U.S. 14 got paved just in time for the snow to start flying.

A 10-mi. stretch of U.S. 14 from Burgess Junction south to the Big Horn County and District 5 boundary met many challenges this summer, but did get paved just in time for the snow to start flying.

WYDOT dealt with weather on the mountain this summer. A wet spring and early fall meant long days and short weekends for contractors and WYDOT construction staff.

This two-year project began last summer with the realignment of a portion of the highway and blasting at Hunt Mountain to obtain aggregate materials for this summer's reconstruction.

In addition to paving, Wilson Brothers Construction and its subcontractors installed a new box culvert at Owens Creek, installed new culverts at Markum, Sheely and Prospect creeks and lined other existing culverts with a polymeer lining — which extends the life of the culvert. The approach into Owens Creek campground was realigned and new fencing is being installed along the entire project.

The majority of the project was completed prior to the weather changing but contractors ran out of time and temperatures to put the wearing course down. The wearing course — an inch-thick layer of hot plant mix that gives the roadway added traction and extends the life of the paving — will be completed next summer once temperatures of 60 degrees or higher are reached. In addition to the wearing course, fencing, landscaping and paving the parking lot at the county line will be completed in the spring of 2019.

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