Paving work hours changed on US 26/89 Broadway

Wyoming Department of Transportation and contract crews from Evans Construction have opted to change the daily work hours for paving operations to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in an effort to alleviate travel times for school transportation services and commuters in the afternoon. With the shortened daily work schedule, the projected paving completion date will be extended a few more days than originally anticipated. Crews are now hoping to have the paving work completed by October 11.

Crews have been paving the milled sections of US 26/89 through the Town of Jackson this week. As the work continues, WYDOT will still make every effort to maintain two-way traffic and access to businesses within the 5-lane sections of the highway from High School Road to the 5-way intersection with Flat Creek Drive and Pearl Ave near Wendy's, as well as a small section on Wyoming State Highway 22 near the Y intersection of US 26/89 and WYO 22.

"The work being done on this section of roadway is important to the lifespan of the pavement on this heavily traveled road. These surfaces were in dire need of maintenance, resulting in the pavement overlay job you are seeing. Unfortunately, this maintenance has, and will, cause significant impacts to drivers," said WYDOT district construction engineer Peter Stinchcomb.

The work was scheduled at this time of year to avoid peak summer traffic while still meeting WYDOT's specifications for paving temperatures, which require the air temperature to be above 40 degrees Fahrenheit to achieve proper compaction. Paving temperatures are important for the material to cure properly and to have proper compaction for longevity.

"Warmer temperatures are not needed for milling, and that was part of the reason the milling work was able to be conducted at night. In addition, milling work is less labor intensive, so there was less risk to crews working on the road. Paving operations are more labor intensive, with many more boots on the ground. Working at night greatly increases safety risks to workers and would require extensive lighting and other accommodations, increasing the overall cost of the job as well as increasing light and sound impacts to neighboring subdivisions and businesses," Stinchcomb said.

It was due to some of these issues that WYDOT elected to perform the work during the day, scheduling the work to take place in the off season for traffic. Unfortunately, with the lack of alternative routes to detour the traffic coming in and out of Jackson, the delays are inevitable whenever a lane reduction is necessary for construction or maintenance. WYDOT works to mitigate the negative impacts when feasible.