Tunnel lighting project begins May 1 west of Cody

Removal and replacement of the existing lighting system inside the big tunnel west of Cody on US14/16/20 is scheduled to begin next week.

Casper Electric is the prime contractor on the $5.184 million lighting replacement project inside the big tunnel west of Cody. Casper Electric's work includes removal and replacement of the existing tunnel lighting system.

"The new system will consist of LED lighting that is more energy efficient. There will also be a tunnel warning system installed to notify motorists of pedestrians and/or bicyclists in the tunnels," said Wyoming Department of Transportation resident engineer Todd Frost of Cody. 

Project work is scheduled to begin Monday, May 1, with work at night, 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., 6 days a week, in a 153-calendar-day window. During the 153-day project, motorists should expect one-way traffic movements with a pilot vehicle and flaggers during working hours and cumulative delays of up to 10 minutes. Traffic will be returned to two-way traffic with no delay during non-working hours.

Project limits for the lighting project begin at milepost 45 (west end of the big tunnel), extending 1 mile east (east end of the short tunnels) toward Cody at milepost 46.

Contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2023.

"WYDOT's decision to upgrade the big tunnel's lighting system is based on the need to upgrade a deteriorating system that is 20-plus years old," Frost said. "The existing fixtures have not been available for replacement for a number of years, and decreasing levels of light are contributing to an unsafe driving environment."

Project questions may be directed to WYDOT Resident Engineer Todd Frost, P.E., at (307) 587-2220, or by email

For information about this news release, please contact Cody Beers, WYDOT public relations specialist, at (307) 431-1803.