Spring runoff washes out Utah road, blocks hikers from canyon

PAYSON, Utah (KUTV) — A large chunk of road that leads to Payson Canyon south of Salt Lake City, Utah, is missing.

After historic snowfall in the region, spring runoff forced officials to close access to the hiking trails due to the damage.

As hikers are anxious to get into the mountains, more areas are seeing the impacts of melting snowpack.

“People are wondering why we can’t get up the canyons when we normally can, these things are the kinds of reasons why — and these are all over the state that this kind of stuff is happening,” said Spencer Cannon with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.

The washed-out road is preventing drivers and hikers from getting across and up the canyon.

“The road has washed out where the runoff is coming over the road and is just eroded away on the downhill side of the bank, and then it’s under cutting underneath the asphalt road,” Cannon said.

Usually, the gates are open by this time in the season, but the locked gates haven’t stopped some people from crossing the road anyway.

The Utah County Sheriff’s Office is urging people not to do that.

“If you come over to the opposite side and you can look under, and because of the water that is coming in there, the road base itself has been undercut by 10 or 15 feet,” Cannon said.

He encouraged hikers not to even attempt walking across the road.

“I understand the urge to get out in the outdoors and come up in the canyon, we’ve been cooped up all winter, but you have to be reasonable, and you have to abide by the laws,” Cannon said.

According to the Utah County assistant public works director, they are still working on road repairs in Hobble Creek Canyon, so it will be a week before they can make it to Payson Canyon to begin repairs.

Demand for repairs is so high that according to the Utah County assistant public works director, they are still working on road repairs in Hobble Creek Canyon, so it will be a week before they can make it to Payson Canyon to begin repairs.

Sinkholes began to form in the downtown area of Salt Lake City, where lane closures were planned in order to address the problem.

RELATED | Small sinkhole forms on downtown Salt Lake City road

Over the weekend, a culvert collapsed on a golf course, causing a sinkhole to form that officials believe will remain on the green until the runoff subsides, which could last through August.