A $5.5 million highway improvement project is kicking into high gear south of Cody on Wyoming Highway 120, and motorists can expect some delays during the work.

Mountain Construction Co., of Lovell is the prime contractor on the 6.8-mile project.

The Cody south project is located between the Highway 120 and U.S. Highway 14/16/20 intersection adjacent to Yellowstone Regional Airport and milepost 74, near the snowplow turnaround south of the Park County Landfill.

The project includes full reconstruction from the intersection of Highway 120 and U.S. 14/16/20 (milepost 81.21) for 2,000 feet. A 5-inch asphalt pavement mill and overlay will hook into the reconstructed highway and continue to near the entrance of the Park County Landfill, and pavement leveling and a pavement overlay will complete the project from just south of the landfill turnoff to milepost 74.

“Mountain Construction is beginning shoulder work on the south end of the project from milepost 74 to milepost 77,” said Wyoming Department of Transportation resident engineer Todd Frost of Cody. “This work consists of slope flattening. The contractor will then place a 1-inch pavement leveling and a 2-inch pavement overlay on this section this week, weather permitting.”

At the same time, Frost said the contractor is continuing dirt work from Alkali Lake bridge into the intersection of U.S. 14/16/20.

“Motorists can expect cumulative delays for the two locations to not exceed 20 minutes as per the contract,” Frost said. “A pilot car will be utilized on the paving portion, and flaggers will be utilized at the intersection of US14/16/20 and WY120.” 

Everything but reclamation is required to be complete by Aug. 31, Frost said, with seeding and reclamation allowed until Oct. 31, which is the contract completion date.

During the project, the contractor will be hauling from the Four Mile Pit, north of Cody, to the project. The hauling operation will come into Cody from the north on Highway 120, to 16th Street, to Sheridan Avenue, up Greybull Hill, to Highway 120, and to the project.

“The contractor wants to be finished hauling material through town before Phase 2 of the $4.3 million Sheridan Avenue project kicks off” on Aug. 25, Frost said.