As the chill of winter descends on Utah, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) concluded essential tests of its avalanche mitigation equipment in the Cottonwood Canyons, keeping travelers safe on roads that snake through zones of potential snow slides, according to a release by UDOT. With the specter of avalanches looming large, the tests included multiple systems, including a Howitzer in Big Cottonwood Canyon's Stairs Gulch and advanced Remote Avalanche Control Systems (RACS) in Little Cottonwood Canyon, signifying a move toward more technologically adept safety measures.
UDOT shoulders the responsibility of keeping the 64 avalanche paths in Little Cottonwood Canyon in check, where challenges are many, as more than half of the road and numerous buildings lie in wait for nature's potentially deadly downpours. Last summer's introduction of 16 Wyssen Avalanche Towers above the roads cuts reliance on the previously used Howitzer, enabling UDOT to trigger necessary avalanches with the push of a button, without necessitating the risky business of shooting live artillery across frequented roads and by dwellings in the Town of Alta, where the risks were multiplicative given nature's unpredictability and the errant course of human-crafted machinery.
"Our top priority is ensuring the safety of everyone traveling through the Cottonwood Canyons," UDOT's Avalanche Safety Program Manager Steven Clark remarked in a preparative vein and indeed, the recent exercises ensured all new equipment was primed to meet the winter's mercurial moods in the canyon, as reported by UDOT. From November to mid-May, UDOT mandates that canyon visitors respect designated no-parking zones in avalanche paths, ensuring clear ways for mitigation efforts and, crucially, safety for all.
