Monday, DECEMBER 8, 2025 |
Photo – Road Closed sign – Bigfoot99 file photo
Roads across Wyoming close at times during the winter months for good reasons, and the department of transportation is urging drivers to stop racing highway road closure gates.
Road closure gate crashes are rising across Wyoming as drivers try to race the barrier as employees are lowering it. At least 23 recorded crashes have taken place since 2020, and that’s not including the near misses.
The cost of gate repairs to the state during this time amounts to nearly $200,000.
“They’re racing to be the first one on a closed road, not the last one on an open road,” is how WYDOT Assistant Chief Engineer Mark Ayen sums it up in an agency in a news release.
Per Wyoming Statute, road closure signs, including overhead digital messaging signs, meet the requirements for notifying the public that a road is closed, even if WYDOT has not closed the gate yet.
“The gates have to be hand cranked, which often means someone has to leave their plowing route to travel to the gate and lower it,” Ayen said.
“Sometimes that can take as long as 45 minutes, especially for remote locations. We don’t want folks driving on what they think is an open road while we’re making our way to the gates. Drivers should heed all signage and check WYDOT’s 511 tools before traveling.”
Beyond ensuring safety for the public and our employees, fixing and replacing damaged road closure gates has cost the agency almost $180,000 in the last five years.
“The Wyoming Highway Patrol is committed to enforcing road closure violations this winter, regardless of whether the gate is down,” said Wyoming Highway Patrol Colonel Tim Cameron. He advises drivers to plan ahead for weather conditions.
When WYDOT closes a road, it is for a good reason, extreme limited visibility, drifting snow impacts, or a crash blocking all lanes. However, WYDOT does prioritize implementing travel authorizations through the Wyoming Travel Authorization Program to allow traffic on portions of closed roads for drivers to get to work, home, to livestock, or other essential business as conditions allow.
The Wyoming Travel Authorization Program allows local traffic on portions of closed roads for drivers to get to work, home, to livestock, or other essential business as conditions allow.
