Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
There's little room for error as construction crews work to replace two bridges on I-80 over the weekend.
Between Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon, crews will have to replace two bridges on westbound I-80 through Parleys Canyon. Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) spokesman Adan Carrillo says they'll basically work on one bridge at a time. He says, "There's a lot of people here, engineers and designers, watching every single step of the operation to make sure that we have a successful one this weekend."
Carrillo says fines are built into the contract for every hour beyond 24 that the project takes. But he says these bridges are smaller and lighter than others, and that weather shouldn't be a factor.
Meanwhile, if the sign reads "Road Closed" it means "Road Closed."
Here's the ultimate cautionary tale. When mudslides hit Route 6 near Soldier Summit Thursday it caused a 10-hour traffic jam. One driver tried a shortcut down the railroad tracks only to be forced onto the embankment by an approaching train where he got stuck. Not a good idea.
So with all westbound lanes of I-80 in Parleys Canyon closed starting tomorrow afternoon for 24 hours, troopers have a simple warning: just follow the suggested alternatives and no improvised detours.
Sgt. Jason Hunter, with the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP), says, "It's not worth the risk to take to put either your life or somebody else's life in jeopardy, just to get to where you need to be."
Drivers may be tempted to try the dirt roads over Guardsman's Pass or Jeremy Ranch. That is not a good idea since the roads are not built for it.
If you plan to go west from Park City there are two recommended detours: I-84 through Weber Canyon to Ogden or Highway 40 through Provo Canyon down to Orem.
UDOT has put out the warnings far and wide including to truckers. Carrillo says, "We realize there are a lot of trucks, semi trucks from out of state, West Coast from the East Coast. And they're all using I-80. We're going to have plenty of these signs to let people know well in advance that they need to plan for this temporary closure."
Troopers say over the years they've seen drivers try to slip by in the emergency lane or cross a median, at worst risking lives, at best risking a hefty penalty.
Like the driver who got stuck trying to use the railroad tracks. He's now looking at $181 an hour for the tow truck, an unspecified amount to Union Pacific for damage to the railroad and a fine for criminal trespassing.
If you decide to ignore the "Road Closed" warnings and create your own improvised detour you'll be facing a citation for driving on a closed road. It's a class B misdemeanor and will cost you $555.
E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com
E-mail: mgiauque@ksl.com
