RGC Boardmember letter to the editor of the JH News and Guide Jan. 10
On Dec. 6, WYDOT chose to repair potholes on the Highway 22 bridge during daylight hours.
Thank you WYDOT, those repairs were much needed. But I assume we will need pothole repair again in the near future due to heavy winter traffic. What are the better material options and repair processes for longer lasting fills, perhaps so this work is necessary only once a season? Considering the economic opportunity costs for these delays to the entire community, it might be prudent for WYDOT to budget for more appropriate solutions.
I read a notice posted in Buckrail on Dec. 5 advising the repairs would be conducted from noon to 2 p.m. and drivers should expect delays of 10 to 20 minutes.
Accordingly, on Dec. 6 I left Teton Village to return to town, anticipating a delay. OK, great, I have been advised. At Teton Pines, traffic came to a standstill and it took 45 minutes to reach the junction of highways 22 and 390.
As has happened repeatedly since the bridge work started in the spring, poor traffic light timing seems to be a significant contributing factor to this congestion.
Apparently, eastbound traffic coming from Wilson was halted in order to allow westbound traffic to proceed through the one open lane. However, eastbound traffic was backed up bumper to bumper to the west of the intersection, so when the light turned green for the southbound WY 390 traffic, no one could make a left turn onto 22. Hence, the delays were not acceptable. Several drivers reported travel times from Teton Village to Jackson of more than two hours.
Obviously, we have a problem here. How can we solve it?
We recommend that WYDOT not only invest in a coordinated system of smart traffic signaling, but also engage the services of our very competent Wyoming Highway Patrol and Teton County Sheriff for manual traffic management when demands are not able to be met with smart signaling alone. Also, considering the impact that these planned maintenance events have on traffic flow, nighttime operations must be considered and properly budgeted for any Teton County highway project.
There is no such thing as over-communicating when traffic is involved. Talk to the radio stations. Place public service announcements on the road and make sure law enforcement and/or other hired traffic controllers are involved every step of the way.
If WYDOT invests in better materials and coordinates and communicates better with our local officials when it comes to roadwork, then maybe we can get through this construction project without so much angst.
Lance Cygielman
Responsible Growth Coalition