WYO 22 used to connect to former Alternate US 20, which began at U.S. Highway 20 in Sugar City, Idaho, following Idaho 33 until the state line, then connected with WYO 22. Alternate US 20 used to end at the state line, where it was redesignated as WYO 22, as Wyoming did not extend the route into the state. If that route had been extended, it would have taken over the entire route of WYO 22, to then overlap U.S. Highway 26 until it reached U.S. Highway 20 in Shoshoni.[citation needed]
On June 8, 2024, WYO 22 suffered a “catastrophic” failure when a portion of the road collapsed in a landslide at milepost 12.8 (43°30′13″N110°58′32″W / 43.5035°N 110.9756°W / 43.5035; -110.9756 (Landslide Site)), less than five miles (8 km) by air from the Idaho border.[2] A 600-ft detour, constructed by a contractor of the Wyoming Department of Transportation, was opened to traffic on June 28, 2024.[3] The detour has a sharper curvature and a grade of 11.2 percent (the original road built in the 1960s had a 10 percent grade), with a reduced speed limit of 20 mph, but the former 60,000 lbs gross vehicle weight restriction remains.
