Wyoming Traffic Count Up By 131,000 Vehicles Saturday
Predictions of a big influx of visitors to Wyoming for Monday's solar eclipse appear to be coming true, according to a spokesman for the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT).
Doug McGee said Sunday that the statewide traffic count on Saturday was up by 131,000 vehicles compared to the average for the third Saturday in August over the past five years. Teton County led the way with a 17,000 vehicle increase over the five-year average, while Sweetwater County was up by 14,000. Laramie County was up by 12,000 vehicles.
But McGee said despite the increase in the number of cars on the road, traffic has been flowing smoothly for the most part.
U.S. Highway 287 was showing an 85 percent increase in traffic in the Tie Siding area, and a whopping 158 percent near Lander. Traffic on Interstate 25 at the Colorado state line was up by 31 percent, and I-25, in general, was showing increases of anywhere between 15 and 40 percent at various locations in Wyoming, according to McGee.
Sgt. Kyle Mckay of the Wyoming Highway Patrol said troopers were staying extremely busy, with 1,998 traffic events on Saturday, compared to 752 on the third Saturday in August last year. Sgt. Mckay says there were 34 crashes on state highways on Saturday, compared to 19 in 2016. No restrictions are in place for standard commercial vehicles, but the WHP is not issuing any permits for overweight or oversize commercial vehicles through Tuesday
No restrictions are in place for standard commercial vehicles, but the WHP is not issuing any permits for overweight or oversize commercial vehicles through TUESDAY.
Renny MacKay of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said a moose was killed by a motorist on Interstate 25 on Sunday morning. He said the incident should serve as a reminder of the importance of watching out for wildlife on state highways.