Sign-ups available for winter travel authorization

If you will need to travel this winter on roads that may be closed due to weather, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) is inviting you to sign up for two programs that will allow you to do so.

Collectively known as the Wyoming Travel Authorization Program (W-TAP), the Wyoming Authorized Travel and Rolling Closure Authorization programs allow drivers to apply for authorization to travel on sections of closed roadways when the department has deemed it is safe enough.

The Wyoming Authorized Travel application is open to all drivers, but will require you to justify your need to travel on a closed road. You will have the opportunity to select up to seven road segments.

If a closure goes into effect, but those roads are safe for limited travel, WYDOT will issue an authorization and you will receive a code via email or the website to travel on those sections.

The Rolling Closure Authorization program is mostly for people who hold a Wyoming driver’s license and allows travel on roads closed due to a rolling closure. Travel justification is not necessary, but you must agree to the terms of the program.

A rolling closure occurs when a small town along a route with heavy through-traffic is at capacity in terms of resources such as parking, fuel and hotel rooms. When this happens, a closure is rolled back to the next town to prevent travelers from becoming stranded in a place that does not have enough services available.

Authorizations only apply to the person who applied for the programs and cannot be shared with family members. They are not issued during every road closure, can be cancelled at any time due to changing conditions and other hazards and ultimate authority to allow passage beyond highway closure gates lies with Wyoming Highway Patrol.

To apply for the programs, visit https://w-tap.wyoroad.info/.

If you are a returning user, WYDOT asks that you visit the site to check whether any changes are needed to your personal or account details or chosen road segments. Even if no changes are needed, you are asked to confirm that you still wish to take part in the program.