the roads to l-town

Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:50 pm

The pictures on wyodot look crappy of the roads over there. Hopefully all those who are going to the game tomarrow get there safe.

Fri Oct 09, 2009 10:05 pm

It's starting to really come down here in Laramie. Our first good snow of the year

I hope it's a blizzard by game time!

Fri Oct 09, 2009 10:29 pm

Its funny, this is my first winter in the states outside of Laramie. I read all of this weather info and feel bunkered down in my house, ready to bundle up... then I remember I live in LA and its 60 degrees out. I'd trade it though to be at the War tomorrow. We haven't had a real good winter game in a while.

Fri Oct 09, 2009 10:35 pm

Sounds like great weather to me. We're going to have similar weather in Missoula tomorrow.. 22 at kickoff, wind out of the East, but I don't think we'll have any snow. I bought all of my liquor tonight, so I'll be nice and warm most of the day tomorrow. Hope you guys do the same.

Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:05 am

The f**king roads are closed!!! AAAAAAARGH!!!!

Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:14 am

I read the WyDOT report, but I never trust them to be on the ball, so headed out from Casper. Didn't even make it out of town before the big sign said "Closed".

This will make two homecomings in a row that I missed. Last year I didn't want to watch the beat down.

Will be the first home game I've watched on TV..maybe ever.

GO POKES.

Sat Oct 10, 2009 10:03 am

This is the 7th home game I've missed since I was 6 years old. I am NOT happy with mother nature right now.

Sat Oct 10, 2009 10:11 am

Kougar78 wrote:I read the WyDOT report, but I never trust them to be on the ball, so headed out from Casper. Didn't even make it out of town before the big sign said "Closed".

This will make two homecomings in a row that I missed. Last year I didn't want to watch the beat down.

Will be the first home game I've watched on TV..maybe ever.

GO POKES.

Try coming down through Rawlins. The interstate and US 30 were both closed, but they weren't that bad and I'm betting they just closed them so people wouldn't pile up in Laramie. They will probably be open any minute west of Laramie.

Sat Oct 10, 2009 10:19 am

I think WYDOT will have some explaining to do after this one. The roads have been pretty clear from Rawlins to Laramie most of the morning. At least the western half of the state could have gotten there - too late now. I looked at the webcams across I-80 all morning from about 6am and never saw a single snow plow out until I saw the ones bringing the NMex busses over from Cheyenne. I don't think they even worked on the roads.

Sat Oct 10, 2009 10:29 am

Looks like they are starting to open the roads.

US 30 and I-80 are closed only in the Eastbound direction

I-80 Corridor

Rawlins - I-80 between Rawlins and Walcott Junction - EASTBOUND Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Elk Mountain - I-80 between Walcott Junction and Elk Mountain - EASTBOUND Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Elk Mountain - I-80 between Elk Mountain and Exit 267 - EASTBOUND Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Arlington - I-80 between Exit 267 and Arlington - EASTBOUNND Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Arlington - I-80 between Arlington and the Albany County line - EASTBOUND Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Laramie - I-80 between the Carbon/Albany County line and Laramie - EASTBOUND Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Laramie - I-80 between Laramie and Happy Jack Summit Interchange Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Laramie - I-80 between Happy Jack Summit Interchange and Albany / Laramie County Line Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Cheyenne - I-80 between Albany/Laramie County Line and Harriman Exit 342 Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Cheyenne - I-80 between Harriman Exit 342 and Cheyenne Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am

I-25 Corridor

Cheyenne - I-25 between Cheyenne and the Colorado Border Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am

Non-Interstate Routes

US 30
Rawlins - I-80 between Rawlins and Walcott Junction - EASTBOUND Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Rawlins - U.S. 30 East between Walcott Junction and Hanna Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Medicine Bow - U.S. 30/287 West to Hanna Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Medicine Bow - U.S. 30/287 East to Rock River Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Laramie - U.S. 30/287 between Rock River and WYO 34 Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Laramie - U.S. 30/287 between Laramie and WYO 34 Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Laramie - I-80 between Laramie and Happy Jack Summit Interchange Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Laramie - I-80 between Happy Jack Summit Interchange and Albany / Laramie County Line Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Cheyenne - I-80 between Albany/Laramie County Line and Harriman Exit 342 Oct. 10, 2009 10:19am
Cheyenne - I-80 between Harriman Exit 342 and Cheyenne

Sat Oct 10, 2009 11:14 am

but is it to late?

Mon Oct 12, 2009 10:20 am

All of the road closures to Laramie on Saturday were not justified. The roads east and south were maybe justified, but even they could have been opened by 10am with a little effort by WYDOT (they made no effort whatsoever). There was no justification for closing the roads west - period. The only reason they kept them closed was so the semis wouldn't overload Laramie and clog up the streets. Why not let the passenget vehicles through and hold the semis back until the roads are opened all the way through? They were aware of the game in Laramie. What a crock! WYDOT needs to be held accountable for this!

Mon Oct 12, 2009 10:35 am

WYCowboy wrote:The only reason they kept them closed was so the semis wouldn't overload Laramie and clog up the streets.

Is this a fact? If so, Cheyenne needs to step in & evaluate WYDOT. I bet there are not a lot of people (exluding rapid Poke fans of course) that really mind WYDOT erring on the side of safety though...

Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:01 am

Its not WYDOT's job to guarantee my safety. Over the last 5 to 10 years they've gone from closing roads because they are literally impassable to closing roads because they don't think it is a good idea for people to be out there. I stayed the night in Medicine Bow in my truck 20 years ago because the road closed (and it was in a really nasty storm) and had no problem with that. I also had a crew drive on a closed highway from Medicine Bow to Laramie 2 years ago and tell me it was no problem at all--just a little slick. Their choice was spending 3 or 4 days stranded in Medicine Bow due to WYDOT, not due to mother nature. Evidently, WYDOT decides if the worst driver on the road can't make it, nobody gets to go.

If you can drive stinking busses on a highway, even with a plow escort, that highway should be open. Besides, when was it life or death to get a football team and reporters to a football game? Its not life and death so either they don't send New Mexico over the hill or they let everybody go.

Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:08 am

Dread_Pirate_Cowboy wrote:Its not WYDOT's job to guarantee my safety. Over the last 5 to 10 years they've gone from closing roads because they are literally impassable to closing roads because they don't think it is a good idea for people to be out there. I stayed the night in Medicine Bow in my truck 20 years ago because the road closed (and it was in a really nasty storm) and had no problem with that. I also had a crew drive on a closed highway from Medicine Bow to Laramie 2 years ago and tell me it was no problem at all--just a little slick. Their choice was spending 3 or 4 days stranded in Medicine Bow due to WYDOT, not due to mother nature. Evidently, WYDOT decides if the worst driver on the road can't make it, nobody gets to go.

If you can drive stinking busses on a highway, even with a plow escort, that highway should be open. Besides, when was it life or death to get a football team to a football game?

Pirate, I hear you. I don't know anything about who is running WYDOT...who gets to play god with opening & closing Wyoming highways.

I can tell you this...I have driven pole-to-pole on many occassions and probably shouldn't have (but I am still here)...and I have driven / been one of the first-on's several times, and the roads were dry and no wind.

It may come down to "who wants to get off thier ass and work" and who doesn't!

Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:15 am

My biggest problem with WYDOT last Saturday was they made NO attempt to open any of the roads around Laramie until they sent out 2 snowplows to make a path for those busses. There were NO snowplows out from Rawlins to Cheyenne until after those busses came through. The interstate from Rawlins to Laramie didn't even need to be plowed - it only had a few patches of ice on it.

Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:10 pm

I don't know guys... we left Cheyenne at about 6:30 Friday night, and roads were not good and getting worse. We drove probably 30 mph all the way, didn't get to Laramie until nearly 8, and I hear they closed the road behind us. I've driven on worse roads, but not by much.

I can't speak for the rest of the state, but it kept snowing and blowing in Laramie until early morning Saturday, so I can imagine that WYDOT was fighting a losing battle most of the night (if they were fighting it at all). From my perspective, overnight road closures made sense.

Now, I do question the effort somewhat in the morning, as it seemed that weather was clearing at about 8 am. But by then, I doubt there were a lot of folke who would have gone anyway. The diehards like us sure, but not the general public. On days like this, it's critical that UW find a way to get the town of Laramie and the students out to the game. I don't know what that is, but something's gotta give there.

All told, we had a blast at the game, and it was great to see this team coming together. Looking forward to beating the zoomies.

GO POKES!

Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:28 pm

I'm not faulting them for closing the roads, but I was up at 6am and was checking webcams all the way across, and the first snow plows I saw were the ones bringing the busses over at around 10am. I could also tell there had not been any plows working on the roads. The interstate west of Laramie did not need much work at all. My problem with WYDOT is with them keeping the roads closed when they were clear (on the west side) and not even trying to get them open on the east side when they should have been out doing that at 6am.