By Lizzy Early
Driving up the Provo Canyon a few weeks ago meant hills of yellow and orange, but now the leaves are brown and the trees are bare and the Alpine Loop is closed for the season.
“We close it before the first snowfall and then we open it back up in the spring when the snow is gone,” said Mindy Nelson of the Utah Department of Transportation.
The road connects the Provo and American Fork canyons and most people use it as a short cut to get home, but not for the next six months.
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“We’re concerned about cleaning the pipes that run underneath the road,” Nelson said. “In order to do that we have to close it so that we have enough room and that traffic isn’t impacted.”
UDOT said winter maintenance helps with flooding problems in the spring. The Alpine Loop may be closed to cars, but it is still open to hikers, bikers and four-wheelers.
UDOT said local drivers are usually aware of the Alpine Loop closure, but some people were surprised when they drove up to the closed gate.
“My wife said,’ well let’s go over Sundance.’ I did, but now I’ll go the other way,” said James Glover, a Salt Lake City resident who was on his way home from a doctor’s appointment with his wife.
The Glovers say they were disappointed to see no signs of the closure on their way to the road. To avoid the Alpine Loop, drivers need to go through Orem and take I-15 to the American Fork exit.
