Interchange October 2019 by WYDOT

Interchange October 2019

Vol. 47, Issue 10

Letters

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Vol. 47, Issue 10

Thanks to my WYDOT family

WTDEA Relief Fund helps family through crisis

To all my fellow co-workers: I have been very blessed to be a part of this great institution for 13 years. I can’t begin to explain the depth of my gratitude to everyone for the sick leave time that was donated to me after the fall I took in February. My health hasn’t been the best so, my official retirement date was Sept. 3. I want to thank all of my co-workers for working with me through the time I had left. To Col. Haller, thank you for all you’ve done for me and the phone call to check on me after I fell–it meant the world to me. I will miss all of the people I have had the privilege to work with and that I can call my friends. Best wishes to everyone!!

I personally wanted to thank the WTDEA and the great WYDOT employees who participate in contributing to this association. The WTDEA relief fund provided me with assistance to be with my young daughter in Denver during her open heart surgery. I am happy to report that she did extremely well and is on the road to recovery. I can’t thank you all enough. I appreciate the great organization and the people I work with daily. I am beyond grateful.

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 sending an email to carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov.

Staff WYDOT Director: K. Luke Reiner

James “JR” Howe Casper Maintenance

Public Affairs Manager: Doug McGee

Editor:

Carlie Van Winkle

Contributors:

Thank you, Susan Hendrickson

Aimee Inama J.L. O’Brien Carlie Van Winkle Matt Murphy Jeff Goetz Stephanie Harsha Laura Dalles Cody Beers Sgt. Jeremy Beck

Heartwarming Recycled maps make journey to brighten a special day

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October 2019

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.

Photo: WYDOT

This past summer, Rickey Smith, cofounder of the Mighty Fortress Ministries, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, contacted the Public Affairs office in search of maps that were scheduled to be recycled. Smith had been to a Wyoming Welcome Center earlier in the summer and inquired about the disposition of old maps and the welcome center attendant put him in touch with WYDOT. Smith and his ministry use recycled maps in their artwork and stated the Wyoming highway maps would be in the new project. This new project, as it turns out, was flower bouquets for a new bride. Smith’s ministry transformed the recycled maps into nearly 1,500 hand-made blooms for the bride and reception hall decoration. n

Photography:

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

The blushing bride with a beautiful bouquet of paper flowers.

A WYDOT PUBLICATION

Contents

Features 8 Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame Cody man most recent inductee

9 Sheridan Main Street Lane reconfiguration test results positive

11 Wildlife safety on Togwotee Pass Humans need to take lead in wildlife welfare

Also in this issue Letters.........................................................................................2

District briefs.............................................................................4 Training.....................................................................................13 Game & Fish News................................................................10 HR Happenings......................................................................12 Travel & Tourism.....................................................................13 District news...........................................................................14 Awards......................................................................................17 Extra Mile Awards..................................................................18 Passings....................................................................................18 By the Numbers............................................................. 18, 19 WTDEA......................................................................................19 Outdoors................................................................................. 20 Break Time.............................................................................. 23

On the cover:

Autumn in the Tetons. Photo: Rick Carpenter

Kindly recycle this publication after reading. October 2019

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Commission awards $23.6 million in contracts in September CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) will make road improvements to 5 miles of Interstate 80 between Granger Junction and Green River. The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded Interstate Highway Construction Inc., of Englewood, Colorado, a $12.6 million contract for the I-80 work in Sweetwater County. The commission awarded that and six other contracts during its recent meeting. For the I-80 work, crews will rebuild the westbound lane by removing the asphalt and replacing it with concrete, which is expected to last longer. WYDOT is doing the work to improve the driving surface. During the work, the westbound traffic will be diverted into the eastbound lane. Each direction of traffic will be down to a single lane, head to head. Besides the road work, crews will perform minor bridge work in four locations. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2020. Other contracts the commission awarded included fence installation, pavement resurfacing and rockfall mitigation. Simon Contractors, of Cheyenne, was the low bidder on a $4 million slabrepair contract on Interstate 25 between the Randall Avenue and Horse Creek interchanges near Cheyenne in Laramie County. Crews will make concrete slab repairs and add a high-performance wearing course to preserve the concrete underneath and improve the ride. The contract completion date is Nov. 30, 2020. McGarvin-Moberly Construction Co., of Worland, won a $3.7 million contract for pavement resurfacing on 8 miles of US 30. Crews will perform the work between Kemmerer and Opal in Lincoln County. Besides the resurfacing work, crews

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will make minor bridge repairs. The contract completion date is June 30, 2021. The commission also awarded contracts for: • $1 million to Mountain Construction Co., of Lovell, for a stockpiling material contract for chip sealing for Big Horn and Park counties by May 31, 2020; • $1 million to King Enterprises, of Mills, for a right-of-way fencing contract at various locations on US 189/191 between Pinedale and Hoback Junction in Sublette County by Oct. 1, 2020; • $664,400 to Oftedal Construction Inc., of Casper, for rockfall scaling on US 20/WYO 789, rockfall mesh repair on WYO 296 and rockfall fence repair on US 14/16/20 in Hot Springs and Park counties by June 30, 2020; and • $60,984 to Casper Electric, of Casper, for a flash beacon contract on US 30 and Whitney and US 30 and Dell Range in Cheyenne in Laramie County by Dec. 31, 2019.

State moves mainframe system WYDOT uses for driver licenses and other services CHEYENNE – Wyoming officials moved a statewide mainframe system used to issue driver licenses, check driving records and provide other motor vehicle services to a new location. In an effort to ensure continued service, Wyoming’s Department of Enterprise Technology Services (ETS) moved the Revenue Information System (RIS), a mainframe system that supports critical operations for the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) and other state agencies, to an IBM environment in Omaha, Nebraska. The move took place the weekend of Sept. 13-15. ETS and WYDOT worked to reduce the possibility of outages with the move, but with any technology project, there were risks. ETS moved the mainframe in order

Cattleguards on WYO 70 replaced BAGGS – Cattleguards at six locations on WYO 70 east of Savery will be replaced over the next month. Crews with 71 Construction began work on Sept. 23. The cattleguards are spread out along WYO 70 from milepost 28.7 to milepost 17.9, which is between the Colorado state line east to just beyond Forest Road 852. Crews replaced each cattleguard one side at a time. During each replacement, a temporary traffic signal was in place to allow traffic through the work zone. The entire project will be completed by the end of October.

Photo: WYDOT

District Briefs

to receive better support from IBM. The move will not address any issues with RIS itself, which was developed and implemented in 1986. WYDOT’s Driver Services uses RIS to issue driver licenses, complete driver license testing, issue identification cards and issue other needed documents. The department’s Motor Vehicle Services uses RIS for plate, title and registration work. WHP and federal and state law enforcement agencies use RIS to verify vehicle and driver information during a vehicle stop. If RIS experienced any outages due to the move, WYDOT would not be able to conduct driver license and motor vehicle services business until the system was back up and running.

Cattleguards replaced on WYO 70 east of Savery.

Parsley Boulevard bridge over I-80 repaired; traffic restrictions were in effect CHEYENNE – Work to repair the Parsley Boulevard bridge over Interstate 80 began Sept. 16 and resulted in traffic restrictions and lane closures during the project. Parsley Boulevard was closed to northbound traffic around Sept. 18 and continued to be closed into the following week. A detour was in place. Southbound Parsley Boulevard traffic continued using the bridge. On I-80, lane closures were in effect in the westbound lanes for the duration of the project. Eastbound I-80 was unaffected. The bridge was struck by a commercial vehicle in the last year, necessitating the repairs. All work was completed by Sept. 26. Reiman Corp. was the contractor for the project.

Eastbound I-80 to northbound I-25 ramp closed for two weeks CHEYENNE – The ramp from eastbound Interstate 80 to northbound Interstate 25 was closed for about two weeks beginning Sept. 17 for concrete repair work. Traffic was detoured onto West Lincolnway and then to northbound I-25. I-80 access to southbound I-25 was not affected, nor did the work affect I-25 southbound to I-80 eastbound traffic. The restriction was necessary to repair concrete slabs on the ramp and allow the repaired slabs time to cure. This work is part of a larger job to repair concrete slabs on various roads in the Cheyenne area. The project is broken up into two segments, one to be completed this year and one next year. This year’s work focuses on I-80 eastbound, including mileposts 357-362 (Roundtop Road to Central Avenue), including the I-80/I-25 interchange; the I-80 eastbound to I-25 northbound ramp; near milepost 372; and mileposts 377381. All work on this year’s segment of the

project should be completed by October, weather permitting. Slab repair work will continue next year on I-80 westbound, College Drive, and Central and Warren Avenues at 8th Avenue. S & S Builders is the contractor for the project.

Interchange ramps on I-80 in Rawlins to close one at a time RAWLINS – Exit and entrance ramps on Interstate 80 in Rawlins were closed one at a time in early September for concrete maintenance work. Crews had to grind and texture the concrete on the ramps, which resulted in a smoother driving surface and also provided more friction to give drivers better control in wet or icy conditions. Each ramp closed in sequence beginning with the Exit 211 (Spruce Street) eastbound exit ramp on Sept. 9. From there, crews moved to the Exit 211 eastbound entrance ramp and continued to Exit 214 and Exit 215 before switching to the westbound side of I-80 and working in sequence on those ramps. Only one ramp was closed at a time, with closures taking one day (some larger ramps took two days). Work also took place in the driving lanes of I-80, resulting in temporary lane closures.

Maintenance temporarily closed Exit 219 RAWLINS – Paving work on I-80 temporarily closed two ramps of the Exit 219 (Sinclair-West) interchange. WYDOT’s Rawlins Maintenance crew began work on Sept. 3 and continued Sept. 4 during daylight hours. The Exit 219 eastbound exit ramp was closed during construction on Sept. 3 and the westbound entrance ramp was closed during construction on Sept. 4. The ramps reopened when work was complete. The other ramps on the interchange remained open.

Road work in Cheyenne, some ramps closed CHEYENNE – Drivers on southbound I-25, in Cheyenne, encountered road work and lane closures Aug. 28-29 as WYDOT crews repaired the deck of the bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad. During construction, the driving lane of I-25 southbound was closed in the work area, as was Exit 8B to westbound I-80. Drivers wishing to get to I-80 westbound from I-25 southbound were detoured through the cloverleaf interchange. In addition, drivers from Lincolnway were not be able to directly access southbound I-25 during construction. Instead, westbound Lincolnway traffic wishing to access southbound I-25 was detoured onto I-80 westbound to Exit 357 (Roundtop Road) and then back on I-80 east to I-25. Eastbound Lincolnway traffic wishing to access southbound I-25 was detoured onto northbound I-25 to Exit 10D (Happy Jack Road/Missile Drive) and then back onto I-25.

Work on Casper I-25 overpass continued, traffic lanes switched CASPER – Work continued on the resurfacing of two bridges over Walsh Drive on I-25 in Casper. On Sept. 20, crews switched traffic in the southbound lanes, closing the passing lane and reopening the driving (right) lane. Work began on the passing lane. Though the driving lane was open, the southbound on-ramp from Yellowstone Highway remained closed. To access southbound I-25 from Yellowstone, or the Beverly Street/Bryan Stock Trail area, drivers used the McKinley Street on-ramp or the Curtis Street/Wyoming Boulevard interchange. On Sept. 23, crews also began working on the northbound driving lane. This necessitated the closure of the northbound on-ramp at the Curtis Street/Wyoming Boulevard interchange. To access I-25

Briefs continued on page 6 October 2019

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I-80 Superior Interchange again impacted by bridge work

Briefs continued from page 5 northbound from this area, drivers used the Beverly Street/Bryan Stock Trail onramp. The on ramp remained closed until all work was completed in the northbound lanes.

ROCK SPRINGS – The Wyoming Department of Transportation closed a section of roadway under the bridge at the WYO 371 Superior Road and Interstate 80 interchange Sept. 12 for the day. WYDOT, along with contract crews Kilgore Companies doing business as Lewis & Lewis Inc. and DeBernardi Construction Co., poured a new concrete bridge deck at the interchange. On Sept. 12, drivers were directed to access Interstate 80 and/or Superior by way of the Point of Rocks exit at milepost 130 or the Airport exit at milepost 111 and travel on the I-80 service roads. Traffic heading to Rock Springs from Superior was not affected.

Teton Pass arrestor used; driver injury-free JACKSON – On Sept. 10 around 4 p.m., a pickup truck and a gooseneck trailer hauling homebuilding logs entered the truck arrestor on WYO 22 at milepost 7 after the driver lost his brakes at the top of the pass. The truck and trailer went through all eight nets and continued through the arrestor, coming to rest beyond the arrestor. The driver did not sustain any injuries. The arrestor will remain closed until WYDOT can review the incident and evaluate how the arrestor performed. “The vehicle arrestor did not perform as expected. We will be analyzing the system and how it functioned and take necessary steps to correct any noted problems,” WYDOT District Engineer Keith Compton said. The truck arrestor system, near milepost 7 on the south side of WYO 22, was constructed to replace the previous runaway truck ramp in which vehicles had to cross over the opposing lane of traffic to use the ramp. The Teton Pass truck arrestor system was opened in March of 2017. This is the fifth time it has been used to date.

Photo: WYDOT

WYDOT work caused minor delays

The Teton Pass truck arrestor system on WYO 22 west of Jackson has been used once again, stopping the pickup/gooseneck trailer combo when the vehicle’s brakes failed.

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JACKSON – Work is underway on the second half of the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s Jackson South reconstruction project, just north of Hoback Junction. Crews removed trees in the work area and set concrete barrier along the highway. Traffic was limited to one lane through the work area. Once the barrier was in place, traffic delays were minimal. The work took two days. The concrete barrier made the lanes narrow and a 12-foot width restriction was in place. “The barrier is to protect the public and the crews while they work,” WYDOT Resident Engineer Bob Hammond said. The project is the second half of a broader corridor improvement project between the Hoback Junction and Jackson on US 26/89/189/191. Crews are already working on a section of roadway with a landslide that WYDOT is mitigating. “The work is just north of a previous landslide that the department mitigated a few years ago and is doing well,” Hammond said. The scope of work for this job includes grading, draining, full depth reclamation, paving and a bridge replacement, placing post-tensioned precast concrete retaining walls on approximately 3.5 miles of roadway.

The contract was awarded to Oftedal Construction, Inc. this past May for $67.5 million.

Signals on WYO 59 at Country Club, Madison upgraded GILLETTE – The signals on WYO 59 at Country Club and Madison were down for approximately two hours at each location Sept. 19. Traffic control consisted of lane closures and flaggers with no left turns allowed at the intersections while work was performed. Cache Valley Electric performed the work as part of a signal detection upgrade project. The upgrade is to the detection equipment for oncoming traffic, which will make the intersections and corridor traffic flow more efficiently.

Paving on US 14 between Ranchester and Dayton SHERIDAN – The Wyoming Department of Transportation began resurfacing approximately six miles of US 14 between Ranchester and Dayton the week of Sept. 23. The project began at the Buckhorn Grocery Store and proceeded west to Dayton and the Tongue River Bridge. WYDOT performed a mill and overlay, and striping of the exiting roadway and added a turn lane near the entrance into Tongue River Elementary School. The project was expected to last approximately three weeks.

Speed limit drops to 60 mph on two miles of WYO 120 Cody CODY – Results of two years of speed studies are supporting a drop in the speed limit of the Cody south urban limits section of WYO 120. WYDOT sign crew members installed new 60 mph speed limit signs Sept. 23 at both ends of two miles of WYO 120

Photo: WYDOT

Paving complete on landslide mitigation project on Togwotee Pass

Photo: WYDOT

DUBOIS – A $1.94 million project is continuing to fix a US 26/287 landslide near the Shoshone National Forest boundary west of Dubois. The landslide mitigation work is happening at milepost 40.5, about 13 miles west of Dubois. The prime contractor is Oftedal Construction Inc., of Casper. Contract completion date is Nov. 30, 2019.

Photo: WYDOT

Between Aug. 19 and Aug. 26 147 snow fence boards were stolen from 21 panels of highway snow fence along WYO 136.

Paving and landslide mitigation on US 26/287 Sept. 18 west of Dubois.

Photo: WYDOT

LANDER – Placement of crushed gravel base and paving were topics of a WYO 132 highway improvement project public meeting Sept. 18 at the Wyoming Indian High School. Representatives from prime contractor High Country Construction Inc., of Lander, and Wyoming Department of Transportation were on hand to share project scheduling information and answer questions about progress of the reconstruction project between Ethete and US 287. Dirt grading is nearing completion on the $14.63 million WYO 132 (Blue Sky Highway) highway improvement project, and placement of six inches of crushed gravel base is scheduled to start Sept. 23 at the south end of the project. The contractor is placing about 37,000 cubic yards of crushed gravel base on the roadway, and about the same amount of asphalt pavement in the coming weeks. “When paving is complete, this project will be 85-90 percent complete,” WYDOT Lander Project Engineer Brian Martin told citizens at the Sept. 18 meeting. Work is ongoing on fencing, irrigation structures and the separated pedestrian pathway between Ethete and Wyoming Indian Elementary School. The contractor is also rebuilding the intersection of WYO 132 and US 287 at the south end of the project.

Road work commences on WYO 132 north of Lander.

RIVERTON – Sometime between Aug. 19 and Aug. 26, 147 weathered snow fence boards, from 21 panels, were stolen from highway snow fence 32.1 miles east of Riverton on WYO 136 (Gas Hills Road). “We were at this site on Aug. 19, and the snow fence was intact. By Aug. 26, it was gone,” said Riverton Maintenance Foreman Shane Pugh of Riverton. “We were at the site rebuilding the snow fence for parts of two weeks. This unplanned project delayed normal fall maintenance work in central Fremont County.” Riverton’s maintenance crew spent 76 man hours replacing the stolen snow fence at a cost of more than $3,900. n

Photo: WYDOT

Placement of gravel base on WYO 132 project near Ethete

Maintenance employees replaced stolen snow fence boards east of Riverton

Photo: WYDOT

beginning at the highway’s junction of US 14/16/20 (mileposts 81.21 to 79.44). The new 60 mph speed zone ends at the road closure gate on WYO 120, south of the businesses in the area. “Wyoming statutes require an engineering study to change a speed limit,” said WYDOT Traffic Engineer Jack Hoffman of Basin. “We performed speed studies at three different locations in July of last year, and again in March of this year to catch both tourist and non-tourist season traffic.” A roadway improvement project is scheduled to take place on this section of WYO 120 next summer. Following construction, the speed limit in this area will be 60 mph.

Maintenance workers rebuilt snowfence along WYO 136 beginning on Sept. 17.

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The Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame honored its 28th inductee Sept. 28 at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody. Elmer Faust, formerly of Cody, is the 2019 inductee. Faust’s major contributions to Wyoming aviation include his role in the development of aviation in Cody and the exceptional aircraft maintenance he provided to pilots throughout the Big Horn Basin and beyond. Faust began flying in the 1920s in a Curtis Jenny. While working as an auto mechanic in Cody, Faust built his first airplane, a Corben Junior Ace, in his spare time. Rather than purchase the entire kit, he obtained a set of blueprints and an engine and relied on his mechanical skills to build the airplane. During the late 1920s and continuing into the 1930s, Faust, along with several other Cody residents, cleared a pasture of rocks and brush to form a landing strip and then used a truck to pull a drag to smooth the landing surface. Later, he constructed two hangars at the airstrip. Along with a hangar built by the city, these became the first structures at what would become the Cody airport. In honor of his efforts to help establish an airport, the terminal was named the E.E. Faust Terminal in 1992. Faust began providing aircraft maintenance in the late 1930s. In 1949, he formally established Cody Aero Service, and for many years was the only mechanic in the Big Horn Basin and surrounding area. Faust was awarded the Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Mechanic Citation for his efforts that contributed significantly to the safety and increased reliability in aviation maintenance and for his efforts toward improved maintenance practices. Faust’s mechanical abilities led to his strong interest in the mechanical aspects of aircraft, and though aircraft maintenance was his primary business, rebuilding older aircraft

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was his passion. He rebuilt aircraft including a 1937 Fairchild 24, 1928 Mono Coup and several Waco Aircraft Company (WACO) aircraft. A 1933 WACO UIC that he restored in 1976 for use in the oil pipeline industry in Casper eventually was donated to the Smithsonian’s Paul E. Garber Storage Facility, the National Air and Space Museum’s reserve collection of historically significant aircraft. Faust also built and modified a late-1940s Piper PA-12. When it was completed in 1954, this heavily modified airplane became known as the Faust 301 and was still flying in 2019. During World War II, Faust served his country as an instructor at Hancock College of Aeronautics in California where he taught aircraft mechanics and engines. This included being the lead instructor for a new program designed to train young women to be aircraft mechanics. Born on Nov. 29, 1900, in the community of Otto, southeast of Cody, Faust grew up in Meeteetse and Cody and graduated from Cody High School. Faust passed away in Cody on March 24, 1989. The Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame is a non-profit, publicly supported, tax-exempt organization dedicated to honoring individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the establishment, development and/or advancement of aviation in Wyoming. The organization comprises a board of directors and operates in conjunction with the Wyoming Aeronautics Commission. Founded in 1994 through the efforts of the late Red Kelso of Cheyenne, the Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame held its first induction in 1995. For more information about the hall of fame or to nominate an individual, please call Board Chairman John Waggener in Laramie at 307-766-2563. n

Photo courtesy McCracken Research Library, Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Cody man inducted into Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame

Photo: Rick Carpenter

Sheridan Main Street test shows positive results By Laura Dalles, District 4 The Wyoming Department of Transportation and the city of Sheridan hosted a public meeting on Sept. 17 to share and discuss the results of the three-lane reconfiguration test of Downtown Main Street. On Aug. 11, at the request of the city of Sheridan, a halfmile portion of the historic downtown Sheridan Main Street went from its traditional four-lane configuration to a three-lane configuration. This reconfiguration was a result of months of conversations between WYDOT and the city to take advantage of the upcoming resurfacing of this portion of Main Street in 2023 to look at how it might function under a new traffic design. This type of study is the first of its kind for WYDOT and provided an opportunity to conduct a real-time study which included the community and gathered both qualitative and quantitative data. This study was completed without using obtrusive cones, flagging operations or other vertical traffic controls and it worked rather seamlessly. Traffic study results Final traffic studies performed by WYDOT indicated the three-lane configuration appeared to function adequately at peak periods. Adjusted traffic signal timings ensured good progression and for the most part queues were not excessive. The study also indicated there was no significant change in traffic volumes on Main Street or the bordering streets of Gould and Sheridan. WYDOT’s count locations included the signalized intersections on Main Street between Burkitt and Dow, as well as the intersections of Coffeen/Gould and Sheridan Avenue/5th Street. The counts off of Main Street were intended to determine what alternate routes drivers were taking if they avoided Main. Comparisons of before and after volumes on Main Street showed little change overall in the input and output. The midday hour from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. was the only one that showed any trend for significant drop in volumes with a reduction on the order of approximately 10 percent. The largest reduction observed was 125 fewer vehicles on Main Street during the midday hour in the first week of the test. During the third week of the test, this same hour measured approximately 70 fewer than the baseline.

The afternoon peak hour, the busiest of the day, saw only minor changes with slight decreases and even some increases in Main Street volumes. Data at the off-Main intersections did not show trends that would clearly indicate higher usage of these alternate routes. The morning hour during the first week of the test did show an increase of 65 total vehicles on Sheridan Avenue – a 20 percent increase – but, this was not replicated any other hour of the day. Noon and afternoon peak volumes on Sheridan Avenue remained essentially the same. The intersection of Coffeen/Gould showed no discernible increase in westbound right turners that would indicate people were using Gould to avoid Main. Although the majority of the results provided positive feedback and data, areas of concerns were identified as well. The 4-foot “buffer zone” was often confused as a bike lane, which was not the intention. WYDOT strongly believes allowing bicycles to use the buffer as a bike lane introduces unnecessary conflict between vehicles and bikes and puts vulnerable cyclists at risk, even at the 20 mph speed on Main. “Dooring” incidents are a common crash type when narrow, non-separated bike lanes are allowed next to parking and can also force cyclists to abruptly swerve into the traveled way putting them at even greater risk. The north end transition zone at Dow Street also raised some concerns. The original configuration did not allow enough time and length of roadway to enter the study area without congestion or confusion. This was identified as a concern during the first week of the study and a right-turn only was put into place at the Dow intersection of Main Street. Public survey results Preliminary public survey results were favorable the first week and continued to trend upward during the study. Final survey results showed 65 percent of those who participated in the survey were in favor of keeping the three-lane configuration, with 27 percent wanting to keep the four-lane configuration and 7 percent who were indifferent to the change. The majority of the comments indicated the public felt safer when parallel parking due to the 4-foot buffer zone which ofContinued on page 10 October 2019

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and the city will evaluate the existing traffic signal mast arms and poles for compliance to determine if they will meet design specs required for relocating traffic signal heads and signage. This is expected to take five to six months to determine. If the city decides to move forward with implementing the change, there are a number of associated costs the city will have to pay for. Preliminary estimated costs range from $50,000 to $205,000. The city will review data and cost estimates and make a final determination. WYDOT will need to know the final decision by March 1, 2020 in order to meet design deadlines for the 2023 project. Background WYDOT is scheduled to resurface the downtown section of Main Street in 2023. The city saw this scheduled resurfacing project as an opportunity to investigate the idea of enhancing placemaking opportunities to increase foot traffic to the retail businesses. In 2018, the Downtown Sheridan Streetscape Action Plan was created as a result of a multi-day workshop held earlier that year. The results of this study, which included focus groups and feedback from downtown retailers, indicated that reducing the now current four-lane configuration to three-lanes would offer a more inviting and accessible downtown. n

Continued from page 9 fered added space to maneuver parking and enter and exit their vehicles. The public also stated that traffic felt less congested and they were able to notice businesses along Main Street they did not realize were there. With the original four-lane configuration there were no left-turns allowed during peak driving hours. The three-lane configuration allows for a designated center left-turn lane which allows traffic to turn at any time. The change received mixed reviews from the public. Some public comments indicated they would prefer left turn arrows at the intersections to aid in their turning maneuvers. However, this is likely a poor option as left turn phasing would degrade progression and result in inefficient traffic flow on Main Street. Next steps As agreed upon with the city, the three-lane configuration ended on Sept. 28 at 9 p.m., at which time Main Street was closed for the removal of the temporary striping and preparation of the surface for WYDOT to restripe the four-lane configuration the following morning. The “No Left Turn” signals were turned back on during peak hours and traffic now flows as before. If the three-lane configuration is desired by the city in the future, modifications will need to be made to the traffic signals to align the signal heads properly with the travel lanes. WYDOT

Game & Fish News Photo: Wyoming Game and Fish/Lucy Wold

• Kemmerer Ranger Station – September 22

AIS inspectors Brad Murphy (left) and Charlie Forrester inspect a pair of jet skis from Colorado at Anvil Draw station.

Southwest Wyoming aquatic invasive species check stations close for the season The 2019 boating season is winding down and Wyoming Game and Fish Department Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) check stations throughout the state are set to close. Here are the closing check stations and respective dates for southwest Wyoming: • Evanston Port of Entry – October 4 (Thursday-Sunday only after September 22) • Anvil Draw (Flaming Gorge) – September 22 • Firehole (Flaming Gorge) – September 22

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Inspections are available by appointment at the Evanston Port of Entry through the end of November and the Green River Regional Office year-round. Please call ahead to schedule an appointment (307) 875-3225, extension 8622 or (307) 677-1238. Green River AIS Specialist Wes Gordon says that it’s important to remember any conveyance being transported into the state of Wyoming is required to be inspected before launching on any water in the state until after Nov. 30. “This requirement is extended year-round if the conveyance was last used in any water infested with zebra and or quagga mussels,” Gordon said. “Please remember to stay vigilant and to clean, drain, and dry your watercraft after every use. Additionally, be sure your plugs and other water barriers remain out and/or open during transport.” For a list of infested waters visit: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/WGFD/media/content/PDF/Fishing/ AIS_INFESTED_WATER.pdf For a list of inspection locations and private inspectors visit: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Fishing-and-Boating/Aquatic-InvasiveSpecies-Prevention/AIS-Inspection-Locations Aquatic invasive species are nonnative organisms that can cause significant harm to an ecosystem when introduced. Aquatic invasive species, like zebra and quagga mussels, are small organisms that could have huge impacts for Wyoming’s waters, boaters and anglers. They can ruin fisheries, clog cooling systems in motorboats, foul hulls and ruin equipment. Anyone who uses water or recreates on water will be impacted. For more information please call Gordon at the Game and Fish Green River Office, (307) 875-3225, extension 8622. n

Photo: Bradly J. Boner

The grizzly bear sow named Felicia by locals – Bear 863 by biologists – crosses US 26/287 with her young cub earlier this summer.

The safety of wildlife on Togwotee Pass starts with humans Courtesy of Kacey Stewart, U.S. Forest Service This summer, a sow grizzly bear, known as Bear 863, and her cub have been highly visible along US 26/287 on Togwotee Pass, between Moran and Dubois. Over the past three summers, many people have had the opportunity to view Bear 863, and she has developed a large, devoted group of followers. Recently, the behavior of people around these bears has created significant concern for the safety of the bears, the people interacting with them, and traffic on the highway. As is the case for many human-habituated bears along road corridors, the future of these bears is highly uncertain and largely depends on the behavior of people. All bears have a threshold for human presence that, once exceeded, may cause them to become aggressive towards people. This is especially true of sows that will defend their cubs from a perceived threat. On several occasions, people have approached these bears very closely, and, in some cases, people have been almost close enough to touch them. Though Bear 863 appears to be more tolerant of people than most bears, there is high potential for her to respond aggressively and injure someone if approached too closely. To ensure your own safety, as well as the safety of Bear 863 and her cub, please do not intentionally approach these, or

any other, bears closer than 100 yards. Additionally, these bears may have already received food from humans and have accessed an unattended stringer of fish at Wind River Lake on the Shoshone National Forest. The old saying “a fed bear is a dead bear” holds true. Bears that have been fed by people quickly learn to associate humans with food and often must be dispatched by managers to prevent them from injuring humans. Regulations on both the Bridger-Teton and Shoshone National Forests prohibit making human foods or garbage accessible to bears. Highway traffic is also a significant concern for Bear 863 and her cub. She may have already survived one collision with a vehicle, but may not be so lucky if it happens again. Please remember to slow down and watch for wildlife near US 26/287 near Togwotee Pass. The U.S. Forest Service, Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Wyoming Department of Transportation have varying authorities on Togwotee Pass, but cannot be everywhere at once. We are asking for your help. Please remember to always keep a safe distance from bears, never feed bears or leave food accessible to them, and slow down and watch for wildlife near the highway. n

October 2019

Interchange

HR Happenings Open Enrollment time Open Enrollment began Oct. 1. Open Enrollment changes can be made by active employees only from Oct. 1-Nov. 30. All changes take effect Jan. 1, 2020.

During Open Enrollment, you may:

• Change your health plan or coverage level;

• Enroll in optional dental if your three-year waiting period was met in 2019; • Enroll in vision coverage if your two-year waiting period was met in 2019; • Add eligible dependents not currently covered under your health/dental (you will be required to supply supporting documentation); and/or • Drop dependents. Employees must complete these actions on the Employees’ Group Insurance (EGI) Employee Benefit Portal (egiportal.wyo. gov) by Nov. 30. Hard copies are available from HR and are due to your HR representative by Nov. 29.

2020 Flexible Benefits Form

Employees must make changes to flexible spending reimbursement accounts on the employee portal (egiportal.wyo.gov) by Nov. 30 if: • You want to participate in any reimbursement accounts for 2020 (Medical Reimbursement Account; Dependent Daycare Account; or Wrap-Around Medical Reimbursement Account; • You are currently participating in any of these accounts and you want to continue for 2020 (you MUST re-enroll); and/or • You want to change your pre-tax or post-tax election. If you do not want to participate in any reimbursement accounts and you do not want to change your pre- or post-tax election, DO NOT take any action.

Employee Benefit Portal

Instructional videos on how to use the portal for Open Enrollment Changes are available at: https://ai.wyo.gov/divisions/ human-resources/group-insurance/employee-portal or please contact your HR representative or email HR at dot-humanresources@wyo.gov. Once you have submitted your enrollment changes, your status will show as “submitted, pending EGI approval.” You will not see any benefit changes until EGI has approved them; log into the portal periodically to check the status. As with all Open Enrollment periods, the final deadline for any changes is Nov. 30 and the portal will not allow any after that date. Please note: • If you make Open Enrollment changes on the portal, DO NOT turn in paper copies to HR. • If you are returning paper insurance applications to HR only mark what you are changing. Paper forms can be scanned and emailed to HR for any open enrollment changes. n

Interchange

October 2019

Training

Six Big Themes for 2020

Six new themes coming out in 2020 By Rebecca McGee, Training Services The Training Services team at WYDOT-U has something new to make your career development take off in 2020. This year you’ll get more than just one classroom workshop. We’re curating and delivering a wide variety of books, videos, articles, activities, online classes and instructor-led training and bringing it to you in six big themes. We’re introducing a change in what and how we offer content along these lines for several of our supervisor/leadership competencies. Starting in October 2019, we’ll be delivering content and activities on a specific theme or focus area, and organizing them in WELL Learning Plans. Although all employees are encouraged to sign up, supervisors will be assigned to the themed learning plans. Completion of the learning plan activities is not mandated. Learning plans are simply the best way to organize curated materials, and assigning them to supervisors builds awareness and engagement. Note that you can also sign up for individual classes, but we hope you’ll jump on the bandwagon for a great experience via one of our themed learning plans that end with a culminating event you won’t want to miss. Each week WYDOT-U will add fresh content to the learning plan to make it relevant to you, and to deliver it in a variety of ways to fit your learning style. You’ll get a weekly email from the WELL as we add new content. You can access and consume any of the content that you’d like. Pick and choose what interests you. Then join us–in person or via Hangouts–for the closure of the learning plan at the end of the two-month period, for our culminating event. n

Coaching

Team Building

Evaluating Performance

Oct./Nov.

Dec./Jan.

Feb./Mar.

Innovation

Conflict Management

Motivating Others

Apr./May

June/July

Aug./Sept.

Expand your knowledge with books, videos, articles, classes...

Sign up for a themed learning plan anytime! Steps: 1. Log in to the WELL 2. Search for the Learning Plan 3. Click the “+” sign next to the title to enroll 4. Access the content: a. Click on MY LEARNING b. Click on MY LEARNING PLANS c. Select the Learning Plan d. Complete Learning Activities

Travel & Tourism Wyoming Women’s Suffrage Celebration held through 2020 Editor’s note: Excerpts are taken from the Wyoming Women’s Suffrage toolkit provided by the Wyoming Office of Tourism. Wyoming is celebrated for many things – our world famous rodeos, open spaces and beautiful landscapes – but few know that it is also the first frontier for women in the U.S. territories. Often called the “Cowboy State,” Wyoming’s true nickname is the “Equality State” and for good reason. In 1869, 51 years ahead of the U.S. enacting the 19th Amendment, Wyoming became the first state or territory in nation to guarantee suffrage to women on equal footing with men, as well as the rights to hold public office, own and inherit property, and the guardianship of minor children. The first female to cast a vote in the world did so in Wyoming’s small town of Laramie a full 50 years before women could vote in the rest of the nation. When invited to join the Union only if women’s suffrage was revoked, Wyoming’s legislature said, “We will remain out of the Union one hundred years rather than come in without the women.” In 1890, Wyoming became the 44th state… with the women.

Wyoming is home to the first female Justice of the Peace, the first female governor in the U.S., first female secretary of state, the first female bailiff and the first town governed by women in the U.S., among other monumental firsts for women. As we near the 150th anniversary of the Women’s Suffrage Act on Dec. 10, 2019, we ask you, your organization and community to participate in the Wyoming Women’s Suffrage Celebration. The Wyoming Women’s Suffrage Celebration, to be held in 2019 and 2020, commemorates these events. Its objective is “To honor our local contribution to history and foster broader recognition of it beyond our state, and to encourage research and advocacy on the right, privilege, and responsibility of the vote.” To see a full list of “firsts” and for more information about Women’s Suffrage in Wyoming, visit the Wyoming State Libraries Women’s Suffrage page at http://gowyld.libguides.com/friendly. php?s=wyomingwomenssuffrage. n October 2019

Interchange

District News Headquarters Maitland Baldwin, Patrol-Safety and Training; Tyler Bedwell, Patrol-Safety and Training; Mia Belving, Office Services-Mailroom; Cole Bostron, MaterialsBituminous; Benjamin Cink, PatrolSafety and Training; Eric Sandstead, Patrol-Safety and Training; Kylie Severns, Highway Development-Engineering Services; Omar Tawakali, Patrol-Safety and Training; and Devon Wheeler, Highway Development-Administration.

Photo: Rick Carpenter

Welcome

Taylor

Humphries

DeJersey

Klassen

Director Luke Reiner and Chief Engineer Shelby Carlson presented Highway Safety Program Manager Matt Carlson (center) with his 35 year service award.

Promotions and Transfers Michael Christensen, Patrol-Safety and Training.

Messman

Aldridge

Rebekah Humphries, Patrol-Dispatch – 15 years; Ken DeJersey, Right of Way-Negotiations – 10 years; Jason Klassen, Materials-Surfacing – 10 years; David Messman, Purchasing-Storeroom – 10 years; and Jason Aldridge, Highway Development-Project Development – 5 years.

Director Luke Reiner and Chief Engineer Shelby Carlson presented Highway Safety employee Stephanie Lucero (center) with her 30 year service award.

Neal

Photo: Rick Carpenter

Photo: WYDOT

Simpson

Director Luke Reiner and Chief Engineer Shelby Carlson presented State Construction Engineer Kent Ketterling (center) with his 30 year service award.

Photo: Rick Carpenter

Matthew Simpson, Contracts and Estimates – 35 years; Ginger Hebert, Patrol-Dispatch – 30 years; Raymond Neal, Office Services-Printing – 30 years; John Samson, Environmental Services – 25 years; Kimberly Lamb, Internal Review – 20 years; KC Ramsey, Patrol-Support Services Operations – 20 years; Russell Taylor, Bridge-Engineering Design – 20 years; Jamie Emerine, Patrol-Dispatch – 15 years;

Photo: Rick Carpenter

Service Awards

Support Services Administrator Taylor Rossetti presented Training Services employee Amy Bale with her 25 year service award.

Lamb

Ramsey

Interchange

October 2019

Director Luke Reiner and Chief Engineer Shelby Carlson presented Maintenance staff employee Cori Hastings (center) with her 25 year service award.

Retirements

Cradle Call

David Griego retired on Aug. 16 from Planning with 42 years of service to the state. Griego began his career with WYDOT as a draftsman in Project Development. Griego is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and earned his master’s degree from the University of Wyoming. He also served in the Wyoming Air National Guard in the Medical Service Corp.

Compliance and Investigations investigator Shannon Ferree and her husband, Cliff, welcomed a new son to their family on July 11. Cannon Kruse Ferree was welcomed by mom, dad, sister, Bailey, and brother, Waylon. The youngest Ferree weighed in at 8 pounds, 6.8 ounces and measured 20.75 inches long.

Chris Romo was selected as the Maintenance Staff Engineer in Cheyenne. He assumed his new position Sept. 1.

District 2

Welcome Derrick Elliott, Douglas Maintenance.

Service Awards

Ortiz

Charles Loraas retired Aug. 10 from Casper Maintenance with eight years of service to WYDOT. Linda Martinez retired Aug. 1 from the Casper Driver Services office as a driver license field examiner. She is a Casper native and retires with seven years of service to the state. n

Martinez

Photo: WYDOT

Dylan Acton, Rawlins Construction; Charles Bigelow, Rawlins Maintenance; and Aaron Patterson, Cheyenne Maintenance.

Promotions and Transfers

Ballinger

James Elliott, District 1 Maintenance Staff; Daniel Moyer, Traffic-Laramie Striping; and Ken Sharp, Cheyenne Maintenance.

Service Awards

Giovanni Ortiz, Douglas Patrol – 5 years.

Retirements

Welcome

Bame

Colter Bame, Laramie Maintenance – 5 years. n

Sharp

Lari Kay, Laramie Construction – 20 years; Trevor Ballinger, Arlington Maintenance – 5 years; and

Photo: WYDOT

Congratulations

District 1

Resident Engineer Jake Lonn presented Sarah Carew from Rawlins Construction with her 5 year service award.

Lari Kay with Laramie Construction was presented her 20 year service award by District Construction Engineer Tim Morton.

Photo: WYDOT

Jerkins

Photo: WYDOT

John Jerkins retired on Aug. 3 from Patrol-Capitol Services Protection with 21 years of service to the state.

Photo courtesy of Shannon Ferree

Michael Janicek retired on Aug. 2 from the Highway Safety-Records and Data Management division. He began his career at WYDOT as a Planning and Development drafter in June 1977.

Molly Johnson with Cheyenne Driver Services and husband, Chance Johnson, with Cheyenne GIS/ITS at the Transportation Management Center welcomed a baby girl into their lives. Georgia Jean was born Aug. 13 and weighed in at 6 pounds, 9 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. Proud grandparents Mike and Janet Farrar are both retired from WYDOT. n

District Equipment Supervisor Dick Demoney (left) presented Clint Williams from Cheyenne Equipment with his 5 year service award.

District 3 Jake Webber, Patrick Draw Maintenance.

Conner Cowan, Evanston Construction; Christopher McBurney, Evanston Mechanics; Jeremiah Smith, Farson Maintenance; Jordan Sramek, Jackson Maintenance; Alexis Stewart, Pinedale Maintenance; Zach Strankowski, TrafficSchurman Afton Striping; and

Service Awards Paul Schurman, Traffic-Rock Springs Striping – 20 years; Bruce Daigle, Jackson Maintenance – 15 years; and Thomas Covert, Rock Springs Mechanics – 5 years.

Dewain Hanson, Moorcroft Maintenance; Ryan Huxtable, Reno Junction Maintenance; and Carson Morales, Sheridan Maintenance.

Schwabauer

Keyworth

Brian Jordan, Hulett Maintenance; Trevor Keyworth, Sundance Construction; Allen Larsen, Gillette Mechanics; and Samantha Mitchell, Gillette Port of Entry.

District 5

Welcome Craig Alburn, Riverton Construction; Steven Griffin, Meeteetse Maintenance; and Douglas Walker, Worland Maintenance.

Promotions and Transfers Shane Pugh, Riverton Maintenance; and Allen Tharp, District 5 Construction Staff.

Interchange

October 2019

Kyle Jorgensen, Traffic-Lander Striping – 5 years.

Congratulations

Pugh

Tharp

Frost

Erickson

Service Awards Todd Frost, Cody Construction – 30 years; Tyd Erickson, Meeteetse Maintenance – 5 years; and

le Afte yc

ading! Re

Bennett

Mitchell

Ballard

Joseph Bennett, Traffic-Sheridan Striping; Michael Bush, Gillette Construction;

Jordan

Morales

Promotions and Transfers

Service Awards David Schwabauer, District 4 Traffic Staff – 35 years; and Bobbie Ballard, Port of Entry-Sundance – 5 years. n

Bush

Hanson

Ken Jimenez retired Aug. 1 from Rock Springs Maintenance as a highway maintenance technician. Jimenez retires with 12 years of service to the state. n

Daigle

District 4

Welcome

Retirements

ease Re c Pl

Welcome

Cody Beers has been selected as the WYDOT Tribal Liaison effective Aug. 1. Beers has worked for WYDOT since 2004 as the Public Relations Specialist for District 5. He continues in his Public Relations Specialist capacity and adds the WYDOT liaison with the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone Tribes to his duties. n Jorgensen

Awards National group recognizes Director Reiner and WYDOT for work with veterans

Photo: Rick Carpenter

By Aimee Inama The men and women of the armed forces will always know that Wyoming stands behind them. Ret. Lt. Col. Barry Gasdek, past national commander of the Legion of Valor, recognized the efforts of Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) Director K. Luke Reiner as well as the entire department for the work that’s been done to honor those who have served in the armed forces. Gasdek presented Reiner with a Purple Heart plaque and a Medal of Honor coin during the September Wyoming Transportation Commission meeting. Reiner previously served and recently retired as the adjutant general for Wyoming where he directed the Wyoming Military Department. Gasdek said the recent work on the Medal of Honor Highway and Reiner’s work as adjutant general shows the dedication he and others in the state have for its military members. “Thank you, Director Reiner, for your support for the people in Wyoming, for our

veterans and for our combat wounded veterans,” Gasdek said. “We should always recognize individuals who go one step above and beyond to support all the veterans in our state.” He referenced the recent Medal of Honor Highway dedication event as one way Reiner and WYDOT have shown their support. In August, WYDOT, Gov. Mark Gordon, state lawmakers, the Wyoming Veterans Commission and local and state officials dedicated US 20 as the Medal of Honor Highway. The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force. It is bestowed upon an individual who is serving or has served in the armed forces of the United States. State lawmakers approved the designation last session. US 20 is the longest highway in the U.S., spanning the country from coast to coast from Oregon to Massachusetts. Oregon was the first state to designate US 20 as the Medal of Honor Highway. Besides Wyoming, other states that have approved the designation are Idaho and Montana. Besides the Purple Heart plaque, Gasdek presented Reiner with the Medal of Honor coin on behalf of Bob Maxwell, the oldest Medal of Honor recipient, who served during World War II. Maxwell passed away in May. Reiner thanked Gasdek for the plaque and coin and for his work with veterans. “He’s an exceptional leader both while he served in Vietnam and when he came home from the war,” Reiner said. “His generation came back to a nation that didn’t appreciate them. He took an approach of that will not happen again. His approach has been that all men and women who serve should come back to the appropriate welcome. I want to thank him for his dedication and service.” n

ITS employee Brian Sheeley performed a simulated rescue of Emergency Communications Tower Safety Trainer Eric Bressler at the Emergency Communications tower training on Sept. 18. “We [ITS and Emergency Communications] work together on various projects and help each other out when needed,” said District 4 Emergency Communications Lead Technician Nick Palmer.

Photo: Rick Carpenter

Photo: WYDOT

Director Luke Reiner was presented the Purple Heart plaque by Ret. Lt. Col. Barry Gasdek.

Director Luke Reiner recognized Cheyenne Rigging shop employee Jesse Burgess for his commitment to excellence in the workplace.

October 2019

Interchange

Passings Ronald K. Harvey Ronald (Ron) Keith Harvey, age 72, passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 7 at his home in Evanston. Harvey was born Oct. 21, 1946 in Mountain View, Wyoming, the son of Robert W. Harvey and Mary Katherine Rounds Harvey. Har- Harvey vey’s mother passed away shortly after his birth. He was raised by his Grandma Rounds until age six. After his grandma passed away he lived with his Aunt Bertha and Uncle Charlie Meeks. He attended school in Manilla, Utah through his freshman year, then moved to Mountain View to live with his older brother, Wes Harvey and his family. He graduated from Mountain

View High School with the class of 1965. Shortly after graduating, Harvey entered the United States Army in 1966. He served in the Vietnam War from 19661967. Upon returning home from the war he went to work for the Wyoming Transportation Department, WYDOT’s predecessor agency, in October 1968. Harvey retired in as District 3 Equipment Supervisor in 2000. Harvey loved the outdoors. He enjoyed his mountain rides in his side-by-side. He was always available to go on these adventures with family and friends. Harvey had a vast knowledge of family history and shared these stories often. He had a good heart and he loved and appreciated his neighbors and their friendships. Graveside services with military honors were held Sept. 12 at Fort Bridger Cemetery. n

RIDES Show us yours!

Congratulations to our September recipient! 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.

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

Total number of employees: As of Sept. 4, 2019

1,982

One month ago Deadline:

11/15/19 carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov 18

Interchange

October 2019

1,950

One year ago

1,909

WTDEA

WHP Total number of highway fatalities: As of Sept. 12, 2019

111

One year ago

WTDEA

2020 State Board Cash Calendar Calendars are $20 each and may be purchased from: District 1 William McGary, Baggs; and Chris Fisher, Cheyenne. District 2 Darren Allbright, Wheatland; Debbie Herbold, Casper; Ryan Sorenson, Casper; and Myron Witt, Chugwater.

Now on sale!

District 5 Christa Hauser, Riverton; John Farr, Lander; and Cole Mosegard, Basin. WyHy Andrea Valois

District 3 Carl “Kurt” Bennett, Jackson; and Kevin Weston, Cokeville.

Headquarters Audrey Hobbs; Heidi Martin; Heather Heiduck; Robyn Eifert; Tina Borgaard; Antonia Torres; and Tiffanie Young.

District 4 Laura Dalles, Sheridan; David Johnson, Burgess Jct.; Jean Little, Gillette; and Misty Wood, Sheridan.

Email for pre-orders and purchase from Audrey Hobbs, audrey.hobbs@wyo.gov; or Tiffanie Young, tiffanie.young@wyo.gov.

$20 for 365 – plus 12 bonus – chances to win! October 2019

Interchange

Photo: Rex Markley

Gillette Shop Foreman Rex Markley fished at Keyhole this summer. Looks like a good fishing spot.

Photo: Doug McLean

Photo: Rex Markley

Outdoors

Sheridan Maintenance Tech Doug McLean and his mini-bike escapades in Sturgis.

Interchange

October 2019

Photo: John Poelma Photo: Michelle Edwards

Sheridan Traffic Engineer Michelle Edwards took this amazing shot of a double rainbow over Cat Creek.

Photo: WYDOT

Photo: Phillip Summers

Sheridan Heavy Mechanic Phillip Summers with his 2019 bull elk.

Maintenance Staff employee Cori Hastings and Maintenance Administration employee John Poelma have sibling Australian shepherd/border collie/blue heeler mix pups. The pup on the left is Poelma's pup, Charlie, and the one on the right is Hasting's, Samwise.

For the last eight years, Buffalo Construction and Buffalo Maintenance has had a â&#x20AC;&#x153;grudge matchâ&#x20AC;? at the Buffalo Golf Club. This year, Construction was victorious. Golfers for Buffalo Construction were Resident Engineer Isaac Finkle and Kerry Money, PLS; Maintenance golfers were Retired District 4 Maintenance Supervisor, Rich Hall and Retired District 4 Guardrail Foreman Rado Kekich.

October 2019

Interchange

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Interchange

October 2019

Break Time

Animal Mazes by KrazyDad, Book 9

Maze #20

Answer to the September 2019 Break Time word search:

KRAZYDAD.COM

Need the answer? http://krazydad.com/mazes/answers

ÂŠ 2010 KrazyDad.com

Interchange subscription issue? Update your address:

1) Complete and return this slip to WYDOT Public Affairs Office, 5300 Bishop Blvd., Cheyenne, WY 82009, or 2) Send an email to Carlie Van Winkle at carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov. Add me to the mailing list

Retiree Employee

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Name change, I am a family member of a deceased employee, but I would like to continue receiving Interchange.

Name Current address City, State, Zip Previous address City, State, Zip

October 2019

Interchange

Wyoming Department of Transportation 5300 Bishop Blvd. Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009-3340 Address Service Requested

Pre-sorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Cheyenne, WY 82009 Permit No. 24