Monday, March 23, 2026 |
Photo – Road construction – Courtesy WYDOT
WYDOT representatives discussed local projects scheduled over the next six years.
During the March 18th meeting of the Carbon County Council of Governments, representatives from the Wyoming Department of Transportation updated county officials about the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, or STIP. Speaking to the nearly 30 attendees, WYDOT District Construction Engineer Ryan Shields explained that the STIP outlines the agency’s planned construction and maintenance projects for the next six years. Shields said the document is revised annually to move projects forward or delay them as needed.
WYDOT is responsible for maintaining nearly 7,000 miles of roads, 42,000 culverts, 8,000 miles of guardrail, 80,000 signs, 12,000 miles of fencing, and 6,000 bridges, light posts, and retaining walls. In 2026, WYDOT allocated roughly $400 million for construction projects. District Construction Engineer Ryan Shields said the majority of that funding is used to maintain Interstate 80.
Shields said Interstate 80 carries between 7,500 and 10,500 vehicles a day, with at least half being commercial trucks.
Of the $400 million allocation, the remaining amount is split between rural highway and urban road projects, at 24 and 18 percent respectively. Shields added that Carbon County is home to a large number of two‑lane rural highways. Despite their importance to the state’s economy, the WYDOT construction engineer acknowledged that rural highway maintenance is the most likely to be deferred.
Shields outlined WYDOT’s upcoming work in Carbon County, beginning with this summer. Of the 19 total projects on the 2026 schedule, Shields said the largest effort will be a $20 million repaving and bridge repair job on Interstate 80.
Shields said the Dana Ridge project will take two years to finish, with one lane being completed each year.
In addition, ten miles of eastbound Interstate 80 west of Rawlins, Highway 30 from Walcott Junction toward Hanna, and the Spruce Street bridge in Rawlins are all scheduled for repair this summer.
Shields said WYDOT is also funding several county and municipal projects, including the Higley Boulevard pedestrian underpass in Rawlins, which is set to begin this year. Other work includes three off‑system bridges scheduled for replacement: one over the North Platte River near Encampment, Third Sand Creek on County Road Three, and Four Mile Creek near Baggs.
Shields said WYDOT has several Interstate 80 improvement projects planned in 2027, including finishing the repaving work west of Rawlins and two jobs between Rawlins and Sinclair, although they may be pushed back if needed. Assuming preliminary work on the 6th Street Bridge in Rawlins is complete, Shields said that project is expected to begin next year as well.
In 2022, WYDOT identified the South 6th Street bridge, which crosses the Union Pacific railroad tracks, for replacement or rehabilitation. That work is expected to begin next year.
In 2028, Shields said WYDOT has two repaving projects scheduled in Encampment, one within the town limits and the other farther west on Highway 70. Additionally, two jobs near Walcott Junction on Interstate 80 are planned, but unanticipated, costly bridge repairs are likely to push that work into the future. Shields said WYDOT is also planning to repair 3rd Street in Rawlins, though city officials have asked to hold off until underground utilities are in place.
Also in 2028, Shields said two bridges near Arlington are scheduled for repaving, and a small bridge over the North Platte River is slated for replacement.
The following year, 2029, WYDOT is planning to repave the deteriorating concrete section of Interstate 80 that passes through Rawlins. Shields said the road surface will be pulverized and paved over.
Also in 2029, Shields said WYDOT has scheduled a bridge replacement near the Saratoga Hot Springs Resort and a repaving project on the skyline section of Highway 230.
In 2030, WYDOT has two repaving jobs planned in Saratoga, both on Highway 130, one within the town limits and the other south of town to the Snowy Range intersection. Shields said two additional off‑system bridges are set for replacement that year, adding that many bridges in Carbon County are outdated and need to be rebuilt.
A meeting attendee asked if WYDOT had any plans to widen Highway 30 to accommodate the increasing heavy truck traffic. District Construction Engineer Shields said that in 2031, the agency is set to repave Highway 30 between Medicine Bow and Hanna, but has no plans to widen the corridor, even as road crews continue working to make the route less dangerous.
Elk Mountain Mayor Morgan Irene asked to include sections of Highway 72 between Hanna and Interstate 80 on the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. Shields encouraged anyone with project ideas to contact him at ryan.shields@wyo.gov.
