March 2, 2023 |
Photo – Bigfoot99 File Photo
More than A week after Winter Storm Olive pounded our area, WYDOT is still battling the wind and snow. Only two state-controlled highways were closed Carbon County Thursday, WYO 487 and WYO 72 as crews work to continues to fight the extreme drifting that has occurred on the trouble spots. WYDOT Public Relations Specialist Andrea Staley said our area was hit the hardest and the wind is making life difficult for plow drivers.
On Tuesday morning, blizzard conditions closed Interstate 80 between Creston Junction and Rawlins creating a 14-mile-long backup. Staley said I-80 isn’t the only road creating problems.
Tuesday afternoon, a tractor trailer went off the road at milepost 265, between Arlington and Elk Mountain, on I-80. Wyoming Highway Patrol closed the interstate while the mess was cleaned up. Staley said whiteout conditions combined with slick roads contributed to the crash.
Winter Storm Olive dumped almost four feet of snow on some areas of Carbon County. Clearing the snowfall is just the first step to opening the roads. Even several days after the storm, drifting snow can shut the roads back down. Staley said the wind will determine when plow crews are finished.
A comment on a WYDOT social media post said moving snow in Wyoming is like cleaning up after a toddler. It never stops and you never know where the next mess will be.
