New Activity in Chief Joe Slide Area
Written by Andrew-Rossi on May 3, 2018
The slide on Chief Joseph Highway has been stabilized – for now.
But a private contractor and Wyoming Department of Transportation personnel are continuing temporary repairs of new cracks in Highway 296 on the switchback above the Chief Joe Slide area, which was first reported on April 19th.
WYDOT resident engineer Todd Frost of Cody says the contractor, Geological Stabilization, of Grand Junction, Colorado, completed repairs Monday, which included installation of a soil nail wall. The work stabilized the existing single-lane detour, which Frost says has a 10-foot width restriction and a 48,000-pound weight restriction. The 10-foot width restriction will remain in place until further notice.
However, during the work on the Chief Joe Slide, Frost said WYDOT employees began monitoring another minor settlement area directly above the slide area. He says work on that area began yesterday and will take about a week to complete, but said traffic delays would be minor.
In other news, WYDOT and U.S. Forest Service personnel met Monday morning in Cody to continue development of a permanent repair for the Chief Joe Slide. A public meeting for Sunlight Basin and Crandall residents, and open to all citizens, has been scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Thursday, May 24, at the Chief Joseph RV Park, formerly the Painter Outpost, near the Clark’s Fork River.
The Chief Joe Slide is located about 20 miles west of Highway 296’s intersection with Highway 120, northwest of Cody.
