More than 24 hours after Friday’s disastrous and fatal Green River Tunnel collision, responders are still working to extinguish spot fires and clear an unknown number of piled-up vehicles, authorities say.
The ongoing efforts highlight the grievousness of an incident that has little precedent in state history.
The rescue and recovery effort will be a long and uncertain process, state officials said at a press conference Gov. Mark Gordon led Saturday in Green River.
“The uniqueness of this incident is the fact that it was in the tunnel, and that the fire started in the tunnel which prevented our response,” said Major Thomas of the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP). “If this exact incident would have happened outside of the tunnel, our response would have been a little bit quicker. Working through this it’s just going to take some time.”
Officials commended the collaborative, all-hands-on-deck response, which is “truly the Wyoming way,” Gordon said.
Not Collapsing
Speculations about the incident have begun spreading online, including the belief that tunnel implosion is imminent.
A state lawmaker told the state Senate on Friday that the tunnel was collapsing.
Gordon emphasized the importance of robust communication between state agencies and encouraged the public to engage with the official channels.
“Communication is incredibly critical here. We’re working very hard to ensure that feds, state and local all have the same information so there is a clear line of communication,” he said. “Incidents like this can easily lead to a lot of rabbit trails or false comments or discussion points.”
Randy Ringstmeyer, bridge and tunnel inspector with the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT), said the tunnel isn’t going to collapse soon.
“There’s no issue with the rock itself. We’re not expecting the rock to collapse or the tunnel to collapse. That’s not going to happen,” he said.
He noted extensive fire damage, fallen concrete, exposed rebar, and debris on the ground, but said the mountainous rock itself isn't collapsing.
The tunnel's 15-inch concrete liner is badly charred and damaged and continues to crumble down, he said. Confirmed damage is already significant and a full structural inventory a long way off.
“As of now there’s enough wreckage inside the tunnel that we’re not able to get within arm’s reach,” he said. “Every square foot of that tunnel liner needs to be assessed…It’s going to be a long process.”
Traffic Overwhelm
Leaders said they are urgently working to clear the wreckage while drafting a contingency plan for semi-trailer traffic that’s overwhelmed the city’s primary artery – state-owned Flaming Gorge Way – whose aging condition and precarious underlying utility infrastructure is doubly at risk from the heightened commercial traffic.
In recent years, the city has responded to at least one water main break annually beneath Flaming Gorge Way, a public works official with the city told the Cowboy State Daily. It raises concerns that the increased 18-wheeler traffic will lead to another break.
Officials with WYDOT are drafting a contingency route that would convert the tunnel’s double eastbound lanes into head-to-head single lanes separated by concrete barriers. Because of the tunnel’s limited width, however, the solution may require the setup of checkpoints to pre-approve the size of commercial vehicles before entry.
“It’s not a perfect solution…Anything over-width or over height, we’re going to have to restrict that." said John Eddends, engineer for WYDOT’s district 3. “But we do have a sense of urgency to get traffic back on I 80.”
Tunnel Accidents Happen Though
Although Friday's harrowing incident is unique in its extent and circumstance, accidents in the tunnel are actually quite common, according to local residents and officials. Some have asked whether the state has kept sufficient safety measures, like automated de-icing systems.
WYDOT’s Eddins acknowledged the tunnel has witnessed many accidents over the years, but explained how its unique geo-engineered structure combined with Wyoming’s stubbornly erratic winter weather make simple safety solutions a challenge.
“We’ve looked at automated de-icing systems…But you have to be careful because in some cases de-icers can cause it to get slicker than if it's not de-iced. I’m not discounting it, but it takes some real science and real deliberation when to use de-icers,” he said.
He added that the department plans to bring a new safety proposal following the completion of the multiagency investigation findings.
Gordon ended on a note of personal responsibility:
“It’s important that people drive carefully, especially in these conditions,” he said. “It’s interesting to me that with all the great features and safety elements that are in our vehicles and our cellphones…that there can still be distraction and not driving with a common sense approach.”
