Some safety enhancements are coming to Utah's Little Cottonwood Canyon. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) will begin installing avalanche mitigation equipment next week.
The equipment aims to enhance safety and improve the efficiency of avalanche mitigation efforts in the area.
The installation will begin July 8 and carry into October. UDOT will install 16 Wyssen Avalanche Towers in Little Cottonwood Canyon (State Route 210) on the Mount Superior ridgeline above the road. No major road closures are planned, however, motorists should expect some short-term closures.
“We encourage everyone who recreates in the upper canyon to plan ahead, visit the project website and look at the map of the closure area where the Wyssen Avalanche Towers will be installed,” said UDOT Region Two Project Manager Becky Stromness, in a statement. “Respecting the construction area closure will help us get the new towers installed as safely and quickly as possible so we can begin using them this winter.”
The towers will deploy explosive charges to trigger an avalanche, using wireless comunications. The new towers will allow crews to trigger avalanches at a safe distance.
“This project is part of UDOT’s long-term plan to reduce the amount of military artillery fired in the canyon,” UDOT Avalanche Safety Program Manager Steven Clark said. “By using this technology, we will enhance safety and become even more effective at preventing avalanches from reaching our roads”
Crews will work up to seven days a week, removing loose rock and unstable soil, adding safety features and then beginning the lengthy installation process—which includes using special helicopters to lift heavy pieces of equipment to their respective locations
UDOT plans for the towers to be complete and operational for the 2024 and 2025 winter season.
----------------------------------------------------
Source: UDOT, Salt Lake Tribune
