May 22, 2024 |
Photo – Rotory plow on Snowy Range – Courtesy WYDOT
Good news for travelers. WYDOT says the two scenic byways in Carbon County, the Snowy Range Road and Battle Pass, may open on time for Memorial Day Weekend.
The opening of the two high-country roadways signal the unofficial start of summer for residents in the Platte Valley.
When winter snow gets to be too much, the Wyoming Department of Transportation closes Highway 130, through the Snowy Range Mountains, and Highway 70, over Battle Pass. The two seasonal roads are left to the elements throughout the winter.
Each spring, WYDOT crews begin clearing dozens of feet of packed snow off the mountain passes in an effort to have the roads open by Memorial Day weekend.
WYDOT Senior Public Relations Specialist Andrea Staley said both Highways 70 and 130 are expected to open on time.
Lower elevations across Albany and Carbon Counties received less snow this winter when compared to last year. However, Staley said the mountains got plenty of snow. Despite the high snowpack in the mountains, Staley said WYDOT plow crews are making good progress.
Staley said WYDOT recently began using a new method to clear the two mountain passes. Instead of relying solely on bulldozers to move the snow, Staley said the transportation department uses lightweight tracked vehicles, called snowcats, to remove the highest snow drifts. After the snowcats cut down the drifts, large rotary snow blowers finish the job. Staley said the new process allows plow crews to open the passes more efficiently.
The snowcats are faster and cheaper to use. Staley said operators use detailed maps to avoid obstacles hidden under the snow. The rotary plows then follow the trail laid out by the snowcats, limiting the amount of damage done to roadside barriers and signs.
Staley said the snowcats began working in the Snowy Range on May 6. However, snowstorms in early May postponed the rotary plow crews. Despite the delay, Staley said Highway 130 is still set to open on time.
Staley said Battle Pass is also set to open this weekend.
The WYDOT public relations specialist didn’t want to give an exact date for the openings, but said this Friday isn’t out of the question.
