New variable speed limit signs in operation on WY0 28


New electronic variable speed limit signs are now in operation on WYO 28 in the South Pass area between Farson and Lander.

The signs will allow WYDOT to drop the speed limit in 5 mph increments to as low as 30 mph when weather and road conditions make it necessary on a 34-mile section of the highway known for severe wind and surface conditions as well as heavy truck traffic.
The signs’ advanced technology allows WYDOT’s Transportation Management Center in Cheyenne to tailor the speed limit to match road conditions on highway sections as short as two miles in length.
The posted speed limit can be changed almost immediately after a reduction is recommended by WYDOT maintenance personnel or Highway Patrol troopers in the South Pass area.

The South Pass section is the fifth Wyoming highway section now served by variable speed limit technology. The other four sections are on I-80, where 128 miles are equipped with variable signs.

Decisions about where to install variable speed limit signs are based on traffic volumes, crash histories and frequency of severe weather on particular highway sections.
Long-term statistics show unsafe speed is a factor in more than 70 percent of wintertime crashes in Wyoming. WYDOT is using the variable speed limits and its “Ice and snow? – Take it slow!” information campaign to counter that problem.

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Additional Web cameras available on 511 Travel Information site

2013 state map with cameras
Wyoming drivers will benefit this winter and in the future with the recent installation of 22 new Web cameras located in various locations around the state. 

More than 100 Web cameras are now operational along Wyoming highways. Most installations are along Interstate highways, but a majority of the new cameras were placed on non-Interstate routes.

New camera locations are:  

--   US 287 (three sites): Willow Hill, mile marker (mm) 14.7,north of Rawlins; Jeffrey City, mm 23; and Beaver Rim, mm 48.1 east of Lander;

--  US 85 (three sites): Gun Barrel, mm 46.8 between Cheyenne and Torrington; Rawhide Creek, mm 122 north of Lingle; and Redbird Road, mm 185 south of Mule Creek Jct.

US 30-287 (two sites between Walcott Jct. and Laramie): Hanna Jct., mm 249.6, and Rock River, mm 288.2.

--  WYO 22 (Teton Pass Road, two sites): Idaho state line, mm 17.5; and Wilson, mm 6.9;

--  WYO 120 (two sites): Meeteetse Rim, mm 61.2 south of Cody; and Skull Creek Hill, mm 109.5 north of Cody;

--  US 20; Wind River Canyon, mm 122;

--  US 26; Kinnear Jct., mm 114.6 west of Riverton;

--  US 89; Salt River Pass, mm 69 south of Afton;

--  US 191; Hoback Rim, mm 129 between Pinedale and Jackson;

--  WYO 220; Muddy Gap, mm 45;

--  I-25 (two sites): Midwest Interchange, exit 223 north of Casper; and Natural Bridge Interchange, exit 151 west of Douglas.

--  I-80 (three sites): French Interchange, exit 28 east of Evanston, and Green River East, mm 92 and mm 94.

"These new WYDOT web cameras will help drivers make good choices about winter travel before heading out there this winter," said Russ Dowdy, WYDOT maintenance foreman in Thermopolis. "And internally within WYDOT, these web cameras will help improve our winter plowing efforts, and should enhance public safety."

WYDOT Web cameras   can be accessed online via the 511 Travel Information   page, which also provides regularly updated road and weather condition reports and other information.  

Want to lend a hand? Think ECAR!

Another cold-weather season is on the horizon, and WYDOT is renewing its call for public-spirited motorists to assist the department with its important role of providing current travel condition reports.

'Enhanced Citizen-Assisted Reporting,' or 'ECAR' for short, is a program that enables volunteers to report their first hand observations of road and weather conditions to WYDOT. These reports bolster the agency's popular 511 travel information service.

The demand for travel information is greater than ever. Motorists like to know what to expect out on the roads, and while the bulk of condition reporting is still done by WYDOT maintenance personnel, it's a constant challenge given the thousands of miles of highway in the state.

During past winters, reports from ECAR volunteers have proven to be timely and accurate and have been a invaluable supplement to the 511 system. A typical  volunteer is someone who drives a particular stretch of road regularly, and possibly has been doing so on a long-term basis. Many volunteers are affiliated with a transportation company or business which distributes its products via Wyoming's highways.

ECAR participants are supplied with an illustrated handbook which includes written and visual definitions of the different types of pavement and weather conditions used by WYDOT; for example, the difference between "slick" and "slick in spots" is described. Volunteers are also instructed on how and when to report issues such as road kill or other debris on the roadway as well as how to report incorrect information on dynamic message signs.

Joining ECAR is fast and easy. A handy online application form is available on the 511 Travel Information Web site. Volunteers can send an email to ecar@wyo.gov.