Paving work on the erosion-affected segment of the Gros Ventre/Kelly Road, which will include a two-week daytime closure, will begin Monday, October 2. RJS Construction, Inc., based out of Yakima, Washington, will establish two paved lanes of travel around the eroded section and provide additional stabilization to the river bank. Work is anticipated to be conducted through November 21, or as weather conditions allow.
Beginning Monday, October 2 through Friday, October 13, the road will be closed between the Gros Ventre Junction with US Highway 26/89/191 to the Gros Ventre Campground on weekdays between 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. During the mid-day closures, traffic to the community of Kelly, Gros Ventre Campground, and other locations in the area will be rerouted via Antelope Flats Road. The detour will be signed along roadways. The mid-day road closure applies to all traffic, including bicycles and pedestrians.
Travelers may encounter delays of up to 15 minutes before and after the mid-day closure and on weekends through October 13. One lane of traffic will be maintained overnight during this time.
Between October 14 and November 21, the road will be open for travel with maximum 15-minute delays during daylight hours due to continued road work and river bank stabilization.
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent David Vela said, “The construction schedule was set to minimize disruption to traffic between the community of Kelly and the highway, specifically for school-related and campground traffic.”
This work is the second of three phases in response to an historic and significant amount of snowmelt and runoff this spring that caused major erosion to the Gros Ventre River bank and affected the road. Approximately 4.5 miles of the road were closed June 6 - 29.
The first phase of work was completed in June and included a gravel bypass around the eroded section and some river bank stabilization. An alternating one-lane of traffic managed by a lighted traffic control system has been in place since late June.
The third and final phase will include re-establishment of the river bank and permanent realignment of the road. This work is anticipated to begin in late 2019.
The Gros Ventre Campground, managed by Grand Teton Lodge Company, remains open and available for first-come, first-served overnight camping with the last night to camp is October 12.
Jeff
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