Interchange - May 2013

Interchange a WYDOT publication

May 2013, Vol. 41, Issue 5

Yellowstone or Bust

WYDOT plows the way for opening day

Letters

Interchange Interchange is published for employees of the Wyoming Department of Transportation by its Public Affairs Office and a number of field correspondents.

Interchange invites submissions from all employees. Please send them to either your district correspondents or to: Carlie Van Winkle, Interchange editor, 5300 Bishop Blvd., Cheyenne, WY, 82009-3340. The Public Affairs Office may also be contacted by phoning (307) 777-4165, faxing (307) 777-4289, or sending e-mail to carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov

Staff WYDOT Director: John F. Cox Public Affairs Manager: Doug McGee

511 Travel Info a blessing for travelers My husband and I are traveling from Montana to Cheyenne on this snowy, treacherous travel day. We are so grateful for the WYDOT e-mails that we are receiving which allow us to stay informed on the road conditions.

I don’t know if every state has this feature in their transportation system, but they should.

Thank you, Keryl and Perry Hallford Billings, Mont.

Thank you WYDOT Just wanted to say “Thank You” to the WYDOT employees who work diligently to make it as safe as possible to travel throughout Wyoming, and to those who keep us informed about the road conditions.

Great job! You are greatly appreciated.

Rhonda Cronk

Keeping dreams alive I want to THANK YOU for plowing Yellowstone! My family and I will be visiting in early June, and I was relieved to find out the park would be opened on time.

With the budget cutbacks, I have to admit I was worried. Thank you!!!!

Karey Hathcock Letters continued on page 20

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Editor/Art Director: Carlie Van Winkle Contributors: Bruce Burrows Public Affairs Dave Kingham Public Affairs Carlie Van Winkle Public Affairs Ross Doman District 1 Jeff Goetz District 2 Stephanie Harsha District 3 Ronda Holwell District 4 Cody Beers District 5 Sgt. Stephen Townsend Patrol Photography: Rick Carpenter Public Affairs

Also in this issue

Contents

Letters.....................................2 District briefs.........................4 Extra Mile Awards..............15

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Training at a Glance..........15

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WYDOT by the Numbers....15 District news.......................18 Noteworthy..........................21 WTDEA................................. 23

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In The Community........... 25 Passings............................... 26 Break Time.......................... 27

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8 Patrol’s 84th Class

Supreme Court Justices swear in eleven

10 Fuel tax hike

New opportunities, responsibilities

12 Yellowstone National Park plowing

Be sure to check out the online version of Interchange at http://issuu.com/wydot.pao, or click on the link found on the employee’s internal Web site home page.

WYDOT clears way; enables on-time road openings

16 STIP

Setting priorities for road construction

On the cover: WYDOT plows help clear the roads from the east and south gates of Yellowstone National Park.

Photo: Carlie Van Winkle

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District Briefs Cheyenne – Contracts totaling $12 million for 11 highway projects around the state were awarded by the Wyoming Transportation Commission during its April meeting.

Kirkland Construction of Rye, Colo., won the largest of the contracts with a low bid of nearly $3 million for reclamation of the Hakalo Quarry near Glenrock. The limestone quarry, which has provided rock for road base on highway projects throughout central Wyoming, will be reshaped and reseeded. The contract completion date is Nov. 30.

Cheyenne’s Reiman Corp. submitted the low bid of $1.8 million for rehabilitation work on five bridges on northwest Wyoming highways by Oct. 31.

Reiman also was the low bidder at $1.5 for deck rehabilitation and other work on 10 Interstate 80 bridges in Sweetwater County. That work is expected to be done

by Oct. 31.

Casper’s Knife River was the low bidder at $1.4 million for completing a pavement overlay on WYO 212 (College Drive and Four Mile Road) between Dell Range Boulevard and Yellowstone Road in Cheyenne. The work also will include sidewalk upgrades to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The contract completion date is Sept. 30.

Casper’s Modern Electric submitted the low bid of $1.2 million for lighting upgrades at five locations in western Wyoming by July 31, 2014. High-mast lighting will be installed on I-80 at the Lyman, Baxter Road and Superior interchanges, and upgrades also will be completed in the Pinedale and Daniel areas.

Modern Electric also won a $982,000 contract for lighting upgrades at the Pine Bluffs Rest Area and Cheyenne I-80 Port of Entry and installation of new highmast lighting at the Wagonhound and Ft. Steele interchanges and rest areas. The contract completion date is July 31, 2014.

Swanston Equipment of Fargo, N.D., submitted the low bid of $918,000 for in-

HQ

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stalling epoxy pavement markings on I-80 in Laramie, Albany, Carbon and Sweetwater counties by Sept. 30.

Casper’s 71 Construction won a $766,000 contract for bridge rehabilitation work on Veterans Cemetery Road north of Evansville by Aug. 31. The road provides access to the Oregon Trail State Veterans’ Cemetery.

Also awarded during the teleconference meeting were contracts for: • $240,000, to Kolbe Striping of Castle Rock, Colo., for installing of thermoplastic pavement markings on highways in Albany, Carbon and Laramie counties by Sept. 30; • $127,000 to Alexander Construction of Wheatland for construction of a concrete bike path along 16th Street between WYO 312 (South Street) and Mariposa Parkway in Wheatland by Sept.

30; and

cost is $7.3 million and it is paid for by state general fund appropriations.

Pershing Boulevard in Cheyenne sees continued construction Cheyenne – WYDOT’s final construction phase of Cheyenne’s West Pershing Blvd. commenced April 1.

Simon Contractors closed West Pershing between Dillon Ave. and I-25 to traffic, parking and pedestrians. Detour routes were posted in the affected area.

The project, which began last year, provides utility upgrades, new sidewalks, drainage improvements, and updates to modern ADA standards.

Work is expected to be completed by mid-June.

• $122,000, to Wilderness Excavating of Grand Junction, Colo., for installation of thermoplastic pavement markings on highways in Campbell, Carbon, Converse, Fremont, Goshen, Natrona and Niobrara counties by Sept. 30.

Construction on WYO 210 underway Laramie – WYDOT advised motorists and cyclists to watch for heavy machinery and reduced speeds near the Curt Gowdy section of Happy Jack Road (WYO 210) between Cheyenne and Laramie.

Construction is underway from milepost 20.5 to 27 that will widen the lanes to 12 feet and increase the shoulders to six feet.

There will also be an overlay.

Workers will be in the area during daylight hours as will pilot car operations with the accompanying minor delays.

The work is projected to be complete by October 31.

The contractor for the project is Oftedal Construction, of Casper. The project

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Photo: Rick Carpenter

$12 million in highway contracts awarded

West Pershing Blvd., Cheyenne, continues to see construction through May into mid-June.

Construction west of Rawlins on I-80 Rawlins – The I-80 westbound passing lane just outside Rawlins is now closed from Rawlins west to the Carbon County line.

As of April 8, McMurry Ready Mix has routed interstate travel into head-to-head, two-way traffic in the westbound lane of a small section of interstate so they can perform construction in the eastbound lane.

The head-to-head traffic will last until October 15. There will be a 15 foot width restriction in both directions during that time.

West side of Casper bustling with projects Casper – Three projects are taking place, all affecting Wyoming Highway 220.

McMurry Ready Mix crews continue to work on the four-lane expansion of the highway from the western edge of Casper to the Bessemer Bend area, from milepost 102 to milepost 108. Traffic was switched to the new lanes last fall and a new roadbed has been laid on the original two lanes. The project is expected to be completed by October 2014.

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Casper – Work is progressing this spring on a landslide remediation project on WYO 220 at the “Narrows” between Casper and Alcova.

At the Narrows, near milepost 101.6, about 15 miles southwest of downtown Casper, WYO 220 is constrained between the North Platte River and the southwest shoulder of Coal Mountain. Geologic instability at the site has resulted in road maintenance issues for decades.

The project undertaken by Malcolm Drilling, a specialty firm based in San Francisco, impacts a 500-foot section of WYO 220. Current work focuses on drilling nearly 200 shafts and then filling them concrete reinforced by thick steel rebar. The shafts measure four feet in diameter and 70 feet in depth.

The filled shafts, also referred to as “shear piles,” are designed to anchor the hillside by effectively knitting the unconsolidated slide mass together in hopes of restraining further movement.­­­ Two sets of inclinometers, one within the slide plane, and the other outside the slide area, will be installed to monitoring purposes.

Malcolm Drilling’s contract, valued at $6.9 million, carries a Nov. 30 completion date.

Girders being placed over the North Platte River where a two-lane bridge is taking shape.

Photo: Jeff Goetz

Cheyenne – WYDOT began work on two different projects in Cheyenne at the end of April.

The road surfaces on Central and Warren Avenues between Pershing and Eighth will receive an overlay and ADA access will be brought up to modern standards the full length of the project. Curb and gutter will also be repaired as necessary.

The existing road surfaces on East Lincolnway between Big Horn Avenue and College Drive will be milled off and replaced with new pavement. ADA access will also be brought up to current standards the for length of the project.

During work on both projects, access to all area businesses will remain open.

Single lane closures will create delays through the work zones and side street restrictions will be necessary. Construction will be suspended during Frontier Days at the end of July. The planned completion time is the end of September.

Simon, out of Cheyenne, is the contractor for both projects. The project Central Avenue project cost is $1.1 million. It is paid for with federal funds.

The East Lincolnway project cost is $1.5 million and it is paid for by state general fund appropriations.

Work progressing on WYO 220 between Casper and Alcova

In addition, slide remediation work has begun just past the west end of the four-lane expansion project area. (See related article “Work progressing on WYO 220 between Casper and Alcova.”)

Malcom Drilling Company, Inc. has begun drilling 196 holes along the highway at milepost 101.60. The 70-footdeep holes are designed to stop a land slide from undercutting WYO 220 in the “narrows” section. Each of the holes are aligned in groups of two and will be filled with reinforced concrete. Then, each group of two columns will be capped with concrete at the surface, creating a patchwork of columns driven into bedrock that will support the road and prevent future slides. The $6.7 million project is scheduled to be completed in November.

Meanwhile, Wyoming’s newest highway, WYO 257, or the West Belt Loop, is well under way. Kelley Trucking, Inc. has been busy throughout the winter and spring grading, hauling and moving earth along the 7-mile-long highway’s route.

One of the more dramatic jobs of the project involves excavation of a 110-footdeep cut as the highway approaches the North Platte River.

Girders are currently being set on the highway’s bridge over the river. When completed, it will span 550-feet over the North Platte River. It’s estimated over 3 million cubic yards of earth will be removed and relocated as part of the project.

Photo: Jeff Goetz

Paving and ADA curb updates in Cheyenne commenced in April

Malcom Drilling Company’s rotary drilling rig makes relatively short work of a 75-foot deep hole.

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Open house in Bar Nunn for future interchange Bar Nunn – A second public open house was held April 23 at Bar Nunn Elementary School, to provide information about and take comments on a possible future interchange on I-25 near the town of Bar Nunn.

WYDOT has completed a draft interchange feasibility study and shared the findings to stakeholders and the residents of Bar Nunn.

At the previous open house held last August, the goal and vision for the study was outlined as: 1) Confirm that a new interchange is justified in Bar Nunn, and 2) Investigate the preferred location of an interchange in the town limits.

Previous planning studies had identified potential justification for an interchange between the Wardwell Road interchange and the Ormsby Road interchange.

These studies concluded that as growth in the area continues, increased traffic demands on Salt Creek Highway and local roads would increase and the region’s transportation system may deteriorate.

Bridge replacement on I-80, U.S. 191 Rock Springs – WYDOT diverted traffic on I-80, closed a section of US 191 and closed exit 99 in April to continue work on the Flaming Gorge Road Project.

The interruption was planned for nighttime hours to limit traffic disruption.

Both directions of travel on I-80 were diverted. Traffic approaching from east and west were moved onto the on and off ramps at exit 99 where speeds were reduced to 30 mph. Traffic was not stopped on the interstate.

During the nighttime closures, WYDOT crews and contract crews from Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Company set the girders on the new bridge over the interstate.

The Flaming Gorge Road project consists of one bridge replacement and two bridge improvements at the intersection of US 191 south and I-80 near

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Cruel Jack’s.

The first bridge off exit 99 that travels over I-80 is being replaced. The remaining two bridges traveling south on US 191, one over a set of railroad tracks and the other over Bitter Creek, will be widened and rehabilitated.

The three-mile section of US 191 (Flaming Gorge Road) that stretches over the bridges will be widened with additional lanes, creating a turning lane to accommodate an increase in traffic flows to and from local industrial areas.

Jackson Streets Project underway Jackson – WYDOT awarded the Jackson Streets Project to Evans Construction of Jackson. The project was awarded for a bid of $5.8 Million.

Evans met with WYDOT and town of Jackson officials in early March to begin scheduling the urban job.

The project encompasses reconstruction of the five-lane roadway on 0.30 miles of US 89 on West Broadway between the Flat Creek Bridge and the Jackson Streets intersection. Work includes, but is not limited to milling, paving, curb and gutter work. This project also includes water and sewer upgrades for Jackson.

Construction is compressed into a short, one season schedule and will include a short break in July to mid-August in order to limit traffic disruption during the peak tourist season.

During construction, traffic will be reduced to two lanes, one each direction. Left turns will be prohibited in the construction zone.

Construction is scheduled to be broken up into two phases. Phase I started March 18, beginning with mobilization of equipment and traffic control. Phase I focuses on the reconstruction of the road through the five-way intersection, from Flat Creek to MacPhails Restaurant.

Crews should be off the road at the end of Phase I by July 1.

Phase II will begin mid-August and continue through to the end of the project. This phase includes work from MacPhails to the Elks Club. Again, no left turns will be allowed.

A Web site has been created to share information about the project, such as the construction phases, current news

and a work calendar. The address is www. jacksonstreets.com.

The project completion date is Nov. 30.

Work on I-90 in Sheridan continuing Sheridan – WYDOT along with the contractor Intermountain Construction and Materials of Gillette, continue an overlay project on I-90 in Sheridan between exit 20 at K-Mart and exit 25 at Sheridan College. All traffic has been shifted into the northbound lanes of I-90 while the contractor works in the southbound lanes. The contractor has removed the guardrail and is working on the bridges in the southbound lanes.

If the weather worsens, it is possible that WYDOT will close this section of I-90 between the exits as a safety precaution. Traffic would be re-routed through Sheridan.

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Bridge repair projects begin west of Cody near Yellowstone National Park Cody – A $388,000 project has been scheduled to repair two bridges near the east gate of Yellowstone National Park.

One bridge crosses the north fork of the Shoshone River 2.26 miles east of the east gate of Yellowstone at Pahaska. The other is located .28 miles east of the east gate.

Both bridges are located along U.S. 1416-20.

“The repair at Pahaska consists of removal and replacement of a failed expansion joint,” according to Todd Frost, WYDOT resident engineer in Cody.

“The repair at Unnamed Draw is a bridge girder damaged in a mud slide in July 2011 during heavy runoff.”

Frost said the contractor’s work schedule calls for work to begin May 1 at the

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Pahaska structure, with work scheduled to be complete about May 21. Work is scheduled to start on Unnamed Draw on May 21. All work on the project is currently scheduled to be completed by July 22. Major work should be completed by June 30.

“The contractor’s schedule is weather dependent,” Frost said.

During the bridge repair, half of the structure will be worked on while oneway traffic is carried on the other half of the structure by use of a traffic signal.

A 14-foot width restriction will be in effect during the work.

Prime contractor on the bridge repair projects is Dietzler Construction Co. of Torrington. Completion date for the repair projects is July 31.

Slope stabilization project begins in Wind River Canyon Thermopolis – Traffic delays are expected during a $1.88 million slope stabilization project in Wind River Canyon, underway between Shoshoni and Thermopolis on U.S. 20/WYO 789.

“The contractor will be stabilizing slopes and constructing retaining walls at five locations between the river and highway,” said Kent Herren, WYDOT project inspector in Riverton. “The first location is about four miles south of Thermopolis.”

Herren said the contractor’s work schedule shows most work on the slope stabilization/retaining wall project expected to be complete in June.

“The progress of work will be dependent upon favorable weather,” Herren said. “Within several weeks, it’s the contractor’s goal to provide two-way traffic, except for wide loads, through Wind River Canyon and the work zone.”

Expected work on the project includes grading, draining, placing crushed gravel and asphalt paving, and other highway improvements in Wind River Canyon.

Prime contractor for the project is Oftedal Construction, Inc., of Miles City, Mont. Contract completion date is Oct. 31.

Wyoming 120 highway project northwest of Thermopolis Thermopolis – Old pavement is being removed on the $6.67 million project directly northwest of Thermopolis.

“Traffic will be running on existing crushed gravel base as the surfacing is removed,” according to Todd Frost, Wyoming Department of Transportation resident engineer in Cody.

“We will place temporary surfacing consisting of roto-milled asphalt as needed during roadway excavation,” Frost said.

Frost said citizens should continue to expect “temporary detours at various project locations as the contractor replaces roadway pipes.”

McGarvin-Moberly Construction Co., of Worland is the prime contractor on the 3.28-mile project between mileposts .94 (the northwest edge of Thermopolis) and 4.21.

Frost said “paving is currently scheduled for around the end of May. Motorists can expect crushed gravel base surfacing on the project until we pave the new roadway.”

“Motorists should expect 20-minute delays, reduced speed limits to 45 mph, and pilot car operations during working hours through the paving portion of this project,” Frost said.

The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded the project to McGarvin-Moberly last June.

The scope of work on this project includes grading, draining, milling of asphalt, placing crushed gravel, asphalt paving, chip sealing, installing box culvert extensions and guardrail, signing, fencing and other work on 3.28 miles of Wyoming 120 between Thermopolis and Meeteetse.

Contract completion date for the highway improvements is Sept. 30.

U.S. 14A improvement underway east of Powell Powell – A $1.7 million pavement improvement project began April 22, just east of Powell on U.S. 14A.

The project consists of shoulder flattening, milling of existing pavement, leveling, a 2-inch asphalt pavement overlay, and chip seal between milepost 25.20 (just east of Homesteader Park) and milepost 29.39 (intersection of U.S. 14A and Wyoming 114 at Garland) on U.S. 14A. WYDOT Resident Engineer Todd Frost said the contractor’s work schedule called for work to begin April 22, with work on the highway shoulders, and rotomilling of existing pavement.

“The contractor’s schedule is weather dependent, and motorists should expect traffic control with use of a pilot vehicle and delays of up to 20 minutes,’’ Frost said. “The contractor’s work schedule calls for the start of asphalt paving around May 1.”

Prime contractor is Mountain Construction of Lovell. Completion date for the project is Oct. 31.

U.S. 14-16-20 pavement work scheduled Cody – A $609,900 erosion repair project was scheduled the week of April 29-May 3 to complete removal of existing asphalt and repaving of the turn lane west of the Buffalo Bill Dam Visitor Center parking area.

The erosion repair project includes placement of rock riprap, grading, draining, placing crushed gravel base, and asphalt pavement surfacing, guardrail and other work at mileposts 9.55, 15.73, 25.28 and 44.40 on U.S. 14-16-20 between Yellowstone National Park and Cody.

WYDOT Resident Engineer Todd Frost said the contractor’s work schedule calls for work, weather permitting, at milepost 44.40 by Buffalo Bill Reservoir “to complete removal and repaving of the turn lane west of the Buffalo Bill Dam Visitor Center parking lot.”

“Work is estimated to take about a week to complete. Motorists should expect one-way traffic and short delays during working hours,” Frost said. “Traffic will be controlled by flaggers.”

Prime contractor of the erosion repair project is Pab Good Trucking of Greybull.

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Patrol’s 84 Class

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Troopers in their dress uniform prior to their commissioning. (Front row, l to r) Col. John Butler, Capt. Derek Mickelson; (Second row, l to r) Tpr. Brian Kessler, Tpr. Joshua Powell, Tpr. Richard Rhoades, Tpr. Anthony Alcon, Tpr. John Vance; (Third row, l to r) Tpr. Ross Washburn, Tpr. James Rose, Tpr. James Weck, Tpr. Jason Jurca; (Fourth row, l to r) Lt. Klief Guenther, Tpr. Michael Gray, Sgt. Chris Schell, and Tpr. Forrest Bright.

On March 14, the Wyoming Highway Patrol graduated its 84th class of recruits.

The eleven graduates of the 84th class were commissioned at the Supreme Court Building in downtown Cheyenne. All five Wyoming justices, Chief Justice Marilyn Kite, Justice William Hill, Justice Barton Voigt, Justice James Burke, and Justice Michael Davis were on hand for the commissioning.

The recruits had attended 13 weeks of rigorous Wyoming Highway Patrol Academy classes consisting of constitutional law, traffic law, crash investigation, motor carrier enforcement and officer safety training, to name a few.

Those recruits who were not previously law enforcement officers were required

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to take 13 weeks of additional training prior to attending the WHP Academy classes.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol is proud to present their newest troopers.

Trooper Anthony Alcon, Gillette, badge number 202, was born and raised in Cheyenne. Alcon began his law enforcement career in 2009 as a detention officer with the Platte County Sheriff ’s Office and subsequently given an opportunity in 2010 to work for the Torrington Police Department. Alcon worked with the Torrington PD for four years

and ended his police department career with the rank of sergeant. He spends his off-duty time with his beautiful wife Cassandra and their two children, Anthony Jr. and Mariah. Alcon also enjoys going to his son’s sporting events, along with hunting, camping and fishing. He is looking forward to a long and successful career with WHP. Trooper Forrest Bright, Cheyenne, badge number 64, is a Wyoming native and a graduate of Evanston High School. Bright attended Weber State College in Ogden, Utah as a Police Science major. Bright

Photo: Rick Carpenter

began his law enforcement career in 1976 with the Evanston Police Department where he served 15 years. In November 1990, Bright was elected Uinta County Sheriff where he served for 15 years. In March 2006, he was appointed Director of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, where he served six years.

In October 2012, Bright joined the ranks of the Wyoming Highway Patrol assigned to the Executive Protection Detail.

Bright is a graduate of the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy, Wyoming Highway Patrol Academy, National Sheriff ’s Institute, Central States Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar and the National FBI Academy.

Trooper Michael Gray, Laramie, badge number 80, is originally from Houston, Texas. Gray enlisted in the United States Air Force in 2000 where he served as a crew chief on F-16 fighter aircraft and then as a special agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

Gray has two sons, Dominic and Andrew.

He enjoys spending time with his family, riding motorcycles and enjoying the outdoors.

Trooper Jason Jurca, Baggs, badge number 137, was raised in Washington state. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and served three years with 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, Alpha Company as an infantry rifleman and squad leader.

After serving in the Marine Corps, Jurca studied chemistry at Saddleback College and Colorado State University before applying for and receiving employment with the Wyoming Highway Patrol. In his free time, Jason enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife Arianna and their two dogs.

Trooper Brian Kessler, Gillette, badge number 225, grew up in Buffalo. Kessler attended the University of Wyoming earning a Bachelor of

Arts degree in secondary math education. After college, he taught for 11 years.

Kessler is married to Samantha and they have two daughters and a son. He enjoys spending time with his family, hunting and shooting.

Trooper Joshua Powell, Wamsutter, badge number 95, grew up in the Appalachian mountains of east Tennessee, where he graduated from Johnson County High School. He joined the U.S. Air Force in July 2002 as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician on the F-16 Fighting Falcon. In 2008, Powell was recruited into the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, at which time he attended the Federal Law Enforcement Academy (FLETC) in Georgia. After graduating FLETC, he served as a special agent with AFOSI until 2012. Powell served both stateside and in deployed environments during this time. Powell has a wonderful girlfriend of three years, Stacey Whitaker, and two sons. He enjoys spending time with his family, riding his Harley, watching college football and NASCAR. Trooper Richard Rhoades, Rock Springs, badge number 149, was born in Atlanta, Ga. and raised in nearby Conyers.

Rhoades graduated cum laude from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Justice Studies. He spent the last five years in the United States Marine Corps, ascending to the rank of captain. Rhoades served as an air intelligence officer with 2nd Marine Air Wing G-2 Cherry Point, N.C., and as an instructor and curriculum officer at Marine Corps Officer Candidates School in Quantico, Va. Trooper James Rose, Newcastle, badge number 116, is a Wyoming native born in Lingle.

His family moved to southern Texas where he attended high school at Hanna High in Brownsville.

After graduating, Rose

attended Texas Southmost College, then transferred to Calvary Bible College in Kansas City, Mo., where he received a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership. Rose has spent the past three years as a correctional officer with the Wyoming Department of Corrections in Torrington. Rose is married to Tara and has six kids ages 13 to 4. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family.

Trooper John Vance, Rawlins, badge number 158, is originally from Nebraska.

He has spent the last six years working for Union Pacific Railroad as a conductor. Vance is married to Amanda, and has one daughter and one child due in October. He enjoys spending time with his family, hunting and fishing.

Trooper Ross Washburn, Newcastle, badge number 181, grew up in Cheyenne and graduated from Cheyenne East High School. He obtained a general studies degree from Laramie County Community College.

Washburn has spent the last 10 years in various retail management positions. Washburn is engaged to Ashlie. He enjoys playing softball, basketball, shooting and hunting. Washburn is excited to start his career with the Wyoming Highway Patrol in Newcsatle.

Trooper James Weck, Riverton, badge number 112, is from Ohio. After graduating high school, Weck entered the Army where he served four years with the 1st 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division.

While in the Army, he deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After leaving the military in 2009, Weck returned to Ohio where he enrolled at Tiffin University and graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security and Terrorism. Weck is looking forward to his new career with the Wyoming Highway Patrol.

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Illustration: Carlie Van Winkle

Fuel tax hike brings new opportunities, responsibilities

The fuel tax increase approved by the 2013 Legislature is the first increase in predictable long-term funding for highway construction in Wyoming since 1998, but it has brought with it a higher level of scrutiny of WYDOT’s operations.

Director John Cox told the annual WYDOT Engineers and Supervisors Conference March 26 that the additional attention can be an opportunity to improve understanding of WYDOT’s budget and operations.

“The level of scrutiny on the Department of Transportation is now, in my opinion, at a high water mark, and I believe it’s going to stay there and we’re going to have to get used to that,” Cox said in his remarks to the opening general session. “I don’t think scrutiny is bad, it makes us better at our job.”

He noted that WYDOT didn’t ask for the fuel tax increase.

Over the past eight years, the department consistently conveyed to lawmakers and the governor the need for additional funding to maintain the highway system. The Legislature and governor decided a fuel tax increase was the best mechanism to provide additional funding.

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“Now that the funding has been set in place, I am absolutely and positively committed that it will be used in the best way possible and I’m completely confident that you folks will carry that out,” Cox said. “We are going to prove that we know what to do to spend it in the best way possible, and not just the fuel tax. We’re going to make all our money buy more as we deliver the services of this agency.”

The estimated $47.5 million in additional funding the fuel tax increase will generate annually will be used in the pavement preservation effort the department adopted in the face of higher construction prices and flat funding.

“This fuel tax increase will be used only for highway contracts, not for administration, preliminary engineering or internal costs,” Cox said “That $47 million and change is going to get highway work done. We’re going to take the money that we have and our considerable expertise and stretch it as far as it can possibly be stretched.”

However, he acknowledged the funding increase is less than half of the additional funding WYDOT needs to maintain the highway system in it’s current condition.

“Like many of you, I’m deeply concerned about the future of

the highway system and our ability to do the big things that are needed,” Cox said. “But today we have a fresh funding stream, a shortfall in needed funding and an absolutely enormous job on our hands. Let’s concern ourselves with getting done what we can do, and not with what we can’t do.”

WYDOT has emerged from the heightened scrutiny and questions created by the fuel tax debate as a stronger department, and it must continue to improve and become more efficient, the director said.

“I know that many of you and your programs have been efficiency minded for a considerable amount of time,” he said. “I will tell you that is very much appreciated. Now, efficiency and effectiveness becomes a part of who we are and what we do in a very formal sense as part of our balanced scorecard. That will include looking at every program, every practice in every corner to see what business practices of this department can be improved and made more efficient.”

Gov. Matt Mead is serious about improving accountability and efficiency in state government and, because he took the lead in seeking the fuel tax increase, he wants to see WYDOT operate as transparently and efficiently as possible, Cox said The governor also is committed to advocating for appropriate pay for state employees, and, although his request for funding for raises was rejected by the Legislature this year, he will continue to request it, Cox said.

Another result of the recently completed legislative session is the portion of WYDOT’s budget for highway planning, construction and maintenance that has been solely under the purview of the Wyoming Transportation Commission, will now be reviewed by the Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee as well as the Joint Transportation and Military Affairs Committee.

“We anticipate that process will be intense,” Cox said.

“We anticipate that there will be hard questions asked.

But we view the budget review as an opportunity rather than something to be dreaded. We’ve been asking for years for the Joint Appropriations Committee and some of the others to develop a wider understanding of the WYDOT budget.”

The director concluded his remarks by expressing his gratitude to all the department employees contributing to WYDOT’s success.

“I want you to know how impressed and how proud I am to have the privilege to work with you all and be part of this agency,” Cox said. “Taken as a whole, my time with WYDOT and the Wyoming Highway Patrol this past 15 years has been the opportunity to work with absolutely the finest group I’ve ever been associated with in my professional career. I want to thank you for that.”

– Dave Kingham

Comments from the Engineers and Supervisors Conference general session Chief Engineer Del McOmie:

“Highway fatalities continue to go down, and I think that speaks volumes for everyone in this room. From our Planning and Safety offices, our Construction and designers, to the Maintenance folks and the Highway Patrol, everybody had a hand in making that happen.

“Our accidents and safety issues have declined and that takes everyone of you in here, particularly supervisors talking with your crews to let them know to be safe on the job. We’ve got a dangerous job out there in many areas. Thanks to everybody for your safety recognition.

“We on the executive staff and the governor’s staff appreciate the work that you do. I think the fact that we got a gas tax shows that overall the folks in the state of Wyoming, the silent majority, our legislators and our governor think that, what we do, we do well, we don’t waste money and we try to get every last ounce out of that dollar we spend and they trust us with their gas tax.

“I think we have a great agency, and I want to thank every one of you because we wouldn’t have a great agency without great people.

It is a WYDOT family. I know we use that term quite often, but I really believe that. I’ve seen how we pull together all the time.”

Assistant Chief Engineer Gregg Fredrick:

“Thanks for the work that you all have done to help the department meet its missions and goals. There’s been an awful lot asked of each one of you. You’ve risen to those challenges that have been placed in front of you.

“There are good reasons to do some things the way we’ve always done them. The first thing that comes to mind is safety. You can’t compromise on safety. But let’s not hide behind doing something the way we’ve always done it. We need to be quicker as a department to react to change.

“Innovation and ideas best come from those who are closest to the work. We need to work together to identify these changes and implement these changes. I’m going to challenge you to ask why have we always done it that way? Can we change the process to be more efficient?”

“I’ve asked program managers to work with their staff to identify new technologies and opportunities to reduce redundancies, increase efficiencies and improve processes within their programs. I don’t think this is just the program managers’ responsibility. I think it’s the responsibility of each one of you.”

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Lending a helping hand (and a plow or two)

Wyoming is setting a national example of what western ethics, good old hard work and collaboration can accomplish when it comes to overcoming an unexpected obstacle.

The federal budget sequestration put Wyoming front and center in the media when word got out that Yellowstone National Park was planning to open its gates about two weeks later than expected. Due to these federal budget cuts, worry spread that Wyoming tourism, especially in the towns of Cody and Jackson, would take a hit with the delayed opening.

The sequestration led to expired budgets and then to budget cuts for federal agencies such as the National Park Service.

Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park, felt the sting of the axe more than most. Asked to cut $1.8 million from their budget, Yellowstone Park officials took a hard look at their options. They trimmed their budgets where they could, freezing permanent hires, reducing seasonal employees and eventually delaying plowing efforts in the park.

“We didn’t say we’re going to shut the park down for the season,” Park Superintendent Dan Wenk told The Washington Post.

“But it will have real impacts.”

An uneasiness began to grow in Cody and Jackson, two towns that depend on tourism that generated from visitors to and from Yellowstone. Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead organized an emergency

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Photos: Jason Fleming

Public agencies collaborate to help tourism in Wyoming.

Crews inside the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park near Sylvan Lake.

conference call. Local leaders, tourism and business leaders and state transportation officials dialed in to discuss solutions. “(The delay) would have been very confusing for potential visitors, and possibly deter visits for the entire summer. We felt we could not allow our tourism economy to suffer and risk our businesses’ prosperity,” Jackson Chamber of Commerce CEO Jeff Golightly said.

Local officials decided to take action. WYDOT would provide snow removal services with the cost being carried locally by the communities of Jackson and Cody.

Fundraising for the $170,600 operation began immediately.

East entrance operational costs were estimated at about $100,000, while south entrance operational costs were estimated at $70,600.

Park County Commissioners kicked in $10,000 to the east en-

Photo: WYDOT

Photo: Travis Bandemer

Photo: WYDOT

(Left) The Yellowstone plowing project was coined “Yellowstone or Bust” by Wyoming Office of Tourism and banners were supplied to adorn WYDOT machinery. (Center) A straight shot of plowed road shows the depth of the snow inside Yellowstone Park boundaries. (Right) Crews meeting Yellowstone Park crews the morning of April 17 about 15 miles inside the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

trance fund, followed shortly by Cody City Council. The Jackson Chamber of Commerce pledged to cover the costs for the south entrance. Soon, even local residents were making donations to the cause.

District Engineers Shelby Carlson and John Eddins, along with District Maintenance Engineers Ron Huff and Tory Thomas, worked swiftly to lay out a plan of attack for this unprecedented opportunity, making use of seasoned and experienced crews

drawn from many difference stations.

“This was a chance for our guys to do something different, something more challenging than their everyday routes,” Thomas said.

Amid considerable media attention, WYDOT plows and crews arrived at the east entrance, 52 miles east of Cody, to commence operations on April 1. Assembled at the seasonal closure gate were six maintenance personnel managing two rotary plows, 2 bulldozers, a grader and an 8-yard truck. By the end of the day they had plowed two miles in and were chipping away at the ice pack.

Cody Beers, public relations specialist for District 5, reported the crews were selected for their experience and expertise, much need traits for this innovative adventure.

East Entrance “They are doing great work and they Grant are WYDOT’s superheroes. Their talents Village are obvious and very valuable,” said Beers.

The following Monday, April 8, marked the initiation of plowing from the South Entrance, 59 miles north of Jackson.

South Working with the same zest and forEntrance titude as their counterparts on the Cody side, District 3 crews began operations with two rotary plows, a grader and a D4 Flagg Cat dozer.

Ranch “These guys always put out their WYDOT crews plowed from the east and south entrances of the park. WYDOT crews were able to plow an estimated one mile per day. best. They love what they do and they

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are definitely snow removal experts,” Thomas said.

Put out their best is exactly what they did. The crew reached the park boundary from Flagg Ranch in a half day’s work, although it had been estimated to take them almost two working days to do so.

WYDOT seemed to be making an impression on Yellowstone Park officials.

“Working with them (WYDOT) has been a pleasure. I can tell they are very excited to be here and in this new environment,” Snake River District Ranger Angela Boyers said. “They are very driven and they have been very accommodating, helping us clear areas that otherwise would have been landlocked. We are truly appreciative.”

The road-clearing effort reached a milestone of sorts the late morning of April 17 when the WYDOT and NPS crews, which had been working toward each other on the east entrance road linked up about 15 miles inside the park.

The rendezvous concluded 11 days of special duty by the WYDOT District 5 personnel.

Meanwhile, the District 3 crew continued opening a path northward from the south entrance. By April 24, they had reached Lewis Lake area, 16 miles north of where they started. From there, the plan called for the crew to turn around and begin another week’s worth of widening work on the way back to the south entrance.

The upshot: Due to the efforts of local, state and federal agencies, Yellowstone is scheduled to open on schedule; the east entrance on May 3 and the south entrance on May 10, thanks in large part to the hard work of WYDOT maintenance crews.

Gov. Mead has followed the situation closely and has openly expressed his approval and gratitude for the efforts of all agencies involved.

Yellowstone plowing statistics and notes

WYDOT details:

24 crew members (9 south entrance, 17 ea st entrance) 4 snow blowers (2 south entrance, 2 ea st entrance) 3 dozers (2 east entra nce, 1 south entranc e) 2 graders (1 east entra nce, 1 south entranc e) 1 8-yard (east entranc e) Loaders (as needed)

Cost per mile: $440 0 16 miles plowed from south entrance 15 miles plowed from east entrance Yellowstone Park pl owing details:

* Average depth of snow 4.5 feet * 200 miles of prim ary road * 125 miles of seco ndary roads * 125 acres of parki ng lots * Plowing started April 1 from the east entrance. * Plowing started April 8 from the so uth entrance. * District 5 has eq uipment stationed at the east entrance.

A dozer has been se nt from District 2 (C asper). * All entities worki ng together (state of ficials, Yellowstone Park, are a communities). * We are partners in this effort – this is Wyoming at its best. * Wyoming state fla g proudly flying from snowblowers and plows. * Celebration with fir

A crew member plowing from the east entrance steps out of the dozer for a quick photo.

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Photo courtesy Cody Beers

“When we thought the federal sequestration was going to shut the public out of Yellowstone and slow down tourism in our gateway communities, Wyoming came together and solved the problem,” Gov. Mead said.

“The two crews have had great support in Park and Teton counties. I thank them and everyone in Cody and Jackson who have rallied to make it possible for Wyoming to welcome the world to America’s first national park again this spring.

“This is an example of what this country needs right now – people working together. The beneficiaries are all of the visitors who want access to America’s first national park who will now have it,” he said.

– Stephanie Harsha

Elk spotted between Cody and the east entrance of Yellowstone.

Photo courtesy Cody Beers

Photo courtesy Cody Beers

eworks second week of May.

Rotary plows running in tandem.

Extra Mile

Get those spring skiing, hiking, camping & biking photos in Interchange!

AWARDS Congratulations March recipients!

WYDOT salutes the following Director’s Extra Mile Award recipients.

The award is presented to individuals who have traveled the “extra mile” in service to WYDOT.

Barry Capron

Submissions deadline for

Natalie Crawford

WYDOT Outdoors:

Kevin Hibbard

06/14/13

carlie.vanwinkle @wyo.gov

Bill Murphy For more information about the Extra Mile Award or to nominate someone, contact Janet Farrar at janet.farrar@wyo.gov or Mel Anderson at mel.anderson@wyo.gov.

Training ata Glance Total number of employees: as of Mar. 29, 2013

2,060

One month ago

2,050

One year ago

2,057

Here are upcoming training opportunities from WYDOT University and the Transportation Learning Network (TLN) Date Class Location May 1 Dou ble Header May 2 May 7-10 May 9 May 14 May 15 May 21 May 21 e May 22 Tr iapdl er e May 23 H May 29-30

FiSH! for Customer Service Cheyenne Generations in the Workplace Cheyenne New Supervisor Orientation #3 (NSO) Cheyenne Preserving Bridge Decks–Materials Options TLN Good Judgment WYDOT-only TLN ABC’s of Employee Engagement Cheyenne Ethics in the Workplace TLN Coaching and Mentoring Your Employees Cheyenne Building Fun, Productive and Safe Teams Cheyenne Dealing with Difficult People Cheyenne Leading at the Speed of Trust Cheyenne

Coming up in June 2013: Jun 5 Jun 6

Dou ble Header

Creating Buy-In: Becoming an Idea Advocate Legal Aspects of Supervision

Cheyenne Cheyenne

To register, or to find out more details, call the Training Program and talk to David Talley (777-4792), Jim Boyd (777-4791) or Rhonda DeLeeuw (777-4790).

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STIP outlines priorities and sets a path for construction Construction, as many of us already know, is not the beginning of the road improvement process for WYDOT engineering crews; in fact, it is more accurately described as the final step in that process.

Preceding construction typically is a lengthy period of planning and design, a phase which may take several years and in some cases, closer to a decade.

Right-of-way acquisitions may hit a snag, environmental issues may crop up, and even a new focus for the type of work to match available funding may change priorities. A key component for dealing with these snags and delays, as well as establishing a path forward, is the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

Printed and posted electronically on an annual basis, and then updated quarterly, the STIP is a dynamic document used to outline project-planning priorities over a span of six years. Some highways may not have needed preservation or improvement work for decades, but when the time comes, the STIP is the mechanism for setting road construction, bridge repair, airport improvements and other transportation related activities into motion. The STIP outlines project priorities in each of the seven Transportation Commission districts.

Incorporating input gathered via a collaborative process involving subject matter experts in various fields, it is the staff in WYDOT’s Programming Program that bears responsibility for compiling the STIP. The contributions from the experts, combined with asset management data, is used to determine a list of infrastructure needs. These needs are then matched with revenue that is anticipated to become available for rehabilitating and improving highways and other infrastructure.

The next step is the actual “programming” of projects into the STIP. The

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intent of the STIP is to provide a means for WYDOT to outline project priorities and establish a calendar for letting those projects to contract. Of course, like for any plan or schedule, unforeseen events occur, requiring flexibility in the process. It is not unusual for a project to be pushed back or forward. For example, emergency road repairs may trump some planned work, resulting in other projects being delayed.

Tough Choices

Each year, WYDOT’s Planning Program reviews a large number sections.

Myriad factors are considered during the review of a road section in order to identify deficiencies. (See related story for more details.)

During and after the planning and design phase, public meetings are held to encourage public participation and garner input on individual projects. This is an important step in the process in determining need for funding a project.

Field investigations and surveying moves forward, right of ways are reviewed and utilities are verified following the public meetings. Designers in Highway Development integrate all the data and information into a set of project plans.

Projects in the STIP cover the upcoming 12 months of actual construction and an additional five-year design period.

When a particular project will be let is influenced by the anticipated benefit and available funding, required design schedules, geographical distribution and additional public input.

Asset Management

Extensive testing is done on roads to measure pavement conditions and it’s structural stability. These roads are assessed, modeled and compared to performance measures set by WYDOT. What is referred to as asset management is the tool for WYDOT to program the most cost effective projects for preserv-

ing Wyoming’s transportation system.

Once a road is identified as deficient, a deeper analysis is done on the section to determine the extent of the deficiency.

A road rating of excellent indicates the road is smooth, free of wear and tear and provides an enjoyable ride for motorist.

Roads categorized with good ratings are smooth stretches providing a satisfactory ride, but are beginning to show minimal wear and tear. Roads with ratings of fair and poor have pavement that is noticeably inferior to new asphalt. Cracking and/or rutting in pavements is visible, in addition to potholes and crumbling joints are visible. Many of these fair and poor roads have been patched to stave off major repair. Applying one of these four rating categories to roadways, planners can tally costs and a rough estimation to correct the deficiency can be given.

WYDOT engineers and planners take all of the gathered information into account when compiling the annual STIP along with the quarterly updates. At the local level, maintenance crew leaders, resident engineers and district supervisors all provide important input in determining project priorities.

The STIP is a necessary tool when analyzing transportation needs and weighing them against available funding for the fiscal year for highway and airport improvements. Other improvements are sometimes added to the STIP. Bike paths, transit and rail projects are all included.

Projects involving the construction of new roads, bridges and runways are rare, but if needed are placed in the STIP and get the same treatment as do roads, bridges and runways which already exist.

– Carlie Van Winkle

Photo: Rick Carpenter

Photo: Rick Carpenter

The STIP prioritizes construction projects statewide, as many as seven years before any dirt is moved.

WYDOT uses ‘performance management’ to prioritize projects

Photo: Rick Carpenter

The use of performance management helps WYDOT in being transparent to the Wyoming Legislature, allowing agency personnel to better explain not just what projects are scheduled, but also what deficiencies will be addressed. This philosophy also translates to the federal level, as the transportation bill passed last summer requires WYDOT to begin reporting its In recent years, the Wyoming Department of Transportation performance in reference to national goals and measures. has overseen work on hundreds of transportation preservation In-depth analysis of data derived from the asset manageand improvement contracts. As a result, hundreds of miles of ment system is a major factor in determining the type of state highways have been preserved and maintained, with the improvement needed. For example, a road section might need scope of work ranging from simple pavement overlays to comonly to be resurfaced, rather than being widened before being plete reconstruction work in some cases. resurfaced. From this analysis, a rough estimate of the cost to Since needs of the 6,800 mile network of state roadways concorrect the deficiency can be determined. tinue to exceed the amount of available funding, the department Programming then compiles the State Transportation is faced with some tough choices. To enable objective decision Improvement Program (STIP), after gaining input from the making as to which projects have the greatest need and thus public and asset management data, and then matching those let to contract first, the department relies on its performance needs with projected revenues available for management process, combined with a rorehabilitation and improvement of existing bust asset management process. The asset highways. management process includes pavement Projects in the STIP cover the upcoming management, bridge management and 12 months of actual construction and an safety management. additional five-year design period. When a Each year, hundreds of road sections particular project will be let is influenced by throughout the state are reviewed by perthe anticipated benefit and available fundsonnel in Transportation Programming, ing, required design schedules, geographical a unit of the department’s Transportation distribution and public input.

Planning Program. During their review, Even when a potential road project is information such as roadway width, pavelisted in the STIP, that is not a guarantee it WYDOT reviews each stretch of pavement. ment conditions, traffic load, crash data, will go to contract when scheduled or go Some roads are tested with the high speed shoulder condition, alignment and bridge inertial profiler van. to contract at all. The STIP is a constantly sufficiency are considered for each section evolving document. Project priorities can of roadway. Data sources include “as-constructed” plan sheets, easily shift, initially hidden problems may arise during design, results of pavement texture and friction resistance testing, right-of-way acquisition issues may develop, or a reduction and data from other specialized tests which gauge pavements’ in construction funding may occur that can delay a project structural stability. Also figured into the review are safety issues, contract. maintenance concerns and bridge inspection results.

Almost all STIP-listed projects eventually wind up being The information considered during the analysis is compared constructed. The improved road sections are then ready to serve to driver expectations for each road section. When a section the public for many years before deficiencies increase enough to is determined to be deficient, it is further analyzed to assess bring those sections back into the process. the relative state of deficiency, as well as the value that could – Bruce Burrows be added to Wyoming’s transportation system by reducing the deficiency.

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District News Headquarters

Welcome Photo: WYDOT

Samantha Cheshire, Patrol Dispatch Manager; Duncan Cornell, Bridge Operations Design; Andrew Dluhos, Patrol Dispatch Manager; Nicole Gates, Highway Project Management Oversight; Amy Lambert, Right of Way-Appraisals; Joseph Macaluso, Planning-Programming; LaVonne Sase, Patrol Dispatch Manager; and Amber Whitlock, Patrol Dispatch Manager.

WYDOT’s Counter Shop’s Doug Drake receiving his 15-year service award from Bill Gribble.

Cassel

Robertson

James Dahill, Geology – 25 years; Michael Sandidge, Planning-Traffic Data Analysis – 25 years; Sherman Wiseman, Planning-Traffic Data Analysis – 25 years; Michael Bowen, Facilities Management-Building Maintenance – 15 years; Douglas Drake, Planning-Counter Shop – 15 years; Richard Joyner, Port of Entry-Cheyenne I-25 – 15 years; LaDonna Hurd, Contracts & Estimates – 10 years; Elena Alvarado Mondragon, Facilities Management-Custodial – 5 years; and Bobby Robertson Jr, Highway Development-Project Development – 5 years.

Promotions and Transfers Jennifer Christensen, Highway Development-Project Development; Zachary Gutierrez, Highway Development-Project Development; Laura Schei, Maintenance Staff; and Joshua Walther, Patrol-Support Services-Operation.

Service Awards Gail Cassel, Equipment Mechanics – 35 years; Thomas Carpenter, Highway Safety – 30 years;

Congratulations Laura Schei was chosen for the new staff technician position in Field Operations - Maintenance, Cheyenne. Laura assumed her duties as the new Staff Technician, April 1.

Charlie Bauer was chosen for the Field Operations staff engineer position in Cheyenne. Bauer assumed his duties April 8, moving from Evanston where he was resident engineer. Bauer

District 1

Service Awards

Retirements

Gary Curry, District 1 Shop – 30 years; Mark Johnson, Laramie Construction – 25 years; and Louis Tegdesch, Laramie Patrol – 5 years.

Rawlins Maintenance celebrated with Rich “Bird Man” Coley at his retirement party March 29.

WYDOT employees from Rawlins, Saratoga and Baggs were on hand to help celebrate, partaking in the cake and ice cream.

Coley retires with more than 25 years with the state. He was hired by WYDOT in Rawlins just before Christmas 2007 as an equipment operator. Coley ran a motor grader and loader all winter because he didn’t have a CDL. He worked 120 days straight without a day off and wondered, “What the heck did I get myself into?”

When he wasn’t in a motor grader or loader, he hauled fuel to Walcott, Rawlins and Baggs.

Coley worked with the University of Wyoming for more than 20 years prior to coming to WYDOT. He was the superintendent of the Wyoming Infrared Observatory on Jelm Mountain.

Coley was in the Army in 1971-72,

Photo courtesy Marty Mayfield

Curry

Rich Coley celebrating with cake and ice cream at his retirement party.

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and served with the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam. While in Vietnam, he was a helicopter crew chief and door gunner.

“I got shot down 3 times,” he says about Vietnam, with a chuckle.

The nickname “Bird Man” was given to Coley while attending a META meeting in Casper. One day after class, Coley was walking across the motel parking lot when several pigeons swarmed around him and wouldn’t go away. One landed on his shoulder and refused to leave regardless of how much he tried to scare it off.

He tried to brush it away but it grabbed onto his finger and then stayed there.

When it left his finger, it went back to his shoulder – like a pirate with his parrot. Several witnesses backed up Coley’s story when he recounted the event to his classmates.

Coley and his wife, Mickey, plan on staying in Rawlins for now. They plan on taking care of a house they own in Georgia and eventually move back to Encampment to raise horses.

District 2

Welcome

Service Awards

Congratulations

Kevin Erickson, Wheatland Construction; Roger Foster, Casper Maintenance - Casper; and David Leeling, Casper Mechanics.

Brian Wagner, Casper Construction – 25 years; Stephen Thomason, Casper Construction – 15 years; and Thomas Green, Casper Construction – 5 years.

Barry Schulenberg, Casper Maintenance, just passed his last test and has now achieved WYDOT Master Technician status.

Geoffrey Morgheim, Casper Maintenance, passed administrative procedures.

Photo: Jeff Goetz

Steve Thomason (left) receiving his 15-year certificate and pin from Dave Green.

Schulenberg

Morgheim

District 3

Welcome

Keith Fitzgerald, Rock Springs Construction – 25 years; Dave Allen, Rock Springs Traffic Striping – 5 years; Jeffrey Aullman, Pinedale Patrol – 5 years; and Travis Wyss, Jackson Mechanics – 5 years.

Anthony Richno, Telecommunications-District 3 Radio Shop; and Karleen Taylor, Evanston Construction.

Service Awards Robert Maxam, Pinedale Construction – 30 years; Michael Collins, Rock Springs Construction – 25 years;

Maxam

Collins

Fitzgerald

District 4

Welcome Andy Harkins, Sheridan Port of Entry; Scott McKenzie, Newcastle Maintenance; Steven Price, Newcastle Maintenance; and Joseph Yalowizer, Sheridan Port of Entry.

Retirements

Photo: Ronda Holwell

David Mullen, District 4 Construction Staff, retires with 40 years. Mullen

Mark Gillett (left) and Dave Mullen enjoying some friendly banter at Mullen’s retirement party.

began his career with WYDOT during the summer of 1969, while he was still attending college. He worked on I-80 between Walcott and Arlington when it was still a dirt road. Mullen became a project engineer in Cheyenne after graduating from the University of Wyoming in 1974. He transferred to Rawlins and started a new crew as a resident engineer in 1979, transferred back to Cheyenne to work on construction staff in 1986, later moving to Sheridan to became the district construction engineer in 1992.

Mullen spent 20 of his 40 years as DCE in Sheridan.

Dave plans to spend time with his family, including his four grandkids ranging in age from 3-13. He also enjoys working in the yard, boating at Alcova Lake and remodeling his house.

Dave met a lot of wonderful and interesting people during his 40 years at WYDOT and all the wonderful and interesting people in District 4 wish him well. He will surely be missed.

Taylor named District 4 construction engineer Scott Taylor was promoted last month to District 4 construction engineer, replacing Dave Mullen, who retired April 2.

Taylor moved into his new position after serving the past 10 years as a resident engineer in Laramie.

He first worked for Taylor WYDOT as a summer hire in 1991, and joined the agency on a permanent basis three years later as an engineer in Rawlins.

Taylor, who attended Lander Valley High School, is a 1994 civil engineering graduate of the University of Wyoming.

In addition to working for WYDOT, he Taylor continued on page 20 May 2013

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District 5

Congratulations

David Haller, District 5 Construction Staff – 30 years; Robert Dalin, Basin Mechanics – 5 years; Aron Mullis, Worland Maintenance – 5 years; and William Schoening, Cody Construc- Haller tion – 5 years.

William Shoening of Cody has been promoted to Construction and Field Survey Specialist; Paul Koenig of Basin was promoted to Senior Construction and Field Survey Specialist; William Schneider, Jr. moving from temporary to full-time Highway Maintenance Technician in Lander; and Michael Miller is moving from the Riverton Construction crew to the Dubois/Thermopolis crew with no change in title.

Letters, cont.

WYDOT foreman deserving of recognition

Kudos to the Highway Cafe at Headquarters

I do not know the gentleman’s name, but he needs some recognition. He was in charge of highway transportation on April 7, when I-80 westbound was closed at Bigelow Road to Evanston.

We were at the Travel Center of America when he came in and told us he and his crew were doing everything possible to get us moving and they did. They all worked hard to reopen the highway.

He also made sure we could travel safely once the road was open.

I wish I new this supervisor’s name because he did a great job in helping us and getting the road open.

I just wanted to send out a BIG Thank You to the Highway Cafe in the Cheyenne Headquarters building. We had a meeting that we needed to order breakfast for 23 people. We talked to the Highway Cafe and sent them an order with the details.

They were GREAT!! They had the order done on time and were so pleasant, professional, and helpful through the whole process. I would recommend that if you need to have anything brought in for a meeting (or even just for lunch) that you remember the Highway Cafe.

Thanks Again for all your hard work!

Paul Hiskey Editor’s note: The WYDOT employee referred to is Lon Richardson, maintenance foreman in Lyman.

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ading!

Re

Put an end to distracted driving.

le Afte yc

r

ease Re c Pl

Service Awards

Taylor continued from page 19 previously worked in temporary positions with Wyoming Game and Fish.

Mullen retired after chalking up more than 40 years with the agency. He started as a summer hire in 1969 at Rawlins, where he attended high school. Mullen subsequently studied at Northwest College in Powell before earning his civil engineering degree from UW in 1974.

During his career with the department, he worked as an engineer in Cheyenne, project engineer and then resident engineer in Rawlins, and construction staff engineer at Headquarters. He had served as District 4 construction engineer for 20 years prior to his retirement.

A retirement celebration for Mullen was conducted in Sheridan on his last day with WYDOT.

Over the Limit?

Under Arrest.

Always use a designated driver.

Chris Fisher Resident Engineer’s Office, Cheyenne HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAM

OMING WY HWAY PATRO HIG

L

This April, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hosted an awards luncheon at the annual Lifesavers National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities in Denver.

Former Gov. Dave Freudenthal was presented a public service award from NHTSA for his support in the reduction of drunken driving in Wyoming.

NHTSA Administrator David L. Strickland introduced the award by reading the inscription, “In recognition of your leadership in DUI prevention through policy initiatives, public awareness promotion, and law enforcement recognition in Wyoming.”

Lt. Jonlee Anderle of the Albany County Sheriff ’s Department accepted the award on behalf of Freudenthal who was unable to attend the Conference in Denver.

The award stems from Freudenthal’s dedication to reducing deaths and injuries due to drunken driving during his terms in office. Freudenthal strengthened the Governor’s Council on Impaired Driving (GCID), concentrating on putting stiffer penalties on impaired driving.

GCID successfully lobbied for a new law that took effect in July 2009 requiring some offenders of drunken driving to install ignition interlock systems in their vehicles. The ignition inter-

lock systems prevent vehicles from starting unless the driver is sober.

In 2002, Wyoming lowered the bloodalcohol level from 0.1 percent to 0.08 percent and outlawed open containers of alcohol in vehicles five years later.

Photo courtesy Cody Beers

Former Gov. Freudenthal selected for NHTSA Award for Public Service

Slide screen at the conference luncheon introducing former Gov. Freudenthal and the NHTSA Public Service Award he received.

Photo courtesy Cody Beers

Noteworthy

Anderle is pictured receiving the public service award on a projected screen image with NHTSA Administrator David L. Strickland at the NHTSA Awards luncheon at the 2013 Lifesavers Conference in Denver.

Rick Carpenter of WYDOT was recognized for superior image making with Professional Photographers of America’s (PPA) Imaging Excellence Award.

Carpenter was presented with PPA Imaging Excellence Award in January for his years of dedication to expanding his photographic education and creating work of the highest quality. In 2013, Carpenter was one of only eight recipients.

This award provides recognition for those rare photographers who have earned their PPA master’s degrees in the field of imaging and have continued to submit images worthy of acceptance into the PPA General and Loan Collections – the best images of PPA’s annual International Photographic Competition.

The Imaging Excellence Award honors Carpenter’s ability to consistently create photographic images of outstanding quality.

“To receive the Imaging Excellence Award says two things about the photographer,” said Dennis Craft, Chairman of PPA’s Photographic Exhibitions Committee. “First they know how to create beautiful images. Many people wait years to get one image in PPA’s Loan Collection, but the Imaging Excellence Award requires 13 of those Loan images. Second, it shows dedication to a goal. You don’t earn this in one competition year and some wait their entire life to receive this award. This is one of PPA’s hardest awards to earn, and those who have should be proud of the accomplishment.”

Carpenter is typically found around the state wielding his

Photo courtesy Rick Carpenter

Rick Carpenter receives distinguished industry award

Carpenter (second from left) holding his PPA Imaging Excellence Award with Bry Cox (left), Richard Studevant and Roger Carey.

Nikon D3 with a 70-200 mm, F 2.8 lens. He enjoys being the senior photographer for WYDOT and says, “I like that it’s never the same thing. I travel the state taking photos of landscapes, road construction projects, and portraits of employees – it never gets old.”

“The most interesting shoot I’ve ever been on is when I took photos of Harvey Spoonhunter for the 2008 state highway map,” says Carpenter. “That was really once in a lifetime.”

Carpenter started his photography career in 1974 with a small portrait studio in Cheyenne.

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Welding training for rigging shop employees held in Cheyenne

technique.”

Certification tests were given at the conclusion of the training.

Carl Moody, headquarters rigging shop supervisor, sat in on the training and agreed it was a good refresher.

“Some points that we will take away are make sure you have the proper ventilation, a respirator and fume extractor while working. Our shop is well equipped and provides these safety measures for our employees,” said Moody. “Bill Reed taught us new tricks which were well received–like what to do when you have an arc burn on your eyes. We have good information to take away from this class.”

Photo: Rick Carpenter

WYDOT rigging shop employees from all districts were on hand in Cheyenne for a training and certification class.

Bill Reed of American Trainco flew in from Detroit to teach the course. Reed instructed on the importance of safety in workplace, along with better welding practices being utilized around the nation.

The course was broken into two sessions. Classroom-style learning was on the agenda for the morning session and handson training in the afternoon. Employees were reminded about using caution when welding. Fire, sparks and ventilation issues can all be hazardous and need to be treated with an amount of respect. Properly ventilated and clutter-free work areas, protective gear and helmets are a must.

“No matter what you do in the welding industry, it can hurt you,” said Reed. “I need to give students a wide scope of what can hurt them or make them sick, so they can avoid those situations.”

The afternoon session was filled with hands-on time practicing arc welding, MIG welding and TIG welding. Raw materials and these welding processes are used to fabricate parts for trucks, plows and other machinery around WYDOT. “The industry’s theories on welding have changed and the weave bead, or wide wash type bead, was used. Now, the industry is looking to use the stronger and more compact stringer bead technique,” said Reed. “I’ll be showing the class this new

Dale Roberts, of the Cheyenne rigging shop, practicing techniques learned during the welding class held in Cheyenne’s rigging shop last month.

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over the centerline and into Brotherton’s lane.

Brotherton’s vehicle collided with the truck as it spun in front of her. She was not able to stop to avoid the crash, but was thankful for the safety restraints present in her Durango. Brotherton and the driver of the other vehicle were both transported to local medical facilities and then released with minor injuries.

“I feel that if I weren’t wearing my seat belt and my air bags had not deployed, I would have been thrown through the windshield of my truck into the other truck,” said Brotherton. “But, instead, I just had a lot of bruising on my knees and arms.”

“I am very thankful that Bertie was wearing her seat belt. I am so glad that she’s okay,” said Thompson.

Brotherton was on her way home to Cody for spring break.

She attends college at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne.

The crash report from WHP stated that the driver of the southbound vehicle was driving too fast for conditions.

Photo courtesy Anna Thompson

WYDOT’s Anna Thompson, of the Highway Safety Program, is a stickler when it comes to safety restraints. Especially, when it’s family.

This spring break, Thompson’s granddaughter, Bertie Brotherton was involved in a two-vehicle collision in Wind River Canyon. Brotherton, in her Dodge Durango, was northbound on U.S. 20 on a snowy day. A driver heading southbound on U.S. 20 drove through a patch of slushy snow and lost control of the Both drivers of this snowy collision were able to vehicle, a Toyota walk away with the help of properly functioning Tacoma, crossing safety restraints.

Photo courtesy Anna Thompson

Highway Safety employee’s granddaughter escapes serious injury in canyon crash

Brotherton was restrained by EMT personnel as a precaution for transport to the hospital.

WTDEA Sorenson state board president for 2013

WTDEA Store

Ryan Sorenson of Casper construction was recently elected the 2013 WTDEA state board president.

Sorenson was born and raised in Casper, and has never moved away.

Hired on with WYDOT in May 1999, he started out on a survey crew, but has since moved to construction. Sorenson is currently on Chad Aagard’s construction crew in Casper working as a tester and inspector.

Sorenson, like many other WYDOT employees, has been a member of WTDEA off and on for most of his career.

He has been a WTDEA card-holding member now for six consecutive years.

During these past six years he has held a representative title for one year and he became the state board vice president, holding that office for two years prior to becoming state board president.

Sorenson and the state board, along with district chapters, are focusing on

the WTDEA employee relief fund. State board knows the Employee Relief Fund can be a self-sustaining fund with effort and determination. State board is committed to keeping WYDOT employees informed of the fund’s progress.

Currently, only 7 percent of employees contribute to the fund and sadly, those contributions make up less than 50 percent of the yearly amount needed to fund the program. The remainder of the fund is sustained through the hard work of the state board and district chapters through various fundraisers.

“I feel that WTDEA is a way for me to give a little extra back to all WYDOT employees, whether it is in their everyday job or providing a little extra financial support through many of our different district and state programs,” says Sorenson when asked what WTDEA means to him.

Sorenson enjoys being with his family, year round fishing opportunities and golfing in his time away from WYDOT.

Sorenson

– Carlie Van Winkle

Hats

WTDEA State Board is selling hats. The hats are $18. Contact your WTDEA representative for more information.

Gloves

Pigskin leather work gloves. $5.25 for members, $6.25 for non-members. Call Tina Thomas at 777-4486.

Cookbook

The Roadkill Cookbook is selling for $10.

Call Barbara Thomasee at 777-4494.

Cash Calendar

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An 18 Month Calendar (7/2012 - 12/2013) is selling for $15. Daily chances to win starting January 2013. Contact your representative for information.

If you would like your WTDEA event to be placed in Interchange, please contact Heidi Martin, heidi.martin@wyo.gov or Ryan Sorenson, ryan.sorenson@wyo.gov

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g n i c u d o r t In

WyHy’s new WYDOT and Wyoming Highway Patrol VISA Platinum Credit Cards VISA Platinum

Debit Cards Coming So on!

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24

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n May 2013

In The Community

Safety recognition awards; four honored

Photo: David Huber/Worland

Photo: Carlie Van Winkle

At this year’s Engineer’s and Supervisor’s Conference held in Cheyenne, the Director’s Award of Excellence was presented to four employees by Ron Chavez, Employee Safety Program manager, and Del McOmie, chief engineer.

Vance Pruss, mechanics category; Tory Thomas, maintenance category; Dave Mullen, construction category; and Damon Newsome, in the traffic category.

Vance Pruss accepting the mechanics category award.

Photo: Ken Keel

Keith Compton, second from left, is District 5 construction engineer. He just completed performances in “Forever Plaid” in Worland. The musical was performed at the Washakie Museum.

Compton played Frankie, the leader of the group. The musical comedy is about four guys who were killed in a car crash, and they are given the chance to come back to earth and perform the show they never got to do while alive.

Tory Thomas accepting the safety award in the maintenance category.

The 2013 John Boltz Classic Green Hills Golf Club

Photo: Ken Keel

Worland, WY

Dave Mullen accepting the construction category award.

Saturday, July 13, 2013 – 9:00 a.m.

• Sign up your 2 person team with Handicaps or Average 9 hole score.

• Entry Fee is $60 per Golfer.

• Fee includes 18 holes of Golf and Cart.

Photo: Ken Keel

• Limited to the FIRST 80 Golfers (40 Teams) that sign up.

• Please direct any questions to Kent Smith at kent.smith@wyo.gov

Damon Newsome accepting the safety award in the maintenance category.

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Charles W. Albrecht, 91, retired Kemmerer maintenance crew leader, died March 28, in Logan, Utah.

Albrecht started with the old Wyoming Highway Department, WYDOT’s predecessor agency, in 1947 and worked in Kemmerer for the entirety Albrecht of his 39-year career with the department. He served as crew leader from 1971 until his until retirement on Aug. 31, 1986.

Albrecht was born in Chicago and attended schools there. He served in the U.S. Army during both World War II and the Korean War. A Mass of Christian burial for Albrecht was celebrated April 1, in Kemmerer.

Right of Way retiree Butch Sherman dies Retiree Lloyd M. “Butch” Sherman, 72, died April 14 in Cheyenne.

He worked for the Right-of-Way Program as a negotiator from 1968 to 1979 and again from 1999 until his retirement in March 2005.

He was a long-term volunteer for Cheyenne Frontier Days Sherman and had also been affiliated with Kiwanis, Masonic Lodge and Shriners.

A memorial service for Sherman was conducted April 18 in Cheyenne.

Retired maintenance worker Kieren dies in Laramie area crash

A pedestrian crash on WYO 230 last month claimed the life of WYDOT retiree William “Bill” Kieren , 78, of Laramie.

The crash, which occurred about 9 p.m., April 6, drew media attention across the country and as far away as Great Britain, because it was believed that Kieren, in an act of mercy, had walked out onto the roadway to tend to an injured rabbit.

Kieren had stopped his vehicle near milepost 6, just west of Laramie, and was standing on or near the center line, according to a news release issued by Highway Patrol Sgt. Steve Townsend. He was struck by a vehicle driven by Samantha Brown, also of Laramie. Brown stated she saw Kieren’s vehicle stopped along the shoulder and was changing lanes to pass, but did not see Kieren before striking him.

The crash, to which WHP Trooper Christopher Carroll of Division “J” responded, resulted in the critically injured Kieren being transported to Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie. There, Kieren was able to relate to family members he thought he might have run over an animal and stopped to check it out.

From Ivinson, Kieren was transported to Medical Center of the Rockies in Colorado, where he succumbed from his injuries early the next morning.

Brown, who was uninjured, told Carroll she felt her car strike something, turned to see what she had hit and saw Kieren lying on the road’s shoulder in front of his vehicle. FollowBill Kieren is at lower right in this undated photograph of Laramie-based maining an investainers during their annual effort to reopen WYO 130 (Snowy Range Road). tigation, the The other crew members are (top, left to right): Stan Trueblood, Mike Faulkner Patrol recom- and Rick Jones; (bottom, left to right): Dave Boilsen, Bill Daniels, Bob Michaud and Leroy Graham.

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mended that no charges be filed against Brown, according to Division “J” Lt. Tom Pritchard.

Kieren, a Wyoming native, joined the Wyoming Highway Department, WYDOT’s predecessor agency, in the summer of 1973 and served on Laramiebased maintenance crews for almost 21.5 years before retiring at the end of 1994.

He served with the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and was a “frogman,” precursor to today’s Navy Seals. His military decorations include the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

Stepdaughter Sandra Malone of Laramie, told the Laramie Boomerang that she was not surprised the Kieren would have stopped to check on the welfare of the animal.

“Dad was trying to make sure a rabbit that was hit was not suffering,” Malone told the Boomerang.

Also surviving are stepdaughter Oundalyn Ridens and stepson Carl Malone, both of Laramie. Carl works as a mechanic for WYDOT. The account of the crash that killed Kieren went “viral” within hours after the Associated Press posted an article about it based on Sgt. Townsend’s news release.

A celebration of life for Kieren was conducted April 12 at the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Laramie.

Photo courtesy Carl Malone

Passings Retiree Albrecht dies

Break Time

Can you spot the five differences in the photos below? Check your answers online at: www.employees.dot.state.wy.us, or if not able to access the employee site: www.dot.state.wy.us/wydot/engineering_technical_programs/manuals_publications/interchange.

Submissions deadline for the June issue of Interchange: 05/17/13 carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov

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Interchange

Wyoming Department of Transportation 5300 Bishop Blvd.

Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009-3340

Pre-sorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Cheyenne, WY 82009 Permit No. 24

Address Service Requested

Buckle Up!

The life you save may be your own.