Little Cottonwood Canyon is open to traffic again after several rockslides blocked the roads this morning. Utah Department of Transportation work crews began clearing the slides from the roads around 3:30 a.m. The major slides occurred about halfway up the canyon and covered the roads with rocks, mud, and debris. At the worst location, runoff water also caused parts of the shoulder to break away from the road. Still, UDOT spokesperson Adan Carrillo says no significant damage was done to the road.
“Debris, rocks, and excessive amounts of water ended up undermining sections of it but we’re still pretty confident that the integrity of it is safe,” he says.
Their major concern moving forward is the threat of more flash flooding.
“We’re going to be on high alert and make sure that any particular areas where there is a high risk for these things to develop again, that we’ve got them covered,” he says.
UDOT estimates that the total cost of the road repairs will be around $80,000.