I had noticed WYDOT had restrictions of 75,000 – 80,000 lbs for some sections of freeway, which I had never seen before.
By Nick Perkins
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Transportation and the Wyoming Highway Patrol recently announced that they responded to a major high-wind event on Thursday that had widespread impacts to highway travel and resulted in as many as 32 blowover crashes across the state.
A release from WYDOT states that of the crashes, at least 15 took place on Interstate 25, with nearly half of them happening between Cheyenne and the Colorado border. On I-80, as many as 12 crashes occurred between Laramie and Arlington.
“While most crashes resulted in minor injuries, the wind appears to have also been a factor in one fatality in Fremont County on State Highway 28,” the release states.
The total number of blowover crashes is expected to change as WYDOT and the WHP continue processing crash reports.
“Our Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers and dispatchers demonstrated exceptional dedication and professionalism yesterday in the face of extreme wind gusts that reached up to 109 mph,” said Lt. Col. Karl German, Wyoming Highway Patrol operations commander. “Troopers worked tirelessly throughout the day responding to incidents, ensuring the safety of stranded drivers, managing hazardous scenes, and coordinating with WYDOT to enforce necessary restrictions and clear debris. Their quick actions helped prevent further injuries and kept our highways as secure as possible under extraordinarily dangerous conditions.”
The release notes that, due to the severity of the winds, WYDOT closed some highways on Thursday, including I-80 and I-25 in southeast Wyoming, to all trucks and trailers, regardless of weight. I-25 south of Cheyenne was closed to all traffic because of wind-related crashes in Colorado.
“It’s incredibly frustrating that drivers see these warnings and decide to take a chance, putting everyone from themselves to other drivers and first responders at serious risk,” said Mark Ayen, WYDOT assistant chief engineer. “High winds are forecasted to continue into the weekend; drivers, please heed all highway signage to ensure you are safe to travel.”
According to WYDOT, the organization’s salt/sand storage sheds in Arlington and Quealy Dome west of Laramie were all but destroyed by the wind, while some rest areas like the ones at Bitter Creek and Kaycee also sustained damage. Multiple trees on WYDOT’s Cheyenne headquarters campus fell during the wind event as well. WYDOT plans on planting new trees this summer.
Winds were too strong for crews to recover crashed vehicles safely on Thursday.
“Drivers are reminded to move over and slow down for wrecking crews clearing the blown-over vehicles on the side of the highways in the coming days,” the release states.