BEAVER, Utah — Weeks after flash floods heavily damaged State Route 153, emergency work has begun to repair the only road through Beaver Canyon.
Utah Department of Transportation crews are initially focusing on creating limited access for property owners in the area, while removing trees, rocks, and debris. The agency will also work to stabilize the stream channels damaged by the flooding.
Even with the work, the west side of the canyon road will not reopen for general use this year.
The road was deemed unusable after the July flash floods that came off burn scars left by the Cottonwood Fire, which burned thousands of acres and destroyed dozens of properties.
“The amount of damage in Beaver Canyon is staggering,” said UDOT Project Manager Devin Squire. “Pictures really don’t capture the scale of it. Almost everyone we take into the canyon says the same thing: it’s much worse than they expected, and the damage just keeps getting worse the farther up you go."
Squire shared how many spots on SR-153, such as embankment and drainage systems, have been "completely overwhelmed." He pointed out that a crack has developed and begun to widen in the pavement above the riverbed.
While cleanup and repair efforts continue, UDOT will conduct surveying, geotechnical investigations, and hydrologic studies to develop a permanent solution for the road.
“Before we can rebuild the road, we need to understand how the canyon and waterways have changed and make the area safe enough for our crews to work,” Squire said.
