GREEN RIVER — The Wyoming Department of Transportation is on track to open the westbound Interstate 80 tunnel outside of Green River by the end of November.

WYDOT said the concrete repair work focused on the tunnel liner, curb, and roadway pavement inside the tunnel. The department also said work crews will be cleaning and sealing joints this week. Crews are completing preparations for the installation of lighting as well.

“Casper Electric is more than halfway done with the installation of the lighting racks and repairing the control rooms and will be working on putting in the lights and wiring this week,” WYDOT resident engineer Clint Lockman said.

Striping, guardrail and temporary traffic control and signage will be constructed over the coming weeks. WYDOT and crews are working towards opening the westbound tunnel to traffic by the end of November, barring any unforeseen delays.  

Drivers should note that the westbound tunnel will reopen to traffic for the winter, but at reduced speeds and without the completion of all the lighting infrastructure.

“We should have about half the lights installed, so for safety reasons, we have elected to reduce the speed through the westbound tunnel. But we wanted to get traffic moving in the westbound tunnel, so we wouldn’t have to run head-to-head traffic in the eastbound tunnel over the winter,” District 3 construction engineer Peter Stinchcomb said.

WYDOT said there will be an estimated weeklong detour of interstate traffic through Green River once the tunnel is ready to reopen. The detour will allow work crews to remove the concrete barriers in the eastbound tunnel, along with removing traffic control in the eastbound lanes and resetting the cable barrier between the east and west lanes.

When both tunnels are reopened, drivers should expect reduced speeds in the westbound tunnel and additional signage and traffic control.