Drivers Stranded After Multiple Mudslides Up Little Cottonwood Canyon

SANDY, Utah – Multiple landslides up Little Cottonwood Canyon have forced the closure of the road and trapped some people on the roadway.

Calls started coming in to 911 emergency dispatchers around 8 p.m. Thursday.

Images of the canyon showed large boulders, thick mud and flood waters across several sections of the road. Several parts of the road were covered in 2-4 feet of debris.

Detective Ken Hansen with the Unified Police Department said there were several people who had been on the roadway when the landslides occurred.

There were no reports of any injuries, but the roadway was either blocked by the debris, or unsafe to cross.

Crews were working to get heavy equipment to one of the first mudslides to help.

The people were stranded between Tanners Flat, about a half-mile up the canyon, and Gate B, located about a mile-and-a-half further up.

Hansen said their first priority was to clear an area for the people to get down the mountain. Then they planned to evaluate the roadway as they moved further up the canyon.

Officials did not know exactly how many landslides they were dealing with, and expressed concerned about the stability of the roadway.

“There may be slides… that change the course of the river,” said Hansen.

Check out this video from viewer Ashley Hanks of the mudslide up Little Cottonwood Canyon. She, along with other drivers, are still trapped. We’ll have a live update at 10:00 on @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/Y24tTT6if0

— Ashley Moser (@AshleyMoser) August 9, 2019

He said debris in the river’s path could have redirected the water flow and caused other problems.

It was not clear how many vehicle or people were stranded, but there was good cell service and the people were in contact with authorities.

Hansen said the canyon hasn’t had significant fires recently, but even without burn scars there was always potential for flash flooding and landslides due to the steep cliffs.

Officials said the canyon would be closed overnight. They planned to review the slides and roadway again in the daylight to determine the full extent of damage and need for repairs.