Wyoming Legislature Allocates $15 Million for I-80 Green River Tunnel Repairs

Wyoming lawmakers have approved a $15 million allocation to inspect and repair the Interstate 80 tunnels near Green River, following a major crash earlier this month that resulted in three fatalities and 18 injuries, Oil City News reports.

The February 14 accident also caused extensive damage to the westbound tunnel, including fire-damaged concrete and destroyed lighting and equipment.

Since the crash, the westbound tunnel has remained closed, forcing two-way traffic through the eastbound tunnel and reducing speed limits to 35 mph. However, officials have expressed concerns over the ongoing risks.

Sen. Stacy Jones (R-Rock Springs) emphasized the urgency of the situation, warning that another accident could occur if repairs are delayed.

“It’s created a bottleneck, and we need to get this money to [the Wyoming Department of Transportation] so they can expedite the inspection and repairing of the other tunnel,” Jones said during Senate discussions.

The $15 million allocation was added as an amendment to House Bill 33, which directs a portion of vehicle sales and use tax revenue to Wyoming’s highway fund. Jones, alongside Sens. Ogden Driskill (R-Devils Tower) and Larry Hicks (R-Baggs), introduced the amendment on Wednesday.

The funding is designed to accelerate the repair and inspection process, though it will be returned to the state’s savings account if WYDOT secures federal funding. Legislators viewed this as a temporary but necessary measure to address the immediate crisis.

While the emergency funds will help address the immediate need, lawmakers acknowledged that Wyoming faces broader challenges in highway funding. The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) has been operating in “preservation mode” due to a $400 million revenue shortfall.

Sen. Stephan Pappas (R-Cheyenne), chairman of the Senate Transportation, Highways, and Military Affairs Committee, stressed that a long-term funding solution is still needed.

“We will need to work out long-term funding,” he said.

Sen. Charles Scott (R-Casper) supported the tunnel repair funding but voiced concerns about diverting tax revenue from the general fund to the highway fund. He suggested that heavier vehicles, such as semitrucks, should contribute more to highway maintenance costs.

“We need to get a more fair way of funding our highways and allocate the burden of supporting those highways a little more in accordance with groups that are benefiting from it, which I think are largely not even Wyoming citizens,” Scott said.

The Wyoming House voted 52-2 in favor of the amended bill, sending it to the governor’s desk for final approval. Meanwhile, the Joint Transportation Committee is set to prioritize highway funding discussions in the interim legislative session.

Although funding has been approved, cleanup efforts for the Green River tunnel have yet to begin. WYDOT has stated that a safety evaluation must be completed before repair work can commence.