TOOELE COUNTY, Utah — A pickup truck driver heading through Butterfield Canyon in Tooele County received a scare when he was nearly caught up in a road washout that was caused by recent rainstorms.
Paul Jenkins, Jr. was driving up the canyon Wednesday evening when he felt the road "flexing" and starting to give way. When he stopped and got out of his truck, Jenkins noticed nearly half the road ahead was gone.
Road washout up canyon seen in video below (Paul Jenkins):
Video that Jenkins shared of the road shows it covered in mud and debris, before it comes to a section where the pavement completely disappears as water pours over the side. The ground under the road was eroded, and Jenkins said at least 3 feet of soil had disappeared while he was at the location.
Jenkins went down and flagged other drivers so they could avoid the danger.
The Tooele County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday morning that the canyon road had been closed, while the county's parks and recreation department called it impassable.
"If you're planning to travel between Tooele County and Salt Lake County through the canyon, please use an alternate route. Barricades have been placed at the pass, and road damage signs are posted near White Pine," the department posted to social media.
There is no timetable for when the road will be reopened, although an official told FOX 13 News that it will likely be closed for a while.
While the road is closed, the Tooele County side of the canyon is in good condition, the department said, and camping is still open at White Pine.
The canyon and surrounding areas were the site of brief but heavy downpours on Tuesday evening.
The road's closure comes days after floods heavily damaged SR-153 through Beaver Canyon in central Utah, forcing its indefinite closure.
