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SPRINGDALE, Washington County — A section of Kolob Canyons Road, a popular route in Zion National Park that rangers closed amid severe road damage earlier this year, finally reopened this week.
Park officials announced Wednesday the road had finally reopened following major repairs over the last few months.
Rangers had closed the road after ongoing snow and rain — as a part of Utah's record-breaking winter — led to rockfalls and landslides at both Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and Kolob Canyons Road in late March.
The more severe damage happened at Kolob Canyons Road, which connects visitors to the park's northwest corner. A section of the road buckled in a landslide, forcing the longstanding closure. Some trailheads were also closed due to the damage.
Repairs didn't begin until September as Federal Highway Administration engineers assessed the site and formulated a plan to fix the road. Crews excavated unstable materials and reinforced the road's base, repaved more than 6,000 square feet of road and installed ditches, gutters and curbs to improve road drainage since then, park officials said.
Rockfalls and landslides are fairly common in the park because of wind and water erosion. Zion National Park officials said they believe the changes will "proactively increase resilience ahead of future weather or geologic events."
There are other active closures in the park because of these types of events. For example, the Weeping Rock Shuttle Stop, parking area and trail remain closed "until further notice" after a Nov. 14 rockfall.
Park scientists and maintenance staff are still assessing the site, according to the park's website.
