The fence did its job, but paid dearly.
Finished only last fall to guard against rock slides above the highway at the upper end of Buffalo Bill Reservoir, the heavy mesh fence was put to the test …
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The fence did its job, but paid dearly.
Finished only last fall to guard against rock slides above the highway at the upper end of Buffalo Bill Reservoir, the heavy mesh fence was put to the test on a wet Memorial Day weekend. Huge granite boulders slid down the mountain, but the fence stopped them from reaching U.S. Highway 14/16/20.
“It worked pretty well,” said Todd Frost, Wyoming Department of Transportation resident engineer in Cody.
A WYDOT geologist was at the site last week to assess conditions on the slope and to inventory the loss. The 450-foot long fence was installed by the department at a cost of $348,750.
“We’re going to have to replace some posts and some damaged parts of the fence,” Frost said. “I’m assuming we’ll let a contract, but I don’t know the time frame.”
— By Dave Bonner