State Route 190 in Big Cottonwood Canyon reopened Monday morning, Oct. 12, after an overnight closure caused by flooding and debris at Storm Mountain. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office had previously restricted access due to the incident.
The disruption began around 6:35 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, when officials first restricted uphill traffic. Vehicles traveling toward the Solitude and Brighton ski areas were turned around at the canyon mouth, according to a UDOT Cottonwood Canyons alert.
Trouble was caused by a blocked culvert at Storm Mountain, located near milepost 4.25. UDOT reported that crews were working to clear the debris from the culvert, though no specific reopening time for uphill traffic was initially provided. As the situation worsened overnight, UDOT escalated restrictions to a full road closure in both directions by midnight Monday.
During the full closure, downhill traffic already inside the canyon was rerouted through Guardsman Pass. Crews completed the necessary work by early Monday morning. UDOT Cottonwood Canyons announced at approximately 7:49 a.m. that SR-190 was open in both directions and that both flood control and debris clearing efforts were complete. The road was shut for approximately seven hours.
The closure occurred days after a flash flood watch was issued for the Cottonwood Heights area on Oct. 8, tied to the remnants of Hurricane Rachel. While the flooding in the canyon occurred following that system, UDOT did not confirm if the overnight flooding was directly connected to that storm.
UDOT cautioned that additional rain is forecast and that weather-related delays remain possible on canyon roads, though the agency did not specify which days carry the highest risk.
Residents using Big Cottonwood Canyon can monitor real-time road conditions through UDOT Cottonwood Canyons on X (@UDO
Tcottonwoods) or at cottonwoodcanyons.udot.utah.gov.
