The Wyoming Department of Transportation said it expects a temporary fix to be in place for traffic through the Green River Tunnel, which was damaged by a huge crash and fire Friday, Feb. 14.
Work continues to move Interstate 80 traffic out of the community of Green River and back onto the interstate. The Wyoming Department of Transportation’s contractor, DeBernardi Construction, has placed about 3,000 ft. of barrier and expects to place an additional 2,000 ft. by the end of today. Contractor S & L Industrial has also installed traffic control, signage and other temporary infrastructure to assist with the head-to-head traffic. WYDOT expects traffic to be switched over on Thursday.
WYDOT also said it is starting the process of soliciting contractors to clean debris and soot in the westbound tunnel, the first step in the long process of restoring it to normal operations.
“It is imperative that folks stay away from the westbound tunnel for their safety,” Cameron said. “Between the debris that could still fall and serious concerns about the air quality in the tunnel, it’s too dangerous for anyone without proper protective equipment and training to be in the area. We do not want to add any more injuries as a result of this horrible event.”
The Wyoming Highway Patrol and Sweetwater County Coroner released the names of those killed in Friday’s crash.
Christopher Johnson, 20, of Rawlins; Quentin Romero, 22, of Rawlins; and Harmanjeet Singh, 30, of Nova Scotia, Canada, succumbed to their injuries on scene.
Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County treated 18 injuries from the crash. No additional details about injuries are available, according to a statement from WDOT.
“Due to complexities in this crash, off-scene investigations and crash reconstructions conducted by WHP are expected to take quite some time,” said Tim Cameron, Colonel of the Wyoming Highway Patrol. “We appreciate everyone’s patience as we examine all the evidence and work toward developing a crash narrative and cause that is as accurate as possible.”
Wyoming Department of Transportation
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