Interchange July 2021
Vol. 49, Iss. 7
Cody’s Sheridan Avenue project ends
Photo: WYDOT
Reiner participates with other WYDOT officials in ribbon cutting
From left, Cody Public Works Director Phillip Bowman, WYDOT Director Luke Reiner, District Engineer Pete Hallsten of Worland, Cody Mayor Matt Hall (cutting ribbon); District Construction Engineer Randy Merritt of Cody, Cody Resident Engineer Todd Frost, Cody Project Engineer Leslie Hackworth, and Cody City Administrator Barry Cook. Also present was S&S Builders Cody Superintendent Ed Epperson.
June 18 ribbon cutting in Cody signified end of two-year project By Cody Beers Building and rehabilitating urban roadways is a specialty of the Wyoming Department of Transportation, but it’s a refined process founded upon collaborative discussions between WYDOT, citizens and businesses. WYDOT originally wanted this project to happen nearly 20 years ago, but citizens and businesses pushed back on the plan. WYDOT engineers listened to the argument that the city of Cody wasn’t
ready for an urban project, but over time the need for the project resurfaced and began moving up the priority list, again. Six years ago, Cody resident engineer Todd Frost and his engineering crew began working toward a project to rehabilitate Sheridan Avenue (US 14/16/20) that runs through downtown Cody. They started talking to local businesses, to the local Cody Country Chamber of Commerce, to civic groups, to local officials. One of the main problems with
the nearly 40-year-old street was that concrete sealants began failing, opening pathways for storm water to begin migrating underneath the concrete street. Concrete spalling on the driving surface became commonplace in the last 10 years, and the driver surface became rougher by the year. “We used what was happening, including the fact that water is the No. 1 enemy of concrete, to sell the problems we were facing in the short term,” Continued on page 9
