WYDOT: Expect more delays on I-80

Residents regularly commuting along Interstate 80 have likely seen or been stuck in traffic backups on the eastbound lanes leading to Green River over the past few weeks. At least once, the traffic has backed up to the interstate's tunnels outside Green River.

According to the Wyoming Department of Transportation, as work continues at multiple locations around Rock Springs, people driving along the interstate can expect delays.

Stephanie Harsha, the public relations specialist for WYDOT District 3, said the worst backup seen on the interstate is attributed to bridge work occurring before Exit 99. She said the project called for a silicone foam deck to be dropped on the bridge, which also required the speed limit through the work zone to decrease to 25 mph.

She said more delays can be expected near the Baxter Road Interchange, which leads to the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport, which she admits caught her off guard during a recent work trip to Cheyenne.

"The backup near Baxter Road surprised me," she said.

The largest problem for WYDOT's work on I-80 is the fact that more than 50% of the traffic traveling the interstate is made up of commercial trucks. Tractor-trailer combinations require more time to slow down and speed up, which can lead to problems as they attempt to merge onto the single lane of travel.

There's also a change in how traffic is diverted onto a single lane. Harsha said engineers plan for what's known as "zipper merging," a more efficient means of merging vehicles by requiring them to merge as they approach the road barriers, with every other vehicle in the other late allowing for a merge as opposed to merging as soon as they see a sign identifying a single lane of travel.

Harsha said WYDOT has not gotten many calls complaining of the delays drivers experience on the interstate, though admits people have complained on social media platforms. As roadwork continues throughout the summer and into the fall, Harsha said residents should be prepared for delays.