Ranges reopen

The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) recently announced in a press release that Wyoming Highway 130, over Snowy Range, and Wyoming Highway 70, over the Sierra Madre, were open as of May 21. WYO 130 has a target opening date of Memorial Day weekend and WYO 70 has a target opening date of early June, according to the press release.

Both crews from Saratoga and Laramie had been working for several weeks to clear the Snowy Range pass with ice being one of the biggest issues for the crews. Due to the freeze-thaw cycle, according to the press release, both crews had to break up and remove large chunks of ice.

After clearing both passes, crews also had to make repairs to the road before opening them to traffic.

Last year, WYO 130 opened on May 25 and WYO 70 opened on June 1. Travelers are advised, despite the passes being cleared, to watch for patches of frozen runoff. They should also be prepared for possible closures due to winter-like conditions.

WYO 130 closed for the season on Nov. 20, 2017 and WYO 70 closed on Dec. 23, 2017. According to WYDOT, both roads close annually in autumn when low traffic and deep snow accumulations make plowing impractical.