News: Teton Pass Closed, Detour Planned
Mudslide at Teton Pass. Photo courtesy of Wyoming Department of Transportation.
We break from our regularly scheduled discussion of Jackson Hole activities, history, and folklore to bring you some big news affecting just about everyone in the region. If you haven’t heard already, the Teton Pass (the primary way into the valley from Idaho) is closed due to a massive landslide.
Here’s what you need to know:
- On the morning of June 6, large cracks formed near Teton Pass mile marker 12.8. The Wyoming Department of Transportation closed the road in hopes that it could be repaired, but two days later, in June 8, the road “catastrophically failed” (WYDOT’s words) in a landslide. A mudslide at mile 15 entirely blocked that section as well. Watch the moment happen here.
- WYDOT has asked drivers from the west to detour using US 26 through Swan Valley and then into the Snake River canyon.
- WYDOT geologists and engineers plan to build a temporary detour using local fill material, which will be subject to strict weight and width requirements. They hope to have this completed in a few weeks.
- There’s no current estimated timeline for when the road will be fully repaired. It’s a big job.
Find out more from WYDOT’s official press release here. Keep up to date on road conditions here.
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This post is brought to you by Flat Creek Inn. We’re excited to see you this summer, even if you have to take a bit of a scenic route to get here.
