GREEN RIVER — The Wyoming Department of Transportation announced it will reopen the westbound tunnel on Interstate 80 near Green River to traffic Oct. 29.
Additionally, eastbound interstate traffic will be detoured through Green River via Flaming Gorge Way from 9 a.m. Oct. 29 until dark and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 30. Traffic will not be diverted through Green River Oct. 31 due to Halloween. If work is not completed by Oct. 30, crews will return Nov. 3 to finish.
WYDOT said crews were able to expedite their work on the lighting system and signage though the delivery of some electrical components and the use of temporary materials.
The westbound tunnel will reopen at a reduced speed of 35 MPH and without the completion of all the lighting infrastructure.
“Since we will only have one side of the tunnel lights operational in the westbound tunnel, we will have to reduce the speed limit to increase the level of safety for drivers,” WYDOT District 3 Construction Engineer Peter Stinchcomb said.
WYDOT encourages drivers to follow the reduced speed limit and drive cautiously through the area.
“It was imperative that we not run interstate traffic on Flaming Gorge Way on Friday because of Halloween. We know there will be additional foot traffic in the area for Halloween activities, so we will be working to finish the removal of the traffic control in the eastbound tunnel by Thursday evening,” WYDOT Resident Engineer Clint Lockman said.
WYDOT will resume work on the westbound tunnel in the spring, when crews will return to complete the lighting for both lanes in the westbound tunnel. Completion of the project will be dependent on material delivery, with the completion date set for June 30, 2026. WYDOT said drivers can expect similar conditions, with head-to-head traffic in the eastbound tunnel this spring while crews complete the final stages of work.
“We are very pleased with the speed in which Casper Electric and our other subcontractors were able to get the westbound tunnel open to traffic again. We will be ready to resume the work in the spring,” Stinchcomb said.
