Emergency contract awarded for Fish Creek bridge repair work

JACKSON, Wyo. - The Wyoming Department of Transportation Commission has awarded an emergency contract valued at approximately $768,000 for the repairs of the Fish Creek bridge structure on Wyoming State Highway 22 in Wilson to Reiman Corp, of Cheyenne. The work was awarded in a special meeting via Zoom on Oct. 1. The Jackson WYDOT engineering crew will be meeting with the contractor this week to discuss a schedule of work, detours and the closure of the bridge. The work will likely take place through October, and engineers estimate a limited closure for milling and paving operations. Drivers will have to detour through Wilson during that time. Once a schedule is developed, more information will be released to the public on when they can expect the detour to be in place. "We are going to work closely with Reiman to minimize the amount of time the bridge is closed and expedite these repairs as much as possible," WYDOT resident engineer Bob Hammond said. The structure was scheduled for repairs in WYDOT's State Transportation Improvement Plan in 2028, but earlier this year, WYDOT identified some damage to the cap structure on the bridge during a routine inspection. Although there is no danger of failure, WYDOT had concerns with the bridge's ability to safely support larger vehicles like snowplows without further damage. In order to safely support heavier traffic, WYDOT proposed an emergency contract to make immediate repairs to the bridge. "It's a timber bridge, and we knew from inspections that there was some rot happening, but it wasn't widespread, so we worked a project into our STIP. But the last inspection showed an increase in deterioration, so we moved up the time frame," said Hammond. WYDOT is currently working on future plans to replace the structure as soon as the design work and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process are completed, which should be in two to three years. In preparation for the work, Wilson residents will see minimal vegetation trimming work occurring on West Street, Main Street, and Second Street to accommodate START buses through the detour. During the detour and bridge closure, Teton County will be restricting parking to a minimum distance of 2 feet beyond the edge of pavement, and certain areas will likely be barricaded off using traffic control devices to prevent vehicle parking. Drivers should also expect to see additional traffic control devices installed around the intersection of West Street and Main Street to assist detour drivers. The scope of work for this project involves laying asphalt pavement, repairing bent caps, placing temporary traffic control measures, placing road base, milling plant mix, removing surfacing, and performing excavation near the town of Wilson on WYO 22 at road marker 5.40 at the Fish Creek Bridge. The completion date for the work is November 15, 2025. WYDOT would like to remind drivers to be cautious of roadside workers and obey all roadside signs, traffic control devices and closures. For more information on construction projects across Wyoming, visit our web site at https://www.wyoroad.info, select the "map" link, and highlight "construction" on the additional layers menu. Drivers can sign up for 511 Notify at https://www.wyoroad.info/511/511NotifyAnnouncement.html.

Fish Creek bridge deck. WYDOT Photo.