October 2018 Interchange

Interchange October 2018

Wyoming Authorized Travel

Approved drivers can drive on closed roads

Letters

Interchange

Vol. 46, Issue 10

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, Wyoming, 82009-3340.

The Public Affairs Office may also be contacted by sending an email to carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov

Thanks, WYDOT family I want to thank everyone who donated time to me while I was out dealing with my health issues.

It is greatly appreciated.

Darwin Sandoval District 1, Cheyenne Striping

Staff WYDOT Director: William T. Panos

Public Affairs Manager: Doug McGee

Editor:

Carlie Van Winkle

Contributors:

WHP Total number of employees: As of August 30, 2018

1,906

One month ago

1,923

One year ago

1,910

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Total number of highway fatalities: As of Sept. 17, 2018

Aimee Inama J.L. O’Brien Carlie Van Winkle Matt Murphy Jeff Goetz Stephanie Harsha Laura Dalles Cody Beers Sgt. Kyle McKay

Photography: Rick Carpenter

Public Affairs Public Affairs Public Affairs District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 Patrol Public Affairs

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 website home page.

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A WYDOT PUBLICATION

Contents

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Features 8 WAT Program Permits motorists to drive on some closed roads

11 Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame 2018 inductee announced

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18 Amazing elk mount finds new home WHP District I office welcomes donation

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Also in this issue Letters.........................................................................................2 By the Numbers.......................................................................2 District briefs.............................................................................4 Training.....................................................................................13 District news...........................................................................14 Awards......................................................................................17 Noteworthy..............................................................................18 WTDEA......................................................................................19 Break Time.............................................................................. 23 Outdoors................................................................................. 20

On the cover:

Snowy conditions on I-80.

Photo: Rick Carpenter

Kindly recycle this publication after reading.

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District Briefs Commission awards $56.5 million in highway contracts in September

CHEYENNE – Crews will work on a $16.8 million project to repair six bridges and repave a section of road on Interstate 80 between Rock Springs and Rawlins in Sweetwater County.

The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded Kilgore Co., of Rock Springs, the contract for the work. The commission awarded that and 11 other contracts totaling $56.6 million at its recent meeting.

For the work on I-80, crews will mill and repave a 10-mile section of road. For the bridge work, crews will make repairs to four of the bridges and replace two of them. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2020.

Other contracts the commission awarded include repaving, sign installation and landslide work.

Kilgore Co. also was the low bidder on an $8.4 million pavement contract on I-80 between Lyman and Granger Junction in Uinta County.

Crews will mill and repave about 8 miles of road and perform minor bridge work in the area. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2020.

Northern Improvement Co., of Fargo, North Dakota, won a $7.6 million contract for a pavement and bridge project on WYO 387 between Edgerton and Pine Tree Junction in Campbell and Johnson counties.

Crews will repave about 14 miles of WYO 387 to smooth out the surface.

Crews will also perform work on two bridges in the area by replacing expansion joints and repairing the surface just before the bridges.

The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2019.

The commission awarded Riverside Contracting Inc., of Missoula, Montana, a $7.6 million contract for work on 5 miles of Interstate 90 between the Montana

HQ

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state line and Ranchester in Sheridan County.

Crews will heat the road surface and grind up the top layer. They will put that material back on the road and put an overlay on top. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2019.

Reiman Corp., of Cheyenne, was the low bidder on a $4.5 million contract for surface work on I-80 near Rawlins in Carbon County.

Crews will do pavement and bridge work to improve the road surface. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2019.

The commission also awarded contracts for: • $3.6 million to Kilgore Co. for bridge deck rehabilitation on US 189-191 between Daniel Junction and Hoback Junction in Sublette County by Oct. 1, 2019; • $2.5 million to Wilson Brothers Construction Inc., of Cowley, for slide repair work on WYO 233 in Lincoln County that will consist of repairing and repaving the road by Oct. 31, 2019; • $1.9 million to Oftedal Construction Inc., of Casper, for landslide work at four locations between Moran Junction and Dubois in Teton County by Nov. 30, 2019; • $1 million to Wilson Brothers Construction Inc. for slope stabilization work on US 30 between Kemmerer and Cokeville in Lincoln County by June 30, 2019; • $793,654 to Frost Rock Products Co., of Lovell, for stockpiling chips for maintenance at several locations in Fremont County by May 31, 2019; • $731,750 to Sign Up Ltd., of Webster, Iowa, to install several no-passing signs at different locations throughout the state by Oct. 31, 2019; and • $596,349 to CC Enterprises Traffic Control Specialists Inc., of Grand Junction, Colorado, for a sign installation project statewide by Oct. 31, 2019.

Williams Street signal on US 85 to be temporarily replaced CHEYENNE – The “span-wire” style traffic signal on US 85 at Williams Street south of Cheyenne was replaced on Sept.

19 with a temporary signal which will be in place for four months.

The change will facilitate the movement of a series of compressor buildings through the Cheyenne area en route to Colorado. WYDOT crews changed out the signal on the morning of Sept. 19.

In all, a total of 16 buildings will pass through the area in caravans of four at a time. Each building is 27 feet tall and 24 feet wide.

The first set of buildings moved through the Cheyenne area on Sept. 21.

The rest of the buildings will pass through over the next few months.

The route of the trucks carrying the buildings through Laramie County will be WYO 213 to Burns, then west on the I-80 service road to Campstool Road, then College Drive (WYO 212) to US 85 south and into Colorado. The route was selected because it best accommodates the large structures.

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Horse Creek Road project underway, detours in effect CHEYENNE – A project to replace two timber structures and resurface eight miles of Horse Creek Road (WYO 211) began the first week of September.

The structures – one, a bridge, and the other, a stockpass – will be replaced over the next two months, while the resurfacing portion of the project will happen in early summer 2019.

Each of the two structures will have an associated detour. The bridge will be replaced with a pipe culvert, and the stockpass will be backfilled.

At the bridge, at milepost 9.26, a temporary detour around the bridge will be constructed. Traffic will be allowed through the detour in one direction at a

began construction on Sept. 4.

Work continued for several weeks.

The $1.5 million project is being funded through 10-cent fuel tax revenue.

Photo: WYDOT

Wagonhound interchange to remain closed for several weeks

The WYO 211 project will replace two timber structure bridges and resurface eight miles of roadway.

Curtis Street Bridge repaved LARAMIE – WYDOT crews repaved the Curtis Street Bridge over Interstate 80 Sept. 5.

During construction, eastbound traffic (toward downtown Laramie) was not permitted to cross the bridge. Instead, drivers were detoured along Pierce Street, Snowy Range Road and McCue Street.

Westbound traffic was allowed to cross, but vehicles were subject to traffic control.

This arrangement was chosen to avoid backups on the west side of the bridge.

Drivers should be prepared for the lane closures and exercise caution in the work zone.

Paving on WYO 10 in Albany County LARAMIE – A project to resurface nine miles of WYO 10 in Albany County began after Labor Day. Crews with Simon Contractors will

LARAMIE – As work continues on several bridges on Interstate 80 in eastern Carbon County, the Wagonhound interchange and rest area (Exit 267) remained closed through September.

Hunters who regularly use Wagonhound Road to access the Wick/Beumee Wildlife Habitat Management Area will be unable to do so until construction is complete.

Instead, hunters wanting to go to the Wick WHMA should use the exit seven miles to the west, or County Road 402 (Exit 260) to get to the parcel.

Construction crews have been working to replace the Interstate 80 bridge decks at the Wagonhound interchange since June.

All I-80 traffic is being diverted onto the exit and entrance ramps of Exit 267 to detour around the bridges. No traffic is allowed to exit at Wagonhound Road, including to the Wagonhound Rest Area.

The next WYDOT-operated rest areas are at Fort Steele for westbound traffic and the Summit for eastbound traffic.

The bridge replacement is part of a larger bridge rehabilitation project on the I-80 corridor between Laramie and Rawlins.

Reiman Corp. is the contractor for the project.

Marijuana seized near Cheyenne CHEYENNE – A Wyoming Highway Patrol traffic stop resulted in the seizure of about 1,849 pounds of marijuana on Aug. 28. The traffic stop occurred at 11:30 a.m. near milepost 361 on Interstate 80 eastbound.

A Wyoming state trooper stopped a 2017 Dodge Ram Pickup pulling a flat bed trailer to conduct a commercial vehicle inspection. While conducting the inspection another trooper ran his drug detection K-9 and his dog alerted to the odor of narcotics within the load on the trailer.

Troopers searched the load on the trailer and discovered 1,849 pounds of marijuana.

With the assistance of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the Wyoming Highway Patrol is currently investigating the case.

The estimated street value of the seized marijuana is $7.3 million.

Photo: WYDOT

time through the use of a temporary traffic signal. Delays of up to two minutes are possible.

The stockpass is at milepost 16.43 and will be removed and reconstructed to be a typical roadway section. Traffic will be detoured onto Laramie County Road 110, Mountain Shadow Drive, and Laramie County Road 109 to reconnect back to Horse Creek Road.

Work on the structure replacements will continue through mid-October, after which traffic will be returned to a normal configuration.

Resurfacing of Horse Creek Road from milepost 8-16 is scheduled for June 2019.

More than $7 million worth of marijuana was seized near Cheyenne.

Signal at Clark and 3rd removed LARAMIE – The traffic signal at the intersection of Clark and 3rd streets in Laramie was removed in late August as part of the ongoing demolition of the old Clark Street Bridge.

Crews removed the signal on Aug. 29.

Stop signs will be placed on Clark Street.

Work on the demolition of the old Clark Street Bridge resumed after Labor Day.

I-25 bridge repairs in Cheyenne CHEYENNE – WYDOT crews made repairs to a bridge deck on southbound Interstate 25 Aug. 29-30.

Work took place during daylight hours.

The bridge deck is at milepost 3.29 and crosses the Union Pacific Railroad just before the Terry Ranch Road interchange (Exit 2). Work was in the southbound driving lane.

Briefs continued on page 6 October 2018

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Flood and landslide repairs ongoing in Fremont County

Briefs continued from page 5

Work on I-80 bridge near Elk Street ROCK SPRINGS – The Wyoming Department of Transportation is repairing Interstate 80 over Springs Drive and the railroad tracks just after the Elk Street on-ramp.

Sept. 19, crews set up traffic control and began work on the project.

The bridge approach slab was removed and replaced due to some road damage in the form of a large buckle on the bridge.

“Everybody knows the bump on the bridge. Anyone who commutes to and from Dewar Drive has hit it. It’s been a goal of mine here to get that thing fixed,” WYDOT Resident Engineer Peter Stinchcomb said.

WYDOT and contract crews removed the approach slab and old fill dirt and replaced it with lightweight fill material, and poured a new approach slab.

Work could carry into November. The work is part of a district-wide bridge rehabilitation that includes bridges all over southwest Wyoming.

RIVERTON – A pair of Fremont County projects are addressing flood and slide repairs on South Pass near Sinks Canyon and between Hudson and Riverton.

Prime contractor 71 Construction, of Riverton, is currently completing grading, placing crushed gravel base and rock rip rap and completing other work between Hudson and Riverton. 71 Construction’s work is part of a $639,000 project.

“The contractor is currently working on the Little Popo Agie River in Hudson, and the Little Wind River and Big Wind River bridges south of Riverton,” said Wyoming Department of Transportation Erik Smith of Lander.

Another project involves grading and other work at various locations between Farson and Lander.

Prime contractor on the $3.47 million project is Oftedal Construction Inc., of Casper.

“The contractor is currently working on slide repair along WYO 28 near South Pass,” Smith said. “We are scheduled to begin work on slides near Lander on Sinks Canyon Road (WYO 131) and near the Lander rifle range north of Lander (WYO 789).”

Contract completion date for both of the projects is Oct. 31.

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Photo: WYDOT

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WYDOT crews repaired the “bump” on the I-80 bridge near Elk Street in Rock Springs.

Pavement improvement project north of Cody CODY – A $2.95 million pavement improvement project began the week of Sept. 24 north of Cody on WYO 120.

The WYO 120 project begins at the end of the concrete highway section (milepost 101.51) on the north edge of Cody and extends 7.59 miles to the top of Skull Creek Hill (milepost 109.10).

Prime contractor is Riverside Contracting Inc., of Missoula, Montana.

“Work consists of shoulder flattening with pit run gravel base, and placement of a one-inch hot plant pavement leveling course, a two-inch pavement overlay, and

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a chip seal finish,” said Wyoming Department of Transportation Resident Engineer Todd Frost of Cody. “Work begins the week of Sept. 24, and all work will be completed this year except the chip seal, depending upon favorable weather.”

Frost said chip sealing is scheduled to occur in June 2019. Contract completion date is June 30, 2019.

Traffic will be controlled with flaggers and a pilot vehicle during working hours, which will include Saturdays.

Electronic variable speed limit signs project underway west of Cody CODY – Installation of electronic variable speed limit signs began mid-September along US 14/16/20 west of Cody.

“The project includes installation of electronic variable speed limit signs from the US Forest Service boundary (milepost 27.8) to the Buffalo Bill Dam Parking Area (milepost 44.45) between the east gate of Yellowstone National Park and Cody,” according to Todd Frost, Wyoming Department of Transportation resident engineer in Cody.

Variable speed limits were instituted several years ago to accommodate migrating wildlife along US 14/16/20, with daytime speed limits of 65 mph and nighttime speed limits of 55 mph.

“When the new signs are installed, the speed limits on the signs will change automatically at dusk and sunrise,” Frost said.

Prime contractor on the $260,000 project is Modern Electric Co., of Casper.

Contract completion date is June 30, 2019.

Pershing Avenue closes on North Federal Boulevard project RIVERTON – As the $13.96 million North Federal Boulevard project moves north in Riverton, another major street closes.

Pershing Avenue closed Sept. 17 as concrete demolition, storm sewer installation and roadway paving move toward Sunset Drive.

In other project news: – The Main Street/North Federal Boulevard intersection reopened at 7 a.m.

Sept. 13, nearly two weeks ahead of the eight-week scheduled closure;

Watch for wildlife on the move

Project work consists of installation of rockfall fence and a rockfall attenuator at two locations between mileposts 44.57 and 45 west of the Buffalo Bill Dam Visitor Center.

“The existing concrete barrier will be removed when construction of the rockfall fence and attenuator are completed,” Frost said.

Work on the remainder of the project will continue until work is completed or the contractor has to shut down for winter weather. “If the project is not completed this fall, it will be completed next spring prior to the completion date May 31, 2019,” Frost said.

– The East Park Avenue intersection closed Sept. 17; – East Washington and East Fremont Avenues reopened to traffic on Sept.

18; – Concrete paving was poured on East Park Avenue and East Lincoln Avenue Sept. 20 and between East Lincoln and through Pershing Avenue on Sept. 27.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience on this project, especially concerning the variety of closures which have helped accelerate construction,” according to Wyoming Department of Transportation Resident Engineer Robert Scheidemantel of Riverton.

The Wyoming Department of Transportation cautions drivers about a late-summer increase in wildlife/vehicle collisions and wildlife crossing highways.

An increase in Wyoming wildlife/ vehicle collisions normally occurs in the fall and winter months, partially due to migration and shorter daylight hours.

WYDOT offers tips for avoiding wildlife/vehicle crashes: – Avoid swerving; swerving may cause drivers to lose control of their vehicle, resulting in a more serious incident;

Photo: Rood Dog Video Productions

Reopening celebration of intersection

– Pay attention to changes in habitat types along roadways. Creek bottoms and where agricultural fields meet trees are prime areas for wildlife to cross roadways;

RIVERTON – Riverton’s busiest intersection reopened Sept. 12, and Riverton business owners and citizens were invited to an informal celebration just west of the intersection.

The event was jointly sponsored by the Riverton Chamber of Commerce, prime contractor S&S Builders LLC, of Gillette, and the Wyoming Department of Transportation. n

– Deer are herd animals; if you see one, watch for more; – Deer crossing signs show where high levels of deer/vehicle crashes have occurred in the past; – Pay extra attention when driving at dawn/dusk when animals are active; – When you see deer, activate your vehicle’s horn several times and flick your headlights (if no oncoming traffic is present), and reduce your speed;

A day before the North Federal Boulevard/ Main Street intersection reopened, work continued on the intersection. The intersection reopened to traffic Thursday morning at 7 a.m.

– Wear your seat belt, use appropriate child safety seats and drive at a safe speed; driving slower at dawn and dusk may help you avoid a collision;

An aerial photograph from Sept. 5 of the intersection at Main Street and Federal Boulevard in Riverton.

– If possible, use your high-beam headlights as much as possible; watch for the shining eyes.

If you hit a deer or other species of wildlife: – Slow down, pull to the highway shoulder and turn on the emergency flashers; – Don’t worry about the animal. Law enforcement and WYDOT will arrange to have the animal removed from the roadway or shoulder. Tell the dispatcher if the animal is still in the roadway when you’re calling for help;

Photo: WYDOT

CODY – The hanging of a cable net system at the west end of the long tunnel on US 14/16/20 is part of ongoing rockfall mitigation work west of Cody, and the work began Sept. 17.

The work is being done by subcontractor Triptych Construction.

“It should take about a week to complete this work on site No. 7 next to the west end of the long tunnel,” said Wyoming Department of Transportation Resident Engineer Todd Frost of Cody.

“Traffic will be controlled with flaggers and a pilot vehicle through the tunnels.”

The final phase of rockfall mitigation work will also start on Sept. 17. The prime contractor is Rock Solid Solutions of Parachute, Colorado.

Photo: WYDOT

Final rockfall work west of Cody near Buffalo Bill Dam

This vehicle was involved in a collision with a deer Aug. 21, on US 14A between Lovell and Burgess Junction.

– If you and/or your passengers must exit your vehicle, stand as far off the roadway as possible; – To report a crash, call the Wyoming Highway Patrol at 1-800-442-9090. n October 2018

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By Aimee Inama When conditions are safe, approved motorists may be able to travel on some sections of closed highways during the winter.

With the upcoming winter season just a few months away, the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s Authorized Travel (WAT) program will start, which will give motorists permission to travel on certain closed sections of highway.

“We only close roads when it’s necessary to ensure the safety of the traveling public,” said Vince Garcia, WYDOT’s GIS/ITS manager. “Our closure points are limited to where WYDOT has gates to block traffic. That means portions of a closed road may be passable if an area that’s impacted by a crash or storm is miles away.”

Under the WAT program, WYDOT gives travelers permission to travel if their destinations are between the closure gates and impassable portions of the road. The program is designed primarily for

local commuters who travel between home and work, school, medical appointments and agricultural property.

WAT doesn’t give permission to travel on every closed road or to travel during every road closure. WYDOT grants permission based on current conditions and if it’s safe to travel.

WYDOT officials began taking WAT applications in September. For this year, some motorists who received permission last year to travel on certain closed roads may not need to reapply if their information remains the same.

WYDOT sent letters to motorists in September asking them to review their name, last four digits of their driver’s license, driver’s license expiration date, mailing address, vehicle make, vehicle model and routes. If everything is correct, those motorists don’t need to reapply.

However, if they have changes to their personal information or if they need to change a route, those motorists would need to reapply.

When conditions are safe, approved motorists may be able to travel on some sections of closed highways during the winter.

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Photo: Rick Carpenter

WYDOT’s WAT program permits motorists to drive on some closed roads

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WAT WYDOT Authorized Travel

www.wyoroad.info

WYDOT Authorized Travel Program WYDOT Authorized Travel (WAT) is a program travelers can apply to participate in for the winter season to become eligible to travel on portions of closed roads when it is safe and authorized to do so.

• WAT was designed with the local commuter in mind. The program is not for those who wish to travel long distances in inclement weather.

Whenever a motorist applies to the WAT program, the Wyoming Highway Patrol reviews and approves the application.

Once WYDOT approves an application, the department will add that motorist to an email alert system. When WYDOT deems that section of road safe to travel, the motorist will then receive an email saying they can travel on it.

Motorists will also receive an identification number that will allow them to access an automated phone system to check if they’re authorized to travel.

If a motorist travels on a closed road without permission, they may incur a maximum possible penalty of $750 fine and 30 days in jail.

To apply for the WAT program, motorists can visit the Wyoming Travel Information Service website (http://wyoroad.info) and click on the WAT icon. Motorists will need to submit justification for travel, road sections they need to travel, and driver contact and vehicle information.

Motorists without internet access can call WYDOT’s Public Affairs at (307) 777-4375 to request a WAT program application. n

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• Approval to participate in the program does not constitute permission to travel during every road closure. Many storm conditions do not allow for a WAT to be issued.

• Authorizations are given on an event-by-event basis and are valid only for the specific road sections listed in the email alert or on the phone system.

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WYDOT Authorized Travel

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WAT www.wyoroad.info

• The driver receiving the authorization should have proof of the email or code that authorized travel.

• If the Highway Patrol or WYDOT Maintenance determines conditions are safe for travel on a highway section you have applied for, you will receive a WAT email alert and the phone system will be updated.

• The alert will include the route on which travel is allowed and the date and time the authorization was approved.

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• If conditions change and travel is no longer safe on that route, you will receive an email alert cancelling the authorized travel and the phone system will be updated.

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Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame 2018 inductee

By John Waggener The Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame will honor its 27th inductee Sept. 21 in Cody.

Stephen J. “Jack” Duggleby, formerly of Cody, is the 2018 inductee. Duggleby’s major contributions to Wyoming aviation include his role in developing Husky Oil Company’s aviation department and his involvement in developing aviation in the Cody area, including the expansion of Yellowstone Regional Airport.

An induction ceremony is planned for 3 p.m., Sept. 21 for Duggleby at the airport terminal in Cody in the Duggleby Room named in his honor.

Duggleby was hired by Husky Oil in 1954 to develop the company’s aviation department, which was critical for Husky to advance its North American exploration program. Duggleby increased the fleet to more than 13 aircraft throughout the United States and Canada. One of those was the Howard 500 of which only 17 were built between 1960 and 1963. During his time as chief pilot, Duggleby directed the transition from 1940s-era propeller aircraft to a fleet of jet aircraft, including its first jet, the North American Saberliner. He also oversaw development of the aviation assets required to carry out exploratory activities at the National Petroleum Reserve in the remote region of northern Alaska. Duggleby saw the advantages of inspiring local residents to fly and hired and trained many individuals from around the Big Horn Basin many of whom had successful careers with Husky and Marathon Oil. Having logged more than 20,000 incident-free flight hours, he often was approached by pilots and mechanics seeking his advice and was always willing to share his wisdom and knowledge.

Duggleby was heavily involved in the expansion of Cody’s commercial air service, which involved enlarging the airport and its terminal that served the area from 1981 to 2010. This process included creating a joint powers board and overseeing the commercial aviation growth sequence to its completion. He was chairman of the Yellowstone Regional Airport Board, served on the Wyoming Aeronautics Commission and received the International Northwest Aviation Council President’s Award in 1987 for his contributions to aeronautics in the region.

Born in 1919, Duggleby was raised in Lander. He attended the University of Wyoming before transferring to the Curtiss-Wright Technical and American Air Academy. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a ground and flight instructor. After his discharge, Duggleby became a flight instructor in the private sector before joining the military training program staff at Hondo, Texas, in 1951, where he taught flight instruction until returning to Wyoming in 1954 to join Husky. After his retirement from Husky in 1982, Duggleby remained in Cody where he passed away in 1991. He married Mary Vawter in Lander in 1940. They had three children: Dorothy, Dianne and Gary.

The Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame is a non-profit, publicly supported, tax exempt organization dedicated to honoring individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the establishment, development, and/or advancement of aviation in Wyoming. The organization comprises a board of directors and operates in conjunction with the Wyoming Aeronautics Commission. Founded in 1994 through the efforts of the late Red Kelso of Cheyenne, the Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame held its first induction in 1995. n October 2018

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Training

By Jim Boyd, Training Services Construction for the WYDOT University building is scheduled to finish around November and the changes have been, and are going to be impressive. First, Training staff is back in the building, occupying the upstairs, and if you haven’t visited recently, you’ll notice our newly remodeled bathrooms. We now have separate men’s and women’s restrooms that can accommodate more than one person.

Downstairs, crews are working on creating a computer lab classroom, which will replace the ERP Computer classroom in the Qwest/CenturyLink building. We envision this new space to be used for Google Collaboration training, Bring Your Own Budget sessions, eLearning that is a part of New Employee and New Supervisors orientation, CADD training, Drivers Services computer based training and more. We’re excited about being able to bring hands-on computer training to our HQ complex.

Additionally, the lower level will house new offices and a full breakroom. Once complete, the WYDOT University building will be a great place to consider for all sorts of events. Remember, we have, and will have, rooms in the WYDOT University building that can support Google Hangouts/Google Meet meetings, TLN peer to peer or multiple TLN locations, five different conference spaces with a variety of layout options, a readily available

Photo: Rick Carpenter

Training building construction nearly complete

Finishing up the HVAC system in the lower level of the Training Services building.

computer lab and now a breakroom to provide snacks/meals if your event is planned for a full day.

Plan to drop by or send an email at dot-training@wyo.gov if you’d like to talk more about how you might best use this available space. n

Training @ a Glance Coming in October: Date Class 10/16/18 10/18/18 10/24/18 10/25/18 10/30/18 10/30/18

10/30/18 10/31/18

Job Safety Analysis Autonomous Vehicle Strategies for Transportation Agencies Building Trust, Credibility & Respect Communicating with Diplomacy and Tact Train the Trainer (10 Max) Lean Mental Models and Problem Solving: Turning Organizational Deficiency to Efficiency Vampires at Work: Handling Difficult People and Conflict Snow Fences

Coming in November: Date Class 11/1/18 11/5/18 11/7/18 11/15/18 11/16/18

11/27/18 11/30/18

The Art and Science of Communication WY Supervise (New Supervisors & Emerging Leaders) Personnel and Equipment Detection on Construction Projects Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) of Concrete Strategies for Environmental Compliance Webinar Series Part 1 of 6: Knowing the Rules and Doing Your Homework Franklin Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Strategies for Environmental Compliance Webinar Series Part 2 of 6: Temporary Measures during Construction

Check out these upcoming training opportunities from WYDOT-U, the Transportation Learning Network (TLN) and the new WELL.

PMI Competency

Location

Vocational Vocational Leadership Communication Communication

Webinar Webinar TLN TLN WYDOT-U

Judgement and Decision Making Personal Effectiveness Vocational

TLN TLN TLN

PMI Competency

Location

Communication New Supervisor Orientation Vocational Vocational

TLN TBD Webinar Webinar

Vocational Personal Effectiveness

Webinar WYDOT-U

Vocational

Webinar

Visit the Training Services intranet page for more information.

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District News

He leaves WYDOT with nearly 10 years of service to the state.

Welcome Joseph Hurdle, Patrol-Safety and Training; Tahnee Hutchinson, Highway Safety; Adam Johnson, Patrol-Safety and Training; Clinton Keithley, Patrol-Safety and Training; Cody Kubinak, PatrolSafety and Training; Phillip Looby, Patrol-Safety and Training; Ronald Palmer, Patrol-Safety and Training; Colton Parish, Materials-Bituminous; Jeramiah Pittsley, Patrol-Safety and Training; Jason Roascio, Patrol-Safety and Training; Samuel Taylor, Patrol-Safety and Training; Jessica Trompke, Highway Safety; Hitesh Varandani, Bridge-Operations Design; and Nicholas Warren, PatrolSafety and Training.

Promotions and Transfers Keri Bohlmann, Highway SafetyAdministration; Sara Dickey, PlanningStatistics/Inventory;

Bohlmann

Kayla Foster, Right of Way-Appraisals; Evan Lucas, Bridge-Engineering Design; Christopher Munoz, Materials-Surfacing; Brian Olsen, Aeronautics-Division Administrator; Phillip Pendergrass, Patrol-Safety and Training; Christopher Rehm, Right of Way-Negotiations; James Sandusky Jr., Patrol-Commercial Carrier; David Wagener, Patrol-Commercial Carrier.

Service Awards David Griffin, Highway Development-Engineering Services – 35 years; Kim McLees, Patrol-Support ServicesOperations – 25 years; Audrey Hobbs, Construction Staff – 20 years; Christine Jozen, Port of Entry-Cheyenne I-25 – 20 years; Kyle Shook, Right of Way-Appraisals – 20 years; Stephanie Bruhnke, Planning-Statistics/Inventory – 10 years; and Tiffany Romero, Fuel Tax-Uniformity – 5 years.

Griffin

Dickey

Foster

McLees

Jozen

Retirements Pendergrass

Sandusky

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Philip Harris retired Aug. 3 from the state with 10 years of service to the state.

Harris retires from the WyoLink branch of WYDOT Telecommunications.

Rehm

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Bruce Messer retired Aug. 17 from the Fuel Tax Program’s Uniformity division.

Messer

Ann Smith retired Aug. 6 from Highway Safety with 16 years of service to the state.

Congratulations Brian Olsen was appointed the Aeronautics Division’s new administrator. His duties were effective Sept. 1. Olsen has been with WYDOT for more than 12 years, working in both the Bridge Program and Aeronautics.

Highway Safety employee Meghan Connor recently completed her masters degree from the University of Wyoming.

She graduated with a 4.0 GPA. Connor has been with the Highway Safety Office since June 2016.

Photo courtesy of Megan Connor

Headquarters

Connor

Buckle up!

District 1

Welcome Bridger Helm, Highway Development-Project Development-Laramie Design Squad.

Promotions and Transfers Joseph Allen, Cheyenne Mechanics; Dustin Ragon, Laramie Patrol; Justin Stephens, Rawlins Construction.

Retirements Leroy Lipska retired on Aug. 2 from Pine Bluffs Maintenance with four years of service to WYDOT.

Allen

Jimmy Swingle retired on Aug. 1 with 20 years of service to the state. He worked in District 1 with Laramie Maintenance.

Swingle started on a WYDOT guardrail crew and later moved Swingle onto a striping crew before becoming an equipment operator with maintenance.

Johnny Woolner retired on Sept. 4 with 20 years of service with WYDOT. Woolner began his WYDOT career working in the Muddy Gap shop and in early 2005 moved to the Rawlins shop where he was a highway maintenance Woolner technician. n

Take it slow Know before you go.

Get travel information by dialing 5-1-1, following us on Twitter, visiting www.wyoroad.info, or through the new Wyoming 511 app.

Lipska

District 2

Welcome Stephen King, Douglas Mechanics.

Promotions and Transfers Gary Enniss Jr., Wheatland Construction; Van Frazier, Casper Maintenance; Troy McAlpine, Port of Entry-South Region.

Service Awards

Retirements

Kurt Gaukel, Port of Entry-South Region – 20 years; Joel Eldred, Douglas Patrol – 15 years; Michael Gray, Casper Patrol – 5 years; Keri Long, District 2-Administration – 5 years; and Ryan Schmitt, Kaycee Maintenance – 5 years.

Keith Lengkeek retired on Aug. 2 from Douglas Construction with 36 years of service WYDOT. Lengkeek is a graduate of South Da- Lengkeek kota School of Mines and Technology and began his construction engineering career in June 1982 as an engineer associate in Douglas.

Enniss

Congratulations Danny Francom with the Casper mechanic shop completed his FOS testing in welding certification. n Eldred

Gray

Schmitt

McAlpine

Photo: Jeff Goetz

Frazier

Gaukel

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District 3

Welcome

Service Awards

Retirements

Stacey Alvarez, Rock Springs Construction; Jeffrey Hoyt, Farson Maintenance; Serena Jorgensen, Port of EntryAlpine Junction; Kimberly Marshall, Port of Entry-Evanston.

Kenneth Rosser, Evanston Maintenance – 15 years; Marc Russell, Rock Springs Patrol – 10 years; and Deny Leonard, Lyman Maintenance – 5 years.

Charles Bowen retired Sept. 5 from Kemmerer Maintenance as maintenance supervisor with 29 years of service to the state.

Bowen, a Kemmerer native, began his career with WYDOT in July 1989 as a maintenance technician. n Bowen

Promotions and Transfers Shawn Dunn, Afton Traffic-Striping; Bill Johns, Afton Traffic-Striping; Richard Wilson, Jackson Maintenance.

Johns

Dunn

Rosser

Russell

Leonard

Welcome

Service Awards

Winter is nigh!

Andrew Clark, Gillette Maintenance; Christopher Hill, Sheridan Mechanics; Kassidy Reichert, Port of Entry-Sheridan;

Scott Taylor, District 4-Administration – 25 years; Connie Tucker, Sheridan Construction – 25 years; and Kenneth Kraft, Telecom-District 4 Radio Shop – 10 years.

The Burgess Junction project saw some wintery weather and a fresh coat of snow the morning of Aug. 27. Paving operations on WYO 14A were postponed until the following day. n

Clark

Hill

Whetham

Taylor

Kraft

Photo: WYDOT

District 4

Russell Whetham, Newcastle Maintenance.

Promotions and Transfers Donahue Photo: WYDOT

James Donahue, Moorcroft Maintenance.

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October 2018

District 5

Welcome

Retirements

Christa Hauser, Riverton Construction; John Newell, Basin Maintenance.

Marilyn Greenway retired on Aug. 3 with 15 years of service to the state. She most recently worked as a supervisor at the Driver Services-Cody/Lovell field office. n

Promotions and Transfers Jeremy Kottman, Basin Mechanics.

Service Awards Kaia Tharp, Thermopolis Construction – 25 years; Robert Scheidemantel, Riverton Construction – 20 years; and Todd Long, South Pass Maintenance – 5 years.

Classic?

Hot rod?

Late model?

Two wheeler?

Show us!

Tharp

Scheidemantel

Long

Rides Deadline:

11/15/18 Put a stop to distracted driving.

Awards

carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov

Service Award Recipients

le Afte c y

r Photo: Rick Carpenter

ading!

Re

ease Re c Pl

Service award luncheons are held by the Transportation Commission for employees celebrating milestones of 25 years of service or greater.

Service award recipients at this month’s luncheon were: (from left) Karen Goehring, 30 years; Kim McLees, 25 years; Bill Wilson, 35 years; and David Griffin, 35 years. n

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Noteworthy

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October 2018

The huge wapiti mount being delivered to the Lander WHP Division I office with the help of Worland Maintenance employee Aron Mullis, Trooper Clayton Coleman and Delores Cook.

process.

Pete Muchmore, Cook’s stepfather and Laramie area deputy game warden, said of the elk, “My gosh, boy, you killed the granddaddy of all the elk on Laramie Peak.”

The elk that Cook harvested was taken to a butcher shop and then a local taxidermist who measured the animal for the official Boone and Crockett Club scoring. The rack has nine full points on the left, eight on the right and a spread of 52 inches.

The longest tine is 17 inches. The animal scored 388 points and according to the 1964 edition of the Boone and Crockett Club’s Records of North American Big Game, would have taken second place that year. Cook’s elk tied with two others for 28th place on the all-time record list back in 1965.

Cook reported that the elk harvest provided more than 400 pounds of meat for the family’s freezer. n Gerald Cook’s trophy elk now residing at the WHP Lander Division I office.

Photo: WYDOT

Photo: WYDOT

By Carlie Van Winkle The family of Gerald “Cookie” Cook has donated a prize bull elk mount to the Wyoming Highway Patrol. Patrol has chosen to display this gigantic elk mount in their Division I office in Lander.

Cook served the Wyoming Highway Patrol from 1969 to 1995. He served for 18 months in the Gillette area before moving to Worland. Cook retired as senior patrolman in Worland with 26 years of service. He lived in the Worland area until his passing in June 2015.

The story of the hunt for this particular elk, “Wow! What a Wapiti!” was written by Cook, submitted and was published in the September 1966 issue of Outdoor Life. The story chronicles how in the fall of 1965, Cook found himself in the Laramie Peak area in southwestern Wyoming on the last day of hunting season.

Cook and his two brothers, mother and stepfather had all applied for elk tags, but Cook was the only one to pull one for either bull or cow. The hunting season had been a slow one due to an early September snowfall which moved most of the elk out of the area. Cook decided to hunt just outside Laramie where he had been hunting all season with no luck and near an area where he had spooked a bull and some cows the day before. So, after hunting for four weeks with no luck, Cook and his mother, Thelma, decided to try a last ditch effort on the final day of the season in order to put meat on the table to feed the family.

Gerald Cook and his mother, Thelma, after the The pair hunt with their trophy elk. climbed a ridge and caught sight of a herd of elk. Thelma hiked down from the ridge to a draw with a stand of aspen and flushed the large bull from the draw, directly up the ridge to where Cook was waiting with his rifle. Cook got off a shot, but then had to chase the animal a fair distance before catching up to it.

Cook hadn’t realized just how large an animal this elk was until he got near it. Knowing that he and his mother would not be able to drag the animal out that evening, they camped nearby with the intent of going back in the morning for a long day of packing the animal out. Hauling the harvest out of the backwoods would have much tougher had his step-father not come out to their hunting camp with a pick-up to help speed up the

Photo: WYDOT

Amazing elk mount finds new home

WTDEA State Board photo contest comes to an end The State Board photo contest has ended and WYDOT employees have chosen the winners. Each photo was presented in an online competition for employees to select their favorite 12 photos.

The winners of the photo contest whose photos will be highlighted in the 2019 calendar belong to: Wayne Hassinger, Fuel Tax; Juli Monahan, Engineering Services; Ainslee Ross, Financial Services; Tiffany Christensen, Kemmerer Construction; Shawn Coggins, Meeteetse Highway Maintenance; Karen Goehring, IT Financial Systems; Chad Legerski, Project Development; Angelique Rose Rea, Casper Driver Services; Kevin Hoff, Casper Construction; Stuart Eckhardt, Cody Construction; Vicki Hintze, Bridge; and Melissa Nichols.

Watch your email for news on when the 2019 Employees Relief Fund Calendar will be available. n

WTDEA

2019 State Board Cash Calendar

$20 for 365 chances to win!

The calendar makes a great birthday or Christmas gift!

Wyoming Wildlife Enjoy 12 months of photographs taken in Wyoming by WYDOT employees.

Calendars are $20 each and may be purchased from: District 1 Lance Adams, Medicine Bow; and Chris Fisher, Cheyenne.

District 5 David Bilderback, Basin; John Farr, Lander; Jason Price, Lovell; and Tina Simpson, Basin.

WyHy Matt Walusis

District 2 Darren Allbright, Wheatland; Debbie Herbold, Casper; Ryan Sorenson, Casper; Jay Stuck, Torrington; and Myron Witt, Chugwater.

Headquarters Holly Daniels, Robyn Eifert, Jason Fernandez, Audrey Hobbs, Heidi Martin, Heather O'Connor, Tina Phillips, Tracy Romero and Antonia Torres.

District 3 Carl “Kurt� Bennett, Jackson; and Dorothy Kizzire, Rock Springs.

The calendars are also available by emailing Audrey Hobbs, audrey.hobbs@wyo.gov.

District 4 Vicky Gearhart, Buffalo; Rex Markley, Gillette; Heath Oetken, Buffalo; and Misty Wood, Sheridan.

Don't delay!

Buy your calendar today.

All proceeds benefit the WYDOT Employee Relief Fund The Relief Fund is a benefit available to ALL WYDOT employees.

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Photo courtesy of Vickie Hintze

Outdoors

Vickie Hintze, administrative assistant in the Bridge Program, caught this monster of a walleye.

It weighed in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces.

Photo: Christina Spindler

Marilee Manalo with the Planning Program is a shutterbug at heart and enjoys photographing nature. “I like my bee pictures!” she said.

“My sunflower is more than eight feet tall, and it didn’t get hit by hail.”

Christina Spindler, Traffic, was able to go on a search and rescue mission with the New Hampshire Fish and Game. You may recognize some of the faces from the Animal Planet show North Woods Law.

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Photo: Diana Gorman

Sandy Scott, Transportation Commission secretary, snapped this beautiful autumnal shot near Lake Marie off of WYO 130 west of Laramie.

Photo courtesy of Dan McAfee

Photo: Sandy Scott

Photo: Marilee Manalo

WHP Executive Assistant Diana Gorman spent some time up in the northern corner of the state this past summer and shot this photo of the Big Horn Mountains.

Joseph McAfee, son of retiree Dan McAfee, of Worland, drew this harvested brown trout and fly with pens. McAfee is a student at Northwest College.

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First come, first served on earnings this big with WyHy’s Certificate

ONLY $500 MINIMUM TO OPEN!

We can only accept $2 million for each terms’ special, so get in on these earnings while they last!

Visit WyHy.org/SavingsBlitz or contact us today!

307-638-4200 • memberservices@WyHy.org *APY = Annual Percentage Yield. Offer will expire when a maximum of $2,000,000.00 is reached/deposited for each term or at the Credit Union’s discretion.

Only new money to the Credit Union is eligible for this offer. See website or contact the Credit Union for full details. Federally Insured by NCUA.

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October 2018

Break Time

Answer to the September 2018 Break Time word search:

KRAZYDAD.COM/PUZZLES

Š 2010 KrazyDad.com

Need the answer? http://krazydad.com/mazes/answers

Maze #16

Tough Mazes by KrazyDad, Book 21

Interchange subscription issue? Update your address:

1) Complete and return this slip to WYDOT Public Affairs Office, 5300 Bishop Blvd., Cheyenne, WY 82009, or 2) Send an email to Carlie Van Winkle at carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov.

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Wyoming Department of Transportation 5300 Bishop Blvd.

Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009-3340 Address Service Requested

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