Posted on 09/24/2015 7:35:06 AM PDT by beaversmom
ZION NATIONAL PARK — A major rock fall closed state Route 9 in Zion National Park early Wednesday morning and is expected to remain closed into the weekend.
The large rocks fell on the highway about 4:30 a.m. about 200 feet from the Pine Creek Bridge on a switchback near the Mount Carmel Tunnel, according to park officials. The largest boulder is around 19 feet high, 20 feet long and 15 feet wide and officials said it weighs around 200 tons. The second boulder measured at approximately 10 feet high, 10 feet long and 15 feet wide, weighing about 100 tons.
The road is closed between Canyon Junction and the east entrance of the park. However, the Scenic Drive and Zion Canyon will remain open and all park facilities including the visitor center, museum, campgrounds, and shuttle buses are open and operating as normal.
Road crews used a machinery to break up the boulders, but the road has not yet been cleared. Until the road is cleared, emergency response will not be available on the east side of Zion National Park.
"The area that the rock fall occurred in is a part of the Springdale Sandstone rock formation. There are cliffs that are near the road and because the road is carved into the side of the mountain, rock falls can and do occur." –Dave Sharrow, Zion National Park hydrologist
Engineers with Zion National Park, the Utah Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration will be assessing the section of cliff face above the rock fall for immediate hazards and it's possible that additional rock will need to be removed from the cliff face before the road can be reopened, officials said.
This particular section of state Route 9 has seen several rock falls in the last 20 years.
"The area that the rock fall occurred in is a part of the Springdale Sandstone rock formation," according to Zion National Park hydrologist Dave Sharrow. "There are cliffs that are near the road and because the road is carved into the side of the mountain, rock falls can and do occur."
Park officials said the highway will likely not be reopened until the weekend, and until then, commuters should seek alternate routes. Alternate east and west routes are available via Highway 59 from Hurricane to Fredonia, Arizona, and via Highway 14 from Cedar City to Long Valley Junction on Highway 89. People traveling to the park may also access it by traveling east on state Route 9 from I-15.
Drive around it...
To all our friends coming to Mount Carmel today: Two routes to get here. From Hurricane head towards Fredonia/Kanab and north on 89. Or head up to Cedar City and come over Highway 14 then south on 89.
Or just driving down the interstate through the mountains. One time about six or seven years ago we were caught in a traffic jam ten thousand feet up on I-70 fifty miles west of Denver. We found out the next day a large boulder had fallen on some guy's car and killed him. That's the risk you take when driving in the mountains.
Personal pic from Moab area 2006.
UDOT is saying it will open this afternoon.
Incident Road damage - SR 9 at MP 45
Direction: Both Directions
High (more than 15 minutes delays)
Estimated Duration: 16 Hour(s)
Details: Road damage SR 9 CLOSED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS THROUGH ZION NAT’L PARK
EST. CLEARANCE TIME: 9/24/2015 6:00 PM
Last Updated: 09/23/15 02:50 PM
http://commuterlink.utah.gov/
The Park Service is saying the same ...
http://www.nps.gov/zion/learn/news/zmchighwayclosed.htm
Is there a coyote underneath it? If so, I know the guy.
Beautiful photo. Is that snow on the rock above the Jeep?
It does happen. Beautiful scenery in my Colorado and Utah. Risky as I guess anything is in life or can be, but worth the small risk to see.
Hey there Binger.
Isn’t it Rockville where the house got crushed by a huge boulder?
Hope all is well with you.
Great eye for details! I do not know. I don’t think so. It was in October 2006. I remember it being warm still.
In Oregon on 101 you could have a large tree fall on you....there’s always something. ¦:}
Well howdy! Yes Rockville was the place. This one is on the east side of the tunnel.
Traffic will be awfully slow today.
That would have been something to see happen.
Looks like the one that almost nailed us between Silverton and ouray co 25 years ago.
ping
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