Pushing Snow Onto Wyoming State Highways Could Land You in Jail
The Wyoming Department of Transportation is reminding the public that it's illegal to push snow onto state highways.
Agency spokeswoman Andrea Staley says WYDOT has received many reports this month across southeast Wyoming of people pushing snow into the traffic lanes.
"Piling or depositing of snow in WYDOT’s right of way not only reduces line of sight visibility, but also creates other hazards such as drifting, and potential road obstructions,” said Laramie Area Maintenance Supervisor Eric Anderson.
"Large piles of snow adjacent to the roadway can melt and contribute to areas of unexpected slick spots, creating hazards on an otherwise dry roadway," District 1 Maintenance Engineer Tim Morton added.
Staley says state statute stipulates that anyone who obstructs a public road or highway, common street or alley, public bridge, or navigable river in a way that makes it inconvenient or dangerous to pass is breaking the law.
She says each violation is punishable by a fine of up to $100 and a jail sentence of up to three months.
"While finding appropriate solutions to snow removal can be a challenge, be sure to remove snow responsibly, not to cause hazards to the traveling public," Staley said in a release.
§ 35-10-401. Obstructing or injuring highways, streets, bridges or navigable streams generally; offensive manufactures or businesses; pollution of waters.
(a) If any person, company or corporation shall obstruct or injure or cause or procure to be obstructed or injured, any public road or highway, or common street or alley of any town or village, or any public bridge or causeway, or public river or stream, declared navigable by law, or shall continue such obstruction, so as to render the same inconvenient or dangerous to pass, or shall erect or establish any offensive trade, or manufacture or business, or continue the same after it has been erected or established, or shall in anywise pollute or obstruct any watercourse, lake, pond, marsh or common sewer, or continue such obstruction or pollution, so as to render the same unwholesome or offensive to the county, city, town or neighborhood thereabouts; every person, company or corporation so offending, shall upon conviction thereof, be fined not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100.00); and every such nuisance may, by order of the district court before whom the conviction may take place, be removed and abated by the sheriff of the proper county.
(b) Whoever, in any manner, wrongfully obstructs any public highway, or injures any bridge, culvert, or embankment, or injures any material used in the construction of any such road, shall be fined in any sum not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00), to which may be added imprisonment in the county jail not more than three (3) months.