Little Cottonwood Canyon getting remote-controlled avalanche towers, closures expected

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah ( ABC4 ) — The Utah Department of Transportation is bringing new remote-controlled avalanche mitigation equipment to Little Cottonwood Canyon this summer.

Installations begin July 8 and are expected to last through October, according to UDOT. There will be 16 Wyssen Avalanche Towers installed in the canyon on the Mount Superior ridgeline above the road — SR-210.

While no major road impacts are anticipated, UDOT said canyon visitors can expect “occasional, short-term closures” in both directions on SR-210 near the town of Alta, as well as recreation area closures.

Recreation area closures will include trails and climbing routes in the area that will be in effect for the duration of the project. The closures are due to daily helicopter operations and other hazards, such as potential rockfall, and are meant to ensure the safety of the public as well as construction crews.

The bypass road will remain open as an alternative route to the upper canyon.

A map of the closures can be found here .

How do the new avalanche towers work?

Wyssen Avalanche Towers deploy explosive charges that hang just above ground to trigger an avalanche. Avalanche and road crews use wireless communications to do this, and while they previously used howitzers — a heavy artillery weapon — to trigger around 330 controlled avalanches each season, UDOT said the new towers will allow crews to trigger avalanches from a safer location and with greater efficiency.

Crews will reportedly be working up to seven days a week to remove loose rock and unstable soil in the areas these new towers will be installed. They will be “adding safety features” prior to the installation process, UDOT said.

Installations will involve using special helicopters to lift heavy pieces of equipment to their respective locations — and finishing the installation is a lengthy process, according to UDOT.

The towers are expected to be operational for the 2024/25 winter season.

“We encourage everyone who recreates in the upper canyon to plan ahead, visit the project website and look at the map of the closure area where the Wyssen Avalanche Towers will be installed,” UDOT Region Two Project Manager Becky Stromness said. “Respecting the construction area closure will help us get the new towers installed as safely and quickly as possible so we can begin using them this winter.”

This project is part of a long-term plan to reduce the amount of military artillery fired in the canyon, UDOT said.

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