The Wyoming Department of Transportation said it will reopen the westbound tunnel on Interstate 80 near Green River to traffic Wednesday morning.
The tunnel was heavily damaged in February during a chain-reaction collision and fire involving 16 commercial vehicles and 10 passenger vehicles. Three people were killed and 20 others injured during the Feb. 14 crash.
WYDOT said the legal load only restriction — which is 8 feet 6 inches wide remains in place until both the eastbound and westbound tunnels are open to two lanes of traffic. Transportation officials will be monitoring the traffic flow and will make adjustments accordingly. Oversized vehicles should still contact the Wyoming Highway Patrol’s oversize loads permit office to check for restrictions.
WYDOT said agency officials and contractors have been working quickly to get traffic moving in both tunnels before the winter season. The westbound tunnel will reopen at a reduced speed of 35 MPH and without the completion of all the lighting infrastructure.
“Since we will only have one side of the tunnel lights operational in the westbound tunnel, we will have to reduce the speed limit to increase the level of safety for drivers,” said WYDOT District 3 construction engineer Peter Stinchcomb.
Even though the westbound tunnel will be open to traffic, WYDOT is encouraging motorists to drive cautiously through the area.
Following the opening of the westbound tunnel, crews will need to remove the concrete barrier, reset the cable barrier and remove all the traffic control devices in the eastbound tunnel.
To do so, WYDOT will be detouring eastbound I-80 traffic through Green River on Flaming Gorge Way, beginning at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29 until dark, and again on Thursday, Oct. 30 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Contractors hope to finish the work by Thursday evening. If delays occur and contractors are unable to finish by Thursday evening, crews will return Monday, Nov. 3. Traffic will not be diverted through Green River on Oct. 31, the Halloween holiday.
“It was imperative that we not run interstate traffic on Flaming Gorge Way on Friday because of Halloween. We know there will be additional foot traffic in the area for Halloween activities, so we will be working to finish the removal of the traffic control in the eastbound tunnel by Thursday evening,” WYDOT resident engineer Clint Lockman said.
Construction will resume on the westbound tunnel in the spring, when crews will return to complete the lighting for both lanes in the westbound tunnel. Completion of the project will be dependent on material delivery, but the initial date is set for June 30, 2026. Drivers can expect similar conditions, with head-to-head traffic in the eastbound tunnel this spring while crews complete the final stages of work.
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