Interchange - October 2013

Interchange a WYDOT publication

October 2013, Vol. 41, Issue 10

Fuel Tax Projects Proposed Fiscal years 2013-2016 outlined

Letters

Wyoming highways pleasant surprise for traveler I spent last week touring your state from one end to the other, primarily off the Interstate system.

I would like to commend your department for excellent roads, signage, warnings. It was a pleasure being a traveller in your state and perhaps you rarely get a thank you, but I was impressed!

Jeanne Weaver

Dwyer rest area accolades Sunday morning, September 15, we stopped at the Dwyer rest area on I-25.

Thank you to WYDOT and the citizens of Wyoming for such a lovely (and welcome) facility. Accolades to the nice young lady maintaining the place - it was absolutely spotless.

Interchange Casper Driver Services “wows” customer Hi. I hope this goes to upper management at the state level.

My name is James Walker and I wanted to pass along my praises to WYDOT in regards to the outstanding group of people you have working at the Casper office.

I was in to renew my license and the atmosphere there was great. The people there seemed to truly like each other and the public they are there to help.

Wanda Johnson was the main person I dealt with and she was knowledgeable, friendly and extremely helpful.

Your team there deserves recognition.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Sincerely, James Walker

Staff

Sincerely, the Pierces

WYDOT Director: John F. Cox

Extra Mile

Public Affairs Manager: Doug McGee

AWARDS

Editor/Art Director: Carlie Van Winkle

Congratulations to our August 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.

Dean Bethea Jesse Burgess Joe Lambert Mike Kuhl Jeremiah Deaton Dan Haas Chris Martin Joe Ruess

Sean Bibbey Tony Avila Vince Birkle Chad Varland Steve Cisco Justin Fehlberg Andrew Klingenberg

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.

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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

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: Letters.....................................2

Contents 10

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

8

District news.......................14 WTDEA..................................17 WYDOT by the Numbers....17 Noteworthy..........................18 Training at a Glance..........19 Passings................................19

12

WYDOT Outdoors............. 20 Break Time.......................... 23

6

6 Ten-cent fuel tax projects

Proposed list of statewide projects through 2016

8 Drinking on the job

...in the name of reducing DUIs

10 Hello, my name is...

Engineering Services Section seeks new name

12 Wyoming experiencing flooding 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.

WYDOT clears mudslides, rocks

On the cover: A stretch of newly paved highway on WYO 220.

Photo: Bruce Burrows

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District Briefs Cheyenne – Oftedal Construction of Casper was awarded a $6.6 million contract for landslide repair work on US 14 at the sites of the Bret and Upper Shell Creek slides about 14 miles east of Shell.

The work will include drilling into the unstable soil underneath the road and on the slope below the road and installing micropiles and tieback anchors.

Micropiles are steel pipes inserted vertically through the slide material into the bedrock below and then filled with concrete. Tieback anchors are steel cables inserted at an angle into the slide, grouted to the bedrock and then pulled tight from the surface. Two sections of the highway damaged by the slides will get new road base, a layer of geotextile fabric and new pavement. The project completion date is Aug. 31, 2014.

The commission awarded three contracts totaling $4.8 million for stockpiles of sand and salt for use in improving traction on snowy and icy highways around the state. Concrete Foundations of Douglas won a $2.3 million contract to provide the sand and salt mixture for the northeast portion of the state. McMurry Ready-Mix of Casper was awarded a $1.5 million contract to provide the materials for the northwest portion of the state, and Afton’s Kilroy will provide the stockpiles for the southwest under a $1 million contract.

Bridges on various highways in Sweetwater and Uinta counties will be rehabilitated by Gerber Construction of Lehi, Utah, under a $911,000 contract that includes a completion date of Sept.

30, 2014.

Lander’s High Country Construction submitted the low bid of $877,000 for a safety project to flatten slopes beside 1.6 miles of WYO 28 in the South Pass area south of Lander, where the highway has very little shoulder and steep drop-offs to

HQ

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the side. The contract completion date is May 31, 2015.

Bridge decks on I-90 will be rehabilitated at five locations between Sundance and Beulah under a $794,000 contract awarded to Reiman Corp. of Cheyenne.

The work is scheduled for completion by Sept. 30, 2014.

New snow fence will be built along multiple sections of WYO 72 between I-80 and Hanna under a $635,000 contract awarded to King Enterprises of Mills. The contract completion date is Nov. 30, 2014.

S&S Builders of Gillette won a $122,000 contract to repair damage to a concrete girder on the I-25 bridge over Esterbrook Road west of Douglas by Nov. 30. The girder was struck when a truck attempted to haul an overheight load under it. The work is expected to take about two weeks to complete.

Parsley bridge struck once again Cheyenne – In a frustratingly brief few days after reopening, Cheyenne’s Parsley Blvd. bridge over I-80 was struck again Sept.

16 by a semi-trailer hauling an excavator.

The bridge had been open only four days after repairs were completed due to another, different driver and truck hauling equipment, clipping the structure causing heavy damage on August 5.

According to WYDOT maintenance engineer, Tim McGary, the damage was in nearly the identical westbound lane location as the strike earlier. McGary said the Parsley Blvd. bridge is at the same height as many others all along on I-80 and he couldn’t speculate on why it was disabled twice in such short succession.

“Just a strange, disheartening occurrence,” he said.

He added that one difference in the incidents is the driver Sept. 16 was identified at the scene. The driver in August left the scene and was eventually tracked down by a WYDOT employee.

WYDOT advised motorists in the

Cheyenne area that the Parsley Blvd. bridge remained open for traffic but was signed for reduced speed and weight restrictions. It is unknown at this time when repairs will begin again but, as previously, damaged girders will be replaced and damaged bridge deck sections above those girders repaired.

The cost of the repairs for the August hit was $907,000. No estimate is available yet on the second try.

More illegal drug seizures from speeding vehicles Cheyenne – WHP troopers have seized more than 80 pounds of marijuana, a small amount of methamphetamine and more than 160 oxycodone and hydrocodone tablets from traffic stops. All of the traffic stops were made due to the drivers exceeding the posted speed limits in Laramie, Albany and Sweetwater counties.

During the traffic stops, troopers also seized two handguns in separate incidents which were within arm’s reach of the vehicle’s occupants.

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Photo: WHP

Contracts totaling $14.7 million awarded at commission meeting

More than 80 pounds of marijuana was seized from drug traffickers stopped for speeding on Wyoming highways.

In each case, K-9s alerted their trooper of onboard illegal drugs.

Follow up investigations were done by Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation agents in each of the stops. The tablets and methamphetamine seized in the Sweetwater County stop were destined for the Riverton area.

DCI agents have made an additional five arrests in the Riverton area as a result of follow up investigation from this traffic stop. The drugs seized in the Laramie and Albany County stops were destined for delivery out of state and the cases remain

under investigation at this time.

The WHP K-9s are trained to detect narcotics and are utilized to conduct drug sniffs of vehicles to locate narcotics.

Trooper and K-9 training and K-9 equipment were purchased with a federal grant secured from HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area).

More flashing yellow arrows in Casper Casper – Drivers are seeing more flashing yellow arrows in Casper as the district upgrades its traffic signals throughout the city.

The new left-turn signal heads are designed to help prevent crashes, increase intersection capacity, and provide additional flexibility in timing plans. The new signals have been installed at nearly all of WYDOT's highway intersections that had left-turn phases.

The flashing yellow arrow means a vehicle is allowed to make the turn but must first yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, before proceeding through the intersection with caution. The new signal heads hung allow for lagging protected left turns at the end of the through movement rather than leading protected left turns at the beginning of the phase.

Additionally, District 2 is working to increase efficiency of the signal system along Southeast Wyoming Boulevard with an adaptive signal system. This involves installing additional vehicle detection along with better communication between the signals to adapt to changing traffic patterns and demand rather than relying on predetermined plans based on traffic counts taken months or years earlier.

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Dual left-turn lanes in Casper Casper – District 2 crews opened new left-turn lanes at two of the busier intersections in the Casper area.

Completed in August, the intersection of CY Avenue and Wyoming Boulevard on Casper’s west side has been improved to feature dual left-turn lanes on inbound and outbound CY and onto westbound

CY from Wyoming Boulevard.

A similar treatment is being done at Wyoming Boulevard and Old Yellowstone Highway (U.S. 20/26) in Mills as part of that intersection’s reconstruction. Reconstruction of that intersection is scheduled for completion Oct. 31.

The aim is to decrease the length of time it takes to turn left at each intersection.

Work underway on Green River bridge Green River – WYDOT is conducting bridge rehabilitation work on WYO 530, Uinta Drive, over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks on the North end of Green River.

The work includes repairs to the bridge deck and joints, as well as sealing the southbound deck.

The bridge repairs are part of a district wide bridge project being conducted by WYDOT, which also includes bridges in the Jackson and Afton areas. The contract was awarded to Cannon Builders, Inc. of Blackfoot, Idaho for $974,118.

“One lane will remain open to reduce the impact on local traffic,” Resident Engineer Leslie Ranta commented.

The project completion date is Oct. 31.

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WYDOT invites public input on location of truck arrestor system Wilson – WYDOT hosted a public meeting at the Old Wilson Schoolhouse Community Center on Sept. 24 to provide preliminary information about the truck arrestor project and solicit public input on three locations for the system. Each location varies in its impacts to right-ofway, pathway and maintenance issues.

“We are looking for general comments and we are trying to get information out there to the public about what options we are reviewing,” Resident Engineer Bob Hammond said.

The truck arrestors are part of a project scheduled for 2014 to install a weighin-motion scale and dynamic message boards to better enforce current truck restrictions on Teton Pass.

Website established for Etna North Project Etna – WYDOT has created a new website to provide more information about the Etna North project. This new website will provide the public with another way to obtain some of the most frequently requested documents and data.

The website, www.etna-north.com, contains information about the goals of the project and the needs of the Star Valley transportation corridor. It also gives a description and graphic of the alternatives that were examined. In addition, there is information on the newest alternative that was not presented at the last public meeting.

WYDOT hosted a public meeting at the Etna Community Center in June to provide a project update and share with local residents and landowners the changes that have been implemented in the US 89 Etna North project.

WYDOT continues to work towards its goal of improving transportation in the Star Valley corridor.

WHP drug detection dogs go to watercraft training class Rock Springs – The WHP K-9s, just like people, must attend refresher courses and new training to stay current with their important duties and to remain certified.

The WHP drug detection K-9s provide support to the Troopers and other law enforcement agencies during vehicle and building searches for illegal drugs. The K-9s are able to detect the odors from controlled substances including marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.

Recently, the Southwest Narcotics Interdiction Force conducted a joint training exercise with the Sweetwater County Sheriff ’s Office and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department by introducing the WHP K-9s to watercraft and open water.

The moving surfaces, slippery decks, and new smells help the K-9s overcome obstacles and remove unknowns from their environment. The more scenarios they become acclimated with, the more Briefs continued on page 13 October 2013

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296

Yello wsto ne

Gran d Teto n Nat'l

Teton

287

32

53 Park

Dubois

310

Pinedale

7

Sublette

89

351

Lincoln

191

30

Lyman 414

789

135

Rock Springs Green River 530

Casper

36

59

Niobrara

28

18

8 18

Douglas

Lusk 20

43 85

77

Wheatland

30

34

287

130

80

130 230

34

Platte

230

35 Laramie

287

20

26

Torrington

Albany

30

Saratoga 70

85

18

21

487

Rawlins

191

47

Glenrock

487

430

Weston

270

25

789

789

16

Newcastle

Converse

Carbon

27

44 9 585 39

450

24

80

45

38

23

20

287

14

116

50

220

Sweetwater

Sundance

90 25 Johnson

24

Crook

Gillette

Buffalo

26

287

112 59

16

Fremont

1

372

14

387

Riverton

11

28

30

Uinta 46

Lander 31

22

Kemmerer 6 4 189

26

5

33

14

212

Campbell

Sheridan

Natrona

20

32

189

14

Sheridan

Thermopolis 789 13

37

19 191

3

Big Horn

90

Greybull 52 Basin 16 17 50 433 14 16 48 16 12 18 15 10 51 Worland 120 Washakie 41

2 189

14A

30

Hot Springs

Afton

150

789

Cody

20

16

26

Jackson

26

89

Powell

26 25 42

89

Lovell

310

120

14A

14

22

212

25

313

Goshen 85

29 49

40

Laramie

Cheyenne 80

Proposed Ten-Cent Fuel Tax Projects Fiscal years 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.

(List is tentative.)

WYDOT plans to work on 19 additional highway projects during fiscal year 2014 with the projected increase in fuel tax revenues it expects to receive during the year.

Those projects are among 52 the department proposes to begin over the next three fiscal years using the estimated $47.5 million a year in additional fuel tax revenue.

Preliminary work has already begun on the first project to be paid for with the added fuel tax revenue. McGarvin-Moberly Construction has begun crushing rock for new pavement on a 10-mile section of Wyoming Highway 28 south of Lander, but due to seasonal considerations, paving won’t begin until spring.

The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded the $3.8 million contract to the Worland company on July 18, and the contract completion date is July 31, 2014.

The proposed 2014 projects include bridge rehabilitation work at various locations in the northwest portion of the state, pavement rehabilitation on 16 highway sections totaling more than 100 miles, and a two-mile section of US 26-287 will be reconstructed due to its poor condition.

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“The legislative goal of the 10-cent fuel tax projects is to maintain the highway system in the condition that it currently exists today,” WYDOT Assistant Chief Engineer Gregg Fredrick said. “We’re focusing it on those roads that connect Wyoming’s communities that aren’t on the interstate system.”

The additional projects being moved into the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for fiscal 2014 are not new.

“There was an identified need for this work, but the projects had been delayed in the STIP because of funding constraints,” Fredrick said. “We had already done some preliminary engineering, but now we’re accelerating the design to bring those projects into fiscal years 2014, 2015 and 2016.”

The STIP is a six-year plan for highway projects, so, as the additional tax revenue allows WYDOT to move some projects ahead in the schedule, it also will enable additional projects to enter the plan for future years.

The tentative plan for using the additional fuel tax money the department will receive includes another 16 projects in fiscal 2015, and 18 projects in fiscal 2016.

FY 2013 1. WYO 28 – Pavement overlay; 9.7 miles (under contract)

FY 2014 2. Various routes – Bridge rehabilitation 3. US 89 – Pavement overlay; 3 miles 4. US 189 – Pavement milling and overlay; 10.2 miles 5. WYO 28 – Pavement overlay; 10.3 miles 6. US 189 – Pavement overlay; 10 miles 7. US 191 – Pavement milling and overlay; 7.8 miles 8. US 18 – Pavement milling and overlay; 10.2 miles 9. WYO 116 – Pavement overlay with widening; 5.1 miles 10. WYO 196 – Pavement milling and overlay; 5.5 miles 11. WYO 28 – Chip sealing; 15.8 miles 12. US 16 in Worland – Pavement rehabilitation; 0.1 mile 13. US 20 – Pavement rehabilitation; 0.3 mile 14. US 310 in Lovell – Pavement rehabilitation; 1.2 miles 15. WYO 433 – Pavement overlay and widening; 3.5 miles 16. WYO 30 – Pavement milling and overlay; 5.7 miles 17. US 16-20 – Pavement overlay and chip sealing; 8 miles 18. US 14 – Pavement overlay and chip sealing; 7.3 miles 19. US 26-287 – Reconstruction; 2.4 miles

Photo: Rick Carpenter

FY 2015

“It’s pavement and bridge rehabilitation and we’re using our asset management system to help us identify and prioritize the needs throughout the state,” Fredrick said.

The asset management system is made up of pavement, bridge and safety management components. It identifies and prioritizes necessary work, and, if recommended rehabilitation can be completed in time, the need for reconstruction work that costs four to eight times more can be delayed.

“Timely rehabilitation is important and it’s cost effective to ensure the long-term serviceability of the roadway,” Fredrick said. “This additional funding is really going to help maintain the state’s roadways.”

The expected increase of $47.5 million a year in funding from the fuel tax represents about a 15 percent increase in WYDOT’s construction budget for fiscal 2014.

“We’re happy to have this long-term funding source that we can count on and plan around and use to benefit the highway system,” WYDOT Director John Cox said. “The approach specified by the Legislature will help with improvements in highway conditions around the state.”

– Dave Kingham

0. US 26 – Pavement milling and overlay; 2.4 miles 2 21. Various routes – Bridge rehabilitation 22. Various routes – Bridge rehabilitation 23. Various routes – Chip sealing 24. WYO 220 in Casper – Pavement milling and overlay; 2.4 miles 25. WYO 296 – Pavement overlay and chip sealing; 6.8 miles 26. US 14-16-20 – Pavement overlay and chip sealing; 4.4 miles 27. WYO 130-230 – Pavement milling, overlay and chip sealing; 12 miles 28. US 20-26-87 in Douglas – Pavement overlay and slab replacement; 1.3 miles 29. US 85 – Pavement milling, overlay and chip sealing; 10.1 miles 30. US 30-287 – Pavement overlay and chip sealing with widening; 6.7 miles 31. WYO 28 – Pavement overlay and minor widening; 4.1 miles 32. US 287 – Pavement overlay and chip sealing with isolated reconstruction; 4.7 miles 33. US 189 – Pavement overlay and chip sealing with widening; 5.8 miles 34. WYO 130 – Pavement overlay and chip sealing; 13.4 miles 35. Various routes – Chip sealing

FY 2016 36. WYO 59 – Pavement “microsurfacing” overlay; 8.6 miles 37. WYO 170 – Pavement overlay and chip sealing; 6 miles 38. US 16 – Pavement overlay; 7.5 miles 39. US 85 – Pavement milling and overlay; 9 miles 40. US 85 – Chip sealing; 36.1 miles 41. WYO 432 – Pavement overlay and chip sealing; 9.2 miles 42. WYO 296 – Pavement overlay and chip sealing; 13 miles 43. WYO 270 – Pavement milling and overlay; 10.9 miles 44. WYO 24 – Pavement overlay; 7.4 miles 45. WYO 585 – Pavement “microsurfacing” overlay; 8.9 miles 46. WYO 414 – Pavement overlay; and chip sealing 2.8 miles 47. WYO 387 – Pavement milling and overlay; 9.8 miles 48. WYO 310 – Pavement overlay and chip sealing; 4.4 miles 49. US 85 – Pavement milling and overlay; 8 miles 50. WYO 335 – Pavement milling and overlay; 6 miles 51. US 16 – Pavement milling and overlay; 8.5 miles 52. WYO 193 – Pavement overlay with widening; 6 miles 53. US 14-16-20 in Cody – Pavement milling and overlay; 1.3 miles October 2013

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Drinking on the job . . . in the name of reducing DUIs

Photo: Alan Rogers, Casper Star-Tribune

“Please do not eat anything after 8 a.m. … “ The email from Pam Evert, Safe Communities director at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, set the tone for an afternoon of drinking on the job. By not eating, myself, Casper Mayor Kenyne Schlager and local radio personality “Rodeo” Rick Darcy, quickly found ourselves feeling tipsy, and being watched by local law enforcement.

Our drinking on the job Aug. 29 was part of Wyoming Medical Center’s Safe Communities anti-drunken driving campaign for the Labor Day weekend. Co-sponsored by the Casper Police Department, we were subjects in a “wet lab” experiment to illustrate the effects of alcohol and show the community what is involved when you get pulled over for driving under the suspicion of being drunk.

So, on an empty stomach, the three of us wandered into a WMC conference room where we were handed the first of several drinks – in my case, five shots of Crown Royal whiskey, 80 proof, (as were all of the drinks) poured into one glass and told to drink it quickly. Ten minutes later, I set the glass down and waited, talking with police officers, hospital staff and my fellow subjects, as the alcohol made its way into my bloodstream.

After another five or so minutes, and my cheeks feeling somewhat warm, I was the first to be evaluated. Casper Police Officer Scott Jones performed a breathalyzer. This was followed by a complete field sobriety test. We repeated the test three times, after allowing our blood alcohol content (BAC) to lower, then raised again with another round of drinks.

At no time during the three hour event did my BAC rise above Wyoming’s legal limit of .08. The highest reading was .073, and even following the initial five-shot drink, I only registered a .065. However, at no time during the event did I feel I could drive well, or that I could pass all of the sobriety tests. Jones, after administering the horizontal gaze nystagmus test (the

A wet lab event volunteer looks on as Jeff Goetz (center) and local Casper radio personality “Rodeo” Rick Darcy mix up cocktails before their BAC is tested.

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Casper Mayor Kenyne Schlager taking a breathalyzer test after a few drinks at the Safe Communities anti-drunk driving campaign “wet lab.”

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Photo: Alan Rogers, Casper Star-Tribune Photo: Alan Rogers, Casper Star-Tribune

Photo: Alan Rogers, Casper Star-Tribune

pen test), said I would still have been taken off the streets, though I was legally under the limit. This was something we all experienced.

As he performed the field tests, Jones explained to the media, and hospital personnel, what officers are looking for during each test.

The sobriety tests included the nine- District 2 Public Involvement Specialist Jeff Goetz undergoing a breathalyzer step walk and test administered by Casper police officer Scott Jones. Local media recorded turn: walking heel the event for broadcast. to toe for nine steps, a turn, and nine steps back; the one-leg stand requiring a person to balance on one leg while counting out loud to 30; and the pen test. Nystagmus is the bouncing of the eyes when they are all the way to the left or the right. If you’re over the limit, explained Jones, often the eyes won’t follow the pen at the same time, or they’ll jerk or bounce while they follow. I felt both of those. And it’s often the eyes that give a drunken driver away.

“It turns out to be our most reliable indicator to show a presence of a depressant, such as alcohol,” said Jones.

By the end of the lab, I was feeling the full effects of what I had been drinking. Again, despite not being legally over the limit, I was still not willing to get behind the wheel.

On an empty stomach, alcohol hits your system faster, but having a room full of officers, made me more aware that I was buzzing. It’s a feeling you may not think about in a bar environment, or while watching a football game in your living room. In this environment I was actually thinking about the drinks and their effect on me. It’s a lesson more people could benefit from learning.

Wet labs are useful to show the public the effects of alcohol, and the consequences when a suspected drunken driver is pulled over. It’s also useful for law enforcement as a training tool. Jones said his department uses wet labs to train officers because they’re able to control the BAC of the subject.

“We get to see those people at a known level, and those at lower levels, who we should be looking for on the street,” he said.

Knowing my level and feeling too buzzed to drive, was an eye opening experience.

The event was covered by both Casper television stations, the local newspaper, and Rodeo Rick’s own radio station. A similar event took place in Cheyenne earlier in August.

– Jeff Goetz

, o l l He . . . s i e m a my n

? s e c i v r e S g n i r nE ginee

WYDOT’s Engineering Services Section is looking for a new name.

Photo: Rick Carpenter

Finding a title that accurately describes all the things the section does has been a challenge, but the team has submitted some ideas to Executive Staff for consid“The title Engineering Services really doesn’t represent us eration, including Professional Services and Standards. well, because people from the public think we do anything that’s The section is part of the Highway Development Program, engineering, and really that’s not what and it includes a Consultant Services Unit led by Juli Monahan, we are,” Engineering Services Engiand an Architectural Services and Standard Plans Unit under Bill neer David Griffin said. “If anybody Wilson. in WYDOT has a good idea for us, “There are six of us total, so it’s a small group, but we do a lot we’re open to suggestions.” of stuff,” Griffin said. “Typically Bill has two people under him, What Griffin’s team actually does is one engineer and one technician, but currently he doesn’t even negotiate and administer contracts for have the engineer. With the decrease in architectural projects a wide variety of professional services right now, we’re not foreseeing filling that at this time.” provided by consultants, and supply Wilson oversees the design process for major WYDOT buildarchitectural services and standard ing projects such as new shops, ports of entry or rest areas. He plans for WYDOT projects. also develops the standard plans that go into contracts, and is While at one time the majority WYDOT’s resident expert on guardrail. of the contracts the section handled Griffin Current budget constraints have resulted in most architectural were for road design work, today the projects being put on hold, but the design process is under way contracts can be for anything from land surveying to computer for a new shop in Evanston. software development and support.

Wilson also advises designers on how to retrofit existing facili“There are services that we don’t do internally at WYDOT, ties to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities that go out to the consultant community,” GrifAct. fin said. “It can be a planning function like the The standard plans State Rail Plan. We have a consultant that does he creates are conour WYDOT customer satisfaction survey every struction details for two years. We have a consultant that does a the kinds of work the seat-belt survey for us. There is a wide variety of department does frethings that consultants do for us.” quently as part of its One current high visibility example of that projects. “We make a variety is the contract the section is managing standard plan out of it with the consultant who produced the Wyoand that is submitted ming 8 anti-drunken driving media campaign in the project plans,” being sponsored by the Governor’s Council on The design process for new building projects, like new rest areas, Wilson said. “This alare within the scope of Engineering Services.

Impaired Driving.

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Photo courtesy Bill Wilson

Crash testing improves the reliabilty of future guardrail systems.

Photo: Rick Carpenter

leviates them Griffin said. “Then we process it for signatures. Once the work is from having to done we process invoices and pay everybody.” create project details for In 2012 the section executed 45 new contracts, 15 of them for each project.” land surveying, handled 76 change orders, managed 175 active He also represents WYDOT as a voting member for agreements and made $7.4 million in payments to consultants. the Midwest States Pool Fund, which allows a dozen states to “Right now land surveys are the most frequent professional combine their research funds to test hardware or study roadside service contracts we’re doing, but the variety of professional sersafety issues. That position has led to Wilson’s involvement in vices just goes on and on,” Griffin said. “You never know what’s many guardrail crash tests. going to come next and each one is He led the effort to develop a unique.” safe end treatment for the standard The unit advertises twice a year box beam guardrail used on most for statements of interest from Wyoming highways. Now he is consultants who want to provide participating in the effort to implethe kinds of professional services ment a transition to a new Midwest WYDOT needs most often. Its Guardrail System, a corrugated database currently contains about beam guardrail that is mounted 200 consultants that have submithigher and has better performance ted statements, and 106 of those characteristics than systems curfirms have active agreements with rently in use. the department.

Wilson represented WYDOT “It’s very difficult for a company Guardrail is found on nearly every highway in our state. WYDOT for 12 years on the Transportato get a first job with WYDOT,” has incorporated the latest technology to keep the motoring pubtion Research Board Committee Griffin said. “Once they get a job lic from accidentally leaving the road. on Roadside Safety Design, and is and prove themselves, that’s how beginning a term on the American Association of State Highway they get the repeat work. At the end of every contract we do a and Transportation Officials Technical Committee for Roadside performance appraisal, so the next time they are before a selecSafety. That committee is responsible for AASHTO’s crash test tion committee those appraisals are available for review.” standards and Roadside Design Guide.

Monahan and the two employees in her unit are committed to Monahan serves as secretary of a committee that includes repgetting consultant contracts finalized within three months, and resentatives of WYDOT and the consultant community, which invoices paid within 21 days, both services consultants apprecimeets to keep communications channels open and talk about ate. consultant issues and funding.

“We did a little survey of our consultants and they say we’re Consultants support WYDOT when the department faces a good company to do business with,” Griffin said. “We know peak workloads it doesn’t have the manpower to handle, or needs through the survey that we get better rates and we get better expertise it doesn’t have internally. The Consultant Services Unit interest from our consultant community because they like to do handles the contracts needed to get that support. business with WYDOT.” “We negotiate billing rates. We negotiate scopes. We negotiate – Dave Kingham fee proposals. All of those things to come to the final contract,” October 2013

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Extensive shoulder damage at Name’s Hill. Note the size of the boulders moved by the muddy water.

Photo: Stephanie Harsha

This year’s snow has not fallen yet, but WYDOTs maintenance crews were out in full force due to the recent weather. Flooding, mudslides and fog caused many delays and at times, closures, on western Wyoming’s roads.

Although Evanston saw some brief delays on WYO 89 within the city limits on Sept. 7-8, most of the damage was done south of La Barge in Lincoln County on U.S. 189.

Sept. 12, crews were called out after a trooper reported flooding around milepost 78. Alerts were sent out through WYDOT’s online and text system to warn motorists of delays. Crews worked around the clock to get debris, water and mud off the highway.

The road was cleared by the end of the night. However, the damage was just beginning on the drainage culverts at Name’s Hill and Muddy Creek on U.S. 189.

During the downpour, silt, mud and debris was building in and over the top of drainage ditches and box culverts, causing the water to build up and then overflow, carrying mud and debris over the highway.

Mother Nature refused to give up and rain continued to come down as the weekend progressed.

On Saturday, more mudslides were reported on U.S. 189 Taken near Name’s Hill on US 189. Dirt and south of La Barge silt build-up is pushed back by WYDOT crews in order to open the road. between mileposts

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n October 2013

Photo: Stephanie Harsha

Wet weather puts WYDOT crews to work

80 and 82. U.S. 189 was then closed at around 6 p.m. for clean up.

WYDOT maintenance crews worked through the night and U.S. 189 was opened early Sunday morning. Crews continued to clean up the debris and mud through Sunday.

The rain continued through Sunday, causing a second brief closure, this time southbound, on U.S. 189 at milepost 79 and milepost 80, due to flash flooding.

“After the first major mud slides and floods, the drainage ditches and box culverts were silted in and were even buried at some locations. They could not handle the volume of water after that,” District Maintenance Engineer Tory Thomas said.

“Thankfully there was little to no surface damage to the highway, so the road can remain open to traffic once cleared,” he added.

Clean up continued on U.S. 189, but some of the work will have to take place through an emergency contract.

“Our maintenance hands will take care of a lot of the clean up work, like shoulder repairs and clearing roadways. But much of the damage will have to go to contract,” Thomas said. “We just don’t have the equipment or manpower to repair some of the more extensive damage.”

Other areas also affected by limited flooding were WYO 414 in the Bridger Valley and U.S. 191 near Bondurant. However, the most severe damage was done near La Barge.

Manpower from multiple stations in western Wyoming were pulled together to clear U.S. 189 for motorists.

“Those guys worked their tails off, some of them even worked 24 hours straight to get that road open and keep it open,” Thomas said.

– Stephanie Harsha

structures at 10 different locations in northeast Wyoming.

Other messaging signs have been installed in Sheridan on 1-90 at mileposts 18.2 and 26.7 and on I-25 at mileposts 54.3 and 59.9; In Buffalo on I-25 at milepost 296.5.

Signs are scheduled to be installed in the Sundance area on I-90 east of Sundance at milepost 183.2 and west of Sundance at milepost 190.4.

DMS structures are electronic traffic signs often used on roads to give travelers information about specific events such as road conditions, accidents, roadwork zones, amber alerts, road closures and any other messages that may be pertinent to the traveling public.

Briefs continued from page 5 proficient they become.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol drug detecting K-9s, trooper’s and K-9 training and the K-9 equipment were purchased with a federal grant secured from HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area).

The eight WHP handlers and their drug detection K-9s spend numerous hours training on a monthly basis. The K-9s must also be recertified annually.

Photo: WHP

Paving crew working in Thermopolis, near Ten Sleep

WHP K-9 handlers and their drug detection partners at watercraft training class. The class introduced new smells and experiences to the dogs so they become more proficient in different scenarios.

I-90 Road Closures continued in Gillette Area Gillette – WYDOT continued I-90 closures into mid-September. The road closures allowed Casper Electric to place steel structures for overhead dynamic message signs (DMS).

Eastbound and westbound lanes of I-90 east of Gillette were closed for an hour each at mileposts 122.74 and 130.33 for the placing of DMS structures.

The road closures lasted approximately one hour. Traffic was then let through followed by a second closure for an additional hour.

This project entails installing 19 DMS

D4

Thermopolis – A WYDOT asphalt paving crew was in the Thermopolis and Worland, and Ten Sleep areas in September.

The paving crew paved about 200 tons of hot-mix asphalt on the north end of Thermopolis near the Hot Springs State Park headquarters, and another 200 tons between Thermopolis and Worland on U.S. 20/WYO 789.

The crew paved east of Ten Sleep on U.S. 16 on Aug. 29 and Sept. 3-5. It paved about 2,075 tons of hot-mix asphalt. The crew concluded their summer highway patching near Worland Sept. 9-11 with work on West River Road (WYO 433), South Flat Road (WYO 432), and Gooseberry Road (WYO 431).

The WYDOT paving operation consisted of a paving crew, a roller operator and numerous WYDOT trucks hauling the hot asphalt.

D5

Width restriction implemented east of Cody across Sage Creek bridge Cody – The $12.3 million highway improvement project on Cody’s east edge required a 12-foot width restriction placed across the Sage Creek bridge according to WYDOT resident engineer Todd Frost in Cody.

“The width restriction and a reduced speed limit of 45 mph across the Sage Creek bridge will be in place for bridge construction until further notice,” Frost said.

About 3.5 miles of U.S. 14A will be widened to five lanes with a continuous turn lane and eight-foot shoulders. This project is the final section in a long-term series of projects to widen 24 miles of U.S. 14A between Cody and Powell.

The contractor is continuing to mobilize equipment to the project area, and dirt work is under way.

While working on the project, the contractor will be required to maintain two-way traffic throughout the project without delays, with the exception of a flagger station.

“This flagger station will stop traffic just long enough to allow ingress and egress for haul of contractor-furnished materials on and off the project,” Frost said. “The remainder of the time the cumulative delay of 10 minutes maximum will be allowed.”

Oftedal Construction, Inc., with offices in Miles City, Mont., and Casper, is the prime contractor on the highway improvement project.

The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded the U.S. 14A project to Oftedal in May. The scope of work includes grading, draining, milling of existing asphalt pavement, placing pit run subbase and crushed gravel, asphalt paving and paving of asphalt wearing course, chip sealing, removal and replacement of the Sage Creek bridge, installing concrete pavement, installing roadway lighting and electrical work, and installing guardrail, fencing and other work on 3.45 miles of U.S. 14A and WYO 114 beginning at milepost 2.20 (West Cooper Lane) between Cody and Powell.

Briefs continued on page 18 October 2013

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District News

Headquarters

Welcome Dennis Daniel, Facilities Management-Custodial; and Ron Hammond, Right Of Way-Negotiations.

Promotions and Transfers Jason Brock, Driver Services-Policy and Records; Carol DeWitt, GIS/ITS; William Ernst, GIS/ITS; Karson James, Highway Safety; Brianne Lopez, GIS/ ITS; and Jeffrey Sauter, Traffic.

Scott Ellis, Cheyenne I-80 Port Of Entry – 15 years; Audrey Hobbs, Construction Staff – 15 years; Christine Jozen, Cheyenne I-25 Port Of Entry – 15 years; Rebecca Savastano, Fuel Tax-Uniformity – 15 years; James Wasson, Right Of Way-Appraisals – 10 years; and William Vegors, GIS/ITS – 5 years.

Service Awards David Griffin, Highway Development-Engineering Services – 30 years; Kim McLees, Patrol Dispatch – 20 years; David Talley, Training – 20 years;

Griffin

Hobbs

Savastano

District 1

Wasson

District 2

Welcome

Welcome Christopher Brecheisen, Highway Development-Project Development-Laramie Design Squad; Matthew Mayfield, Laramie Mechanics; and Stephen Winegeart, Cheyenne Maintenance.

Nathan Evans, Wheatland Construction; Keri Jenkins, District 2 Administration; and Patrick McGuire, Wheatland Maintenance.

Promotions and Transfers

Promotions and Transfers

Dennis Goodwin, Baggs Maintenance; Aaron Harper, Laramie Maintenance; Rami Ksaibati, Highway Development-Project Development-Laramie Design Squad; Steven Taggart, Rawlins Construction; and Andrew Valdez, Highway Development-Project Development-Laramie Design Squad.

Service Awards Kurt Gaukel, Lusk Port Of Entry – 15 years; Devra Young, Douglas/ Ewing Wheatland Driver Services – 15 years; Joel Eldred, Douglas Patrol – 10 years; Marc Russell, Torrington Patrol – 5 years; William Winkler, Wheatland Construction – 5 years;

Taggart

Renae Livermore, Driver Services-District 1 – 20 years.

Cradle Call

Winkler

Matthew M. Morrison

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Cradle Call

Photo: Kevin Hoff

Arya Allen being spoiled at the District 2 office by Dave Green and Kristi Desch.

n October 2013

Retirements

Wallace Mortenson, Midwest Maintenance.

Photo courtesy Randy Griesbach

Congratulations to Lorna and Randy Griesbach, District 1 Traffic Engineer on the birth of their newest grandson. Matthew Malachi Morrison came into the world on Sept. 6, weighing in at 7 pounds and 20 inches long. Matthew’s parents are Leah and Andrew Morrison of Laramie. Matthew joins big brother Joshua at home. Congratulations to all!

Brooke Allen, with Casper Construction, and Nate Allen are the proud parents of a new baby girl.

Arya Allen was born Sept. 11 weighing in at 6 pounds, 7 ounces and measuring 20.25 inches. Welcome, Arya!

Photo courtesy Jeff Goetz

Service Awards

Kacee Ewing, Torrington Maintenance.

Chuck Mortenson at his retirement party Sept. 4.

He’s retiring after 29 years at WYDOT. We’re unsure why he had to cut his own cake.

Congratulations on your retirement!

District 3

District 4

Welcome

Welcome

Wilhelm Capati, Rock Springs Traffic Striping; Cody Johler, Rock Springs Construction; Todd Long, Farson Maintenance; Jay Nelson, Kemmerer Maintenance; and Trevor Thompson, Kemmerer Maintenance.

Dustin Edwards, Buffalo Maintenance; Joshua Ferguson, Gillette Maintenance; Debra Martini, Gillette Maintenance; and Matthew Thyfault, Sheridan Maintenance.

Promotion and Transfers Rusty Speidel, Sundance Maintenance; and Douglas Turner, Gillette Mechanics.

Service Awards Capati

Johler

Linda Scott, Gillette Construction – 35 years; Scott Taylor, District 4 Construction Staff – 20 years; Connie Tucker, Sheridan Construction – 20 years; Kenneth Kraft, Telecommunications-District 4 Radio Shop – 5 years.

Schwab

Promotion and Transfers

Retirements

Courtney Schwab, Afton Construction.

Service Awards Kenneth Rosser, Evanston Maintenance – 10 years; and Jayson Davis, Afton Maintenance – 5 years.

Congratulations

Rosser

Davis

Photo courtesy District 3

Then and Now

Wayne Alexander, Gillette Maintenance.

David Fedrizzi is looking as sharp as he did in his younger days.

District 4 WTDEA recently awarded scholarship for collegebound students of WYDOT employees. The winners are: Shelby Baumgartner, daughter of Mark Baumgartner of District Traffic-Sheridan, will be attending Northwest Community College.

Thomas Bush, son of Mike Bush with Gillette construction, will be attending Black Hills State.

Baumgartner Bush Kory Butts, son of Jim Butts from Sundance Construction, will be attending Gillette College.

Bailey McLean, daughter of Doug McLean with Sheridan Facilities, will be atKory and Jim Butts McLean tending Chadron State College.

Submissions deadline for the November Interchange is:

Christie Butler and Corey Vine, Sheridan/Dietz Port of Entry for passing Level III CVSA class and becoming inspectors.

Attending and passing this week-long class gives them the opportunity to do log book inspections. This includes inspections on non-English speaking drivers as well as doing PBT/alcohol testing and violations. Congratulations to both of them on a job well done.

October 13, 2013

Congratulations Christie Butler, Sheridan/Dietz Port of Entry on her recent wedding. n

October 2013

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District 5

Welcome Travis Jorgensen, Worland Maintenance.

Service Awards

Photo courtesy Jim Cox

Ronald Huff, District 5 Maintenance Staff – 35 years; Kaia Tharp, Dubois Construction – 20 years; Robert Scheidemantel, Riverton Construction – 15 years; Curtis Clark, Telecommunications District 5 Radio Shop – 10 years.

Tharp

Scheidemantel

Parked at the District 5 office in Basin, a latemodel pickup truck sported an interesting license plate and made quite a puddle on the asphalt. A quick photo and a check courtesy of the WHP for “wants and warrants” revealed the owner of this classic license plate. Lyle Lamb of Powell. Yep, he’s ours!

La Barge Flood Relief Headquarter's Chapter

W.T.D .E.A

La Barge, Wyoming has flooded several times since September 12 due to massive rains. 30+ homes were significantly damaged.

The Headquarters Chapter is hosting a donation drive to help with the aftereffects.

Please bring your donated items to your WTDEA Rep, and we will get them distributed to La Barge on a regular basis.

Thank you for your support!

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n October 2013

Photo courtesy Jim Cox

Huff

Robbie Zuspan, a mechanic in the Lander shop, won a very cool grill from Snap-on Tools. This high-tech grill also has a built in refrigerator.

We know where to go for the barbecue from now on! Congratulations, Robbie.

WTDEA

Nick Hines might be new to the WTDEA state board, but he’s not new to WTDEA. Hines, who works in the Environmental Services Program, has been a member of the WTDEA Headquarters chapter for three years.

Hines was elected to be one of the state board representatives early this year. He and Janet Vossler, WTDEA state board treasurer, are spearheading the 2014 photo contest.

Photos chosen will be featured in the 2014 Cash Calendar.

Hines also updates the WTDEA Intranet site with key items to help employees find Hines the information they are looking for. He has made significant steps to bring WTDEA into the 21st century by pitching the idea of having a WTDEA classified item website.

Through this feature, employees are able to post photos of items they would like to sell.

Hines wanted WYDOT employees to feel reassured about who they purchased items from or sold them to in the wake of so many Craigslist scams.

A goal Hines would like to see come to fruition is having more employees support the relief fund by making monthly contributions through payroll deductions.

“It would also be nice to see more support for WTDEA statewide,” said Hines. “WTDEA is always looking for members. The organization can only be as good as the people involved.”

Hines is originally from Casper and now lives in Cheyenne. He enjoys hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing, nature photography and spending time with his family. n

Photo: Rick Carpenter

Nick Hines new representative for state board in 2013

Total number of employees: as of August 28, 2013

2,011

One month ago

2,038

One year ago

2,046

Cash calendar photo con- State board annual meeting held in Cody The WTDEA state board held their annual meeting August 28-30 in Cody. test under way A benefit of being a member of the WTDEA is the annual drawing. In August of

each year, state board draws one name from each district and Headquarters. Each name drawn wins $100.

This August the following names were drawn: • Headquarters – Holly Hopwood, Employee Safety; • District 1 – James Roberts, Cheyenne Maintenance; • District 2 – Pat Busskohl, Midwest/Kaycee Super Foreman; • District 3 – Franklin David Boone, Wamsutter Maintenance; • District 4 – Mike Bush, Gillette Construction; and • District 5 – Jason Fleming, Lovell Maintenance.

Congratulations! n

Photo: WTDEA

Do you have what it takes? Submit a photo to find out.

The WTDEA state board is holding a photo contest for the 2014 state WTDEA cash calendar. The contest is open to WYDOT and WyHy employees only.

All photo submissions must have been taken in Wyoming and should be original photos with limited digital enhancements.

Please see http://wtdeaclassified.com for the complete listing of rules.

Photos need to be submitted by Oct. 25 to qualify, and voting will take place the last week of October.

The top 12 photos will be featured in the 2014 cash calendar and the winning photographers will get a free copy of the calendar.

All proceeds of the cash calendar benefit the WTDEA employee relief fund. n

Nick Hines (right), WTDEA state board representative, presenting Holly Hopwood of Employee Safety a check for $100.

October 2013

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Noteworthy WYDOT receives accolades from the At the September Transportation Commission meeting, Scott Talbott, director of Wyoming Game and Fish, presented WYDOT with the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) 2013 Special Recognition Award for excellence in highway crossing structures for big game animals.

For more than 20 years, WYDOT has worked to understand and reduce big game mortalities on Wyoming highways. The research done also improves highway design, protecting wildlife and the motoring public.

WYDOT was among many nominations for this WAFWA award Wyoming Game and Fish Director Scott Talbott (right) presents the award to WYDOT’s District 3 and one of only Engineer John Eddins (center) and Resident Engithree selected in neer Pete Hallsten.

By contract, no more than two miles of the existing roadway surface is allowed to be disturbed at one time.

Contract completion date is Oct. 14, 2014.

Paving operations near on U.S. 287 highway improvement project east of Lander

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n October 2013

ading!

Re

18

le Afte yc

r

Lander – Asphalt paving began Oct. 1 on the $4.4 million highway improvement project east of Lander on U.S. 287, according to Erik Smith, WYDOT resident engineer in Lander.

“We hope to have the project paved by Oct. 11, weather permitting,” said Smith.

“The recent wet weather has hampered our efforts, but we’ll take the moisture.”

The Beaver Creek East project includes grading, draining, asphalt mill-

ing, placing pit run gravel subbase, chip sealing, bridge deck repairs, fencing and other work on 4.58 miles of U.S. 287 beginning at milepost 55.00 between Lander and Muddy Gap. Milepost 55.00 is 13.2 miles east of the U.S. 287/WYO 28 (Rawlins) highway junction, south of Lander.

Smith said chip sealing of the project will occur in 2014. n

ease Re l c P

Briefs continued from page 13

Photo: Rick Carpenter

Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

the western part of the United States.

“WYDOT has become a leader in designing and building innovative and successful highway crossing structures to address these critical wildlife concerns,” said Talbott. “WYDOT’s efforts have resulted in the safe passage of nearly 30,000 big game animals since the structures have been built.”

Talbott went on to commend the efforts of Chief Engineer Del McOmie, District 3 Engineer John Eddins and WYDOT employees for working tirelessly on lifesaving structures.

In 2001, WYDOT designed and built the first ungulate underpass structure in Nugget Canyon on U.S. 30 in western Wyoming.

This underpass and others like it continue to reduce vehicle collisions with game animals. Nugget Canyon contains six underpasses and more than six miles of deer-tight fencing. Thousands of mule deer safely migrate through the canyon where vehicle and animal collisions have been reduced by 85 percent.

The success of the Nugget Canyon underpasses led to more recent projects on U.S. 789 and the extensive 2012 Trappers Point project outside of Pinedale on U.S. 191. The two wildlife overpasses are the first built in Wyoming and were designed for the ancient migration route for pronghorn antelope traveling between winter range in the high desert south of Pinedale and the summer range in Grand Teton National Park.

The Trappers Point project has previously been honored with awards from the Wyoming Engineering Society, the National Parks Conservation Association and the Federal Highway Administration. n

What did you do this fall?

Submit your photos for the next WYDOT Outdoors!

Submissions deadline for

WYDOT Outdoors:

12/13/13

carlie.vanwinkle @wyo.gov

30th annual Quad State Snow and Ice Meeting What started out as a casual meeting in Sidney, Neb. to improve communications between WYDOT and the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) state maintenance facilities 30 years ago has blossomed into a four-state annual conference.

More than 80 employees from WYDOT, NDOR, Kansas Department of Transportation and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) attended this year’s meeting. Highway maintenance, construction, communication centers and law enforcement entities were all represented.

Camaraderie is built at this annual meeting where ideas are shared, tales told, equipment shown off and contact information is exchanged.

“These annual meetings are very beneficial. If there is an issue out there, one state may have come up with a solution,” said Chris Ford, district operations manager for NDOR. “It’s good to get together to help resolve that issue we may all share.”

A representative from each state spoke to the group, sharing a synopsis of challenges faced in their districts in the past year. Each of the four states shared tales of storms that closed down major highway systems. I-80 in southeastern Wyoming and western Nebraska had been closed several times by storms this past April.

When WYDOT closes a stretch of interstate, adjoining states are alerted and can take action to avoid stranded travelers and storm-related deaths. Immediately following this year’s Quad State Meeting, each of the states’ employees exercised what the meeting was all about. WYDOT assisted CDOT with road closures due to the severe flooding Colorado was experiencing.

“We had started getting calls from Colorado. There was no issue with whether or not the calls were legitimate because we had met all of the contacts in person,” said Tim McGary, District 1 maintenance engineer. “We had previous issues with the Transportation Management Center getting calls from alleged county agencies asking for things that CDOT had not approved. Fortunately, we knew who to call to get the correct information.” n

Training ata Glance Here are upcoming training opportunities from WYDOT University and the Transportation Learning Network (TLN) Date Class Oct. 2 Successfully Communicating

Location Cheyenne

Oct. 3

Business Writing

Cheyenne

Oct. 15

People Side of Project Management

Oct. 17

Successful Meetings or Training Using Distance Technology

Oct. 29

Snowplow Operator Training

Oct. 29

MBTI & Teams

WYDOT only TLN Webinar TLN Cheyenne

Coming up in November 2013: Nov. 4-7 New Employee Orientation #1 (NEO)

Cheyenne

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

Passings Arthur E. Bohl

Joe Butner

Arthur E. Bohl, 96, died of natural causes April 1, at the Platte County Memorial Nursing Home in Wheatland.

Bohl worked for the Wyoming Highway Department in Wheatland Maintenance and retired with more than 29 years in December 1978.

He was born Nov. 2, 1916 in Montrose, Colo. and moved to Wheatland in 1928.

He served in the United States Army during World War II in a medic squad. Upon discharge, he returned to Wheatland and worked as a mechanic.

In his spare time, Bohl served as a volunteer firefighter filling fire extinguishers and was a member of the local Masonic Lodge. He liked to go arrowhead hunting, restored old radios, and restored John Deere tractors.

A graveside service was held April 4 with the Wheatland Masonic Lodge, Laramie Peak VFW, American Legion Post, and Wyoming Army National Guard Honor Guard conducting graveside rites at the Wheatland cemetery. n

Highway Patrol retiree Joe Butner died Sept. 18 at his home in Cheyenne. He was 85.

Butner, a Wheatland native, served with the Patrol from 1960 to 1985. He retired as the WHP inventory and equipment officer.

Butner He was a graduate of Wheatland High School and a seven-year veteran of the Army National Guard. Prior to joining the Patrol, he owned and operated a gas station in Wheatland.

Butner was affiliated with the Medicine Bow Lions Club, Good Sam’s Club and First Christian Church. He also a longtime supporter of Cheyenne Hands and Harmony and was recognized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars for his outstanding community service.

Funeral services for Butner were conducted Sept. 24 in Cheyenne. n

October 2013

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Photo courtesy Jackson Engel

s

WYDOT Outdoors

r were eral, and his son Bridge , assistant attorney gen els Eng g. n din kso Jac Lan r ods me Wo This sum River, near prize from the Laramie caught admiring their

Photo courtesy Whitney Wise

ing the Loren Woodin, District 4 Construction, enjoy tains.

Moun Horn Big the g fishin of quiet and peace

Whitney Wise, Rawlins Construction, completed her first tandem skydive in July with Mile High Skydiving in Longmont, Colo. “All I can really say is that it was awesome,� she says.

Looks like she had a great time.

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n October 2013

Photo courtesy Michael Spilker Photo courtesy Cody Beers

Photo courtesy Cody Beers

Photo courtesy Loren Woodin ise ney W y Whit courtes Photo

WYDOT has go ne Hawg Wild ! This summer ride to Deadw found five Mat ood, S.D. (l to erials Lab em r) Terrence Ga and Dan Sutto ployees emba vagan, Jason n had the im rked on a Klassen, Mich age captured ael Spilker, An near Devils To thony Flores, wer National Monument of f WYO 24.

Baylor Beers (left), son of District 5 Public Involvement Specialist Cody Beers, fished the Shoshone River near Cody with his uncle Justin Esser this summer. The two-hour float produced nice catches of brown, cutthroat and rainbow trout. (above)

October 2013

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Tell your checks to say cheese!

Remote Deposit Capture is coming to WyHy! No matter where you are you can deposit checks to your WyHy account for FREE using Remote Deposit Capture.

• Deposit checks quickly and easily for FREE • Make deposits 24/7 with your iPhone or Android device Almost anyone in Wyoming can belong!

WyHy.org

800.442.2392 307.638.4200 Cheyenne • 307.234.2373 Casper 22

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n October 2013

Over the Limit?

Under Arrest.

Break Time

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

Always use a designated driver.

HIGHWAY SAFETY

OMING WY HWAY PATRO HIG

L

PROGRAM

Retiring from WYDOT?

Name:

Or, just need to submit a new address so you don’t miss a single issue of Interchange?

Mailing address: Give us your name and address and we’ll be sure to put you on our mailing list.

Please fill in, cut out and return this slip to WYDOT Public Affairs Office, 5300 Bishop Blvd., Cheyenne, WY 82009.

Or, e-mail Carlie Van Winkle at carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov.

October 2013

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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

Paid for by Federal Highway Safety Funds