WYDOT moves to “Plan B” at Cattlemen’s Bridge

Unsafe conditions and potential catastrophic failure of the temporary structure led the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) and Teton County to close a temporary bridge over the Gros Ventre River.

The temporary bridge was intended to move traffic while the permanent Cattlemen’s Bridge was under construction. The temporary bridge was closed because one of the structure’s piers was sinking.

The sinking pier was caused by scouring, or erosion of the foundation due to high water flows in the river, according to WYDOT. Work began immediately to divert the water flow away from the pier to prevent a total collapse.

Officials said Friday that the flow of the Gros Ventre River appeared to have peaked, minimizing the potential for additional damage.

“Our biggest concern was the safety of the traveling public. When it became apparent that the scouring would not subside, crews began working on diverting the water flow. A failure of the temporary bridge would cause harm to crews working in the area and potentially damage the new structure that is under construction,” WYDOT District Engineer Keith Compton said.

Engineers have decided that damage to the temporary bridge was too substantial to safely reopen. Instead, WYDOT and its contractors will be accelerating their work on the new bridge. With more manpower and resources, they hope to open the new bridge in 3 to 4 weeks.

Emergency services to areas served by Cattleman’s Bridge will be maintained via Highway 89, Spring Gulch Road, and Sagebrush Drive. Emergency vehicles will have priority access through the roundabout construction at Gros Ventre Junction.

Reiman Corporation won a $3.8 million contract to build the new bridge last October. It is located north of Jackson on Spring Gulch Road. It is part of WYDOT”s Bridge Replacement Off System program.