CHEYENNE, WY — A lack of sufficient transportation funding will make it difficult to address the state’s top transportation needs and to adequately maintain and improve Wyoming’s roads and bridges, with conditions expected to deteriorate. This is according to a new report released by TRIP, a Washington, D.C.-based national transportation research nonprofit.

This report identifies the 25 most needed transportation projects in the state to improve the safety, reliability and condition of the state’s transportation system.  Only three of the 25 most needed transportation projects in the state currently have construction funding identified. A summary of the top 10 projects is below, with a more detailed list of all 25 projects included in the body of the report.

1 Reconstruct and redesign interchange between I-80 and I-25 in Cheyenne. This $500 million project will reconstruct and redesign the interchange to provide safety improvements and enhance truck movements to nearby distribution centers, service areas and industrial parks. The design phase of this project is underway, but no construction funding is available.
2 Widening US 287 from Laramie to the Colorado state line. This $59 million project would widen 6.5 miles of the corridor to accommodate I-80 freight traffic, which often uses it as an alternate route, especially during inclement weather or crashes. The design phase of the project is about to begin, but no construction funding is available.
3 I-80 improvements in Uinta, Sweetwater, Carbon, Albany and Laramie Counties. This $270 million project would make improvements along 200 miles of I-80 to include truck climbing zones, variable speed limit zones, truck parking and chain up areas, and would allow for additional maintenance personnel and equipment. No design or construction funding is currently available.
4 New passing lanes on WY 59 in Campbell County. This $97 million project would construct new passing lanes or increase the length of the existing passing lanes from Douglas to Gilette to ease congestion and improve safety for tourism, agriculture and energy industry users. No funds are currently available.
5 Widening Wind River Canyon tunnels in Hot Springs County. This $100 million project would widen Wind River Canyon tunnels – or construct an alternate route between Shoshoni and Thermopolis – to accommodate increasingly frequent oversize freight movements and make other resiliency improvements on this critical route north and south through the Big Horn Basin. A planning study has started.
6 Widening WY 22 from Jackson to Wilson. This $60 million project would widen WY 22 to increase mobility and safety on this critical corridor for commuters into Jackson and tourists into ski resorts and multiple national parks. As traffic volumes have increased on this route, the number and severity of crashes have also increased. The project is awaiting environmental review.
7 Construction of passing lanes on US 20/US 26 from Waltman towards Shoshoni. This $5 million project will enhance road safety and improve quality of traffic flow on the 24-mile US 20/26 corridor, which is a critical route east and west through the center part of the state. This project is scheduled for 2027.
8 Construction of passing lanes on US 20 from Shoshoni towards Thermopolis. The $5 million project would construct passing lanes on the 2.7-mile corridor to enhance road safety and improve traffic flow on this critical route north and south through the Big Horn Basin. This project is scheduled for 2027.
9 Construction of passing lanes on US 20/26 from Casper towards Shoshoni. This $16 million project will enhance road safety and improve traffic flow on the 13-mile corridor, which is a critical route east and west through the center part of the state.
10 Construction of passing lanes on US 85 from Cheyenne towards South Dakota state line. This $41 million project will identify strategic areas to deploy passing lanes to enhance road safety and improve traffic flow on US 85, which is a critical route north and south along the eastern edge of the state. The project is identified in a passing lane study, but no design or funding is available.

A lack of sufficient funding will make it difficult to adequately maintain and improve the state’s existing transportation system. WYDOT faces a substantial transportation funding shortfall, hampering the state’s ability to make needed improvements. The state’s gasoline and diesel taxes are the lowest of the six surrounding states. And Wyoming’s existing transportation funds are stretched increasingly thin as vehicles become more fuel efficient, the number of electric vehicles on the road increases, and inflation in highway construction costs -which has increased 52 percent from the beginning of 2022 through the third quarter of 2025 – reduces the purchasing power of existing funds.

“While pavement preservation mode was a necessary strategy to take, WYDOT has been very transparent about the limited sustainability of current funding outlooks and the agency’s ability to meet its mission and fundamental responsibilities to Wyoming’s residents and tourists,” said WYDOT Director Darin Westby. “Capacity projects like the ones outlined in the TRIP report are not feasible while in a pavement preservation strategy. As Wyoming communities grow and tourism traffic continues to increase, WYDOT is seeking funding solutions to meet demand without sacrificing pavement and bridge smoothness and quality.”