Little Cottonwood Canyon reopens following mudslide closure

UPDATE: Little Cottonwood Canyon has reopened following a mudslide Friday.

🚧 #RoadClosureUpdate 🚧 #SR210 OPEN to all travel

Potential for naturally occurring mud/landslides exists. Extra safety measures in place during the day, reassessed on (5/8).

‼️12pm-6pm: spotter to stop traffic if hazard present

‼️6pm-12pm: no spotter, travel at own risk pic.twitter.com/cxp5aPK2gX

— UDOT Cottonwood Canyons (@UDOTcottonwoods) May 5, 2023

The original article continues below:

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LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah — Crews with the Utah Department of Transportation have closed Little Cottonwood Canyon while they clean up a mudslide near the Seven Turns area.

UDOT tweeted that uphill traffic is closed at the mouth of the canyon and downhill traffic is being stopped at Snowbird entry 1/Gate C. They did not give an estimated time for reopening the road.

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Click here for all current and upcoming forecasts on Utah’s flooding and resources to protect your home.

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“Please be prepared for travel delays today due to debris clearing and assessment,” UDOT officials said.

🚧 #SR210 CLOSED

📍: Uphill closed at mouth
📍: Downhill closed at @snowbird Entry 1/Gate C

‼️Please be prepared for travel delays today due to debris clearing and assessment.

📸: Seven Turns (5/5) pic.twitter.com/9f3bwU63VW

— UDOT Cottonwood Canyons (@UDOTcottonwoods) May 5, 2023

Friday’s slide was in the same area where a larger mudslide closed the canyon on Tuesday. That slide was approximately 4 feet deep and 100 feet wide, with large debris blocking the road.

“When the sun heats it up, the snowpack basically becomes very dense, liquifies and starts running down, almost like lava,” UDOT spokesperson John Gleason said.

Crews are watching both Cottonwood canyons daily “to determine if/when road closures are needed for land/mudslides, avalanches or other hazards. Closures possible at any time, be prepared & check road status before heading to canyons,” UDOT tweeted Wednesday.