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ZION NATIONAL PARK — A major rock fall closed state Route 9 in Zion National Park early Wednesday morning and is expected to remain closed into the weekend.
The large rocks fell on the highway about 4:30 a.m. about 200 feet from the Pine Creek Bridge on a switchback near the Mount Carmel Tunnel, according to park officials. The largest boulder is around 19 feet high, 20 feet long and 15 feet wide and officials said it weighs around 200 tons. The second boulder measured at approximately 10 feet high, 10 feet long and 15 feet wide, weighing about 100 tons.
The road is closed between Canyon Junction and the east entrance of the park. However, the Scenic Drive and Zion Canyon will remain open and all park facilities including the visitor center, museum, campgrounds, and shuttle buses are open and operating as normal.
Road crews used a machinery to break up the boulders, but the road has not yet been cleared. Until the road is cleared, emergency response will not be available on the east side of Zion National Park.
The area that the rock fall occurred in is a part of the Springdale Sandstone rock formation. There are cliffs that are near the road and because the road is carved into the side of the mountain, rock falls can and do occur.
–Dave Sharrow, Zion National Park hydrologist
Engineers with Zion National Park, the Utah Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration will be assessing the section of cliff face above the rock fall for immediate hazards and it's possible that additional rock will need to be removed from the cliff face before the road can be reopened, officials said.
This particular section of state Route 9 has seen several rock falls in the last 20 years.
"The area that the rock fall occurred in is a part of the Springdale Sandstone rock formation," according to Zion National Park hydrologist Dave Sharrow. "There are cliffs that are near the road and because the road is carved into the side of the mountain, rock falls can and do occur."
Park officials said the highway will likely not be reopened until the weekend, and until then, commuters should seek alternate routes. Alternate east and west routes are available via Highway 59 from Hurricane to Fredonia, Arizona, and via Highway 14 from Cedar City to Long Valley Junction on Highway 89. People traveling to the park may also access it by traveling east on state Route 9 from I-15.
Contributing: Geoff Liesik
