May 2017 Interchange by WYDOT

Interchange May 2017

District 5: WYDOTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gem in northwestern Wyoming

Letters

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Heartfelt thank yous for our WYDOT family To the members of WYDOT, This has been far too long in coming from me. I want to thank everyone from WYDOT who assisted the Highway Patrol and the other first responders on the night of my crash on I-90. I also want to thank you for checking on my status at the hospital and during the times I have seen you, in addition to all the letters and cards I received. The outpouring of support my family and I have received from all of you goes far beyond what we could ever hope for or expect. Our simple thank you will never be enough for what you all have done. While these things may seem small to you, they were and are special to us. We will be forever grateful. It is an honor to be part of this organization.

Sincerely, David S. Motsick Trooper, Wyoming Highway Patrol Division C, Sheridan

To all of my Drivers Services family and WYDOT family: I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the help, support and understanding during my time out from work. I know many, many of you stepped up to provide coverage for my office, taking on more workload, donating sick time and just being there for me, my family and my Laramie office. I can never thank you enough. It is a pleasure and honor to work with such amazing people. Thank you so very much.

WYDOT family, Words cannot express my thankfulness for all of you who have donated sick leave to me. Having had previous surgeries over the past few years, just to get me by until I was able to have the total knee replacements, left me with very limited time available. Without your generosity I would not have had the time and peace of mind to allow myself to heal properly. I was able to have the second surgery exactly four weeks after the first, and I am recovering quite well. My physical therapists have been working me overtime to make sure I return as quickly as possible. It is a true blessing to have such a caring WYDOT family who support me. I can’t thank you enough. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Dale Roberts, Rigging Shop

Vol. 45, Issue 5

Interchange is published for employees of the Wyoming Department of Transportation by its Public Affairs Office and a number of field correspondents. Interchange invites submissions from all employees. Please send them to either your district correspondents or to: Carlie Van Winkle, Interchange editor, 5300 Bishop Blvd., Cheyenne, Wyoming, 82009-3340. The Public Affairs Office may also be contacted by phoning (307) 777-4165 or sending email to carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov

Staff WYDOT Director: William T. Panos

Public Affairs Manager: Doug McGee

Editor: Carlie Van Winkle

Contributors:

Shine your chrome!

Aimee Inama J.L. O’Brien Carlie Van Winkle Matt Murphy Jeff Goetz Stephanie Harsha Ronda Holwell Cody Beers Lt. David Wagener

Public Affairs Public Affairs Public Affairs District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 Patrol

Photography: Rick Carpenter

Public Affairs

Be sure to check out the online version of Interchange at http://issuu.com/wydot.pao or click on the link found on the employee’s internal website home page.

Amy Brooks, Laramie DL Supervisor

Rides deadline 05/12/17

carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov

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A WYDOT PUBLICATION

Contents

Features 8 Summer construction preview Highway projects â&#x20AC;&#x153;rampâ&#x20AC;? up this spring

10 Trooper Class 92 commissioned Nine troopers commissioned March 23

12 District 5 in the spotlight A closer look at our northwestern district

16 Wildlife & Roadways Summit talks about reducing animal vs. car collisions

Also in this issue Letters.........................................................................................2 District briefs.............................................................................4 Training at a Glance..............................................................16 By the Numbers.......................................................................7 TechNotes................................................................................17 District news...........................................................................18 Awards..................................................................................... 22 Noteworthy..............................................................................16 Extra Mile Awards..................................................................17 Break Time.............................................................................. 27 On the cover:

District 5, in the northwestern part of Wyoming, boasts a uniqueness not found in other parts of the state. This photo is of Chief Joseph Scenic Byway in Park County. Photo: Rick Carpenter

Kindly recycle this publication after reading. May 2017

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District Briefs CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Transportation will soon start work on a $33 million road reconstruction project south of Jackson on US 89. The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded Wadsworth Brothers Construction Co., of Utah, the contract for the north section of the Jackson South project during its meeting on Thursday, April 20. The commission awarded that contract and nine others totaling $61 million. Work on the Jackson South project will take place on US 89 between Hoback Junction and Jackson. WYDOT divided the project into two sections, the north and south. The entire project will resolve existing roadway deficiencies while safely and efficiently accommodating increased traffic volumes and improving system linkage. The north section will start at milepost 145 on US 26-89-189-191 near the WYDOT shop and continue north to milepost 149 near the South Park Loop Road. Work will include widening the road to five lanes that has two lanes for traffic in both directions and a center turn lane, replacing two existing bridges on the highway at the Snake River and Flat Creek, installing a wildlife underpass, installing turnouts, adding a pedestrian/ bike pathway, constructing wildlife fencing and various other improvement. WYDOT anticipates awarding a contract for the work on the south section in 2019. Visit http://www.dot.state.wy.us/jacksonsouth to learn more about the Jackson South Project. The contact completion date is June 30, 2019. Besides the Jackson South project, other contracts include road surfacing, sign replacement and bridge repairs. Wilson Brothers Construction Inc., of Cowley, was the low bidder on a $15

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million road surfacing project on 11 miles of US 14 between Greybull and Burgess Junction in Sheridan County. Crews will perform a pavement reconstruction project on 10 miles of the road, using recycled materials. Most of the project will have 8-foot grading for the shoulders. In environmentally sensitive areas that are near streams, there will be 4-foot shoulders. In areas where there tends to be more people viewing wildlife, there will be 8-foot pavement for the shoulders. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2018. Reiman Corp., of Cheyenne, won a $2.9 million contract for deck resurfacing and other rehabilitation work on 18 bridges in various locations in Big Horn, Fremont, Hot Springs and Park counties. The contact completion date is Oct. 31, 2018. The commission awarded Hedquist Construction Inc., of Casper, a $2.7 million pavement reconstruction project using recycled materials on 8 miles of WYO 92 between Torrington and Huntley in Goshen County. The contract completion date is June 30, 2018. The commission also awarded contracts for: n $2.3 million to Croell Inc., of Sundance, for a road surfacing project on 6 miles of Interstate 90 between Buffalo and Gillette in Campbell County by Oct. 31; n $2 million to Knife River, of Chey-

enne, for a road surfacing project on WYO 136 east of Riverton in Fremont County by Oct. 31;

n $1.4 million to C.M. Owen Construc-

tion, of Jackson, for a landslide project at the Mail Cabin Slide on WYO 22 between Wilson and the Idaho state line that will include installation of drain lines to dewater the slide area and prevent it from moving by June 30, 2018;

n $135,032 to S & L Industrial to update

or replace signs in Albany, Carbon, Laramie, Sweetwater and Uinta counties on Interstate 80 by Oct. 31.

WYDOT addressed landslide movement on US 191 ROCK SPRINGS – Landslide movement on US 191 in early April was caused by saturated conditions, due to unusually high amounts of precipitation the area received throughout the winter. “It’s basically due to the excessive moisture in the ground as well as the continual melting of snow feeding water into this area as temperatures warm,” said WYDOT District Engineer Keith Compton. WYDOT geologists were on-site to measure and monitor the movement of the road. Maintenance crews worked to patch the area and to smooth out the bulge as much as possible to address traffic concerns. WYDOT geologists and engineers will continue to monitor the movement and investigate potential solutions to address the movement. In the meantime, speeds have been reduced to 30 mph in the area and will remain reduced until a more permanent solution is implemented.

n $764,860 to Asphalt Surface Technolo-

gies Corp., of St. Joseph, Minnesota, for a microsurfacing project on 9 miles of US 85 between Torrington and Lusk that will add new material to improve and extend the life of the surface by Sept. 30;

n $249,844 to S & L Industrial, of Cow-

Photo: WYDOT

Commission awards $61 million in highway contracts in April

ley, for an overhead sign replacement project at various locations in Converse, Natrona, Niobrara and Platte counties by Oct. 31; and

Saturated ground conditions cause road buckling issues on US 191.

Spring storm closes several routes in northeast Wyoming SHERIDAN – Several roads in northeast Wyoming were closed the morning of April 25 due to heavy, wet snow, falling overnight and into morning. Closed routes included I-90 from Sheridan to Buffalo; I-90 from Buffalo to Gillette; and I-25 from Buffalo to Kaycee. “The wind is blowing causing drifting snow in these sections making it difficult to keep the roads cleared,” said Ronda Holwell, WYDOT District 4 public involvement specialist. Routes were all reopened by the end of the day.

WYDOT geologists are scheduled to assess the extent of the Dead Indian Creek slide in early May.

Photo: WYDOT

around. It’s not nice there. We have built a berm in the Windy Curve area to try to keep any new rocks from entering the roadway.” “If it gets too western tonight, we’re going to pull out of there and close the road. It could become a safety issue for travelers and our personnel,” Lamb said. WYDOT is moving dynamic message signs to the area in case of the need to close US 20/WYO 789 through Wind River Canyon during the continued rainy and snowy weather.

A house-sized boulder fell onto US 20/WYO 789 in Wind River Canyon near Thermopolis.

Photo: WYDOT

Slide repair planned for Chief Joseph Scenic Highway slide A spring snowstorm closed routes in District 4 on April 25.

Increased moisture causes more rocks to fall in Wind River Canyon THERMOPOLIS – WYDOT personnel in Thermopolis were dispatched to Wind River Canyon April 26 when a house-sized boulder and other debris fell to the US 20/WYO 789 roadway. “There are quite a few big ones (rocks) that have fallen in that one area, about 13 miles south of Thermopolis,” said WYDOT Maintenance Engineer Lyle Lamb of Basin. “We would appreciate it if people don’t stop and look

CODY – WYDOT personnel in Cody patched a moisture-related slide near Dead Indian Creek on Chief Joseph Scenic Highway (WYO 296). “We are going to place asphalt rotomill material in the cracks and bring the surface up to level with the rest of the road today,” said WYDOT Area Maintenance Supervisor Robin Nichols of Basin. “The slide moved slightly over the weekend, but not significantly.” The Dead Indian Creek slide is in the roadway at milepost 26.1, about 20 miles west of WYO 296’s intersection with WYO 120. The slide has caused the roadway to drop nearly six inches since March. During repairs, traffic delays of up to 15 minutes are expected. With precipitation in the weather forecast for the remainder of this week, WYDOT personnel are attempting to finish this temporary slide maintenance prior to the onset of inclement weather. “This is a temporary fix at best and is only being done to keep the roadway as safe as possible,” Nichols said.

Concrete barrier repair project underway on US 14A LOVELL – Repair of damaged concrete barrier has started on US 14A between Lovell and Burgess Junction. The $64,000 project includes removing and replacing 130 feet of concrete barrier at milepost 71 on US 14A, about 22 miles east of Lovell, according to WYDOT Resident Engineer Michael Miller of Basin. The prime contractor is Linch Environmental Contractors of Linch. All work is dependent upon favorable weather. “The project is taking place where the road is currently closed for the winter,” Miller said. “US 14A’s annual spring opening usually happens prior to Memorial Day weekend. It’s our hope to be completed with this project by the time the road opens for the summer travel season.” Contract completion date is May 24.

Photo: WYDOT

WYDOT maintenance employees patched a moisture-related slide on Chief Joseph Scenic Highway (WYO 296) at milepost 26.1 near Dead Indian Creek.

The permanent concrete barrier on US 14A was damaged in a tractor-trailer crash last July.

Briefs continued on page 6 May 2017

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Striping crews begin spring work on area highways RIVERTON – WYDOT striping crews have kicked off highway marking activities throughout Wyoming. “Things to remember when approaching a striping crew in operation include decreasing speed, paying attention to the message boards on equipment, remembering that paint may be wet, not passing in and out of striping equipment, and using caution when passing and only doing so when it’s safe and legal,” said WYDOT urban striping foreman Joe Keele of Basin.

Photo: WYDOT

Spring brings out striping operations near Kinnear.

Lander’s Jefferson Street project public meeting LANDER – A public information meeting was held April 18 to discuss the 2018 Jefferson Street highway improvement project. “We would like citizens’ input and engagement in this 2018 project so we can make it the best project possible for the City of Lander,” according to WYDOT resident engineer Erik Smith of Lander. The project is currently scheduled take one construction season to complete. This project is within the city limits of Lander. Two routes are scheduled to be improved – Jefferson Street from its intersection with North 8th east to North 6th; and East Main Street (US 287/WYO 789), beginning at mile post 80.51 and

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extending to milepost 80.21. The scope of work includes some limited reconstruction of these streets within the project limits. Reconstruction of Jefferson Street includes new pavement surfacing, curb and gutter, and sidewalk. Work on East Main Street (US 287/ WYO 789) is tentatively planned to install sidewalk for about 1,600 feet along the east side of the highway from Mount Hope Drive south to the entrance to Blue Ridge apartments. Curb and gutter will be extended for approximately 350 feet along the east side of the roadway. Drop inlets will be added where needed along the new curb and gutter. Work on Jefferson Street is tentatively planned to include grading, placing crushed gravel base, asphalt paving, sidewalk, curb and gutter and other work. Work on Jefferson Street will begin at North 8th and extend to North 6th. Four named streets exist within Jefferson Street which include: North 6th Street (east end), Riverview Drive (middle of project), Northside Drive (alley in the middle of project) and North 8th Street (west end).

caution when they are using the road.” “Let caution be your guide, both as a pedestrian and a driver,” Otto said. WYDOT’s electrical and sign crew installed the new crossing system last week and installed the crosswalk crossbars this week.

New pedestrian crossing system installed in Cody

POWELL – Single-lane traffic in each direction is expected this spring and summer on a 1.26-mile highway improvement project on US 14A in Powell. The $2.31 million project includes removal of medians and installation of new roadway lighting from Fair Street to Park County Road 8 in Powell, according to WYDOT Resident Engineer Todd Frost of Cody. “New roadway lighting will be placed on the canal bank on the south side of the roadway,” Frost said. “Reconstruction of the intersection of 1st and Evarts Street will occur, along with a new asphalt overlay from Clark Street to Homesteader Park. Americans with Disabilities Act sidewalk improvements will be completed throughout the project, including replacing broken curb and gutter, double gutter and sidewalk.” The prime contractor is Century Companies Inc. of Lewistown, Mont. The contractor started work April 10 from Fair Street to Clark Street on the median removal and ADA upgrades, including replacement of broken curb and gutter double, and sidewalk. Frost said lighting may also start within the project limits. This first part

CODY – Installation of a new pedestrian crossing system is complete at the 10th Street/Sheridan Avenue intersection near Cody High School and the Park County Courthouse in Cody. The new pedestrian crossing system replaces the old school zone 20 mph flashers at the intersection. The new system is push-button activated, solar powered and will be available all year, giving school students, citizens and tourist pedestrians a street crossing warning system. “We believe this will be more effective than the old school zone flashers. When the lights are flashing, it means they’ve been activated by a pedestrian wanting to cross the street,” said WYDOT area traffic supervisor Steven Otto of Basin. “The pedestrian crossing system is not a traffic signal, so all pedestrians are encouraged to use caution even when the lights are activated by pushing the button. The whole system is based around safety and courtesy, but more so safety. Every person on the road – pedestrians, cyclists, drivers – has a duty to use reasonable care and

Photo: WYDOT

Briefs continued from page 5

The new pedestrian crossing system installed in Cody provides a year-round, push-button activated pedestrian light, not just a flashing light during the school year..

WYDOT will remove median; install new lights on US 14A

US 14-16-20 road-opening work scheduled

of the project is currently scheduled to be completed by the middle of June. “Motorists can expect one-way traffic in each direction through the work zones while work is being done,” Frost said. Single-way traffic in each direction could remain 24 hours a day, seven days a week, depending on the work being done. Normal working hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Any work on Saturdays will be scheduled as makeup days due to delays caused by inclement weather. The contractor is scheduled to start work from Clark Street to Homesteader Park after mid-June on median removal, ADA upgrades including replacement of broken curb and gutter double, and sidewalk, and asphalt milling and the pavement overlay. Frost said all work, except seeding, should be complete by the end of August. “We will be shut down July 1 through July 5 and July 21 through July 23 for local holiday celebrations,” Frost said. Century Companies’ contract with WYDOT calls for grading, milling asphalt plant mix, placing crushed base and asphalt pavement surfacing, placing asphalt plant mix wearing course, concrete pavement, electrical and other work on 1.26 miles on Coulter Avenue (US 14A) beginning at milepost 20.374 in the City of Powell. The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded the project to Century Companies Inc., at its November 2016 meeting. Contract completion date is Oct. 31.

CODY – Annual spring opening road work on US 14-16-20 between Pahaska and the east gate of Yellowstone National Park began April 3. The opening of the two miles of US 14-16-20 highway between Pahaska and Yellowstone is dependent upon favorable weather. This stretch of highway is closed annually due to the limited amount traffic; the stretch of highway has traditionally been a popular winter recreation area for cross-country skiers and people with snowmobiles. “This is the normal time of the year for WYDOT’s road-opening operations to take place,” said WYDOT area maintenance supervisor Robin Nichols of Basin. Following the annual opening of the two-mile stretch between Pahaska and Yellowstone’s East Gate, WYDOT maintenance workers shift their focus to annual road-opening operations of US 14A east of Lovell in the Bighorn Mountains.

1,945

One month ago

1,937

One year ago

1,951

Photo: WYDOT

WHP

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Total number of highway fatalities: as of April 26, 2017

Photo: WYDOT

A rotary snow plow clearing US 14-16-20 between Pahaska and the east gate of Yellowstone National Park.

Current medians and light poles on US 14A through Powell. The medians and light poles will be removed as part of this project.

Total number of employees: as of April 4, 2017

one year ago

May 2017

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STATE

IN THE C

onstruction crews will soon start working on several projects throughout the state, which will improve the condition of the state’s roadways and bridges and enhance safety and traffic flow. Motorists will see crews working on pavement repairs and resurfacing, bridge rehabilitation, rockfall mitigation and other projects on Wyoming’s highways. The Transportation Commission is expected to award about $259 million in contracts by September. Construction crews will be working on more than 120 WYDOT projects. “In Wyoming, our highway construction season is very short, and motorists will encounter many construction sites as they travel throughout our state,” said Gregg Fredrick, WYDOT chief engineer. “It is important to slow down, be alert, expect the unexpected, and drive safely through these work zones.” The following are highlights of some of the projects.

Interstate projects

In the northeastern part of the state, WYDOT will continue work on the $46.4 million North Sheridan Interchange project, which includes constructing a new interchange on I-90, realignment and other work on several streets in Sheridan. The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded the contract in June 2016. Crews completed phase one in 2016, which included grading and dirt work for the new interchange and Decker Road. During phase two this year, crews will continue the interchange construction and construct new alignments on North Main Street, Yellowtail Drive, Industrial Road and Decker Road in Sheridan.

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Photo: WYDOT

ROAD N O I T C U R CONST ON SEAS BEGINS

On another section of I-90, crews will work on a 6-mile pavement project between Buffalo and Gillette that also includes bridge deck repairs. The project is expected to be awarded in April. On the western side of the state, crews will work on a $14.7 million 10-mile overlay project on the east and west bound lanes of I-80 between Lyman and Granger Junction, where they will remove the top portion of the road and replace it with new material. Crews will also work on a $7 million 12-mile overlay project on I-80 westbound between Rock Springs and Rawlins, which includes work on four bridges. On the eastern side of the state, crews will work on a $9.2 million 7-mile paving and rehabilitation project on I-80 near Otto Road, west of Cheyenne. Crews will also make minor repair to eight bridges in that area. On another section of I-80, crews will start work on an $8 million reconstruction project of three bridges near Pine Bluffs, which will also include a pavement overlay. WYDOT is replacing the bridges because of their age and condition. On I-25, construction will take place on 4 miles west of Douglas that will repair cracked pavement and widen the shoulders. The project is expected to be awarded in July.

Non-interstate projects

WYDOT recently started the $23.5 million Harney Street viaduct and road project in Laramie. The work includes replacing the 53-year-old Clark Street viaduct, which has physical deterioration, connecting traffic from Snowy Range Road

Photo: WYDOT

WYDOT will also repair the intersection of WYO 22 and US 26-89-189-191-287 in Jackson (The Y Intersection) to remove rutting, and relieve traffic congestion. Paving fiber strands will be incorporated into the new pavement for additional strength and rut resistance. The work will also include modifying the intersection to add a left turn off US 26-89-191 onto WYO 22, removing the separate free right turns on and off WYO 22 and limiting movement into the intersection from Buffalo Way to a right turn only. The commission will also award contracts for several other projects on non-interstate roads this summer. Several of the projects will use cost-effective repair methods by recycling the existing surface. On WYO 136 east of Riverton, crews will repair 12 miles of road by removing 3 inches of pavement, mixing it with oil and resurfacing the road with the same material. In Rock Springs on 1-mile sections of Elk Street (US 191) and Dewar Drive (I-80/US 30 Business), crews will also remove the top section of road, mix it with an oil and resurface the road. Crews will complete a similar process on 8 miles of WYO 91 between Torrington and Huntley, but they will use a cement slurry instead of an oil. n

Photos from left to right: North Sheridan interchange project – I-90, Sheridan; Harney Street viaduct project, Laramie; “Y” intersection project – US 26-89-191, Jackson; and Pine Bluffs bridge project – I-80, Pine Bluffs.

Photo: WYDOT

(WYO 230) to downtown Laramie and widening the Laramie River Bridge to four lanes. Vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic will be accommodated as part of this reconstruction project. The project is expected to be completed by July 31, 2019. In the northwestern part of the state, crews will overlay 11 miles of WYO 120 between Meeteetse and Cody. The $3.6 million project will be paid for with 10-cent fuel revenue. Crews will also start rockfall mitigation work on US 14-16-20 between Yellowstone and Cody, which includes removing loose rock and installing rock bolts, mesh and attenuators. On WYO 296, the Chief Joseph Highway, crews will replace old rockfall mesh with new mesh. On the eastern side of the state, crews will work on a $3.4 million overlay project on 12 miles of WYO 94 near Douglas. In the north central part of the state, crews will smooth the pavement surface on 9 miles of road on US 16 between Ten Sleep and Buffalo. The $3.3 million project will be paid for with 10-cent fueltax revenue.

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Wyoming Highway Patrol Class 92 By Lt. David Wagener It takes a special person to become a Wyoming state trooper. They have to be willing to give much more then they will ever get back. They have to be committed to serve and protect all people in Wyoming with courtesy, professionalism and integrity. Our newest troopers are up to the challenge. The Trooper Basic Academy has concluded and the members of the academy were commissioned on March 23 where they took their oaths of office and transitioned from their recruit badges to their official badges in front of family and friends. The ceremony marked the 92nd graduating Wyoming Highway Patrol Academy Class. These troopers recently completed an intensive training period of instruction. During the Trooper Basic Academy, they were instructed in a variety of classes including firearms, commercial carrier training, physical training, Radar/LIDAR use, emergency vehicle operation, custody and control, crash investigation and others. Adrian Bustamante, Jackson Adrian Angel Bustamante, badge 93, was born in Rexburg, Idaho. He grew up in Sugar City, Idaho where he graduated from Sugar-Salem High School in 2011. He attended Utah State University where he graduated with a degree in Spanish and a dual minor in communication and Latin American studies. While attending Utah State, he worked as a firefighter in Smithfield, Utah. He enjoys shooting, snowboarding, working out, hiking and spending time with his family and friends. Bustamante is Bustamante excited to serve the community in Jackson and the people of Wyoming.

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Above: Class 92 gathered with WHP officers on the steps of the Wyoming Supreme Court building on commissioning day. Row 1 (bottom of stairs from left): Col. Kebin Haller and Lt. Col. Shannon Ratliff. Row 2: Tpr. Harley Kalb,; Tpr. Adrian Bustamante, Tpr. Danny Robinett and Tpr. Joseph Dellos. Row 3: Tpr. Justin Gardner, Tpr. Dan Eggli, Tpr. Michael Merritt and Tpr. Theodore Schueler. Row 4: Tpr. Adam Powell. Row 5: Capt. Derek Mickelson, Sgt. Randy Starkey and Lt. David Wagener.

Joseph Dellos, Laramie Joseph Dellos, badge 58, is from Meeteetse and is a graduate of the University of Wyoming. Prior to becoming a Wyoming state trooper, Dellos spent 24 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, completing numerous deployments overseas. He retired from the Marine Corps in 2016 as a Lieutenant Colonel. Dellos and his wife have three daughters and one grandson. He is excited to be back in Wyoming and eager to serve the people of Wyoming. Dellos

Dan Eggli, Lander Daniel Eggli, badge 75, was born in Helena, Mont. but grew up in Lander, where he graduated from Lander Valley High School in 2005. Prior to joining Patrol, Eggli spent four years in law enforcement in Hot Springs County. He is excited to be a part of the WHP and is looking forward to serving the people of Wyoming and the county he grew up in. Eggli has a wonderful wife, two children, and enjoys backpacking, ornithology, motorcycling and Vancouver Eggli Canucks hockey. Justin Gardner, Jackson Justin Gardner, badge 68, was born and raised in Star Valley. After graduating from high school in 2008, he wrestled for Colby Community College and served a voluntary two-year LDS mission in Jamaica. He returned to wrestle for Northwest College and later Montana State University before transferring to the University of Wyoming where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English studies. Gardner enjoys hunting, snowmobiling, riding his horse, working out, and working on the family farm. He’s been married Gardner for two and a half years and is currently expecting his first child. Harley Kalb, Laramie Harley Kalb, badge 53, was born in Georgia and moved to Wyoming in 2008. He finished high school in 2011 and joined the U.S. Marine Corps. After the Marine Corps, Kalb and his wife of five years moved back to Wyoming and he still had a strong desire to serve his community. He and his family are very excited for him to begin his career as a Wyoming state trooper where he will serve this great state and it’s people.

Kalb

Michael Merritt, Jackson Michael Merritt, badge 123, was born in Star Valley. He has been married to his wife since 2010 and has three children. Merritt is excited to get back to his hometown area where he can serve those that helped him become who he is today.

Adam Powell, Laramie Adam M. Powell, badge 57, was born and raised in Ardmore, Okla. In 2009, Powell joined the U.S. Air Force where he served four and a half years. Prior to becoming a Wyoming State trooper, Powell worked two years as a detention deputy for the Laramie County Sheriff ’s Department in Cheyenne. He is honored in becoming a state trooper and serving the citizens of Wyoming. Powell’s hobbies include shooting, hiking, being outdoors and spending time Powell with his family. He is excited and looking forward to joining the WHP family. Danny Robinett, Wheatland Danny Robinett Jr., badge 69, was born in Colorado. He moved around quite a bit before settling in Wyoming in 2002. After graduating high school in 2007, he completed some college at LCCC. Before he started his law enforcement career working as a deputy at the Laramie County Detention Center in 2014, he worked at Great Lakes Aviation for several years. Robinett’s hobbies include hunting, Robinett fishing, softball, bowling, playing drums and spending time with his family. He is married and has three wonderful sons. Robinett and his family look forward to being a part of the WHP family and to join the community of Wheatland. Theodore Schueler, Douglas Teddy Schueler, badge 81, was born in Tampa, Fla. His father was in the U.S. Air Force, so he grew up around the world. He graduated from high school in Laramie in 2004 and joined the U.S. Army shortly after. Schueler was a sniper during his time in the Army and left the service to attend the University of Wyoming in 2010. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication in 2015. Schueler

Class 92 Awards Colonel’s Leadership Award: Tpr. Joseph Dellos

Top Firearms Award: Tpr. Joseph Dellos

Top Academic Award: Tpr. Adam Powell Merritt

Top Fitness Award: Tpr. Justin Gardner

May 2017

Most Improved Fitness Award: Tpr. Dan Eggli

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District 5: God’s country By Cody Beers, District 5 Public Involvement Specialist

Central/northwest Wyoming is geographically unique compared to the rest of Wyoming. In the words of now-retired District 5 Maintenance Engineer Ron Huff, District 5 “is God’s country.”

Photo: Rick Carpenter

In many people’s opinions, Huff ’s blunt declaration is fact. The region’s people and places are special in many ways. It’s The Best Part of Wyoming; when people move to the region, they stay; and future-thinking and diversity reigns supreme, from the Wind River Reservation to WYDOT’s first female district engineer. Building the case, Yellowstone National Park and GrandTeton National Park are on the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s District 5 doorstep. Four of Wyoming’s mightiest mountain ranges surround District 5 – the Bighorns, Beartooths, Owl Creeks and Wind Rivers. Four major A stop along the Medicine Wheel Passage rivers cut through Scenic Byway allows the weary traveler a moment of reflection.

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its lands and their headwaters mostly begin in Dis212 trict 5 – the Wind River, Big Horn, Shoshone and 296 Clarks Fork. Part of District 5 is on Wyoming’s Wind River Reservation, home of the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone Tribes. And the nation’s first state scenic byway on an Indian reserva14 16 20 tion is located in Wind River Canyon (US 20/ Yellowstone WYO 789) – Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway. National Park Speaking of scenic byways and backways, District 5 has nine more of those, too – Beartooth Scenic Byway, Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway, Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway, Big Horn Scenic Byway, Medicine Wheel Passage Scenic Byway, Centennial Scenic Byway, 287 26 South Big Horn/Red Wall Scenic Backway, and Red Gulch/Alkali Scenic Backway. Northwest Wyoming is home of the world’s Dubois largest mineral hot springs (Hot Springs State Park), Boysen State Park, Sinks Canyon State Park, Buffalo Bill State Park, South Pass City State Historic Site and Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site. District 5 has grizzly bears and wolves, and way more 352 Rocky Mountain elk, pronghorn antelope, cutthroat trout and cottontail rabbits than citizens in our state. It has 354 wild turkeys,Pinedale meadowlarks and Indian paintbrush. 189 191 All District 5 roads lead to our country’s first national park, 353 Yellowstone, and pass through the nation’s first national forest, 351 the Shoshone. 350 District 5 is responsible for the most miles (761.6 miles) 189

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191

Photo: Rick Carpenter

of Wyoming highway on the National 345 343System. District 5 doesn’t have Highway 295 Lovell 114 294 an14interstate highway, either, making 331 14 14 Powell 120 it truly special. For us, being 789 295 far335 away from the four-lane 310 14 highway in southern 32 Cody 14 Wyoming is a big deal. 14 16 Greybull 291 20 It’s cool. 30 120 BIG HORN Basin In WYDOT circles PARK or squares or Google 31 20 Meeteetse Earth renderings, 16 290 District 5 is made up 435 436 431 of five entire counties Worland 432 (Big Horn, Fremont, 434 171 AKIE WASH Hot Springs, Park HOT 120 and Washakie) and SPRINGS 172 170 slivers of two others Thermopolis (Teton and Natrona). District headquarters are in Basin, 20 FREMONT 287 population 1,312. The district’s 26 Shoshoni 133 largest city is Riverton, popula134 20 tion 10,990. 26 26 26 287 Maintenance crews are 132 Riverton 136 located in Basin, Cody, Du137 bois, Lander, Lovell, Meeteetse, 135 Lander 789 Riverton, Shoshoni, South Pass, 131 139 Ten Sleep, Thermopolis and 287 Worland. Engineering crews are 28 in Basin, Lander, Riverton, Ther287 789 mopolis and Worland. 789

ALT

Above: The sweeping vista found while driving on Chief Joseph Scenic Byway in Park County.

Contrary to public opinion and rumors, District 5’s favorite musical instrument isn’t the banjo – though it could be the fiddle, or even the juice harp or harmonica – but some of the best bluegrass music in Wyoming comes from the state’s northwest corner. District 5 was essentially two districts until the 1980s – the north and south, Wyoming style. George “Pat” Brown was the district engineer back in the day, and he lived in Basin. South of Wind River Canyon, the district construction and maintenance engineer was Joe Yovich. The “south district” equipment technician was Tom Harless. North of Wind River Canyon, the district construction and maintenance engineer was Bob Herzog. The “north district” equipment technician was Bob Carter. “Carter and Harless were the go-betweens between construction and maintenance back then,” said long-time Riverton permit clerk Beverley Higgs of Riverton. “Everybody got along really well in those days. Both Bob (Herzog) and Joe (Yovich) both answered to Mr. Brown, and he gave them a lot of room to operate. But when he said ‘no,’ dammit, it was what he meant.” Back in the day, it was a known fact that several maintenance foremen packed concealed handguns clipped on their belts. It was a rougharound-the-edges type of environment.

287 73

May 2017

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Photo: Rick Carpenter

Above: The Red Gulch/Alkali Scenic Backway

Photo: WYDOT

Higgs remembers the office Christmas parties. “They were humdingers,” she remembers. “Those parties probably wouldn’t happen these days.” It’s been a common understanding for generations that WYDOT’s fifth district is its own WYDOT. People in other parts of this Cowboy State chuckle and joke about our lives in northwest Wyoming, the sagebrush and wide-open spaces, but District 5 has always been known for “thinking outside of the box,” for “leading the way,” and for “trying new things, that frankly, other districts wouldn’t dare try.” District 5 proudly had the first woman district engineer in the

Top: The 38-mile long Togwotee project was under construction from May 2006-July 2013. Above: The long-awaited Togwotee grand opening and ribbon cutting, August 2012. Former District Engineer Shelby Carlson at the center with the scissors.

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May 2017

history of WYDOT has breathtaking scenery – right out of a wildwest feature film. come on board in 2004. The pony-tailed lady engineer with District 5 roots, Riverton native Shelby Carlson, became known for her dynamic leadership, and she and her team led the district, its counties and municipalities in preparing for the future. Her relationship-building abilities improved life for the tribes on the Wind River Reservation and all other residents of District 5. WYDOT built one of its most difficult and expensive projects in its history under her leadership – when considering constructability and the intertwined web of local, county, state and federal politics – with the 38-mile Togwotee Pass project. Today’s WYDOT has retained many of the characteristics of its immediate past and from past generations of people. People remain the key, including the new district engineer, Pete Hallsten, who yearned for the ability to grow fruit trees and gardens, and so he left Pinedale and hockey heaven for the more temperate, green-thumb friendly climate in Worland. Hallsten’s inclusive style of leadership has brought refreshing direction to the district, including Powell native Lyle Lamb leading maintenance, the youngest construction engineer in the state in the energetic Millennial Randy Merritt of Cody, and a yet-to-be-named traffic engineer. A new sheriff and his deputies are mostly in town, a team that intends to rely on the 190-or-so career veteran employees to lead the district into the middle decades of the 21st century. A district family atmosphere remains in 2017, and many second- and third-generation employees are literally following in their family’s footsteps in their careers. District employees from Lander and Shoshoni and Thermopolis and Ten Sleep enjoy rubbing elbows with employees from Lovell and Cody and even Dubois and Worland, and so forth, whether it’s in a training session or standing side-by-side on the chip seal and paving crews or district-wide bridge rehabilitation projects. Today’s District 5 remains a place where its people wave at each other when their vehicles pass one-another on the highway or in our towns’ streets. It’s a place where employees embrace innovation, whether it is the use of a tow plow or the use of cold in-place recycle asphalt pavement (that’s a mouth full) on a

Photo: Cody Beers Photo: WYDOT Photo: WYDOT

District Engineer Pete Hallsten, left, showing off his Cowboy pride with a giant foam hat. Construction Engineer Randy Merritt looking on. Hallsten must have lost a bet.

District 5 prides itself on it’s family atmosphere and the generation after generation who work here.

little-used secondary highway near decades-old uranium mines in the middle of nowhere. Its employees mostly welcome springtime and its flooding and landslides – which bring additional work to already cramped lifestyles – and winter, with its blowing and drifting, and seven-day-a-week fun and games inside snow plows. Meanwhile, it’s spring, and there are walleye and trout to catch. River water is higher than normal, with a record snowpack bracing for its run down the creeks and rivers to the lakes and reservoirs. Largemouth bass are beginning to bite. Turkeys are gobbling, and rooster pheasants are in search of hens in the state rights-of-way. State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) meetings are on the horizon with citizens, elected officials and city, county and federal government agencies. A May bid letting will signal the start of the comprehensive, multi-year highway and bridge improvement project between Lovell and Cowley. A July bid letting will symbolize the kickoff of a multiyear streets project on Riverton’s busiest city street. Other pavement preservation projects will kick off, along with bridge rehabilitation projects, and the Powell median removal/pavement overlay project will conclude. Mowing, hot-mix patching, chip

Above: A picturesque winter-time snap of Heart Mountain in the Shoshone National Forest near Cody.

sealing, fence building and other activities will occur. Preparations are underway for the Aug. 21 solar eclipse, which seemed an oddity a year ago. Thousands of visitors are expected over a two-week period in a wide swath across District 5 in the path of totality from Togwotee Pass on US 26-287 to Waltman, between Shoshoni and Casper. It promises to be another spring and summer in God’s Country. Those two words were taped to Huff ’s office door in Basin for years, but they’re part of our everyday lives in District 5 – rain or snow, weekend or weekday, Friday or Monday, holiday or sick day. District 5 is God’s Country. These are the reasons why we’re District 5 … but No. 1 in WYDOT hearts. n

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WYOMING’S SUMMIT ON

Photo: J O’Brien

WILDLIFE & ROADWAYS

By J. O’Brien The Wyoming Department of Transportation and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department co-hosted a summit on Wildlife and Roadways April 26-27 in Pinedale to promote communication on projects that reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, increase motorist safety, and maintain or re-establish disconnected wildlife migration routes. WYDOT Director Bill Panos spoke at the event and stressed the importance for collaboration to improve safety. Panos said in 2016, there were a total of 2,874 crashes involving wildlife statewide. That number has steadily increased since 2012, which had a total of 2,492 total crashes. On average, Wyoming has had about 2,439 wildlife-vehicle crashes over the past five years. “Those crashes also have resulted in vehicle fatalities,” he said. “During most years, there were two or three people who died with 10 dying in 2015. “These numbers for both people and wildlife are unacceptable.” Over a five-year period, an average of 3.4 people died in wildlife-vehicle crashes, Panos said. There were 150 deaths on Wyoming’s roadways in 2015. “One-in-fifteen highway deaths last year involved a wildlife crash,” he added. “That is unacceptable.” WYDOT data shows there have been more than 12,000 crashes with wildlife in the last five years, but numbers may not be an accurate representation of the actual number of crashes. Highway Safety Records and Data Management Specialist Andi Jones said in addition to crashes, WYDOT maintenance crews also collect data on the number of carcasses collected on or near public roadways. That number is more than 23,000 in the

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May 2017

A doe antelope ushers three fawns away from a road near Elk Mountain on July 7, 2013. 1,669 antelope carcasses have been removed from Wyoming roadsides in the past 5 years.

last five years. “Many times motorists will strike an animal and not have much damage to their vehicle (and) choose not to report it,” she said. WYDOT has implemented several innovative measures to reduce and eliminate wildlife-vehicle crashes throughout the state, and Panos Drivers in Wyoming reported 12,197 said these measures crashes involving wildlife on public are helping to keep roads in the last five years. Most of Wyoming’s travelers those crashes resulted in property safe. damage only. “Wyoming’s Wildlife and RoadCrashes ways Summit is an excellent opportuProperty damage only nity to bring various stakeholders from Injury the different state crashes agencies and the Total public together to injuries discuss new ways to continue this vital Fatal crashes work,” Panos said. WGFD Wildlife Total Management Coorfatalities dinator Darly Lutz, Source: WYDOT Highway Safety who works out of

Reported crashes

12,197 11,914 277 549 6 17

Lander, said that was his hope for the conference as well. “We’ve got a lot of deer, elk, and antelope with radio collars, so we know how those animals are using the landscape, and where they are butting up against our road system,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of specific data we can bring to bear that will then help us prioritize where we consider some kind of project to allow or reestablish that migration to occur.” He said projects like fences, reduced speed limits, underpasses, overpasses are all things that have been done and work but said he hoped to see even more creative solutions out of the conference. President and CEO of the Muley Fanatic Foundation Joshua Coursey, who also spoke at the event, said he thought the conference was a great step in the right direction to develop and carry out those solutions. “I think we have the right people in the room, and I think that’s the important component is that we go into this with the mindset that we’re going to do something,” he said. “There’s wonderful examples all over the state ... where the implementation of some of these projects has reduced those mortalities significantly almost immediately.” Panos detailed information about some of those projects in places like Nugget Canyon, Trapper’s Point, Baggs and Moran Junction to Dubois where WYDOT has installed underpasses, overpasses and other devices to help reduce crashes, ensure the safety of the traveling public and protect wildlife and respect natural migration routes. In Nugget Canyon on a 13-mile section of US 30 between Kemmerer and Sage Junction, wildlife-vehicle crashes have been reduced by 81 percent after the construction of the seven underpasses. In that area, Panos said WYDOT also installed 8-foot high fencing to funnel wildlife into the underpasses and prevent them from getting onto the road. The underpasses are most effective for mule deer, which have a migration route in Nugget Canyon, he said. A three-year post construction study has shown that 49,146 mule deer have used the underpasses. Collisions have been reduced at Trapper’s Point, which is between Pinedale and Daniel Junction, Panos said, after WYDOT installed two overpasses and six underpasses. “Prior to the underpasses and overpasses, about 91 percent of wildlife-vehicle crashes involved mule deer while 9 percent involved pronghorn,” he said. “There was an average of 85 wildlifevehicle crashes per year.” But three years after construction, he said the crashes involving mule deer, which prefer to use underpasses, were reduced by 79 percent. The crashes involved pronghorn, which prefer to use

overpasses, were eliminated entirely. Panos also detailed work planned south of Jackson in which WYDOT is continuing its efforts to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions by installing wildlife crossing structures and fencing. That project involves improving US 26/89/189/191 to accommodate travel demand, improve traffic safety, accommodate bicycles and pedestrians and improve traffic flow. “But more work still needs to be completed,” he said. “The work that has been done so far shows that a variety of methods can work to reduce wildlife-vehicles crashes, with some costing more than others. Wyoming needs to look for other innovative ways to further reduce the overall crashes throughout the state.” District Engineer Keith Compton said cost is a challenge in wildlife-crash mitigation, but while efforts can be expensive, but when damage to vehicles, injuries, fatalities and income loss are considered, overpasses and underpasses can pay for themselves. He added that non-government organizations were instrumental in the creation of the conference and can also play an important role in helping advocate for funding. “They play a crucial role, really, in trying to organize support for wildlife in general,” he said. “There are several organizations that have that passion to try to ensure safe wildlife crossings. They play a critical role in trying to accomplish that, to try to garner support in terms of funding for possible mitigation efforts.” Coursey agreed. “I think that the residents within this Cowboy State would rally behind those efforts,” he said. “I’ve said for years – as beautiful as Yellowstone is, if you remove it’s wildlife component, it’s numbers would plummet … Our wildlife is a valued resource that brings a huge economic benefit to the state of Wyoming. The event was sponsored by the George B. Storer Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, Wyoming Wildlife Foundation, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Wyoming Department of Transportation, Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Muley Fanatic Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Wyoming - Wild Sheep Foundation, and Wyoming Game Wardens Association. n

Total collected carcasses While 12,197 crashes were reported over the past five years, WYDOT maintenance crews removed 23,379 carcasses from

the roadsides in the same span of time. This graphic details the number of carcasses removed by species.

Moose: 144 Other: 402 Elk: 792 Pronghorn: 1,669 White-tailed deer: 2,762

Mule deer: 17,608 Total: 23,379

Source: WYDOT Highway Safety

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Noteworthy

Rothwell presents at an American Concrete Pavement Association workshop Wyoming Department of Transportation Assistant State Materials Engineer Bob Rothwell recently spoke at the Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Concrete Pavement Association workshop in Denver, Colo. He made a presentation on recycled Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) concrete on Interstate 80 in southeast Wyoming between Cheyenne and Pine Bluffs March 16. That stretch of road has been under study since its initial construction in mid-1970s by both the WYDOT and outside agencies because ASR deterioration developed due to the aggregate used to construct the road. Rothwell said ASR is a reaction that takes place between the silica in the concrete aggregate and the alkali in the cement which causes expansion and cracking of the concrete. He said it is a common reaction, but there are a few places it is common for the reaction to accelerate, deteriorating concrete much faster than expected. The reason he was asked to speak is because of the uniqueness of the I-80 projects in which WYDOT opted to recycle pavement that had severe ASR distress. Two of the biggest hot spots for ASR issues in the region are Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Cheyenne, Rothwell said. Many companies who provide aggregates in these areas are collecting materials that have a chemical composition that makes ASR more prevalent. I-80 between Cheyenne and Pine Bluffs was originally constructed in the mid-1970s to 1980s using aggregate from an area southeast of Cheyenne. While the new construction was expected to last for 30 years, Rothwell said some sections began to

fall apart after only 10 years and required overlays after only 12 years. Even the sections of the road that held up better still had to be reconstructed after 15-20 years of use. Similar ASR issues have come up in aggregate used in the Riverton area. However, aggregate from these areas can still be used for construction, Rothwell said. It must simply be worked with differently. He said the ASR impacts can be diminished by adding other materials to the concrete mix, including certain fly ashes and lithium nitrate, which Rothwell said WYDOT typically uses. Fly ash or “pulverized fuel ash” is a byproduct of the energy industry’s coal-fired power production. Rothwell’s presentation focused on the reconstruction, including the recycling of the pavement and the life of the pavement after reconstruction. While many of these sections are now in need of work, because of the advancements in research and use of mitigating materials, WYDOT has now gotten nearly 30 years out of the recycled sections. Rothwell also gave the presentation at the International Conference on Concrete Pavement in San Antonio in August. In addition to making presentations at regional and international conferences, Rothwell works with industry leaders to develop new ways to mitigate the problem. Engineers have come up with tests to evaluate aggregate ahead of use to determine the material’s potential for accelerated deterioration because of ASR. There are several tests currently available, but the fastest of them – which can return results as quickly as 16 days – sometimes returns a false-positive. More reliable tests take 12 months or longer. Rothwell said WYDOT has been working for years with Dr. Jennifer Tanner, associate professor of civil and architectural engineering at the University of Wyoming, to develop a more reliable accelerated test for evaluating aggregate for ASR. n

Check out these upcoming training opportunities from WYDOT-U, the Transportation Learning Network (TLN) and WeLL.

Courses in May: Date Class 5/2/17 5/3/17 5/8/17 5/11/17 5/17/17 5/18/17 5/23/17 5/24/17 5/23/17 5/25/17

Developing Your Employees: The Mentor Relationship Knowledge Transfer and Succession Planning New Employee Orientation District 1 Roadshow – Dealing with Supervisory Challenges & the Disciplinary Process RESCHEDULED Bridging the Generation Gap at Work Breaking Through the Barriers: Improving your Interpersonal Communication Skills District 5 Roadshow – Franklin Covey’s 7 Habits Foundations District 5 Roadshow – Franklin Covey’s 7 Habits Foundations ATSSA Traffic Control Design Specialist Leaders Building and Maintaining Effective Relations

PMI Competency Developing Others Leadership Communication

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May 2017

WYDOT-U WYDOT-U WYDOT-U

Developing Others Developing Others

Laramie WYDOT-U

Communication Personal Effectiveness Personal Effectiveness Vocational Customer Service

WYDOT-U Riverton Riverton TLN WYDOT-U

To register, or to find out more details, visit the Training Program internet page.

Location

Where have you been lately? Brag a little. We want to be jealous.

Outdoors deadline:

06/16/17

TechNotes

CrowdStrike, Symantec, Defender – Oh My! Evolution and change are constants in IT and in IT Security. As many of you already know, the state has moved off of Symantec antivirus software and is now using CrowdStrike. The reasons are many, and this decision wasn’t taken lightly. A key reason is that CrowdStrike uses a different approach to detecting bad stuff on computers (malware). At a very high level Symantec looks for markers in files (signature based technology). If it sees a known bad marker it then puts the file in quarantine – isolating it on your machine. This works great for known bad stuff. It doesn’t work great for new bad stuff (zero-day events). Again at a high level, CrowdStrike looks for bad behavior. If it sees a file doing something that files should not do (e.g. sending all your data off to the internet), it quarantines the file. This works great for the known bad stuff. It also works for the zero-day events because it catches the file behaving badly before anyone even knows there is a new bad file out there. Below are some technical bits for those interested. CrowdStrike uses a purpose built cloud architecture. The platform enables using a lightweight agent, as opposed to a software client. As a result it is quick and simple to deploy, manage and update. In addition, CrowdStrike uses a 24/7 managed hunting service. This service analyzes and correlates billions of events in real time, providing complete protection and five-second visibility across all endpoints. Windows Defender is a an anti-malware tool that is built into Windows 8 and newer machines. It is not currently active on WYDOT machines due to compatibility issues with Symantec. While it can work with CrowdStrike, it isn’t needed. n

carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov

s S tate E mployee

SERG

up Retirement Gro Gather with other state retirees monthly.

SERG meets at noon the second Monday of each month at the Cheyenne Radisson.

Congratulations to our March recipients! WYDOT salutes the following Director’s Extra Mile Award recipients. The award is presented to individuals who have traveled the “extra mile” in service to WYDOT.

Contacts for further information:

Kacey Brown Mike Paine Roy Sommers Jamie Wingard

Roger Nelson – 634-1881 Ron Labreque – 632-8240 Donella Marrs – 635-5858

For more information about the Extra Mile Award or to nominate someone, contact Katherine Castaneda at Katherine.Castaneda@wyo.gov.

The gatherings include a brief business meeting, social luncheon and an educational program.

May 2017

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District News

Congratulations

Headquarters

Welcome

Brown

Perkins

Mathews

Collicott

Gaukel

Narvais

Kramer

Jody Brown, Motor Vehicle ServicesRegistration/Title – 35 years; Neal Perkins, Planning-Statistics/Inventory – 35 years; Chad Mathews, Planning-Traffic Data Analysis – 30 years; Cheryl Argento, GIS/ITS – 30 years; John Perkins, Materials-Surfacing – 20 years; Ann Smith, Highway Safety – 15 years; Gerald Collicott, Equipment-Mechanics – 15 years; Patrick Laroix, Right of Way-Engineering – 15 years;

Steve Narvais, Materials-Surfacing – 15 years; Daryn Kramer, Right of Way-Administration – 10 years; Nicole Harvey, Driver Services-PolRossetti icy and Records – 10 years; Taylor Rossetti, Support ServicesAdminstrator – 10 years; Charles Rollins, Bridge-Engineering Design – 5 years; Mariah Drake, GIS/ITS – 5 years; and Nicole Klassen, Budget-Federal Aid – 5 years.

Oops! It was brought to the attention of the editor that there were more than one Robert Wise working at WYDOT at the same time. Robert Wise of the Bridge Program retired and we inadvertently placed an image of another Robert Wise. Our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused either Robert Wise. n

K LIC

click it or ticket. no excuses.

Kurt Gaukel, Patrol-Commercial Carrier Manager; Mariah Johnson, Planning-Local Government Coordination; and Brittni Lesky, Cheyenne I-80 Port of Entry.

Service Awards

Cradle Call Crystal and Nicholas Martinez are the proud parents of Dominick, born March 24. He weighed 6.5 pounds and was 19.2 inches long. Dominick’s grandmother is Enid White, a research manager in Planning-Programming.

Promotions and Transfers

Johnson

Fredrick

George Dale, Right of Way-Administration; Helen Davis, Patrol-Records; Mercedes Goepfert, Patrol-Records; Cody Keller, Patrol-Dispatch Manager; Calla Power, Patrol-Support Services Commander; Aaron Reyes, MaterialsSurfacing; Patrick Rudd, Bridge-Engineering Design; and Karen Shaw, PatrolDispatch Manager.

Pam Fredrick has been selected as the senior budget analyst for the Budget Office. She replaces Joe Mikesell who retired in April. Pam has worked for WYDOT since November 2005, most recently as a principal auditor in Internal Review.

T IC K

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May 2017

Break Through The Ice! Don’t freeze – speak with confidence!

Toastmasters can help. • Develop better speaking and presenting skills • Build strong leadership and mentoring skills • Learn to think quickly and clearly on your feet • Open doors in your personal and professional life

Roadmasters Toastmasters Club Mondays 12:05 p.m.- 12:55 p.m. WYDOT University – I-25 Room

roadmasters.toastmastersclubs.org | www.toastmasters.org Contact Contact Brian Brian Rentner Rentner in in Bridge Bridge for for more more information. information.

May 2017

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District 1

Welcome

Service Awards

Congratulations

Jonathon McMullen, Rawlins Construction; and Matthew Murphy, District 1-Administration.

Michael Ginther, District 1 Traffic Staff – 20 years; Jay Scheel, Rawlins Patrol – 15 years; David Noland, Rawlins Patrol – 10 years; and William Arnett, Elk Mountain Maintenance – 5 years.

The following District 1 technicians have recently passed their FOS tests: Darryl Cameron – welding, Laramie, Crew 1061; and Rob Roland – welding, Cheyenne, Crew 1064. n

Promotions and Transfers Carl Haug, Cheyenne Construction; and Anthony Spencer, Traffic StripingCheyenne.

Cradle Call Curtis Robinson and his wife, Lilly, welcomed Treyson Douglas on March 30. He weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 inches long. Robinson is an officer at the I-25 Port of Entry.

Ginther

Noland

Cameron

Roland

District 2

Congratulations

Christopher Sanderson, Wheatland Construction – 20 years; and Jaime Wingard, Wheatland Patrol – 10 years.

The following District 2 technicians from the Casper Mechanic shop recently passed their FOS tests: David Leeling – welding; Daniel Francom – hydraulics; and Tucker Whitt – electrical. n Photo: WYDOT

Service Awards

Leeling, Francom and Whitt with their FOS testing certificates.

Sanderson

Wingard

District 3

Welcome

Promotions and Transfers

Service Awards

Tucker Court, Rock Springs Maintenance; Travis Garrettson, Rock Springs Maintenance; and Monica Thompson, Rock Springs Construction.

Carl Bennett, Jackson Maintenance; and Anna Erickson, Alpine Junction Port of Entry.

Erickson

Kuhlmann

Curtis Melson, Rock Springs Construction – 40 years; Kurt Kuhlmann, Rock Springs Construction – 15 years; Matthew Brackin, Jackson Patrol Field – 15 years; Heather Carter, Rock Springs Driver Services – 10 years; and Daniel White, Evanston Port of Entry White – 5 years.

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Melson

May 2017

Brackin

District 4

Promotions and Transfers

Retirements

Shelly McDonald, Sundance Port of Entry.

Richard Burridge retired March 3 from Sheridan Patrol with 25 years of service to the state.

Service Awards Edward Golson. Burgess Junction Maintenance – 30 years; Robert Betz, Pole Creek Maintenance – 20 years; and Frank Horsley, Sheridan Construction – 15 years.

Golson

Betz

Congratulations Michelle Edwards (formerly of Morrison-Maierle) has been selected as the new District 4 Traffic Engineer.

Horsley

Burridge

District 5

Promotions and Transfers

Lamb: District 5’s new maintenance engineer

Kelly Webb, Lander Construction.

Webb

Davis

Service Awards Randall Davis, Cody Patrol – 5 years.

Photo: WYDOT

Retirements

Bruce Johnson of the Lander engineering crew on his second-to-last day working for WYDOT after 29 years. Presenting him with his crystal candy dish was District 5 Construction Engineer Randy Merritt of Basin.

WYDOT’s former district traffic and construction engineer in Basin is the new leader of WYDOT’s maintenance program in northwest Wyoming. Lyle Lamb, 46, is looking forward to leading his new maintenance team. “The challenge of Lamb the new job is nice, but the best part of WYDOT are people helping meet WYDOT’s mission of providing a safe, high quality and efficient transportation system for the citizens of Wyoming,” Lamb said. “I enjoy working with WYDOT employees to meet our mission for citizens, landowners, and city, county and tribal governments.” Lamb is a Powell native and 19-year WYDOT veteran. He graduated from Powell High School in 1988. Following four years of service in the U.S. Navy, Lamb attended Northwest College in Powell and then transferred to Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont. He graduated from MSU with his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1998. Lamb joined WYDOT in 1998 as a

member of the Lander engineering crew. As project engineer, Lamb’s construction experience includes supervising reconstruction and widening of WYO 789 to five lanes between Hudson and Lander, and construction and realignment of WYO 28 across the old U.S. Steel mine. He was promoted to resident engineer and supervised seven years of reconstruction of US 26/287 over Togwotee Pass west of Dubois. He was promoted to District 5 traffic engineer in 2012 and District 5 construction engineer in 2015. “Lyle Lamb is a skilled engineer who is proactive in dealing with transportation opportunities. He is skilled in public involvement, problem solving and making transportation decisions for our state’s citizens,” said WYDOT District Engineer Pete Hallsten. Lamb replaces Hallsten, who was promoted Nov. 1 to WYDOT district engineer in northwest Wyoming. Lamb and his wife, Theresa, live in Powell, and they have three sons, Logan, Cameron and Karson. Lamb enjoys family activities, off-road vehicles, hunting and fishing, taking care of his cattle herd and Powell High School athletics in his spare time. n

May 2017

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Awards

Photo: WYDOT

The Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Concrete Pavement Association recently recognized a Wyoming Department of Transportation project as part of its Excellence in Concrete Paving Awards. The department was recognized in the commercial service and military airports category for Wyoming for the concrete apron reconstruction project at the Laramie Regional Airport. The project involved installation of new underdrains and a new pavement section, including 12 inches of new concrete. The project addressed specific challenges for an apron that is subjected to adverse weather conditions. The project was funded by WYDOT Aeronautics, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Laramie Regional Airport. Aeronautics Division Engineering and Construction Manager Brian Olsen said the bulk of the project was completed over the summer and fall of 2016. He said, in addition to being more than 40 years old, the existing pavement section was not deep enough to mitigate frost heave. Frost caused some of the concrete panels to heave more than others, making snow plow maintenance of the apron difficult as The newly reconstructed concrete apron at the well as contributLaramie Regional Airport.

Photo: WYDOT

WYDOT recognized by ACPA at annual concrete pavement workshop

Laramie Regional Airport Regional Manager Jack Skinner (left to right) and WYDOT Aeronautics Division Engineering & Construction Program Manager Brian Olsen meet with members of the engineering team from Jviation.

ing to the creation of foreign object debris – or FOD. FOD can be extremely harmful to aircraft. The apron will now be easier to maintain and will help ensure a safe operating environment, Olsen said. A study funded by WYDOT in 2013 found the Laramie Regional Airport’s economic impact on the region is more than $20 million a year. The award was announced March 16 in Denver, Colorado, as a part of the 2017 Annual Concrete Pavement Workshop. The project was designed and managed by Jviation, Inc., headquartered out of Denver. The contractor was Powder River Construction, Inc., out of Gillette. n

WHEN YOU’RE TEXTING WHILE

DRIVING, YOU’RE NOT REALLY

DR VING.

The

T.R.I.B.E. Zoo llc TATTOO

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May 2017

Awards

Annually, the International Driver Examiner Certification (IDEC) Board and American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) recognize outstanding examiners through the IDEC Examiner of the Year award. Each member jurisdiction nominates one examiner for outstanding performance as a driver’s license examiner. Examiners are selected for their excellence in adhering to the principles and recommended practices of driver examining (the Examiner’s Code of Ethics) and for their high level of conduct in their profession. In addition, one nominee is chosen to be IDEC’s outstanding Examiner of the Year. WYDOT Driver Services’ Janet Hood was nominated by her regional supervisor for this honor and was selected by the IDEC Board to be the 2016 Outstanding Examiner of the Year. Director Bill Panos presented Hood with her IDEC Examiner of the Year certificate during the spring supervisor meeting. Hood has been invited by AAMVA to attend the Annual International Conference in San Francisco this August where she will be presented with her award for the IDEC Outstanding Examiner of the Year. Hood has been with WYDOT since January 2006. She started as a field office examiner in the Kemmerer, Big Piney and Pinedale locations, and became a supervisor in 2008. Because of the unique Wyoming landscape, many of WYDOT’s Driver Services’ offices travel to multiple locations throughout the week. Hood spends three days a week traveling to Big Piney and Pinedale and spends two days in her home office in Kemmerer.

Photo: WYDOT

Hood selected as AAMVA’s 2016 IDEC Outstanding Examiner of the Year

Janet Hood being presented with her IDEC Examiner of the Year award by WYDOT Director Bill Panos.

Hood was diagnosed with breast cancer and continued working and traveling keeping her offices going with limited help from her regional supervisor. This year marks Hood’s second year cancer free. Hood has been married for 17 years, has three children and 10 grandchildren to keep her busy. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and going camping and fishing. n

May 2017

Interchange

May 2017

Break Time Check your answers online at: employees.dot.state.wy.us, or if not able to access the employee site: www.dot. state.wy.us/home/engineering_technical_programs/manuals_publications/ interchange.html. See if you can find the following 25 words hidden in the grid to the right: Blossoming Bridges Burgess Junction Construction Crabapples Daffodils Dubois Fairview Flowers Fort Washakie Green Greybull Lander Manville Newcastle Outdoors Pavement Overlay Raindrops Robins Seasonal Spring Sunshine Ten Sleep Umbrellas Wright

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W P H A R N S I E O M L E T K T I S N A H W O W N D W I S L H C S A P N T L

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F E C T O C E O O Y E D F A G I A H R C F V E O L A R P F T L N M L I I K E

I O O D O L R U M B R E L L A S N G I Y T F E N P T O O E O E O I N L H A D

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A D L L E Y M A S A C H S E T M S T T I O R S T E H T P U S R MD A I E V L D R E I O P D C O N O S O N T M S N O T R S R T E U S R C A G T N R I H E O R E NW B L U S L C T Y S O N C L M S L C E W X K A P A Y N U S P T L I S S

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May 2017

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