Two years of intense construction on Sheridan Avenue finish ahead of schedule, which should keep traffic in Cody moving without interruption for decades.
Sheridan Avenue is getting its finishing touches this week. After two years of intense construction, the Sheridan Avenue rehabilitation project is nearly finished.
Todd Frost, W.Y.D.O.T. resident engineer in Cody, shared the final project update on Friday, June 11. It was a celebratory post highlighting the final parts of the project that were completed over the weekend.
Frost categorized the work as “substantially complete” as of last week. The contractor, S&S Builders of Gillette, completed their final clean-up on Friday.
The work on Sheridan Avenue is a critical infrastructure project for Cody, ensuring similar work won’t be needed in the future.
The nearly $5 million Sheridan Avenue rehabilitation project was the first major road maintenance on the highway since it was completely rebuilt in the mid-1980s. After much consideration, W.Y.D.O.T. decided the project could not be delayed any longer.
Every bit of roadway between 14th Street and Stampede Avenue underwent intensive rehabilitation. The extensive list of completed road improvements includes:
- Replacing concrete panels
- Gutter and curb repairs
- Upgrading all corners and crosswalks for ADA accessibility
- Resealing joints
- Grinding and texturing the entire roadway
Had this construction been delayed, Sheridan Avenue would need a full reconstruction in the future. Such a project would be much longer, more intense, and far more intrusive on Cody’s tourism and business.
Overall, this construction is an immense achievement. For the entirety of the project, Sheridan Avenue never fully closed, and traffic never fully stopped.
Over the next week, W.Y.D.O.T. personnel will stripe the roadway and remove the covers from the Turn Arrows on the Stampede Traffic Signal. After that, all signs of construction will disappear.
Construction took three phases between March 2020 and June 2021. A fourth phase was planned for Fall 2021, but that is now unnecessary due to the efficiency of the road construction crews.
2021 did everything it could to extend the construction timeline. Freezing temperatures and snowfall caused weeks of delays earlier this year. But it wasn’t enough to impede progress.
Frost ended his report with a final thank you to the Cody community.
“Thank you all for your patience and cooperation throughout this project,” he said. “I greatly appreciate it. I hope you all have a great summer.”
