wyoming Highway 22, Teton Pass, the week of July 10. The work took place between mileposts 13.5-17.2 (Coal Creek trailhead to the Idaho State Line) during daytime hours.

A single lane of traffic was controlled by flagging operations. Intermittent work took place over weekends. Crews concluded work by July 31.

The subsurface investigations are being conducted for future BUILD project planning and are being performed on behalf of Teton County.

Signal timing adjusted at WYO 22, WYO 390

JACKSON – WYDOT has made adjustments to the signal timing at the intersection of Wyoming Highway 22 and Wyoming Highway 390, the Village Road, to accommodate seasonal and daytime traffic flows.

WYDOT engineers moved a fraction of time from the WYO 390 leg of traffic to WYO 22 to allot more traffic to flow off WYO 22/Teton Pass during certain times of day, so traffic doesn’t back up onto the pass.

The summer congestion exceeds the roadway’s capacity. That, coupled with crash delays, construction and turning movements, has created, at some points, gridlocked lanes. WYDOT hopes to alleviate some of this congestion on WYO 22 with the signal timing changes.

“During the summer months, the traffic volumes on 22 and 390 are beyond the capacity of the existing highways. Basically there are more cars than the road can handle. The highways have historically backed up for several years on weekdays in the summer. WYDOT recognized a safety problem with traffic being stopped on the steep grades of Teton Pass in the morning – and into town in the evening – creating complete gridlock,” WYDOT resident engineer Bob Hammond said.

“WYO 390 has been backing up some, but not to the same extent at the other legs of the signal. WYDOT has to balance the movement through that signal and safety of the public. A decision was made to adjust the signal timing on the light at 22/390,” he added.

WYDOT typically adjusts signal timing based on traffic volumes reflective of season and time of day. Excessive volumes on WYO 22 have resulted in WYDOT examining what adjustments can be made to alleviate some congestion and promote safer conditions for drivers.

With the timing changes, drivers on WYO 390 may see an increase in congestion and wait times at the light. WYDOT will continue to monitor and make adjustments to the signal timing in response to observations and changes in traffic patterns.

“We will be adjusting the timing every few days to find that balance. We understand that this means traffic on WYO 390 will have to endure more delay. There is only so much time to go around,” Hammond said.

Work underway on La Barge Road, WYO 150 south of Evanston

ROCK SPRINGS – The Wyoming Department of Transportation, along with contract crews from Avail Valley Construction, LLC conducted resurfacing work south on Wyoming Highway 372, south of the Wyoming Highway 28 intersection, from mileposts 17 to 26.

On June 27, crews began hot-in-place recycling operations, where the pavement was milled and re-used to pave the roadway. During daytime hours, traffic was carried through the work areas at reduced speeds on a single lane using flaggers and pilot cars.

Delays were expected and lasted 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Drivers encountered a 13-foot width restriction for vehicles through the project area.

During nighttime hours, traffic was detoured around work zone equipment with the use of a signal. The work was followed up by chip seal operations in mid-July.

Operations moved to Wyoming Highway 150 south of Evanston in mid-July.

The completion date for the contract is July 31, 2023.

District 4

Landslide mitigation work underway on US 14 west of Dayton

SHERIDAN – The Wyoming Department of Transportation and its contractor, Coggins and Sons, began working on repairing a 300-foot section of right-of-way and shoulder near milepost 69.8 on US Highway 14 south of Steamboat Point.

This portion of US 14 is constructed on a steep slope and has been sliding for several years. WYDOT geologists have monitored the section and determined mitigation is needed to prevent the road from failing.

Contractors set up traffic control on July 13 in preparation for work. Traffic signals were placed at both ends of the project where motorists encountered about a 5-minute wait at the signal. The speed limit was reduced to 35 mph on either end of the project and 20 mph through the construction zone. A 14-foot width restriction was put in place on US 14 during the project.

This project has a completion date of Nov. 30, 2023.

District 5

Chief Joseph Scenic Highway (WYO 296) slide repair underway

CODY – A $2.06 million slide repair project started July 6 on Wyoming Highway 296, about 27 miles west of the WYO 296/Wyoming Highway 120 intersection west of Cody.

Prime contractor on the Chief Joseph

News continued from page 7

Scenic Highway slide is Oftedal Construction, Inc. of Casper. Contract completion date is Oct. 31.

Project work on the Telephone Creek slide consists of slide repair, including construction of a dirt toe berm, installation of slide stabilization rock, roadway settlement repair and other work at milepost 18.7 on WYO 296.

“Slide stabilization work has begun,” said Wyoming Department of Transportation Resident Engineer Todd Frost of Cody. “Roadway traffic is moved into one lane and is controlled by flaggers during working hours and temporary traffic signals during non-working hours, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Motorists encountered the 20 mph slowed speed throughout the Telephone Creek slide work zone.

A 12-foot width restriction was put in place for the duration of the slide repair project.

US 14A chip sealing to complete 2022 project

LOVELL – Chip sealing began July 24 on the mountain section of US Highway 14A east of Lovell, and traffic delays of up to 20 minutes were expected.

The 9.7-mile project begins at milepost 70.72 on US 14A, about 24 miles east of Lovell, and concludes at milepost 80.42.

The $3.7 million Lovell-Burgess Junction pavement improvement project was completed in 2022, with the exception of chip sealing.

Prime contractor is Century Companies Inc. of Lewistown, Montana.

US 310/WYO 789 pavement improvement near Deaver

WORLAND – A $4.16 million pavement improvement project began the week of July 17 between Deaver and the Wyoming-Montana state line on US Highway 310/Wyoming Highway 789.

Mountain Construction Co., of Lovell, is the prime contractor on the 7.5-mile project.

The contractor stripped topsoil from the shoulders and began asphalt milling operations. Motorists encountered traffic delays of up to 20 minutes.

The pavement improvement project begins near Deaver (milepost 249.49) and runs through Frannie and to the Wyoming-Montana state line (milepost 257).

The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded the project to Mountain Construction Co., on Nov. 17, 2022. Contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2023.

Project scope includes a 2-inch asphalt pavement overlay and a chip seal finish. Pavement milling is expected to take about two weeks to complete, with another two weeks of paving. Chip sealing will last about a week.

Waltman Rest Area closed two days for chip sealing

THERMOPOLIS – A two-day rest area closure allowed the contractor working on passing lane paving improvements to chip seal the Waltman Rest Area parking lot between Moneta and Waltman east of Shoshoni on US Highway 20/26. Including the parking lot chip seal inside the Waltman Rest Area, the $4.64 million project includes asphalt pavement surfacing, chip sealing, traffic control and other work on the entire width of the highway at seven sets of passing lanes.

Project completion date was June 30, 2023.

US 14/16/20 paving west of Cody

CODY – Paving of a 5.28-mile highway settlement repair project began the week of July 10 west of Cody on US Highway 14/16/20, adjacent to Buffalo Bill Reservoir.

The $5.9 million project is located on US 14/16/20 between Trout Creek (milepost 36.41) and Buffalo Bill State Park Campground and Boat Launch (milepost 41.69).

Prime contractor is Mountain Construction Co., of Lovell. All work, except reclamation and other miscellaneous items, is required to be complete by Aug. 31. Contract completion date is Oct. 31.

The US 14/16/20 project scope includes settlement repair at four locations, rotomilling of existing asphalt pavement surfacing, placing 2-inches of pavement overlay, chip sealing, minor slope flattening and other work.