WYDOT District 4 maintenance performing annual inspections

SHERIDAN – Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) crews will perform their annual maintenance quality control inspections in the northeast corner of the state over the next few weeks.

The inspection of more than 160 sections of highway is an annual event in which maintenance technicians spend several weeks assessing the current asset conditions of Wyoming’s highways.  

The purpose of the annual inspection is to measure asset conditions, ensure asset consistency and justify resource needs such as labor, materials and equipment. Additionally, it is used to assist with long range planning and for budgeting and prioritizing work plans.   

The checklist of items is extensive, from pavement condition to the number of staples in the right of way fencing. This gives WYDOT a snapshot of what assets need to be considered for repair, improvement or reconstruction.  

In addition to pavement and fencing, the inspection team looks at shoulders, approaches, reflector posts, guardrail and barriers, weeds, litter, cattle guards, curb and gutters, culverts, irrigation ditches and signing of these predetermined road sections. 

Once this information is gathered, district maintenance engineer Larry Konetzki and his team compare the data to previous year’s assessments for any changes and use the information to determine the following year’s budget and workload, which can then be used to prioritize the need for increased resources needed to perform maintenance activities.  

The overall objective of the maintenance quality control inspections is to meet customer expectations, provide consistent quality throughout Wyoming’s highways and educate WYDOT’s employees about asset quality standard expectations. 

Although the inspections are done annually in the fall, district maintenance technicians are constantly assessing Wyoming’s roads and work daily to meet the primary objective of meeting the public’s expectations.  

For information about this news release, contact WYDOT District 4 public information specialist Laura Dalles at (307) 752-3022. For the latest road conditions, visit WYDOT's 511 website, call 5-1-1 or download the Wyoming 511 app. Follow District 4 on Facebook.