UDOT Vehicle Hit By Avalanche In Little Cottonwood Canyon
Feb 17, 2021, 1:50 PM | Updated: 1:51 pm
Two UDOT vehicles were hit by a natural avalanche in Little Cottonwood Canyon on Feb. 17, 2021 (Photo: UDOT)
(Photo: UDOT)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah Department of Transportation vehicle working on avalanche control in Little Cottonwood Canyon was hit by a natural slide Wednesday morning.
The two people who were in the vehicle were not harmed.
Today, two members of our Cottonwood Canyons team were staged in Little Cottonwood Canyon to assist with avalanche control. As they prepared to exit the UDOT utility truck for the snowcat, both vehicles were hit by a natural slide. We are grateful both team members are safe. pic.twitter.com/AGqx31WVsm
— John Gleason (@johnegleason) February 17, 2021
According to UDOT spokesperson John Gleason, a team was staged in the canyon to assist with avalanche mitigation. As they were preparing to exit the UDOT utility truck for a nearby snowcat, both vehicles were struck by a natural slide.
“Fortunately everyone got out and is in good shape,” Gleason wrote in an email to KSL. “It sounds like slides are happening pretty frequently up Little Cottonwood – about the most extreme slide risk you can imagine.”
🚧 #RoadClosureUpdate 🚧 #SR210 remains CLOSED to travel in both directions until further notice for continued avalanche control work & avalanche debris that will require extensive clean up.
No est time of opening at this time. @UDOTTRAFFIC @UtahDOT @AltaCentral @UPDSL pic.twitter.com/wP5WRqvyJf
— UDOT Cottonwood Canyons (@UDOTcottonwoods) February 17, 2021
Portions of state Route 210 have been closed in Little Cottonwood Canyon since Monday, and crews have been working around the clock on avalanche control. The road remained closed Wednesday.
On Tuesday, UDOT recorded video of a natural avalanche barely missing one of its vehicles.
