WYO 70 Over Battle Pass Opens for 2023 Season
Wyoming Highway 70 over Battle Pass has reopened for the summer season, the Wyoming Department of Transportation announced Thursday.
According to WYDOT, crews from Saratoga and Baggs started work on the 23-mile stretch in early May, using multiple rotary plows, snowcats, and other heavy equipment to clear large snowdrifts.
WYDOT says severe weather is still possible at higher elevations in late spring, including heavy, wet, intense snowstorms, and it urges those planning to travel on WYO 70 to call 511 or visit wyoroad.info for the latest road conditions before heading out.
"Be aware of melting snow along the roadway," warns WYDOT District 1 Maintenance Engineer Tim Morton. "The snowmelt can refreeze at night creating isolated hazardous slick spots which may catch drivers off guard.”
WYDOT says crews may be in the area in the coming weeks to make repairs to items like guardrails and signposts damaged by snow, so drivers will want to stay alert for them and be prepared to slow down.
WYO 70, which tops out at 9,955 feet as it crosses the Continental Divide, is one of several high-elevation mountain roads in Wyoming that closes annually in late fall when relatively low traffic and deep snow accumulations render plowing operations impractical.
It typically has a target reopening date of the first week in June.
Last year, the scenic highway opened for the summer season on May 23 and closed for the winter season on Nov. 29.
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