Wyoming Officials Seeking Ways to Keep I-80 Open in Winter

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The Wyoming Department of Transportation is looking for some creative methods to keep a portion of Interstate 80 in the southeastern corner of the state open when winter storms hit or vehicle crashes block the highway.

Possible changes include designating a set time after which the state will clear crashes from the roadway, using a section of U.S. Highway 30 as an alternate route to keep traffic moving and using message signs to try to prevent accidents, WyDOT said in a prepared statement.

“In a crisis situation, our goal is — no matter how slow — to at least keep traffic moving,” WyDOT Director Sleeter Dover told Transport Topics. “The bottom line is, it’s a major east-west route for interstate commerce, and we feel an obligation to do everything possible. With a little more equipment, resources and planning, we hope to keep it open

. . and avoid 50-mile backups,” he said.

For the full story, see the Aug. 12 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.