High winds around the state have forced state officials to close several roads to light, high profile vehicles. Some of the road closures include portions of I-25 between Cheyenne and Wheatland, and I-80 between Laramie and Rawlins.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol say it has investigated at least 80 crashes around the state since Monday, many of those involving vehicles that have blown over.
“Basically it comes down to common sense,” said Sergeant David Wagener, a spokesman for the Wyoming Highway Patrol. “If you’re traveling in a commercial truck and you’re towing a trailer that’s empty, you’re basically towing a huge wind sail.”
Wind gusts between 60 and 80 miles per hour have been reported on some highways. Wagener said being a careful and attentive driver in these conditions is key.
“If you can start feeling the vehicle start to lose traction, or if you’re towing a trailer and you can see the trailer is losing traction or actually uplifting off the highway from the winds, common sense would dictate that you probably need to exit as soon as possible,” said Wagener.
27 of the crashes involved injuries, but no fatalities have been reported.
A high wind warning remains in effect around Cody, Dubois, and in Central and Southeastern Wyoming until Wednesday morning. Road conditions are available by calling 511.
