Road collapse at Teton Pass

[micropolitan guy]

Stretch of highway totally gone. Gonna create problems to the tourist industry, which some of the locals probably won't mind. Detour will add about 60+ miles to the commute for workers and tourists.

Massive chunk of Wyoming's Teton Pass crumbles; unclear how quickly the road can be rebuilt (msn.com)

Gov. Mark Gordon signed an executive order declaring an emergency, which his office said would help the state access additional resources from the Federal Highway Administration to begin repair work.

Of course now they want help from the Federal government. All three of Wyoming's elected federal officials voted against the Infrastructure Bill.

 

[dixiehack]

So now 20 minutes to Tahoe?

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

So now 20 minutes to Tahoe?

Nah, it's Teton Pass and not Tahoe Pass. Lovely view, but minimum 2 days from everywhere. Minimum.

 

[DanOregon]

Gonna be tough taking anyone to the train station...

 

[MileHigh]

Gonna be tough taking anyone to the train station...

Actually looks like it will make it easier (though Teton Pass is near Utah, not Montana).

 

[micropolitan guy]

Actually looks like it will make it easier (though Teton Pass is near Utah, not Montana).

Isn't it near Idaho?

 

[MileHigh]

Isn't it near Idaho?

Yes. My bad. But the train station from Montana is still open.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Gonna be tough taking anyone to the train station...

I passed on this joke, let the record show.

 

[micropolitan guy]

As a non-engineer, it's just really hard to see how that road can be rebuilt in a timely fashion. And I'm not sure I'd ever trust driving over it, not seeing how they can rebuild the roadbed.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Overhead videos make it look impossible to fix.

 

[Slacker]

Almost impossible situation for Idaho workers who commute to Jackson. As this link explains lower in the story, a 40-minute, 24-mile commute now will take almost two hours or even longer. ... So two hours each way, detoured through tough mountain roads.

Who the hell is up for that? A real kick in the teeth for all involved.

People in Teton County, Wyoming, home to Jackson, known as the tourism capital of Wyoming, expect the economic impact of the pass damage to be substantial.

In 2023, the county generated over $1.7 billion in travel and tourism-related spending.

From July 2022 to June 2023, tourism to Teton County generated $10 million in lodging tax funds, and created 7,890 tourism-related jobs.

More than 2,500 workers living in Idaho drive the Teton Pass every day to get to work, contributing highly to the county’s revenue through their daily commutes, according to the state’s website.

The Jackson Hole News & Guide reported that more than 50 of those employees work in Jackson schools.

Everything you need to know about the Teton Pass closure - East Idaho News

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Looks like it drops off on both sides and a huge berm was built to keep the roadpath level. What they need to do is go back to the base and eliminate the berm, having the road follow the natural landscape. The road will be hillier and curvier, but if they rebuild the berm, it'll likely fail again.

Another alternative is to build a bridge. That will take a few years, though.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Looks like it drops off on both sides and a huge berm was built to keep the roadpath level. What they need to do is go back to the base and eliminate the berm, having the road follow the natural landscape. The road will be hillier and curvier, but if they rebuild the berm, it'll likely fail again.

Another alternative is to build a bridge. That will take a few years, though.

If they build the road at ground level it will be completely buried in snow. The highway over some mountain passes in Wyoming close in late October or November and don't reopen until May (highway 130 between Centennial and Saratoga, for example).

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Good story from High Country News about the effect of the collapse on locals.

https://www.hcn.org/articles/when-a-landslide-blocks-your-commute/

 

[MileHigh]

 

[Slacker]

I'd never feel safe driving that road again.
But the commuters don't have much of a choice.
High anxiety at the pass twice a day, though. Yikes.

 

[TigerVols]

Of course the Feds and Mayor Pete had nothing to do with it. SMH.

 

[Della9250]

Of course the Feds and Mayor Pete had nothing to do with it. SMH.

They got $6 million last week. And then: WYDOT Director Darin Westby said it is only 20% of the $30 million (which is the total cost of the project) the state applied for, but Wyoming is eligible for the other 80% of funds as the rebuild project moves ahead

 

[swingline]

Wyoming, if you’re listening, I need you to do something for me.

 

[DanOregon]

Is that a permanent solution? Or did they just use fill?