The Wyoming Department of Transportation recently completed slide stabilization work adjacent to US20/WY789 between Shoshoni and Thermopolis at the north edge of the Upper Wind River Campground.
The $8.78 million Wind River Canyon slide-stabilization project includes slide-stabilization rock, slide repair, rock fall mitigation, manual rock scaling, grading, and other work on US20/WY789 beginning at milepost 115.9 through 123.12 inside the canyon between Shoshoni and Thermopolis.
“The 179 aggregate shafts are in place and are each six feet in diameter,” Jordan Erz, Wyoming Department of Transportation project engineer, said. “They were installed 40 feet below the level of the Wind River to catch the toe of the deeper slide, and they will act as shear key to hold the slide in place. The contractor used 33 working days to stabilize the 700-foot slide area as quickly and safely as possible to prevent further damage to US20/WY789.”
The slide was caused by dropping river level and uneven water-pore pressures that cause the slide to follow the river level.
Additional work to be completed is the removal of silt from the hillside near the campground and
two large catch basins to contain future debris flows.
Dirt work will be completed this winter, weather permitting.