The Wyoming Highway Patrol reports troopers responded to a multi-vehicle crash in the tunnel’s westbound lanes Friday afternoon that involved 26 passenger and commercial vehicles.
Three people died in the fiery crash and six commercial vehicles and two passenger vehicles were totaled by the fire.
As of Sunday, WHP, the Wyoming Department of Transportation and other state and local partners had cleared about half of the vehicles involved in the tunnel fire.
Engineers with WYDOT say the westbound crash caused electrical equipment and lighting to fall from the ceiling, and soot from the fire will need to be cleared before the tunnel is open again.
Traffic is being diverted through the town of Green River while the tunnels are closed. The department is working to reopen the eastbound tunnel and install concrete barriers for head-to-head travel in the tunnel. Authorities expect to have the barriers in place by Wednesday.
WYDOT and the highway patrol are working with the National Transportation Safety Board on crash investigations.
