September 18, 2024 |
Photo – County Road 297 closure sign – by Matt Copeland Bigfoot99
Initial reports of an underground mine collapse beneath County Road 297 were incorrect, says the AML Director.
This past July, a hole opened beneath County Road 297 in Hanna. Otherwise known as the North Hanna Access Road, CR 297 is one of two main roads connecting Hanna to Highway 30.
At the time, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s Abandoned Mine Lands Division Director Don Newton told Bigfoot99 that the hole was likely another subsidence into the underground mines. A subsidence occurs when an underground cavity collapses, causing a depression, or even a hole, on the surface.
Following the discovery, Carbon County Road and Bridge closed the road to all traffic. County Road 297 remains closed to this day.
Hanna officials have been kept out of the loop while AML contractors examined the road. During the August 13th Hanna town council meeting, Town Clerk Vivian Gonzales said AML has not provided any updates about the status of County Road 297.
In a call to the Hanna town hall yesterday morning, Clerk Gonzales told Bigfoot99 that AML still has not told the town when work on the road will begin.
July’s closure marks the second time in two years that County Road 297 was shut down after a hole was discovered. In May of 2023, a section of the road collapsed into the mines. Abandoned Mine Lands contractors drilled into the mines and pumped a special slurry mixture into the underground voids, making the road safe to drive on.
When the newest hole was discovered, it was assumed to be another subsidence. However, AML Director Newton told Bigfoot99 yesterday morning that the opening was more likely caused by a collapsed drill hole.
Newton said work on the road is expected to begin sometime this week.
Bigfoot99 has reached out to Carbon County Road and Bridge Superintendent Kandis Fritz for information about when County Road 297 will reopen. As of the reporting of this story, Fritz has not returned our reporter’s call.
