Commissioners meet with WYDOT for STIP discussion

The Hot Springs County Commissioners met last week with members of the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) for the annual State Highway Improvement Program (STIP) meeting.

Peter Hallsten, District Engineer for WYDOT out of Basin, presented the commissioners with information on statewide projects as well as local projects that will be coming up in the next few years, including pricing on those projects.

Due to COVID-19 there has been a 40-percent reduction in travel creating a gap between project costs and available funds.

The issue arises from reduced fuel tax income, a loss of approximately $11 million for fiscal year 2020 and a projected loss for fiscal year 2021 of approximately $23 million.

Fifty-six percent of the 2020 expenditures by WYDOT have been for the highway improvement program with another 16-percent going toward maintenance and operations.

In an attempt to make up the difference between what they have and what they need, WYDOT has been looking at several budget modifications.

Some of those modifications could be living snow fences rather than man-made, a reduction in winter maintenance activities, later opening dates for seasonal closures and a reduction in regular summer maintenance.

Many have noticed WYDOT has closed some of the rest areas across the state as a cost saving measure.

There was much grumbling from the public when the closures were first announced, but a closer look at where those closures are in respect to the nearest town or the nearest service areas shows no more than seven miles to the next facilities with many of them showing zero miles.

In other words, there are rest areas that have been closed that have other sources of services close by. The Orin Junction rest area is a good example. While that rest area is some distance from Douglas, there are restrooms and other services a few hundred yards away.

The rest area furthest from other services is the Ft. Steele rest area on I-80. It is seven miles from the town of Sinclair.

Locally, WYDOT is planning on spending nearly $34.5 million on improvement projects between now and 2026.

Currently they are working on making all of the sidewalk areas along the state highway through Thermopolis ADA compliant. Chip sealing of the highway through town is also scheduled to start once the initial project is finished.

Next summer, 2021, WYDOT will be doing slope stabilization through Wind River Canyon.

Slope flattening, overlays and chip sealing are on tap for 2023 between Thermopolis and Worland, with chip sealing planned between here and Meeteetsee in 2024.

A new project has been added for 2026, a mill, overlay and chip seal through Wind River Canyon.