MURRAY — The Utah Department of Transportation says it plans to fill the cave allegedly dug out by a man found inside it near an I-15 overpass.
Troy Coyn Jones, 45, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday for investigation of criminal mischief and trespassing after police say he dug the cave on UDOT property near the I-15/I-215 interchange on the south end of the valley.
"The cave was under an I-15 bridge up against a support beam for the bridge. This is UDOT property, which is fenced and has 'no trespassing' signs. Jones had excavated around the pole about 9 feet into the ground and then a larger area underground about 6 by 6 feet," a police booking affidavit states.
Video taken by UDOT shows a deep cave that someone appears to have taken some time to dig through rock and dirt.
Video of the cave discovered by a UTA employee near the I-15/I-215 interchange on the south end of the valley. Credit: Utah Department of Transportation
UDOT spokesman John Gleason says his office was still investigating on Wednesday to determine how long the cave has been there, how long it allegedly took Jones to dig it, whether he was living in it and for how long.
"We don't have any of the background on the circumstances of how the hole came to be," Gleason said.
As of Wednesday, he said there was no indication that the freeway overpass safety had been compromised by the hole now underneath it. However, Gleason said UDOT crews planned to fill the hole Thursday morning with cement.
The affidavit estimated the cost to repair the damage caused by the cave would be more than $10,000. Gleason said that figure likely included the cost of sending bridge inspectors to the scene, as well as the cost of filling the hole.
