This weekend, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has announced a significant road closure that will surely affect your travel plans. Starting at 2 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, until 10 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14, five miles of State Route 201 in Magna will be fully closed down. The closure, which stretches between 8400 West and State Route 202, will allow Rio Tinto crews to replace overhead water pipes that service the Kennecott mine, as reported by UDOT News.
But that's not where the weekend's disruptions end. Drivers should brace themselves for additional traffic delays due to lane closures on Interstate 80 in Parleys Canyon for lane striping, a necessary but often aggravating part of road maintenance. I-80 will see lanes shrink to one lane between Exits 131-134 in lower Parleys Canyon. This will happen starting at 6 p.m. for eastbound lanes and 10 p.m. for westbound lanes on Saturday, only to resume again on Monday, Sept. 15, at slightly different hours, proof that the way of the road can disrupt even the best-laid plans.
There's also a heads-up for those accustomed to weekend drives through Big Cottonwood Canyon. Come Saturday morning, expect to add significant delays to your schedule as a REVEL marathon is set to take place, necessitating the use of a pilot car to guide traffic. It's a fair wager that the runners will have a smoother journey down the canyon roads than those behind the wheel.
