WY-DOT To Use New Avalance Control Device

Jackson, WY – The Wyoming Department of Transportation says it's ready to begin using two remote controlled bomb-throwing devices to reduce the risk of avalanches on Teton Pass. The system is a series of tubes set up permanently on the side of Glory Mountain. Charges are loaded into the bomb-launcher in advance and propelled from the tubes by a small charge. The department also uses a 105-millimeter howitzer to blast the mountainside and release avalanches under controlled conditions. But Wy-Dot officials want to get away from using that cannon. Among other things, there is the risk that undetonated shells could get lost on the side of the mountain and become a hidden danger.