Wyoming traffic continued to increase Tuesday after Aug. 21 eclipse

Wyoming traffic continued to increase on Tuesday, Aug. 22 by more than 244,000 vehicles (almost 30 percent) compared to the five-year average for the third Tuesday of the month in August as travelers headed home after the eclipse.

Wyoming had most of the increases in the southern, western and central parts of the state. Although traffic increased, the numbers weren’t as high as they were during the eclipse on Monday.

Laramie County continued to have the largest increase for Tuesday with 63,564 more vehicles. Laramie County is where interstates 25 and 80 meet.

The other counties that had significant increases included Converse at 12,666 more vehicles, Teton at 38,896 more vehicles, Sweetwater at 17,076 more vehicles, Albany at 16,404 more vehicles, Fremont at 15,936 more vehicles, Uinta at 12,824 more vehicles and Sublette at 11,344 more vehicles, information from the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s traffic counters indicated.

Natrona County had an increase of 5,210 more vehicles on Tuesday. NASA named Casper, which is in Natrona County, as one of the best places to view the eclipse in its totality. On Monday, Natrona had an increase of 22,123 and Sunday an increase of 11,166 more vehicles.

Although the Wyoming Department of Transportation can’t say for sure that the increase is the result of the eclipse, it is a good indicator it’s the result of the solar event. The increases don’t consider vehicles that pass the same spot multiple times a day, like commuter vehicles or local delivery vehicles. The traffic counts also don’t reflect all traffic movement in the state as all roads don’t have counters.

Southern Wyoming

Traffic increased on US 287 south of Tie Siding near the Colorado border. Tuesday’s figures had increases at 129 percent for the entire day (5,058 more vehicles). Traffic peaked on that road on Monday with an increase of 245 percent (10,083 more vehicles). Sunday’s figures showed an 88 percent increase (4,877 more vehicles), Saturday’s, at 85 percent (4,402 more vehicles), Friday’s at 60 percent (3,281 more vehicles) and Thursday’s and Wednesday’s at both more than 40 percent (1,989 and 1,815 more vehicles), WYDOT figures indicated.

North of Laramie on US 30-287 north of WYO 34, traffic increased by almost 92 percent (945 more vehicles) on Tuesday. On Monday, traffic increased 718 percent (7,454 more vehicles). On Sunday, traffic increased 214 percent (2,527 more vehicles) and on Saturday, traffic increased 107 percent (11,146 more vehicles).

On US 30-287 south of WYO 34 near Laramie, traffic increased by 94 percent on Tuesday (1,336 more vehicles). On Monday, it increased by 835 percent (12,051 more vehicles). On Sunday, traffic increased 145 percent (2,804 more vehicles) and on Saturday, traffic increased by 78 percent (1,298 more vehicles).

Also in the southern part of the state, traffic on US 85 south of LaGrange increased by 102 percent (1,888 more vehicles). On Monday, the increases jumped to 821 percent (16,300 more vehicles). Traffic increased 150 percent (3,613 more vehicles) on Sunday, 63 percent on Saturday (1,487 more vehicles), 50 percent on Friday (1,277 more vehicles), 40 percent on Thursday (902 more vehicles) and 36 percent on Wednesday (766 more vehicles).

Northwestern Wyoming

Traffic also continued to increase in the northwestern part of the state. On US 287 east of WYO 28 and Lander, traffic increased by 203 percent (1,984 more vehicles) on Tuesday. On Monday, traffic increased by 222 percent (2,395 more vehicles).

Traffic continued to increase locally in several spots. Those areas include Jackson, Afton, Etna and Moran Junction along US 89 and 191, which are high-volume roads in the state.

Traffic counts for US 89 south of Etna increased by about 54 percent (3,064 more vehicles). On Monday, traffic increased by 132 percent (7,658 more vehicles), figures indicated.

Traffic in Teton County continued to increase on Tuesday, with some areas surpassing Monday’s numbers. Those include:

• US 89-191-187 north of Moran Junction north of Jackson – 100 percent (4,455 more vehicles) on Tuesday. On Monday, traffic increased by 79 percent (3,354 more vehicles).
• US 89-191-187 south of Moran Junction near Jackson – almost 68 percent (3,248 more vehicles) on Tuesday. On Monday, traffic increased by 52 percent (2,761 more vehicles).
• US 89-191-187 near Colter Bay near the Grand Teton National Park – 113 percent (3,838 more vehicles) on Tuesday. On Monday, traffic increased by 56 percent (2,309 more vehicles).
• US 189 north of Lazeart Junction near Evanston – 98 percent (1,208 more vehicles) on Tuesday. On Monday, traffic increased by 315 percent (3,809 more vehicles).
• US 89 south of Afton – 82 percent (1,897 more vehicles) on Tuesday. On Monday, traffic increased by 181 percent (4,594 more vehicles).
• US 189-191 at Teton National Park – 117 percent (2,383 more vehicles) on Tuesday. On Monday, traffic increased by 148 percent (3,169 more vehicles).

Interstates

On I-25, traffic continued to increase on Tuesday, but not as much as on Monday with figures between 30 and 110 percent.

I-25 north of Horse Creek had a 108 percent increase (11,464 more vehicles). On Monday, traffic increased by 403 percent (46,484 more vehicles). On I-25 at Central Avenue, traffic increased by 68 percent (12,089 more vehicles) on Tuesday. On Monday, traffic increased by 229 percent (42,421 more vehicles), figures indicated.

On I-25 at the Colorado border, traffic increased by 72 percent (15,702 more vehicles) on Tuesday. On Monday, traffic increased by 167 percent (38,247 more vehicles).

I-25 north of Glendo had a 66 percent increase (5,258 more vehicles) on Tuesday. On Monday, traffic increased by 171 percent (14,626 more vehicles). On I-25 west of Glenrock, traffic increased by 42 percent (4,589 more vehicles) on Tuesday. Monday’s figures showed an increase of 105 percent (11,386 more vehicles).

On I-25 south of Buffalo, traffic increased by almost 37 percent (1,289 more vehicles). On Monday, traffic increased by 165 percent (6,087 more vehicles).

Traffic along I-80 also showed some fluctuations between Monday and Tuesday in the western part of the state, with some locations seeing an increase of between 20 and almost 50 percent on Tuesday.

East of Evanston, traffic increased by 31 percent (4,581 more vehicles) on Tuesday. On Monday, traffic increased by 41 percent (5,879 more vehicles). West of Evanston, traffic increased around the same amount for Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday, traffic increased by 45 percent (7,035 more vehicles) and on Monday by 46 percent (7,159 more vehicles).  

West of Laramie on I-80, traffic increased by 45 percent (5,116 more vehicles). West of Rawlins on I-80, traffic increased by 26 percent (3,432 more vehicles).

East of Little America on I-80, traffic increased by 23 percent (3,259 more vehicles) on Tuesday. On Monday, traffic increased by 16 percent (2,252 more vehicles).

West of Green River, traffic increased by 20 percent (3,406 more vehicles) on Tuesday. On Monday, traffic increased by 10 percent (1,661 more vehicles).

The rest of I-80 had increases on Tuesday between 10 and 20 percent.

Traffic on parts of I-90 in northern Wyoming had some increases, and they were between 6 and 25 percent.

For more information, contact Doug McGee, WYDOT Public Affairs manager, at (307) 777-4010.

Pre-eclipse web camera photos.

Post-eclipse web camera photos.