Teton Pass
The Teton Pass highway in Wyoming is designated as State Highway 22 and the pass is approximately eleven miles (18 km) out of Jackson. The maximum grade on the road is 10%, and several avalanche slide paths traverse the road along its length, including Glory Bowl slide area. During the winter months, the road is often closed in the early mornings for avalanche control by the Wyoming Department of Transportation. The area is popular for backcountry skiing, snowboarding, and mountain biking.
The pass is a few miles south of Grand Teton National Park; parts of the route to the pass are located in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The small town of Wilson sits at the base of the east side of the pass, while Teton Village and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski area are northeast of the pass.
At the state line at approximately 6,690 feet (2,040 m), it becomes Idaho State Highway 33 and continues northwest to Victor, then north to Driggs.
2024 collapse
On the morning of June 6, 2024, large cracks formed in the road near milepost 12.8 of the Teton Pass highway. The road was temporarily closed with the hope that the road could be patched. However, two days later on June 8, the cracked section of the Teton Pass highway collapsed.
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon declared an emergency in the region, citing the significant impact the collapse had on commuters and the local residents and economy. The impact on commuters was significant, as the alternate route between Jackson and Victor, Idaho requires a >60 mile (97 km) detour.
On June 28, the highway reopened with a slight detour while work continues.
Cited references
- ^ "Teton Pass". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
- ^ "Teton Pass back open after large cracks found in road". Local News 8. 2024-06-06. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
- ^ Razek, Raja; Cullinane, Susannah (2024-06-08). "'Catastrophic landslide' closes critical mountain highway between Wyoming and Idaho". CNN. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
- ^ "Large chunk of Wyoming's Teton Pass road collapses; unclear how quickly it can be rebuilt". AP News. 2024-06-09. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
- ^ Hall, Jasmine (2024-06-28). "UPDATED: Teton Pass opens, 12:01 p.m. Friday". Jackson Hole News & Guide. Jackson Hole News & Guide. Archived from the original on 2024-06-29. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
External links
- Wyoming Department of Transportation webcam for Teton Pass