US 14-16-20 safety project to reopen parking area for climbers west of Cody

A parking area will be reopened in June to improve pedestrian safety to a popular climbing area in between the tunnels on US 14-16-20 near Cody. 

Improvements on the $219,000 project are scheduled to begin April 9. Work consists of replacement of guardrail, new curb and gutter, new double gutter for the new entrance into the climbing area parking lot, and paving and chip sealing of the parking area.

Wyoming Department of Transportation resident engineer Todd Frost of Cody said prime contractor S&L Industrial of Cowley has a 14-day work window (between April 16 and April 30), by contract, to remove the existing guardrail and replace it and complete installation of curb and gutter, and double gutter.

"During that 14-day time frame, the contractor will have one-way traffic with 24-hour flagging, a single-lane roadway and a pilot car due to the unprotected tunnel ends and steep drop-offs where the curb and gutter, double gutter and median are being placed," Frost said. "Maximum cumulative delays will be 10 minutes, except between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. when the delays will be 20 minutes due to the rockfall mitigation project west of the tunnels."

During the 14-day time window, "there will be no free traffic movement times through these two projects," Frost said. "There will always be delay between April 16 and April 30."

Frost said traffic control on the tunnel parking project and the current rockfall mitigation project (west of the tunnels) is being handled by S&L Industrial. "This should help with coordination of traffic movements," he said.

All work, except paving and chip sealing, is required to be complete by April 30. "Our goal is to not interfere with traffic driving to Yellowstone National Park," Frost said. 

By WYDOT specifications, chip sealing of the climbing area parking lot won't happen until after June 1. By contract, chip sealing of the parking lot is required to be complete by June 15.

"The parking lot won't be opened for public use until chip sealing and striping is complete," Frost said.

Frost has advised the contractor to watch for climbers walking through the work zone during the project. "If you climb in the area, please practice courtesy in and near the work zone," Frost said. "This parking lot project is being reopened to improve safety for climbers, with regard to traffic using U.S. 14/16/20 and the growing number of pedestrians accessing the popular climbing area by parking in a known rockfall area and walking through two tunnels to reach it."

"We appreciate everyone's patience during this important highway safety project," Frost said.    

Contract completion date on the parking lot/safety project is June 30, 2018.

For information about WYDOT's work, contact WYDOT public relations specialist Cody Beers at (307) 431-1803.