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SARATOGA SPRINGS — A snow squall stranded drivers on a portion of Mountain View Corridor Tuesday evening, prompting police to shut down a section of the road.
They closed the same section of the road just a couple of days prior for the same reason, and the Utah Department of Transportation explained why that particular spot is prone to cause issues during storms.
People who live along Mountain View Corridor west of Redwood Road see those problems pop up when snow comes down.
Jordan Eliason can see both sides of the highway from his back windows. He explained that people come around the curve traveling too fast for the conditions.
"Once you hit right behind our house here, and then they lose control," he said, pointing out the window. "And then, you know, you get your fender benders, and it's usually kind of like clockwork."
Tuesday evening that clockwork struck again, as a semitruck and several cars became stuck after turning off Redwood Road onto the hill. Saratoga Springs police showed up and closed things off, helping people slowly back down the hill to safety.
The same thing happened on Sunday. Saratoga Springs police told KSL-TV that 40 slide-offs and crashes forced officers and UDOT to close this portion of the highway in the same spot. Police said tow trucks were not able to reach the stranded vehicles, and it became a safety concern to keep it open.
"That's an area that is susceptible to these winds and the drifting snow," said UDOT spokesman John Gleason.
He described how UDOT monitors certain problem areas like the Saratoga Springs section of Mountain View heavily during storms. Other areas include Bacchus Highway, 2100 North in Lehi and state Route 92 in Lehi.
Gleason pointed out that the stretch of Mountain View connecting Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain sees more wind. Saratoga Springs police said the steepness of the road makes it extremely icy and slippery for vehicles.
Police said that if a snowstorm or snow squall is expected to move in, drivers should take an alternate route and avoid that part of Mountain View Corridor.
No matter how many times the plows go over certain areas, you know, a couple of minutes later, it can be a completely different situation — almost like they didn't go through there.
–John Gleason, UDOT
"No matter how many times the plows go over certain areas, you know, a couple of minutes later, it can be a completely different situation — almost like they didn't go through there," Gleason said.
Eliason said his neighborhood will get closed off, without a good way to exit. Drivers end up stuck in the neighborhood and can't get out. Eliason said last year, his neighbors even handed out water bottles to drivers who were stuck.
On Sunday and Tuesday, he stayed home where his family was safe and warm.
"It's kind of on your mind now," he said. "If it snows, there's a good chance that because of the inclines and just the nature of the highway, it's going to cause some issues."
