US Highway 6 in Price Canyon now open after mudslide forced holiday weekend closure

PRICE, Utah — The Utah Department of Transportation reopened U.S. Highway 6 in Price Canyon just before 4 p.m. Monday after a mudslide forced a complete closure, though delays are still expected.

Drivers were forced to find alternate routes, such as U.S. 89 or U.S. 191, on Sunday as the Labor Day weekend wrapped up.

Crews built a temporary gravel road forcing drivers to go 25 mph to keep in place.

UDOT engineer Dan Hinckley said the area was hit with about two-tenths of an inch of rain within a 10-minute time span.

Debris from the Bear Fire burn scar made it difficult to drain the water, which eroded away the road, leading to the closure.

“We felt a lot of pressure knowing that it’s a big holiday weekend,” Hinckley said. “We’ve got great systems in place to be able to communicate where detours are available and that worked out really well for us.

With monsoon season in full swing, Hinckley says weather is top of mind for UDOT, especially in an area prone to flooding.

“We have a weather desk that we’re always in contact with. They let us know when storms are coming and how severe they might be. We’ll continue to stay in touch with them as we monitor things.”

Crews were already working to build a culvert in this area to prevent future mudslides.

Drivers going through U.S. 6 will likely have to deal with the gravel road and reduced speeds over the next three to four days.