The Y intersection work causes delays

Commuters experienced delays of up to an hour during peak traffic times as the Wyoming Department of Transportation and contract crews worked on paving the intersection of WYO 22 and US 26/89/189/191 in Jackson Thursday and Friday.  WYDOT Chief Engineer Gregg Fredrick apologized for the lengthy delays and said they exceeded the Department’s typical window for stopping traffic.  

Varying traffic volumes throughout the day make it difficult to estimate delay times for the traveling public.

“The Department considered several options to minimize the impacts at this high volume intersection,” Fredrick said. 

Fredrick works at the WYDOT headquarters in Cheyenne.

“Milling operations took place at night, however, low night time temperatures required the paving to be complete during the day. Paving during warmer hours yields a better final product,” he added.

Although the work could have been completed later in the summer when night time temperatures would have been higher, WYDOT wanted the intersection completed and striped prior to the summer tourist season in the Jackson area. 

The Department had hoped to minimize the inconvenience to motorists using the Y intersection by completing the paving in two longer working days rather than delaying traffic over several weeks.  Paving operations were originally planned for Saturday and Sunday to avoid traffic delays during the busy work week.  However, inclement weather forecasts forced WYDOT to push the paving schedule to Thursday and Friday.   

The Department ceased paving operations Friday afternoon due to inclement weather and rain.    Operations will continue on Sunday, weather permitting, and commuters can expect to see similar delays while crews complete the paving portion of the intersection.

WYDOT appreciates the patience and understanding in the delays associated with the construction activities in and around the Jackson area and would like to remind drivers to slow down in work zones, be alert and cautious of roadside workers.   For more information on road construction, closures and weather conditions, please visit WYDOT's 511 website.