It’s been three weeks since the “catastrophic” landslide that closed the Idaho to Jackson, Wyoming, highway. Three weeks of misery for RVers looking to get into the scenic country. It’s been even worse for wage-earners who work in pricey Jackson, but can only afford to live in Idaho.
But three weeks of misery is about to end. Teton Pass will reopen on Friday, June 28. The big question is, can RVers use the pass?
“Shoo-fly” detour could “hang up” towables
The question arises because when those millions of yards of earth sloughed away, officials said it would take a while to complete a workaround. The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) said a “shoo-fly” detour would route traffic around the slide.
Shoo-fly is railroad-speak. An accident or other problem blocking the tracks could be bypassed with a temporary shoo-fly. At the time officials said, “The detour will have 10-foot or 11-foot lanes, no trucks with trailers should be allowed, [and] the maximum vehicle weight should be no more than 60,000 pounds.”
And what about RV traffic? The statement continued, “And the sharp turn could cause a vehicle with a camper to hang up.” That left towable RVs hanging. Could they use the shoo-fly?
Teton Pass will reopen on Friday—without a shoo-fly
It turns out that the shoo-fly idea got shooed off. The contractor building the slide workaround has performed what some consider a near-miracle. In less than three weeks, it’s built a new section of roadway, with two 12-foot lanes, one for each direction.
The state rounded up a huge amount of Jersey barriers to give added protection. The detour has been built around the interior of the existing roadway’s curve, but a safe distance from the slide.
The new detour has a sharper curve—and a steeper grade—than was present on the old, wiped-out highway. At the detour area, the state will lower the speed. Slower speed, OK, because it still spells out: RVers Welcome!
Could the detour slough away?
Responding to concerns that the detour roadway might just go away in a slide, state officials have done plenty of testing. They’ll do one more safety survey before Friday.
But they’ve also gone an extra mile and embedded sensors in the pavement. Should water intrusion or unsafe ground movement happen, the alert system will immediately notify highway workers. A permanent fix is expected this fall.
In the meantime, Teton Pass will reopen on Friday. And if statistics hold, it’ll see plenty of traffic. Up to 15,000 vehicles will cross the detour each day this summer if prior averages hold up. Among them will be a lot of relieved RVers.
Opening image credit: Jackson Hole News&Guide. For more information on the safety of the detour, see their story here.
##RVT1163b
Great news for RV’ers and all the road users. And a huge shout out to the WYDOT, and especially to the road contractors and workers..a job well done !!
Thank you for the follow up report Russ and Tina !
We live only a few miles from the I-95 bridge fire location. WYDOT and Penn DOT are prime examples of what can be done when govt. and private citizens “work together”. Maybe all of us should take note.
Thank you, Russ and Tina! 🙂 My, my, my, that contractor certainly “moved heaven and earth” to accomplish so much so quickly! 🙂 Congratulations to her/him/whoever! 🙂 We have no plans to be westward this year, so I’ll let the permanent fix happen before we traverse this particular spot (presuming that we ever do). Thanks again and SAFE travels! 🙂
I doubt he moved heaven, but he sure did move a hole, whole lot of earth! lol
🤔😆😅😂
Teton Pass has a maximum grade of 10%, the same as US 14A on the west side of Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains. US 14A has two huge signs with flashing lights warning RVers and other drivers of the dangerous road ahead. It has shoulders and frequent pull-outs for those without exhaust brakes to let them cool. WY 22 is a state highway that does not have all those features and is dangerous for inexperienced RVers from the flatlands. I would not have taken my fifth wheel down it, even with my diesel exhaust brake, but it would be fun in a Porsche!
And no one cried because they cut down a forest of trees.
If you don’t HAVE to drive that way DON’T. Don’t interfere with the locals that need that corridor to get to and from work and other essentials. Yes you might want to tell people you drove Teton Pass but really is it that important in your life.