WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Representatives Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) and Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urging the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide necessary federal assistance to the Wyoming Department of Transportation as it works to repair the Teton Pass following a catastrophic landslide that wiped out a section of the highway.

“We stress the urgency of restoring travel for more than 7,000 daily drivers between the greater Jackson area of Wyoming and Victor, Idaho. The highway closure jeopardizes livelihoods and impacts a significant portion of the workforce—around 15%— that routinely commutes to Jackson from Idaho,” said the senators and representatives.

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon issued a disaster declaration to ensure the state has access to emergency federal funding to repair the highway, which serves as a crucial connector for not only employees and residents between Idaho and Wyoming, but also is critical for tourism as it connects Idaho to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. 

The legislators stressed the urgency of this situation, as the alternate route adds more than an hour to the commute each way.

Read the full letter here.

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