New remote avalanche control systems to be installed in Little Cottonwood Canyon
Jul 1, 2024, 6:34 PM | Updated: 7:10 pm
ALTA — The Utah Department of Transportation is about to start work up Little Cottonwood Canyon that will make avalanche control safer during the winter season.
They’re getting ready to do more avalanche blasts by remote, making the explosives safer and putting less people at risk.
During the winter, the town of Alta would normally be right under the firing path of one of UDOT’s howitzer guns they use to shoot over buildings and homes for avalanche control. However, with their new work being done to go more remote, that gun that goes away, as does the danger the gun brings with it.
Starting next week, UDOT is installing 16 new Wyssen Avalanche towers below Mount Superior that will let UDOT crews drop explosives in avalanche zones remotely. That means no more shooting the heavy explosives from a howitzer over homes or buildings in Alta.
“This is where the most people and buildings are that we shoot over. This is going to eliminate all the overheard fire in Little Cottonwood Canyon, except for a few buildings in the summer village area,” said Steven Clark, UDOT avalanche program manager.
Starting next week, UDOT is installing 16 new Wyssen Avalanche towers below Mount Superior that will let UDOT crews drop explosives in avalanche zones remotely. (KSL TV)
Simply pushing a button
Instead, UDOT can just push a button and the explosive detonation boxes drop the necessary blasts onto the ground below, without putting anyone or any buildings at risk. The technology isn’t new. UDOT is simply expanding the number of towers in its remote system they already have in place.
“So, basically you’re taking this and adding 16 more?” KSL TV asked.
“Correct,” Clark said. “This kind of phasing out of this particular artillery piece, we’ve been slowly chipping away at it over the past 13 years, and this will be the final piece to eliminate that howitzer.”
For some people in the town of Alta, it’s welcome news.
“Does it make you feel safer, knowing they’re getting rid of the gun?” KSL TV asked one Alta resident.
“I think it definitely does,” said Zac Bahna.
‘My wake-up call’
Bahna said he hears the gun blasts each morning during the winter.
“That’s my wake-up call in the morning, before powder days it’s there’s like bombs going off, and it kind of rattles the condos a little bit,” he said.
To have the towers ready for this year’s upcoming season, UDOT said construction will sprint over the next three months.
“Construction crews are going to be working every day of the week,” said Becky Stromness, UDOT project manager. “This is a lot of work to squeeze in a short amount of time.”
But once finished, UDOT said it’ll be safer for everyone in the town below and the crews doing the avalanche control work above.
The one thing it won’t do, is reduce the number of the times Little Cottonwood Canyon will be closed this winter for avalanche control. UDOT said it may speed it up a bit, but when that dangerous snow falls, they said the road still needs to close.
