Emergency Wind River Canyon clean up

An emergency contract totalling nearly $200,000 has been approved for cleanup of mud slides and big rocks near U.S. 20/Wyoming 789 inside Wind River Canyon, according to Wyoming Department of Transportation District 5 maintenance engineer Pete Hallsten of Basin.

The $199,200 contract has been awarded to Pab Good Trucking LLC, of Greybull.

"This project is scheduled to begin this Thursday, June 4, and will clear the ditches of slide debris and rocks from the highway's clear zone," Hallsten said. "Traffic will be controlled with flaggers, and travelers should expect delays of up to 15 minutes. Please slow down and allow this important safety project to happen in a safe manner."

Hallsten said the cleanup efforts are estimated to take 2-3 weeks to complete. "Some of the mud slide debris and rocks will be hauled to WYDOT's Birdseye Pit south of Wind River Canyon, while some of the material will be stockpiled inside the canyon near milepost 123 to be used in a future guardrail and road repair project."

Milepost 123 is where mud and rock slides flowed across U.S. 20/Wyoming 789 on Sunday, May 24, forcing the nearly-three-day closure of the highway through Wind River Canyon.

Milepost 123 is south of Chimney Rock inside Wind River Canyon, about seven miles south of Thermopolis.

"We are continuing to evaluate what needs to happen to reduce the risk of rocks and future debris flows coming down on the highway," Hallsten said.