A $2 million contract for stabilization of the Upper Marten Slide on WYO 24 about eight miles west of Aladdin was awarded by the Wyoming Transportation Commission during its August meeting in Cheyenne.Johner & Sons of Spearfish, S.D., submitted the low bid for the work that will include construction of a shear key and toe berm at the bottom of the slope below the highway.

The shear key, a trench filled with rock to disrupt the slide plane, is scheduled to be done by Dec. 1. WYDOT geologists will monitor the slide closely during excavation of the trench to ensure it doesn’t further destabilize the slide.

Geotextile erosion control fabric will be placed on the slope, and the earth berm built above the shear key next year to reduce the steepness of the slope and provide resistance to the slide forces. The contract completion date is Sept. 30, 2014.

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