Also in this issue

Continued from front page over the past few years. There were 23 crashes for 2019-2020 winter season, eight crashes for 2018-2019, eight for 2017-2018, three for 2016-2017, seven for 2015-2016 and 13 for 2014-2015.

To avoid any collisions, WYDOT officials urge motorists to pay attention, put down the distractions and drive cautiously.

Motorists should stay a safe distance behind a plow until it’s safe to pass. WYDOT’s snowplows typically travel slower at speeds of 25 to 45 mph, depending on conditions.

Motorists should never drive into an area of the road where they can’t see what’s in front of them.

“If a motorist sees a cloud of snow ahead of them when they are driving, there’s a good chance it is a snowplow,” Reiner said. “Do not drive into that cloud. Motorists should stay back and wait to pass. If a motorists sees the plow and they need to pass, they should do so only if they absolutely need to.”

However, motorists should never pass a snowplow on the right side of a two-lane road. In that situation, a snowplow could be using its wing plow, a plow that sticks out from the side of a truck, and a motorist may end up colliding with that part of the plow.

To stay safe, motorists should stay far behind snowplows so they can drive on roads that WYDOT crews have maintained and also so the plow operator can see them in their rear-facing mirrors.

“If you can’t see to safely pass, a plow driver probably can’t see you either,” Reiner said. “We are urging the public to use caution and have patience. The snowplow will pull over to let you pass when they are able to and when it is safe for both the snowplow driver and the motorist.”

Before heading out, WYDOT officials are asking motorists to visit the department’s 511 travel information website at wyoroad. info, have an emergency kit, check their tires, plan for extra time to reach their destinations and let someone know where they’re heading.

Motorists can also visit WYDOT’s 511 website at https://wyoroad.info/511/WY511Mobile.html and install the 511 app for their smartphones. n

WYDOT plows create snow clouds and unsuspecting vehicles strike the plows when making unsafe passing decisions or while driving distracted.

District Briefs

Headquarters

Commission awards $15.3 million in contracts in February

CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Transportation will make minor repairs to eight bridges in Uinta and Sweetwater counties.

The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded a $4.6 million contract to Coldwater Group Inc., of Pleasant View, Utah, for the work on the bridges. The commission awarded that and eight other projects totaling $15.3 million at its recent meeting.

For the bridge work, crews will perform minor work, which includes pavement overlays and concrete repairs. Crews will also have traffic control in place. The contract completion date is July 31, 2022.

Along with the bridge work in Uinta and Sweetwater counties, the other contracts the commission awarded including pavement resurfacing, chip sealing and other bridge work.

The commission awarded Croell Inc., of Sundance, a $3.1 million bridge rehabilitation and road repair contract on US 16 beginning at milepost 26.76 between Worland and Buffalo in Washakie County.

Crews will perform minor repairs to the bridge, smooth out a section of the road that was damaged due to frost and pave about 7 miles of road. The contract completion date is June 30, 2022.

H-K Contractors Inc., of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was the low bidder on a $1.7 million chip seal contract. The work will take place at various locations in Lincoln and Sublette counties and within the city of Kemmerer, which is paying for its portion. The contract completion date is Aug. 31, 2021.

Reiman Corp., of Cheyenne, won a $1.7 million bridge replacement contract for a bridge on county road CN1-106, which is built over the BNSF railroad north of the community of Powder River.

The community received federal funds for the new bridge. The bridge needs to be replaced because a WYDOT inspection showed the load rating has decreased due to age and wear and tear.

Traffic will continue to drive on the old bridge while the new one is being built. The new bridge will be built next to the old one. The contract completion date is June 30, 2022.

The commission awarded Modern Electric Co., of Casper, a $1.1 million contract for a sign replacement and intersection project at various locations in

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Briefs continued from page 3 Cheyenne.

Crews will replace signs on Lincolnway and Evans Avenue, Central and 8th Avenues and Warren and 8th Avenues. Crews will also make Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades to three intersections and perform slab replacement at several locations. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2021.

Also awarded by the commission were contracts for: • $1.1 million to Reiman Corp. for a bridge rehabilitation contract on US 30-34 and WYO 487 by Medicine Bow in Albany and Carbon counties by

Oct. 31, 2021; • $682,5190 to Riverside Contracting

Inc., of Missoula, Montana, for a concrete slab replacement contract in Lovell and Powell in Big Horn and

Park counties by Oct. 31, 2021; • $533,990 to Harvey Contractors Inc., of Centennial, Colorado, for an epoxy pavement line contract at several locations in Albany, Campbell, Carbon,

Laramie and Sheridan counties by

Sept. 30, 2021; and • $488,960 to Streamline Markings Inc., of Billings, Montana, for an epoxy pavement line contract at several locations in Sweetwater and Uinta counties by Sept. 30, 2021.

Governor signs temporary order for propane deliveries

CHEYENNE – Gov. Mark Gordon signed an executive order recently that temporarily puts in place emergency rules for the Wyoming Department of Transportation that allows drivers to make extra propane deliveries to homes and businesses.

The order became effective Feb. 17 and continues through March 18. Demand for propane, which many people use to heat their homes, has increased because of recent frigid temperatures throughout the state. The emergency rule suspends regulations on driving hours to allow drivers to meet the increased demand but still indicates drivers cannot be on the road when they are fatigued. The propane delivery companies are specifically asked to take extra precautions to ensure both the public and drivers’ safety.

This order is specific to drivers bringing propane to Wyoming or doing in-state deliveries. The order also puts Wyoming in line with other surrounding states, which have implemented similar executive orders.

District 1

Cheyenne resident in custody following pursuit

CHEYENNE – Around 12:04 a.m. March 1, WHP troopers were notified of a vehicle all over the roadway. The complainant also stated the driver of the complaint vehicle was turning his headlights on and off. As units were responding, a second call reported the car had possibly crashed.

Around 12:18 a.m., a trooper tried to stop the vehicle, a 2014 Subaru, south of the Port of Entry on I-25 in Laramie County, but the driver failed to stop. The driver initially fled south before crossing the interstate and driving northbound. The driver displayed reckless behavior by driving with no headlights on, vacating the driver’s seat by crawling into the backseat while the vehicle was still moving and entering opposite travel lanes. The driver continued to elude law enforcement officers even after several attempts to perform Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI) maneuvers and use spike strips.

The pursuit changed travel direction multiple times on the interstate, and the driver continued to exhibit erratic behavior causing imminent danger to the public. Around milepost 15 on I-25, pursuing law enforcement units were able to use their patrol vehicles to pin the car to the side of the road as the driver started driving southbound in the northbound lanes toward stopped traffic.

The driver failed to comply with orders from the troopers. Law enforcement officers were able to use less than lethal force to take the driver into custody. Once the driver was detained, it was learned the driver had self-inflicted cuts on his arm.

Troopers administered first aid to control the bleeding on the driver’s arms, and he was transported to the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center.

The driver of the vehicle has been identified as a 33-year-old Cheyenne resident, Nickolas David Jones. Jones was charged with fleeing to elude, interference with a peace officer, careless driving, driving without lighted lamps, driving a vehicle with metal rims in contact with the roadway, driving without a seat belt, and driving the wrong way on the interstate.

The Cheyenne Police Department and Laramie County Sheriff’s Department assisted with the incident.

Bridge work on Curtis Street underway

LARAMIE – Weather permitting, crews with S&S Builders and the Wyoming Department of Transportation will start March 1 on some bridge rehabilitation work on the Curtis Street structure that crosses the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in Laramie.

Work is primarily focused on the bearings under the bridge and will necessitate some lane closures and speed limit reductions. Traffic will remain open in both directions, but motorists should be prepared for potential delays, especially during peak travel hours like morning and evening commutes.

Pursuit ends east of Rawlins

RAWLINS – On Feb. 19, a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation between Elk Mountain and Walcott east of Rawlins on I-80.

The driver of the vehicle stopped but failed to identify himself and fled from the trooper. As the car was being pursued, the fleeing driver began firing rounds at the pursuing law enforcement. The trooper returned fire but was unable to apprehend the suspect immediately. The pursuit continued west on I-80 before the vehicle exited the road west of Walcott Junction. The car crashed through a right-of-way fence before the driver abandoned his vehicle in an open field and fled on foot. The driver was apprehended a short time later without further incident.

Carbon County deputies assisted the Wyoming Highway Patrol in the event. No one was injured during this incident.

The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation was requested to assist with the investigation. The investigation is ongoing and further details will be disseminated as they become available.

WYDOT hosted virtual public meeting about WYO 223

CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Transportation hosted an informational virtual public meeting about a construction project on WYO 223 (Terry Ranch Road) scheduled for summer of 2023.

The meeting gave an overview of the project and its traffic impacts, including bridge work that will necessitate a temporary closure of the highway to through traffic.

After a short presentation, WYDOT engineers were available for a question and answer session about the project.

Those interested in attending were urged to tune in via Zoom at 5:30 p.m. March 4.

A recording of the meeting was made available for those who couldn’t attend.

Colorado resident in custody following pursuit

CHEYENNE – Around noon on Jan. 27, Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers were notified of a 2007 Cadillac Escalade driving erratically in the area of Campstool Road and I-80. The plate given matched a reported stolen vehicle out of Greeley, Colorado.

Around 1 p.m., a trooper on Vandehei Avenue and I-25 spotted the vehicle. As the troopers attempted a stop the stolen Cadillac, the driver failed to stop and tossed a handgun out the window. The vehicle entered I-25 from Vandehei Avenue and drove south. On I-25, troopers were able to deploy spike strips to deflate the Cadillac’s tires. After striking the spike strips, the driver exited onto Missile Drive and drove east toward Cheyenne. In the interest of public safety, the trooper attempted a Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI) maneuver to stop the vehicle but was unsuccessful. The Cheyenne Police Department took over as the primary pursuing agency while the pursuit continued on city streets. WHP resumed primary pursuing agency as the stolen vehicle drove south on US 85. The suspect driver drove into oncoming lanes of traffic as he continued southbound on US 85. Around milepost 1.5 on US 85, troopers attempted a second TVI to end the pursuit. The vehicle exited the left side of the roadway and came to a stop.

The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody without further incident. He was identified as a 42-year-old Greeley, Colorado resident Farrel Williams.

Williams was charged with possession of the stolen vehicle, felony warrant for a parole violation out of Colorado, fleeing to elude, reckless in endangering, and other traffic-related offenses.

The Cheyenne Police Department and Laramie County Sheriff’s Department assisted with this incident.

WHP brought a city-wide pursuit to an end south of Cheyenne on US 85.

Photo: WYDOT

District 3

Work begins this year on new interchange

ROCK SPRINGS – WYDOT and contract crews from Reiman & High Country Construction will begin preliminary work this spring on the new Interchange (Gookin) bridge, interchange and connector to Blairtown Road in Rock Springs near the Water Reclamation Facility. Crews are mobilizing equipment in the area and could begin work as early as next month.

The Interchange overpass bridge connects the Sunset Drive service road and Foothill Blvd. service road over Interstate 80. The bridge has been closed to traffic since April of 2014 when it was struck by a truck carrying an excavator on the interstate.

WYDOT received a $14 million federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant to construct a new interchange and reconstruct and expand Interchange Road from Foothill Blvd. south to Blairtown Road. The $14 million grant WYDOT received is part of the $1.5 billion INFRA grant program, which is part of the federal Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. Although WYDOT will receive $14 million, the total cost of the project is just under $30 million.

Satellite images with graphic overlay showing the updated Gookin Bridge update.

WYDOT is partnering with the city of Rock Springs, as well as Sweetwater County to complete the project.

WYDOT and the city of Rock Springs hope the new project will improve traffic flow and provide a direct connection from Interstate 80 to an intermodal industrial park that provides energy-related services.

The project includes replacing an existing bridge over the interstate to provide a higher vertical clearance, constructing eastbound and westbound ramps with continuous acceleration/deceleration lanes to Dewar Drive and building a new overpass structure over the Union Pacific Railroad for access to the industrial park.

With I-80 being a major freight network, the new interchange will help improve movement of freight within the state and nationally, helping to diversify the economy in this part of the state. It can also help entice future growth in the industrial area by offering direct access to the interstate.

The completion date for this project is set for June 30, 2023.

Rock Springs Mayor Timothy A. Kaumo said that this project will not only improve the ability to develop lands near this interchange but will improve existing safety concerns of large truck traffic traveling through residential neighborhoods by connecting Blairtown Road to the I-80 corridor.

“We appreciate our partnership with WYDOT, Sweetwater County and the INFRA program, this bridge has been

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Briefs continued from page 5 closed for many years and unavailable to our residents and visitors. Replacing this infrastructure is critical to our community and the addition of access on and off of I-80 will help our community to grow and become more successful,” Mayor Kaumo added.

District 4

WYDOT hosted virtual public meeting regarding 2023 Main Street project

SHERIDAN – The Wyoming Department of Transportation and the city of Sheridan will be hosting a virtual public involvement meeting on Thursday, Feb. 11 regarding the upcoming 2023 rehabilitation and utility upgrade of Sheridan’s downtown Main Street.

The intent of the project is to resurface 0.56 miles of Main Street from Dow Street to the Coffeen Avenue and Burkitt Street intersection.

The proposed project will include a new blended base, new concrete surfacing, selected sidewalk and curb & gutter replacement, ADA upgrades to correct existing deficiencies along with upgrades to traffic signal poles and associated infrastructure (signal cabinets, control boxes, pull boxes, etc.).

The city of Sheridan will replace the existing city water transmission, existing sanitary sewer main and perform any needed repairs to the existing storm sewer system, and will perform placement and or upgrade of various enhancements.

Resident engineer Mick Brinkerhoff and public involvement specialist Laura Dalles have been visiting with downtown merchants over the past few months regarding the proposed options for closing Main Street. They presented three options to closing Main Street. Option I would be to close the entire length of Main Street for the entire project time. Option II would be to close Main Street in two phases with Smith Alley being midpoint. Option III would be to close Main Street in three phases, Dow to Smith Alley, Smith Alley to Works Street and Works Street to Burkitt Street as the third phase.

With Options II and III, construction would shut down from July 9 to 16 to accommodate the Sheridan WYO Rodeo activities and resume July 17.

Contractors would likely begin work in the early spring of 2023.

Photo courtesy of the city of Sheridan

Contractors working on city utilities, preparing for the paving of Main Street in 1970.

District 5

Rumble strip test project between Lovell, Cowley

LOVELL – Big Horn County contractor S&L Industrial of Cowley is scheduled to test its new rumble strip machine March 2-3 on a section of US 310 between Lovell and Cowley.

The highway section involves the recently reconstructed US 310 Sage Creek Section north of Lovell.

“S&L will be providing this free service to help determine how they will bid on future highway projects,” said Wyoming Department of Transportation Resident Engineer Mike Miller of Basin. “The work is scheduled on March 2 and 3, and no delays are expected as S&L has a mobile traffic-control operation to follow the rumble strip operation.”

Digital messages placed early next week on each end of the work area will advise drivers of the mobile construction operation, Miller said.

Water leak/waterline break closes Waltman Rest Area

THERMOPOLIS – The Waltman Rest Area between Shoshoni and Casper was closed following the discovery of a water leak/waterline break outside the facility.

“The rest area remained closed until this issue was resolved,” said WYDOT area maintenance supervisor Clint Huck-

Lander Main Street public meeting held March 3

LANDER – Citizens and business owners were invited to a public meeting March 3 regarding this year’s $6.89 million Lander concrete rehabilitation project and US 287 pavement overlay.

The $6.89 million US 287 project is 16.2 miles in length, between the Main Street/Buena Vista intersection in Lander and Ft. Washakie. The project includes concrete grinding, concrete joint sealing, asphalt paving, chip sealing, and curb, gutter and ADA ramp repairs.

Project work is expected to begin about March 1, according to WYDOT Resident Engineer Erik Smith of Lander, “or as soon as the weather allows for prime contractor Mountain Construction of Lovell. The contractor’s preliminary work schedule shows work mostly complete by the middle of July.”

Weekly public work progress meetings are scheduled to begin March 11 at the southwest corner of the Main Street/2nd Street intersection in downtown Lander. Citizens and businesses are invited to attend the weekly work progress meetings.

“By contract, project work is required to be phased so that 2-way traffic is maintained on half of the roadway at all times,” Smith said. “There will be some intersection disruptions and lane closures during this quick-moving project. A large percentage of the project includes pavement work (milling and a pavement overlay) between mileposts 10 (near US 287’s intersection with WYO 132) and 24.17 (Ft. Washakie).”

Riverton Main Street concrete repair public meeting was held Feb. 23

RIVERTON – Citizens and business owners were invited to a public meeting on Feb. 23 regarding this spring’s $1.4 million concrete rehabilitation project in downtown Riverton.

The public meeting was held at