Wyoming
Shocking moment entire highway collapses after mudslide
A CATASTROPHIC mudslide caused a state highway to cave in completely.
The landslide occurred on Saturday morning at the State Highway 22 near Jackson, Wyoming.
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The Wyoming Department of Transportation warned drivers of the disaster.
“The roadway at milepost 12.8 on Teton Pass has catastrophically failed and a long-term closure is expected,” the National Weather Service office in Pocatello, Idaho said Saturday morning.
“No crews were hurt in the process, and no equipment was damaged. WYDOT is now reviewing a long-term solution and repairs.”
Construction crews had been working on creating a detour around the damaged area and removing asphalt from the road to reduce the weight on the unstable ground.
However, the landslide continued to shift, ultimately destroying the entire road.
SCRAMBLING
The landslide “breached the roadway with mud and debris, overwhelming the channeled drainage ditch and culvert,” the National Weather Service said.
“Crews are working on clearing the mud and debris this morning.”
“Everybody is mobilizing,” Teton County Commission Chairman Luther Propst said, per Wyofile.
“The county is considering camping options at the fairgrounds for Idaho commuters who work in Jackson Hole.
The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is also exploring camping possibilities, and St. John’s Health will certainly need to adapt quickly.
“The buzz is it will be closed for several weeks or months.”
State Highway 22 connects the Jackson Resort region with communities around Victor, Idaho.
Wyoming State Highway 22 had endured two days of mudslides and landslides.
On Thursday, the area was temporarily closed after a landslide at milepost 12.8 caused eight-inch cracks in the road.
The buzz is it will be closed for several weeks or months
Teton County Commission Chairman Luther Props
The road was already closed due to a previous mudslide, so no vehicles or construction crews were present during the landslide.
Photos show the landslide took out both travel lanes at its widest point.
Officials have not provided a timeline for reopening the highway.
The closure has extended the usual 35-minute trip through Teton Pass to at least 1 hour and 35 minutes.
The longer commute is particularly challenging for Teton Valley residents who work in Jackson, where high home prices and living costs have led many to live outside the area.
The U.S. has reached out to Jackson police for comment.