WYDOT keeping highways safe

When heading home for the holidays many travel options are available, including the economical choice — driving. But for those planning to hit the highways this time of year snow can quickly become a problem, though crews with the Wyoming Department of Transportation are out there to clear the way.

With regard to an area of concern, the Wind River Canyon, Area Maintenance Crew Supervisor Clint Huckfeldt said there are a number of factors that determine if the road will be closed, such as visibility, snow depth or if there is a major accident. “Safety is really the number one reason, safety of the public and of our operators.”

Huckfeldt further explained when a road is determined to have poor visibility, it means you can see a distance of 300 feet or less. This can be in isolated spots, or the full length of the road. There is no set number with regard to snow depth, but as long as the plows are keeping up with it and traffic is moving safely, he said, “we’ll keep it open as long as we can.”

According to the snow plan, the road through the canyon is designated as 20 hours of service which, Huckfeldt explained, means they try to plow it at least 20 hours a day. “A lot of the time we end up plowing it up to 24, to try and stay ahead of storms.” Normal shifts, he added, run 4 a.m.-4 p.m., so then at shift change there will be another driver who will plow it until midnight or even until 4 a.m. the next day.

In the past five years, Huckfeldt recalled, the road through the canyon was closed less than once a winter, and most of those have been due to visibility conditions, where blowing snow prevented people from driving or clearing the road safely.

In addition to the canyon road to the Boysen State Park Headquarters, the Thermopolis WYDOT office handles clearing of the Buffalo Creek secondary, Highway 20 North to the county line, the Black Mountain secondary, Highway 120 to the Grass Creek junction, Grass Creek Highway to mile post 8, Hamilton Dome — Owl Creek — out to the Hamilton Dome oil field and the road leading into Kirby.

The number one priority is the canyon road, followed by Highway 20 North and Wyoming 120. Once those roads are cleared to the point where crews can leave them alone, they start in on the secondaries. “We do make it a point,” Huckfeldt said, “to run up those secondaries at least once a day.” But, folks might have to bear with them if they don’t have the manpower because they’re so tied up on primary routes.

There are a total six personnel on the maintenance crew, with four tandem-axle snowplows and one single-axle.

Huckfeldt noted there are road closed gates on the highway between here and Worland, and it would likely remain open for the benefit of the people living out that way, but it could be closed if deemed necessary.

As for complaints, Huckfeldt said they don’t really hear any. “I think we’ve done a pretty good job of closing roads when necessary and staying on them, trying to keep them in as good of shape as we can.” Any complaints are addressed the best they can.

When it comes to the actual clearing, Huckfeldt explained a mixture — 93 percent sand and seven percent salt, to keep the sand from freezing in clumps — is also used. A liquid is also applied to the salt-sand mixture, either salt brine or a product called Geo Brine, which includes an organic compound that’s a byproduct of the sugar beet manufacturing process. This compound keeps the brine from freezing, and is used in extremely cold temperatures. The liquid additive is meant to coat the grains of sand, to allow them to freeze to the road.

When weather conditions warrant it, Huckfeldt said, the brine tanker is taken out and the roads are sprayed to provide some de-icing.

Statewide, Huckfeldt estimated about $25 million is budgeted for snow removal; at the local office, about $170,000 is budgeted. In a bad winter, costs can completely overshoot that, but in milder years it can come in way under. “We try to use our resources as efficiently as we can, and take care of the money that we’re given from the taxpayers.”

Huckfeldt would appreciate it if people would slow down, drive safe and give the plow drivers a break when they’re out clearing. “We understand they can move slowly, but they are out there trying to help you get to your destination as safe as possible.”