Highway project kicks off south of Ten Sleep

TEN SLEEP — A reduced speed limit of 45 mph is in effect on the Big Trails full-depth reclamation project south of Ten Sleep on Wyoming 434.

The $995,000 Big Trails project consists of grading, full-depth reclamation, chip sealing and other work on 6.39 miles of Wyoming 434 and Washakie County Road 82 between Worland and Ten Sleep.

Knife River of Cheyenne is the prime contractor on the project.

“The contractor has been running reclaimers all week and should finish up reclaiming/milling very soon,” according to Wyoming Department of Transportation project engineer Jordan Erz of Worland. “The reduced speed limit will be in place between mileposts 15 and 20.63 until after the chip seal finish is applied later this summer.”

This week’s work includes grading, final grading, and fog sealing the reclaimed material. “Wait times will be short (up to 15 minutes) since the contractor will be working in sections and moving traffic control along the roadway with the project’s progress,” Erz said. “ The contractor will also be hauling in the rock chips for the double chip seal, so there will be increased truck traffic on U.S. 16 between Ten Sleep and Buffalo.”

Chip sealing depends upon favorable weather, and it is tentatively scheduled to begin on the Big Trails project after the July 4 holiday.