Truck drivers in Wyoming will soon have a secure place to seek shelter during winter storms and road closures. The Wyoming Department of Transportation is set to mark the completion of the Interstate 80 Winter Freight/BUILD project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for September 20th.
This ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. at the Quealy Dome truck parking area, situated at mile marker 290 on Interstate 80. The primary objective of this project is to create safe zones where commercial drivers can take a break or wait out harsh winter weather and road closures. Additionally, the project includes the addition of extra lanes for trucks, enhancing road safety and traffic flow, particularly on steep slopes.
The newly added truck parking spaces are concentrated along I-80, specifically at Quealy Dome (mile marker 290) and the Fort Steele Rest Area (mile marker 228), providing nearly 200 spaces in total. The truck climbing lanes can be found at Halleck Ridge, spanning mile markers 250.5-252.5 in the eastbound lanes, and at Cooper Cove, covering mile markers 279.5-281.5 in the westbound lanes.
Other notable aspects of the project encompass the installation of 12 miles of wildlife fencing near Halleck Ridge, over 6 miles of pavement preservation overlay, and the construction of a new salt/sand storage facility at Quealy Dome.
In 2018, WYDOT secured a federal BUILD grant worth $20 million for this initiative. The entire project budget amounted to $34 million, with contributions from the state. Simon Contractors were awarded the contract in 2020 and commenced work in the autumn of that year.
