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First Major Upgrades in 50 Years Begin on Scenic Wyoming Trail

(colorado.construction.com, September 2006 issue)

By James Gordon

Construction is under way on a series of long-awaited road upgrades on Wyoming's Togwotee Trail. Ground was broken in May on the $23.5 million Brooks Lake Section highway improvement project. Work will continue through 2010.

A long-awaited series of road improvements are under way on Wyoming's Togwotee Trail, which winds along U.S. Highway 26/287 and is considered one of the country's most scenic roadways.

It has been more than 50 years since the roadway was last updated, but now the Wyoming Department of Transportation is making critical improvements to a 38-mile section of the trail between Dubois and Moran Junction/Grand Teton National Park. The project will improve safety and reduce the frequency of landslides and wildlife collisions with motorists.

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The following is a timeline of the project's phases:

Beginning in 2006

• Brooks Lake - The Brooks Lake project, which broke ground in April, is the first piece of the Togwotee Trail road improvement project. WYDOT is stabilizing hazardous slopes and building retaining walls, stabilizing embankment foundations and repairing four or five landslide sections.
  
  WYDOT is working closely with the Army Corps of Engineers on this project and ultimately changed its design in response to the Corps' concerns about impacts on wetlands in the Brooks Lake area. WYDOT received a permit in December 2005 for the new design, which includes a steeper slope beside the road, helping reduce the impact on a wetland located about 2.3 miles from the section's eastern boundary.
  
  
• Buffalo Fork River - Timber clearing, rock cutting and embankment stabilization on this 4.8-mile stretch located three miles west of the Teton-Fremont county line is scheduled to begin this fall.
  
  Because this area is a popular spot for mule deer, elk and moose crossings, particularly under the highway at the Buffalo Fork River Bridge, WYDOT is lengthening the bridge span by 115 ft. This additional space will accommodate a new wildlife berm, or shoulder, on the west side of the bridge and span more of the flood plain on the east side of the river to make it easier for animal crossings.

Beginning in 2007

• Togwotee Pass and Fourmile Meadows Timber Clearing - Extensive timber clearing in the Togwotee Pass and Fourmile meadows areas will begin next spring, extending the clear zone on both sides of the road to increase motorists' ability to view wildlife alongside the road and allow for realignment of the road bed along the highway.
  
  
• Togwotee Pass - Construction on Togwotee Pass is slated to begin in early 2007 and last through 2009. WYDOT has identified three landslide areas in this section, two of which are currently active. The area is currently undergoing geologic testing and, pending the results, project engineers will stabilize at least these three sections and mitigate approximately 4,000 ft of rock backslope. The construction team also will build retaining walls to minimize encroachment into the Wind River.

• Fourmile Meadows Construction - WYDOT will construct and improve parking areas for recreational users, add a snowmobile underpass and reconstruct the road leading to the Togwotee Mountain Overlook. Retaining walls will also be built to prevent fill encroachment into Blackrock Creek and wetlands areas.

  Planning and design for the Fourmile Meadows and Togwotee Pass sections will continue separately but may be combined into one project if required testing on the Togwotee Pass section can be completed in time.

Beginning 2010

• Rosie's Ridge - Perhaps the most complex portion of The Togwotee Trail road improvement project, this area includes many active landslides, creating maintenance and stability problems for the existing highway.

  After studying whether an alternate alignment north of the existing highway would provide a more stable geologic base for the road, WYDOT determined risks along the existing route are more predictable and manageable than on the formerly proposed north alignment. The study also indicated the alternate route would encroach upon valuable grizzly bear habitat and could potentially impact views and noise levels in the Buffalo Valley and the Rosencrans Cabin Historic District.