Initial work to repair scenic Beaver Canyon highway begins; timeline to reopen unknown

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Emergency repairs on state Route 153 in Beaver Canyon began this week, following July 19 flooding.
The highway remains closed; limited access will be available where conditions allow.
UDOT emphasizes the damage's severity, with permanent repairs needing further studies.

BEAVER — Emergency construction has started to repair a scenic route and key south-central transportation corridor east of Beaver, which was heavily damaged amid significant flooding last month.

Construction began this week to repair state Route 153 in Beaver Canyon after flooding on July 19, Utah Department of Transportation officials said. The highway west of U.S. 89 in Junction, Piute remains indefinitely closed after parts of it were washed out.

The initial work now underway aims to offer some limited temporary access for homeowners and other property owners, as well as other essential road users. Crews will also remove trees, rocks and other hazardous debris along the route, while stabilizing stream channels, banks and other areas impacted by the fire and subsequent flooding this summer.

Some segments won't reopen for general or recreational use until at least next year, the agency added.

"The amount of damage in Beaver Canyon is staggering," said UDOT Region 4 project manager Devin Squire in a statement. "Pictures really don't capture the scale of it. Almost everyone we take into the canyon says the same thing: it's much worse than they expected, and the damage just keeps getting worse the farther up you go."

Most of the highway had been closed because of the Cottonwood Fire, which began in June. The fire ultimately burned more than 97,000 acres, one of three fires this year to reach that size.

While that alone caused substantial damage, destroying 184 structures, a thunderstorm dumped heavy rain on its burn scar on July 19, causing flash flooding that also made its way down the canyon and into Beaver. It affected another 200 homes on top of the highway damage.

Gov. Spencer Cox said it could become the state's costliest fire on record, before the flooding. The state struck a deal with the U.S. Forest Service earlier this month for the initial $18 million toward repairs, half of which was funded by the federal government and the rest from the state.

UDOT officials didn't disclose the estimated repair cost or a timeline for when limited access will be available, but they said it will be available only "where conditions allow." The west side of SR 153 is not expected to reopen for general travel or recreational use this year.

A large section near milepost 13 of SR 153 remains "severely undermined," with a widening crack that developed in the pavement above the Beaver River, which the agency said underscores the area's instability.

While initial construction is underway, crews will survey the area to conduct geotechnical investigations and hydrologic studies for a permanent highway repair that can handle future flooding and debris flows.

"Before we can rebuild the road, we need to understand how the canyon and waterways have changed and make the area safe enough for our crews to work," Squire added. "The emergency work will help us provide access where conditions allow and give us the opportunity to gather the information we need to develop a lasting solution."

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