While Oklahoma’s Department of Environmental Quality has major projects, probably none are anything like the $10.5 million project in Wyoming where its DEQ is pumping cement into an old abandoned coal mine under Interstate 80 to make sure the Interstate doesn’t collapse.
The project is near Rock Springs, Wyoming where underground mines are plentiful in the area. The heavy truck traffic on I-40 has worried transportation and DEQ officials. The mine in question is among those started during the Civil War.
They’ll start the project in a few weeks to close two westbound lanes and divert traffic and start pumping cement. Don Newton, administrator of DEQ’s Abandoned Mine Land Division told the Cowboy State Daily, “This is one of the larger projects that we’ve ever done.”
His department estimated about 30,000 cubic yards of filler will be needed to assure the interstate won’t collapse into the mine.
Since there have been no cracks or sinking of the interstate over the site of the mine, the cement project is considered to be “preemptive work.”