The US Department of Transportation has slated six million dollars for repairs on Teton Pass according to a U.S. Department of Transportation press release. The highway on the Wyoming-Idaho border was taken out by a landslide earlier this month.
“The Teton Pass is a key route for workers and visitors traveling between Idaho and Wyoming, and the emergency funding we’re sending will help reopen and restore access to this important roadway as quickly as possible,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.
The emergency relief funds can also be used for the temporary detour, which the Wyoming Department of Transportation hopes to open by the end of next week. A preliminary estimate says the detour and the rebuild will cost about $30 million dollars.
The Federal Highway Administration says the six million is a “quick release” of emergency relief funds. More may become available.
In the meantime, thousands of commuters are currently rerouting through Star Valley. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has already issued an executive order declaring the *catastrophic failure of the pass an emergency, a necessary requirement to be eligible for these federal funds. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited Cheyenne earlier this week. You can view the full press release on the Department of Transportation website.
