SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Transportation announced a move to remote-controlled avalanche mitigation starting this next ski season.
Drivers may experience some inconvenience this summer when traveling through Little Cottonwood Canyon. However, UDOT said the high-tech system will make controlled avalanches more efficient.
Starting this week, there will be occasional closures in both directions of SR-210 through October as they install 16 towers to house the remote control systems, UDOT said in a press release.
Officials said the bypass road will stay open as an alternative route near Alta.
According to UDOT, crews previously used howitzers to trigger approximately 330 controlled avalanches each season. The new Wyssen Avalanche Towers will allow crews to trigger avalanches from a safe location.
“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 in the release. “By using this technology, we will enhance safety …