Wyoming’s congressional delegation is seeking help from President Joe Biden’s administration for a quick fix on a section of Highway 22 over Teton Pass that’s been closed since a catastrophic landslide Saturday.
On Wednesday, U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, along with Rep. Harriet Hageman, sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, urging him to approve emergency relief money to help repair the highway, which serves as a vital lifeline between the Idaho communities where thousands of Jackson-area workers live. Also joining the letter are three of the four members of Idaho’s delegation.
“We ask that emergency relief funds be provided as expeditiously as possible for any eligible short- and long-term means of restoring travel on Highway 22,” the letter reads.
The byway serves a critical need for around 7,000 residents in Wyoming and Idaho who travel across the pass to get between Jackson and the nearby communities on the Idaho-side. Because of the high cost of living in Jackson, many people commute from the Idaho communities of Victor and Driggs over the pass to work in Jackson.
“The restoration of Teton Pass is critical for thousands of residents in Wyoming and Idaho, local businesses and services, and the region’s economy,” the letter reads.
During an Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee hearing Wednesday, Barrasso stressed the importance of the road for the people who work in Jackson to U.S. Forest Service Associate Deputy Chief Troy Heithecker.
“These are the workers who keep the community in Jackson Hole thriving,” Barrasso said. “They include health care workers at the hospital, school teachers, firefighters, rescuers, EMTs, paramedics, law enforcement officers, construction workers, restaurant and hotel staff, folks that are critical for the community. They also include employees of the U.S. Forest Service and Grand Teton National Park.”
In addition to employee traffic, Highway 22 serves a critical connection between Idaho and Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and other destinations in the local area.
Critical Commutes
An estimated 40% of Teton County’s workforce travels across the pass to get to work, according to the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board. Usually that drive takes around 30 minutes. Now, drivers are forced to take an alternative route through the Snake River Canyon, a trip that takes nearly two hours one way.
Jackson Vice Mayor Arne Jorgensen said reopening the road is a “highly urgent” need.
“We are open for business and continuing to function as a community, but our workforce is under much higher levels of stress,” he said.
Jorgensen said he spoke with one town employee Wednesday who makes the commute over the pass from Idaho. The added drive, he said, is already “wearing her down.”
Of the 154 people who work for the town of Jackson, 14 full-time and three part-time employees live in Idaho. In addition, 31 Star Valley residents also work for the town. Due to the increase in traffic on what is now the detour route through the canyon, their commutes have increased by up to 30 minutes, Jorgensen said.
Jorgensen said the town is trying to be as flexible as possible with its employees, letting them work remotely when it can. Also, some employees are carpooling, and the town has increased its bus services.
On Saturday, Gov. Mark Gordon issued an emergency executive order directing the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security and Wyoming Department of Transportation to “take all appropriate and necessary actions, including but not limited to, coordination of state and federal resources” to respond to the incident.
The delegation letter mentions that Buttigieg has already been getting involved in the Teton Pass situation. Jorgensen said he’s been impressed with the response to the road collapse from all parties involved.
Buttigieg had been scheduled to visit Cheyenne in March, but had to cancel his trip because of the Baltimore bridge collapse.
A “catastrophic failure” of Wyoming Highway 22 over Teton Pass overnight Friday saw a huge section wash down the mountain. A long closure of the “lifeline” between Jackson and Victor, Idaho, is expected. (Wyoming Department of Transportation) 
WYDOT geology crews drill into the Big Fill slide area to investigate soil profiles to confirm the cause of the Teton Pass landslide and to collect better data for potential reconstruction. (Wyoming Department of Transportation) 
A crew from Evans Construction works on the temporary detour on Teton Pass at milepost 12.8, which had a catastrophic failure Saturday. (Wyoming Department of Transportation) 
A “catastrophic failure” of Wyoming Highway 22 over Teton Pass overnight Friday saw a huge section wash down the mountain. A long closure of the “lifeline” between Jackson and Victor, Idaho, is expected. (Wyoming Department of Transportation) 
The reroute through Swan Valley on the Idaho side and then Snake River Canyon between Alpine and Hoback north into Jackson, Wyoming. (Google)
What’s Next?
On Tuesday, WYDOT announced it’s hoping to have a detour in place on the pass within two weeks, weather permitting. During a Wyoming Transportation Commission meeting that day, WYDOT Director Darin Westby said if emergency funding moves smoothly, design moves quickly and weather cooperates, the road could be completely rebuilt and open by November.
That same day the Wyoming Transportation Commission granted a $430,000 emergency bid to Jackson-based Evans Construction to fix what WYDOT is dubbing the “Big Fill” slide. According to the Jackson Hole News & Guide, Evans employees have been on site since the weekend working to create the detour.
WYDOT geology crews have been drilling into the slide area and investigating the soil profiles to confirm the cause of the landslide and to collect better data for potential reconstruction. WYDOT is also working closely with the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies to secure the area and investigate long term reconstruction options.
“Currently, WYDOT geologists and engineers are confident they can build a safe, temporary detour around the slide area using local fill material and paving two temporary lanes,” WYDOT said in a press release.
Lessons Learned?
Some in the local area have criticized WYDOT’s maintenance of the road and said it's remarkable that no one was hurt in the collapse. No vehicles were on the road at the time because it had been closed earlier Friday due to a mudslide.
WYDOT is investigating the slide and whether it could have been avoided.
Jorgensen doesn’t believe there was any poor management of the road and sees what happened as an example of a changing natural landscape.
He does, however, believe it could have potentially been avoided with better anticipation of resources. Jorgensen sees the event serves as an example for why public infrastructure and WYDOT should be funded at a level where future road risks can be prevented, rather than responded to in real time. It’s a message he hopes Wyoming’s delegation receives.
“There should be funding for public infrastructure at a greater level than what it has been,” Jorgensen said. “We should nationally be investing more than we’re currently spending.”
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
