An $8.78 million slide stabilization/rock scaling project is scheduled to begin today (Tuesday), alongside U.S. Highway 20/Wyo. Highway 789 through the Wind River Canyon.

Prime contractor Oftedal Construction Inc., of Casper, started hauling equipment into the area — located between Shoshoni and Thermopolis — on Monday.

“The contractor plans to start slide stabilization work, with rock scaling, near the Upper Wind River Campground and the canyon tunnels,” said Wyoming Department of Transportation project engineer Jordan Erz of Worland.

Erz said the state campground will remain open for public use at all times during slide stabilization efforts.

Rockfall scaling locations in Wind River Canyon include milepost 116.3 (highway tunnels), mileposts 116.79 to 116.82 (north of the tunnels/just south of the Fremont/Hot Springs county line), mileposts 118.12 to 118.18, and mileposts 120.41 to 120.61 (3 miles north of the county line).

“The contractor should only be working one of these sections at a time unless unforeseen circumstances change this schedule,” Erz said. “Traffic should expect 20-minute delays, with one-way traffic when everything is clear for falling rocks. The contractor expects these areas to take a month to manually clear loose rocks from the canyon wall ledges.”

The Wind River Canyon slide stabilization project includes slide repair, grading, slide stabilization rock (SSR), manual rock scaling, rock fall mitigation and other work on U.S. 20/Wyo. 789 from milepost 115.9 through 123.12 inside the canyon.

Contract completion date is Nov. 30, 2022.