Closures, Blow Overs, Property Damage, and Trooper Resiliency Amid Deadly Wind Storm

The Wyoming Department of Transportation and Wyoming Highway Patrol responded to a major high-wind event yesterday that had widespread impacts to highway travel, resulting in as many as 32 blow over crashes across the state.

Of the crashes, at least 15 took place on Interstate 25, with nearly half of them between Cheyenne and the Colorado border. On Interstate 80, as many as twelve 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 total number of blow over crashes is expected to change as WYDOT and 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."

Due to the severity of the winds, WYDOT closed some highways, 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."

WYDOT's salt/sand storage sheds in Arlington and Quealy Dome west of Laramie were all but destroyed by the wind, and some rest areas like at Bitter Creek and Kaycee also sustained damages. Multiple trees on WYDOT's Cheyenne Headquarters campus fell during the wind event, and WYDOT plans to plant new trees this summer.

Winds were too strong for crews to recover crashed vehicles safely yesterday. 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.