Finding Alternate Routes

The potential of a closure gate on Wyoming Highway 71 has taken a detour following the January 7 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC).

As previously reported, Carbon County Road and Bridge Supervisor Kandis Fritz sent a letter to the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) requesting a closure gate for Wyoming Highway 71 for instances when Interstate 80 is closed during the winter. The reasoning for this, Fritz wrote in the letter, was a matter of public safety as travelers often took the highway—which turns into seasonally maintained Carbon County Road 401—resulting in the potential of getting stranded in areas with little cell phone service and no winter maintenance.

During Fritz’s report to the county commissioners, a question from Commissioner Sue Jones indicated that WYDOT had suggested the use of highway signage instead of a closure gate. According to Fritz, she didn’t believe just a highway sign would work as a solution.

“When they flip a ‘closed’ sign on the Interstate, it should automatically just flip out here as well. That’s what I’m working on but they’re being a little hard to work with. Some of them understand it, some of them do not.” ~ Kandis Fritz, Carbon County Road & Bridge Supervisor

“I think it will help. Ultimately, if we could get them to add [county road] 401 from Miller Creek or Sage Creek all the way to Highway 70 as a seasonal closure when they close 70, I think that would be the best,” said Commissioner John Espy. “That would eventually populate most every app out there.”

Fritz replied to Epsy that while Carbon County Road 401 did show as closed on some applications, that notification doesn’t show on all applications including Google Maps. WYDOT, Fritz said, was treating the issue like it was Carbon County’s problem when she believed it was an issue for the state department.

“It’s when they close the Interstate and it says ‘alternate route’ so they [travelers] look for alternate routes. WYDOT has been amazing to work with but you know we don’t have the technology for signs,” said Fritz. “When they flip a ‘closed’ sign on the Interstate, it should automatically just flip out here as well. That’s what I’m working on but they’re being a little hard to work with. Some of them understand it, some of them do not.”

Jones then asked Fritz if the suggestion by WYDOT District 1 Engineer Ralph Tarango of a dynamic messaging sign on Wyoming Highway 71 before Carbon County Road 401 would help.

“That’s what Commissioner Espy had suggested early on, was something right there before they get out there 10 miles,” said Jones.

Fritz said she’d reach out to Tarango bout using a dynamic messaging sign, but added that if WYDOT needed the sign somewhere else, they would likely move it whether Carbon County needed it or not.

"I just know the situations we’ve faced here in Carbon [County]—roads being closed, not showing up on Google Maps and various mobile devices—there’s at least four other counties that face that exact same thing." ~ Lenny Laymen, Carbon County Office of Emergency Management

“They will give us a permit for an encroachment on their highway, so it might be we look at getting one of those signs with whatever funds we might come across,” said Fritz. “When we have bridges out, we’re going to need them. Not just one, we’re going to need two and we do have quite a bit of bridge projects coming up, as you know. So, I might look at if we can get one.”

The Carbon County Office of Emergency Management has three dynamic messaging signs which can be used for various events and situations. Emergency Manager Lenny Layman told the BOCCC one of the signs which was self-contained and on a trailer cost approximately $7,000.

“I do know that other counties are working through their EM (emergency management) and they’re working with WYDOT in the same situation,” said Layman. “There might be some collaborative effort.”

Commissioner Gwynn Bartlett asked Layman what the timeline might be on such an effort, noting it was an “urgent situation.”

“I’d have to press-in and find out. I just know the situations we’ve faced here in Carbon [County]—roads being closed, not showing up on Google Maps and various mobile devices—there’s at least four other counties that face that exact same thing,” said Layman. “They were trying to band together through the EMs and, at this point, I haven’t been engaged or asked so I don’t have any additional information other than that. I’m willing to press-in if that’s something you’d like me to do.”

While no formal motion was made, Layman was directed to get involved with the other Offices of Emergency Management and WYDOT.

The next meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners will be at 9 a.m. on January 21 at the Carbon Building - Courthouse Annex in Rawlins.