JACKSON, Wyo. – The “catastrophic failure” of a Wyoming highway outside of Jackson will mean travelers will have to tack on at least an hour to their drive time while transportation officials devise a clean-up and repair plan.
On Saturday morning, the Wyoming Department of Transportation said a landslide devoured part of State Highway 22, which connects the resort region with communities around Victor, Idaho.
No one was on the roadway due to a previous mudslide which shut down the thoroughfare, and no construction crews were reported to have been injured during the event.
Photos showed the landslide took out both travel lanes at its widest point, and transportation officials have not stated how long they anticipate the roadway will be closed.
National Weather Service meteorologists said spring rainfall, in combination with a significant snowmelt, is to blame for river flooding and landslides throughout the region.
Temperatures of 10-20 degrees above normal have caused the ice and snow to rapidly melt, filling rivers and drainage tributaries.
“It’s very common to have high-level snow still, and now that the upper levels are seeing the warmup, it’s melting, which will continue through the summer,” an NWS meteorologist stated.
Despite the problems along the Teton Pass, nearby rivers such as the Snake, Teton and Wind were only expected to approach minor flood status, but the NWS warned water level rises can be unpredictable because of the melting of the snow.
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Without a direct thoroughfare in the Teton Pass, a trip that used to take around 35 minutes is now expected to take at least 1 hour and 35 minutes, and that is without any obstructions along the detour. An Idaho resident said because of home prices and the cost of living in Jackson, many workers live in the Teton Valley and commute back and forth – a trip now that has more than doubled in time to complete.
WYDOT advised travelers to sign up for updates from 511 Notify for the latest road conditions and closures.
Original article source: Landslide leads to ‘catastrophic failure’ of popular Wyoming mountain pass highway
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