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Fallen tree temporarily closes main road near Zion National Park

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Posted at 6:05 PM, May 08, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-08 21:44:35-04

SPRINGDALE, Utah — A massive tree fell onto State Route 6 Sunday afternoon, forcing the two-lane highway to be closed while it was removed from the road.

The large cottonwood tree on the side of the highway blew over around 2:30 p.m. near mile marker 29, according to Springdale Police.

READ: Dust storms, 60+ mph winds, low visibility across Utah

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Firefighters and Utah Department of Transportation workers arrived and cut the tree into smaller pieces with chainsaws, then used a backhoe to push the rest of the massive trunk off the road.

Springdale Police Officer Britt Ballard said the inside of the tree looked like it was rotting. The trunk was about two feet in diameter.

Ballard also said it was lucky the tree fell when it did because S.R.-9 is a popular cycling route, and nobody happened to be around when it crashed onto the road.

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