Teton Pass closure impacts tourism in Teton Valley
VICTOR, Idaho - The landslide has created major impacts in the surrounding area for tourists and commuters.
The Wyoming Department of Transportation say they are working on a short term fix after the weekend collapse.
Even a few days after the collapse, the disaster is still sending shock waves throughout the Victor community.
"Actually, on Thursday, I drove over the pass and it closed immediately behind me,” said one local resident named Tyler. “And then on the way back, it had sunk another like six inches. And then Friday morning, there was the mudslide. And I believe it was Saturday was when it completely collapsed. So pretty crazy."
Even with the outside help from the US Department of Transportation and the state of Idaho, it could still be weeks before the new detour is finished.
The closure could have a big impact on tourism in the Teton Valley.
"That's going to trickle down to not just the city, but all the business owners, everybody else that lives here,” said Victor City Manager, Jeremy Besbris. “And that doesn't just end that the day the road opens, it takes a long time to catch up from those lost revenues and the projects that needed to happen that had to be delayed because we didn't have the money available."
Tourism directors for the Yellowstone-Teton Territory hope out-of-state visitors will visit other parts of the region.
"I would encourage people to really look at your itinerary, look at the maps, look at the alternate routes that are available to you,” said Kristi Baughman, marketing director with Yellowstone-Teton Territory And if it fits into your plan, look at some of those other stops, like Ashton Island Park and Saint Anthony that may not have been on your radar before, because there really are some amazing places here in Teton Valley and all throughout eastern Idaho."
"There's a whole new experience over here that people haven't really gotten a chance to explore. we have camping options, biking options, and of lot fewer people competing for those spots, whether it be on the trail or being, you know, a campsite out in the big holes," Bresbris said.
As for workers who commute to Jackson, some are driving hours to make it to work.
"My wife commuted today. She said it took her just under three hours,” said Bresbris. “She left at 6:00 in the morning to get to work. Obviously, that's not sustainable. And so, if we're talking about, if the road's not open by August, that she'll just camp over there in the parking lot and come home on the weekends."
"I just worry about people being antsy because of all the added traffic and time and everyone being in a hurry, causing an accident or something. But otherwise, mainly it's just going to take up most of our added sunlight that we just got back," Tyler said.
