‘Catastrophic’ landslide obliterates Teton Pass highway in Wyoming – no timeline for reopening
A mountain pass was closed indefinitely after much of it collapsed in a ‘catastrophic’ landslide last weekend.
The natural disaster struck Saturday over a popular highway in Jackson, Wyoming, sending tons of debris from the cliff below.
The winding pass is a major commute between eastern Idaho towns and the popular tourist destination, where much of the sidewalk is now defunct.
Aerial photos show the extent of the damage, while drone videos posted to the governor’s social media accounts show the collapse as it occurred.
As of this writing, there is still no timeline for the reopening of Teton Pass, as it is still plagued by deep cracks and much of the sidewalk is completely gone.
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This photo from Wyoming Highway Patrol shows a damaged section of Teton Pass near Jackson, Wyoming on Saturday
Aerial photos show the extent of the damage, while drone videos posted to the governor’s social media accounts (seen here) show the collapse as it occurred
“We understand that this highway is a lifeline for commuters, deliveries, access to medical care and tourism, especially with limited alternatives and the summer season upon us,” the Wyoming Department of Transportation said in a statement Saturday.
“WYDOT engineers, surveyors and geologists acted quickly to try to maintain the viability of the highways for as long as possible, but catastrophic failures could not be avoided.”
The bulletin further revealed that no one was on the roadway at the time of the collapse, at milepost 12.8.
That’s because of a mudslide earlier this week that shut it down for repairs, the transportation department said — before revealing that no construction crews were injured during the event.
However, the road failed ‘catastrophically’ and was scarred by the hundreds of tonnes of boulders and dirt that fell.
In an even earlier incident Thursday, the section also failed when a crack and fall in the road created unsafe driving conditions.
A motorcyclist reportedly crashed as a result, prompting an unrelated response.
Geologists and engineers dispatched to the milestone that day noticed the crack and fall, said Stephanie Harsha, a spokesperson for the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s District 3.
It comes days after geologists and engineers were sent to the milestone to look over a crack and fall in the road, said Stephanie Harsha, a spokesperson for the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s District 3.
However, they were called away the next day due to a mudslide a few kilometers away. This photo from Wyoming Highway Patrol shows a damaged section of Teton Pass on Saturday
At the time of writing, there is still no timeline for the reopening of the precarious pass, as it is still plagued by deep cracks and much of the sidewalk is completely gone.
The road remains a vital artery for people living across the border in Idaho and working in Jackson, an expensive outpost near the popular Grand Teton National Park.
A paving crew temporarily repaired the road, but crews were then sent to the mudslide early Friday, she said, leading to the now-continued road closure.
‘We were very lucky that no crew members were injured. “No equipment was damaged,” she said.
“Now engineers and geologists are doing geological assessments at the pass. They’ve been looking at it all day.’
She did not say how long it will take before the road reopens, and no one else did either.
Instead, an alternate route between Jackson and the Victor, Idaho, area was offered – more than 60 miles out of the way for most motorists.
It will “add quite a bit to the commute,” the transportation official admitted.
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, meanwhile, released his own statement saying that WYDOT engineers and geologists were working frantically to develop a long-term plan to rebuild the roadway, but that there is no estimated time for reopening.
“I am grateful for the efforts of WYDOT personnel to protect public safety during this developing situation, and I am grateful that no one was injured during this incident,” the first-term Republican said.
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, meanwhile, released his own statement saying that WYDOT engineers and geologists were working frantically to develop a long-term plan to rebuild the roadway, but that there is no estimated time for reopening.
The mudslide at milepost 15, seen here, had “crossed the roadway with mud and debris, overwhelming the channelized drainage ditch and culvert,” the department added.
In an even earlier incident Thursday, the section also failed when a crack and fall in the road created unsafe driving conditions. A motorcyclist reportedly crashed as a result, prompting an unrelated response
. Geologists and engineers dispatched to the landmark that day noticed the crack and fall, officials said. A paving crew temporarily repaired the road, but crews were then sent to the mudslide early Friday, she said, leading to the now-continued road closure
As for the landslide (seen here), it took away both lanes of the road at its widest point, and was likely caused by abnormally high spring rains and significant snowmelt in the area, officials said.
He reiterated how geologists and engineers were conducting on-site assessments intended to “develop a long-term solution for rebuilding this critical roadway.”
As for the landslide, it took out both lanes of the road at its widest point and was likely caused by abnormally high spring rains and significant snowmelt in the area, officials said.
The Teton Pass corridor remains “a critical commuter route and facilitates the transportation of goods and services that are lifelines to the growing regional economies in Wyoming and Idaho,” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
But now a ride that used to take about 35 minutes is expected to take at least 1 hour and 35 minutes.
For now, WYDOT advised travelers to sign up for road status updates through a state-run hotline.