A landslide in Wyoming caused the road at Teton Pass to fall and crumble. On Saturday, the state’s transportation department called it a “catastrophic failure.”
The Wyoming Department of Transportation said at the time that a big crack had shown up in both lanes on Thursday. The crack had dropped about 8 inches vertically in some places, making the road unsafe to drive on, the agency said. After being fixed, traffic started going again, but a mudslide a few miles away on Friday morning shut down the road again.
“The landslide continued to move, taking out the whole road,” the transportation department said. Crews tried to build a route around the damage.
The transportation department said that no workers were hurt and no equipment was broken.
It’s not clear when the road will be open again. Governor Mark Gordon of Wyoming said that the transportation department is working on “a long-term solution to rebuild the road.”
“I’m thankful that no one was hurt during this incident and appreciate the work of WYDOT staff in keeping people safe as things got worse,” Gordon said.
The Teton Pass Highway is an important link for workers and tourists going between Victor, Idaho, and Jackson, Wyoming, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Jackson, Wyoming is close to Grand Teton National Park.
“I understand how this closure affects people who live in Teton County, people who commute in the region, and the local economy,” Gordon said.