WYDOT Receives $13 Million to Redesign I-80/I-25 Interchange

There are a number of exhilarating, sometimes death-defying activities to do in Wyoming. Exiting Interstate 80 to merge onto Interstate 25 in Cheyenne is one of them. 

The cloverleaf exchange activity includes tight curves, not enough time to slow down or speed up, and not enough space to comfortably merge on or off the ramp without fear of becoming one with the vehicle exiting or entering the ramp. 

Thankfully, a redesign is in the works. The Wyoming Department of Transportation received a $13 million dollar grant from the 2023 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity to fund the final design work of the interchange. 

In a WYDOT press release, assistant chief engineer of engineering and planning Keith Fulton said this is the third time WYDOT has applied for federal grant funding for this specific interchange. 

The RAISE grant won’t fund construction, but the redesign work is absolutely necessary before any ground is broken.

“Once we have a final design, we can better estimate construction costs and possible phasing of projects,” Fulton said.

“The current cloverleaf design is obsolete, and the sharp, tight curves paired with vehicle weaving and insufficient acceleration and deceleration lanes can create issues for freight and other traffic movement,” he added.

In the last five years, there have been almost 200 crashes in the interchange area, according to WYDOT data. Five of those accidents have been critical, and 24 of them are serious. 

According to the US Department of Transportation, RAISE discretionary grants help project sponsors at the State and local levels, including municipalities, Tribal governments, counties, and others, complete critical freight and passenger transportation infrastructure projects.

RAISE grant eligibility requirements allow for funding projects that are harder to support through other US Department of Transportation grant programs.