Teton Pass reopens three weeks after landslide with help of temporary detour

Carter Williams, KSL.com

JACKSON, Wyo. — A captious road linking Wyoming and Idaho communities has reopened 3 weeks aft a monolithic landslide not acold from Grand Teton National Park closed it.

Vehicles returned to Wyoming Highway 22/Teton Pass astatine noon Friday utilizing a impermanent detour to bypass nan conception that collapsed connected June 8. Construction crews “worked astir nan clock” complete nan past 3 weeks to build nan detour, Wyoming Department of Transportation officials said.

“While temporary, this detour safely reconnects communities and gives commuting families their valuable individual clip back,” Darin Westby, nan agency’s director, said successful a statement.

The conception of nan road adjacent milepost 12.8 “catastrophically failed” amid mudslides and landslides that impacted nan region during nan first week of June. Pictures showed astir of nan onshore underneath nan road eroded astatine 1 of its turns.

Crews quickly sewage to activity building a impermanent way to shorten nan clip nan road was closed. The first detour betwixt Jackson, Wyoming and Victor, Idaho, added astir an hr successful each direction.

The Associated Press reported earlier this week that vehicles will person to slow down to 20 mph done nan impermanent detour zone, which spans astir 600-700 feet done nan Caribou-Targhee National Forest.

The conception that grounded will beryllium reconstructed, Wyoming proscription officials reiterated connected Friday. Agency officials said nan descent area will stay “continually monitored” arsenic engineers and others activity to redesign nan roadway. The authorities is aiming to complete this rebuild “before nan worst of wintertime arrives.”

Wyoming officials added nan U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration person been “extremely supportive” pinch emergency funding. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon issued an emergency bid successful narration to nan roadworthy illness backmost connected June 8.

The recently constructed detour connected Highway 22 complete Teton Pass is shown connected June 26. | Courtesy Wyoming Department of Transportation