Friday, May 12, 2017

Spring Construction Update in Grand Teton

Several construction projects will be underway this summer in Grand Teton National Park. Here's a rundown of what to expect this summer:

Trails
The 2016-2017 winter saw above-average snowfall in the Teton Range, which means many trails will not be snow-free until much later than usual. The high moisture content and weight of this snow means park trail crews will be busy during the first part of the season repairing bridges and clearing debris such as fallen trees and rocks. As the season progresses, they may reroute small portions of some trails to avoid problematic areas.

Roads
The Signal Mountain Summit Road will be closed from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday from May 15 through early June to support a fuels reduction project. Visitors may also encounter 15-minute delays along U.S. Highway 89 throughout the park during May as road crews will be re-striping the road. Motorists on the Pacific Creek Road will encounter 15-minute delays in July and August as road crews resurface the road.

Historic Buildings and Districts 
The University of Wyoming will replace the Berol Lodge roof beginning in late August. Also in late August, two Lupine Meadows cabin foundations will be replaced. The Mormon Row interpretive path, the Murie Residence, and Menor’s Ferry Store will all experience minor repairs this summer.

Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center
Removal of the front porch roof which was damaged this winter began May 1 and is expected to last two weeks. Once the roof has been removed, potable water supply restored, and building safety checks completed, the building will open to the public—likely by early June. The work is being funded by Jackson Hole Preserve, Inc. and completed by Dembergh Construction of Wilson, WY. The area around the building is closed to the public during the construction activities.

Moose Water and Wastewater Infrastructure 
Replacement of the aging and inadequate water system which supplies the Moose and Beaver Creek areas is continuing this summer. The contractor, RSCI Group of Boise, Idaho, and their subcontractor, Westwood Curtis Construction of Jackson, Wyoming, are replacing the water transmission line from its origin at Taggart Creek to Moose. The contractors will install water distribution lines at 4 Lazy F Ranch and Moose, as well as replace the storage tank at Taggart Creek.

Construction of the new Moose wastewater treatment plant is also underway. The new plant will be located just northwest of the Moose Post Office. Visitor impacts associated with the Moose water projects include potential 15-minute delays on the Teton Park Road, a temporary reroute of the multi-use pathway between the Moose Entrance Station and the Chapel of the Transfiguration Road during July, trail reroutes near the Taggart Lake Trailhead, and closure of the 4 Lazy F Ranch Road during May.

Pilgrim Creek Water Infrastructure 
Installation of a new water supply system for Jackson Lake Lodge and Colter Bay Village and placement of a new water transmission line to Jackson Lake Lodge will continue this summer. Bairco Construction, Inc. of Lovell, Wyoming, will remove the Pilgrim Creek wells from the floodplain and bring the entire water supply system closer to the developed highway corridor. The Grand View Point Trailhead may be closed for one or two weeks, and visitors to this trailhead may experience brief delays throughout the summer (you can use this trailhead instead).

You may also want to note that the entire Moose-Wilson Road has opened to motor vehicles for the season. Schwabacher and Deadman's Bar roads opened over the past couple of weeks, and of course the Teton Park Road opened on May 1. Other roads such as the Grassy Lake Road and Signal Mountain Summit Road will open when road and weather conditions permit, which will likely be early-June.



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikingintheSmokys.com

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