Wyoming’s Teton Pass suffers ‘catastrophic landslide,’ causing likely long-term closure
Jun 9, 2024, 11:55 AM | Updated: Jun 11, 2024, 4:10 pm
A portion of Wyoming's Teton Pass, a highly frequented road by summer travelers in nearby states, suffered a massive landslide, causing the roadway to fall completely. Wyoming officials estimate the road closure to be long term. (Wyoming Department of Transportation)
(Wyoming Department of Transportation)
JACKSON, Wyo. — Just as travelers gear up for summer, a Wyoming highway frequented by surrounding state vacationers suffered a “catastrophic landslide,” Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said. Wyoming officials said Saturday the repairs would likely cause a long-term closure.
Two separate mudslides underneath Teton Pass, also known as Highway 22, gave out Friday and Saturday causing the closure to span between Wilson and the Idaho state line. The slides occurred just miles from each other, one at milepost 12.8 and the other at post 15.
The first slide began just as a crack in the roadway, the Wyoming Department of Transportation said. It sent crews to repair the cracks, which were then filled before the second part of the highway collapsed. In the meantime, the original crack worsened and gave out completely.
Gordon shared a video that captured continued debris falling from underneath the road after it had taken much of the asphalt with it. Although, he said nobody was hurt, and no equipment was damaged.
The section of road closed would regularly take just over 15 minutes to drive through, and the suggested detour calculates just under two hours.
“WYDOT geologists and engineers will be on site today to conduct an assessment and develop a long-term solution to rebuild the roadway,” Gordon said Saturday. “I recognize the impacts this closure has to Teton County residents, regional commuters and the local economy, and we are in direct communication with local officials.”
Gordon said further updates would be provided pending the road’s analysis.
