Wednesday, Thursday closures scheduled in Wind River Canyon

A set of closures of US 20/WYO 789 Wednesday and Thursday in Wind River Canyon are intended to help a contractor successfully and safely bring a large rock off the canyon wall to the edge of the highway.

“The rock we were trying to bring down has been more difficult than we anticipated,” said Wyoming Department of Transportation resident engineer Kaia Tharp of Thermopolis.

Traffic delays of up to 20 minutes are still in play inside Wind River Canyon, but Wednesday and Thursday, road closures will begin at 1 p.m.

The road closures of US 20/WYO 789 will be for one hour each day at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. “The roadway will be reopened at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. each day to safely move traffic through the work zone,” Tharp said. “We have also scheduled a three-hour closure of the highway, from 7-10 p.m. If the road needs to be cleared after 10 p.m., there will be a 20-minute delay with one-way traffic to accomplish the rock removal in a safe manner.”

US 20/WYO 789 Closures:

• 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
• 7-10 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday

US 20/WYO 789 reopens for moving traffic:

• 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
• 10 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday

The work zone where the rock and other debris are being removed is at milepost 117.2 inside Wind River Canyon, roughly 16 miles south of Thermopolis, or about halfway between Shoshoni and Thermopolis. Citizens are being informed of the closures in a number of ways, including through use of digital message signs near Shoshoni and Thermopolis.

Prime contractor Wilson Brothers Construction of Cowley is the prime contractor on the $600,000-plus effort to clean up rockfall from April and May falling rock and mud slides inside Wind River Canyon between Shoshoni and Thermopolis.

Wyoming Department of Transportation District Engineer Pete Hallsten expects contract rock removal to be complete by the July 4 holiday. “Work will be shut down in Wind River Canyon between July 1-4, and only a few more days of work are expected after the holiday,” Hallsten said.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience with this rockfall work,” Tharp said.