WYDOT Releases Information on Road Projects for Southeast Wyoming

Wyoming Department of Transportation engineers released their list of highway projects for the next seven years for District 1, which includes Laramie, Albany and Carbon Counties. The projects in Laramie County for this year include the 1-25 and College Drive Diverging Diamond Interchange upgrade which is scheduled to be completed in October and the 8.1 million dollar project on Happy Jack Road. There are also several resurfacing and rehabilitiation projects around Laramie county.

WYDOT District 1 engineer Pat Persson says in FY 2014 they are proposing a  $1 million dollar project to repair concrete slabs near Little America. In 2015 the projects include a $4.6 million dollar overlay on US 85 and a $7.9 million dollar mill and overlay project on I 80 between Cheyenne and Laramie as well as $8.1 million dollars to replace bridges on westbound I 80 near Pine Bluffs. There are also several big ticket projects scheduled in Laramie County in FY 2016,FY 2017, FY 2018 and FY 2019.

Persson says the farther out you go though the more you have to adjust future projects for inflation. He says the recent Wyoming Legislature passed a bill that raises the state's gasoline tax by 10 cents a gallon which will generate and additonal $47 million a year  towards roads. He says the Legislature also provided an additional $25 million in one time funding.  He says the additional money will help but at the present rate, construction funding would need to increase by $62.1 million each year for WYDOT to maintain the highway system in its current condition.