WYDOT: Teton Pass temporary fix weeks, not months, away

The Wyoming Department of Transportation says it discovered the collapse on state Route 22 around 5 a.m. Saturday, and no one was harmed.

Teton Pass is a key road for workers to access Jackson and Grand Teton National Park from Idaho.

“Teton Pass is a lifeline between two communities, Jackson and Teton Valley [Idaho], and we're codependent on each other,” said former Park City planning commissioner Chris Larson, who now lives in Victor, Idaho.

“Jackson is where most of the jobs are, and Teton Valley is where most of the housing is.

A 30- to 45-minute commute just became at least 2 hours, said Teton County, Wyoming, Commissioner Luther Propst.

Workers will need to drive 50 miles south to Alpine Junction to U.S. Highway 89, which goes north toward Jackson. U.S. 89 is also the most direct route for Utah travelers headed to the Jackson area.

Wyoming officials are calling the collapse a “catastrophic failure.” Propst notes that it is a state highway, and he’s impressed with transportation officials’ response.

The county commission met with WYDOT June 10.

“There's no definitive timeline, but they are moving to fix it, to get at least one-way traffic open, in the next few weeks,” Propst told KPCW after the meeting.

The collapse happened around a bend, and there’s an interior portion that may be stable enough to support a detour route. Propst said the initial plan is to open up eastbound traffic in the mornings and westbound in the evenings.

“For the very small number of people who live in Jackson and work on the west side of the Tetons, it provides no comfort for them,” the commissioner admitted. “But for the vast majority of people who commute west to east into Jackson, it gives them a chance to get to work.”

Wyoming Department of Transportation

Southern Teton Area Rapid Transit ran buses across the pass before it collapsed. Those will route through Alpine Junction now.

Propst said officials are considering ways to lessen the hardship on commuters, such as waiving bus fees.

Businesses are looking for temporary housing solutions, and the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole is organizing a housing exchange, so residents can help house workers.

“But for the visitors to the community, I don't think many visitors will even be aware of this,” Propst said. “It's not our primary way for visitors to come into the valley.”

The Associated Press reports the part of Teton Pass that failed first drew attention Thursday when a motorcyclist crashed on a crack in the road.

Road crews patched the road for Thursday night, but closed the pass again Friday night to respond to a mudslide at mile marker 15. It never reopened because they discovered the pass totally collapsed early Saturday.

Wyoming Department of Transportation

The massive hole is around mile marker 13, and WYDOT engineers estimate it’s about 300 feet end-to-end. They are evaluating the stability of the surrounding area.

The cause is currently under investigation, though Luther notes it’s likely connected to snowmelt and summer runoff.