I-80’s Green River westbound tunnel finally reopens; diesel jumps and a new fuel-discount hookup lands for drivers

After more than eight months in the dark, the westbound I-80 tunnel at Green River is reopening to traffic on Wednesday morning, Oct. 29 — the first time it’s been open since a fatal Feb. 14 crash forced an emergency shutdown. Wyoming DOT and its contractors hustled as soon as long-delayed electrical components arrived, patching in temporary materials to bring lighting and signs online sooner than expected. The eastbound bore has stayed open since late February with lower speeds and vehicle size limits; now the westbound side is back, but not fully finished, Overdrive reports.

Expect a slow roll to start. Only one side of the lighting system is operational in the westbound tunnel, so the speed limit will drop to 35 mph for safety. WYDOT’s message is simple: put down distractions, respect the limit, and ease through the zone. Bringing the WB tube online is only half the dance — crews still have to pull concrete barrier, reset cable barrier and clear traffic control out of the eastbound side. To do that, eastbound I-80 traffic will detour through Green River via Flaming Gorge Way on Wednesday from 9 a.m. until dark, and again Thursday, Oct. 30, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The goal is to wrap by Thursday night. If they slide behind, they’ll come back Monday, Nov. 3. There will be no detour on Friday, Oct. 31, because of Halloween foot traffic downtown.

A “legal-load-only” restriction remains for now — that means 8.5-foot width max until both tunnels are back to two lanes. Oversize haulers should still check in with the Wyoming Highway Patrol permits office for the latest. Full lighting and final work in the westbound bore will pick up again in the spring. Material delivery will dictate the pace, but WYDOT’s current completion target is June 30, 2026. Expect a rerun of head-to-head traffic in the eastbound side while crews finish those last stages.

While the tunnel is reopening, the fuel market isn’t offering much relief. After three straight weeks of declines, on-highway diesel snapped back higher, climbing 9.8 cents during the week ending Oct. 27, according to the Energy Information Administration. The U.S. average now sits at $3.72 per gallon, up from $3.62. The Midwest took the biggest hit with a 15.1-cent jump; the Rocky Mountain region wasn’t far behind at +10.1 cents. New England was the lone outlier, slipping a penny. California remains the priciest at $4.93, while the Gulf Coast is still the bargain rack at $3.35. Regionally, New England averages around $3.93, the Central Atlantic $3.88, the Lower Atlantic $3.64, the Midwest $3.72, the Rockies $3.69, and the West Coast excluding California about $4.10. A different cut of the market from ProMiles shows its national diesel average edging down 0.8 cents to $3.59, with California at $5.05 and the Gulf Coast at $3.22 in its fuel surcharge index.

One small win for the wallet: the 10-4 by WEX fuel-discount program is now baked into the Trucker Path app. That hookup lets owner-operators and small fleets find and use 10-4 by WEX pricing across thousands of stops — from 7FLEET locations (Speedway, Stripes, 7-Eleven) to Circle K, Love’s, Maverik, Sapp Bros., TA, Petro and TA Express, RaceTrac, and Road Ranger. Trucker Path users can route straight to the best price and still see parking intel, amenities, and driver reviews. The 10-4 by WEX setup is free, with nationwide diesel discounts, no credit checks or pump-card needed, and no transaction fees — the idea is to trim that line-item that can chew up roughly a third of an owner-op’s annual spend.

Bottom line for the week: I-80’s westbound tunnel at Green River is back — at lower speed and with work still to go — just in time for winter. Diesel’s bounced nearly a dime, so plan fuel stops with extra care. And if you’re chasing cents per gallon, the new Trucker Path/WEX tie-in might be worth a look on your next run across the high desert.