Highway improvements scheduled on Gas Hills Road east of Riverton

Highway improvements are scheduled to begin this week on 12 miles of WYO 136 (Sand Draw Road) east of Riverton.

The highway improvements involve cold in-place recycling, a method of removing and reusing the existing asphalt surface. It involves grinding off the top two to five inches of the existing asphalt surface and mixing the crushed asphalt with an asphalt recycling agent, and placing it back down on the surface with an asphalt paver.

“Cold in-place recycling improves the road surface and strength while minimizing expenses typically incurred during the paving process,” said Wyoming Department of Transportation resident engineer Robert Scheidemantel of Riverton. “In addition, cold in-place recycling can correct deep asphalt defects such as rutting and fatigue (alligator cracking). This is a cold process that requires minimal additional heat during the rejuvenation of the asphalt material, resulting in a decrease in the amount of energy required to produce the final material.”

The $2 million project involves grading, profile asphalt milling of existing pavement, placing pit-run gravel base, cold in-place recycling, a chip seal and other work on 12 miles of WYO 136 beginning at milepost 31.53, which is 31.5 miles east of Riverton. The project extends to the east end of WYO 136.

“There will be some minor traffic delays during the cold in-place recycling project,” Scheidemantel said. “The project is dependent upon favorable weather, but could be completed as early as the end of August.”

Prime contractor on the $2 million project is Knife River of Cheyenne. Contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2017.

Information about this news release is available by calling WYDOT public relations specialist Cody Beers at (307) 431-1803.