Meet Griffin. 👋 He’s clocking out after finishing another 15-hour shift.
We’re incredibly grateful for Griffin and all of our snowplow drivers across the state. The past 24 hours have been a bit crazy, but our crews tackled the snow like true pros.
LISTEN ZIPPER MERGING ACTUALLY MAKES IT GO FASTER FOR EVERYONE BY ALTERNATING CARS AND USING BOTH LANES TO THE FULLEST IT REDUCES TRAFFIC BY UP TO FORTY PERCENT SO THE PERSON USING THE OTHER LANE ISN’T BEING A JERK ITS ACTUALLY BETTER AND IF EVERYONE FOLLOWED THIS METHOD—
To the people who block a merging lane so "cheaters" cannot use it up to the merge point, we have a message for you.
We’re sorry to tell you this, but you are not the hero you think you are. 😔
Please use both lanes until the merge point. Pass it on.
#ZipperMerge
⚠️ Travel Advisory ⚠️
We are expecting a fast-moving, intense storm overnight. While we anticipate major snowfall to be wrapped up in most areas by 5 a.m., clean-up efforts will take longer. If you have flexibility, please delay travel for the Friday morning commute.
This is Coy. He’s one of the dozens of snowplow operators putting in the work to make the roads safer for you. Please give Coy and the other snowplow operators like him plenty of space to do their job. 📍US-6, 1:17 a.m.
⚠️ ALL LANES OF NB I-15 ARE NOW OPEN. ⚠️
Last night a tanker crashed and spilled nearly 2,000 gallons of crude oil across NB I-15. It caused major delays. You might be wondering why the freeway was closed for as long as it was. This is why. 👇
Bird Box Challenge while driving...predictable result. This happened on Monday as a result of the driver covering her eyes while driving on Layton Parkway. Luckily no injuries.
Eastbound I-80 in SLC is now open. Our crews were able to wrap up some of the work early. Take a peek at what they’ve been doing the last couple days.
@slcgov
@UDOTTRAFFIC
It's been a BIG winter for Utah. So far this season, our people have plowed 4,805,828 miles and clocked a total of 120,650 hours. That's enough miles to circle the earth about 193 times. 🤯
And as Utahns know all too well...this season isn't even over yet. 😳
Thanks
@PostMalone
for making Big Cottonwood Canyon famous, just like
@OzzyOsbourne
… But seriously, check out those beautiful canyon views in the Saint-Tropez music video.
When we talk about keeping Utahns moving, that includes our furry friends who call Utah home. This wildlife crossing in Parley’s Canyon helps wildlife get to the other side of the canyon, and most importantly creates a safer road for everyone.
@UtahDWR
It took just 3.5 hours to slide a brand new bridge into place (at 1700 East over I-80). That's after a late night of demolishing the old one. UDOT pioneered this method of bridge building (Accelerated Bridge Construction).
The elk are currently on the north side of I-80 and east of Foothill drive. Please continue to avoid the area while we get the situation under control.
Friendly reminder that we plow state highways and interstates. That typically doesn’t include:
- your neighborhood street
- your cul-de-sac
- your driveway 😉
With 64 slide paths and almost daily slides, clearing LCC has been easier said than done! Our crews have been working around the clock to clear the roads and keep you safe. Travelers should be prepared for spring avalanche road closures.
🎥:
@cworth99
✂️:
@bobbyinblue
Guess what?
Our largest-ever pavement striping project is improving the lane markings on I-15 and other Wasatch Front freeways! Watch this to see how it’s done.
@GovCox
Who knew bridge innovation could involve dish soap? 🫧 That's exactly what we used to move a 5.3M-pound bridge 110 feet! That's about 13 times as heavy as a Boeing 747 airplane 🛫 and one of the longest bridge slides performed in Utah.
🎥:
@bobbyinblue
@bluecollar_photographer
Hi folks. Please give this thread a read. It's going to be a longer one.
Let’s talk about wrong-way driving.
In 2023, there have been 19 wrong-way driving crashes with seven fatalities, including the one on I-15 in Orem on Sunday.
We—
We don’t really have words.
Please don’t do this. Driving isn’t a game.
There’s no reset button.
There’s no do-over.
Please make safe driving choices.
JUST IN: The sun is out today. We have received reports of sunshine being spotted around the state. Citizens are urged not to panic – we've consulted with experts, and it's confirmed to be a natural occurrence.
We partnered with a local business in South Jordan to move their office building to a new location as part of the planned interchange at Bangerter Hwy & 10400 S. This is the biggest building move in Utah history at 15000 sq ft, 400 tons.
Today
@GovCox
and
@SecretaryPete
announced a new program that provides funds to states to protect infrastructure against extreme weather events. We’re grateful to state and federal leaders for investing in Utah’s infrastructure.
🚨EMERGENCY TRAFFIC ALERT🚨– Around 40 elk are causing delays on Salt Lake County’s east bench. Expect delays on all roads near the I-215/I-80 interchange (including Foothill Dr., I-215, and I-80) as we help DWR get the elk across the road safely.
Starting Monday, we are installing a Mr. T on the top of every electronic message board to yell at people who aren't wearing seat belts. So buckle up…or else!
Earlier tonight a driver attempted to pass one of our snowplow operators on SR-73 in Eagle Mountain and caused the snowplow to spin out of control and tip onto its side.
Fortunately our team member is unharmed.
⚠️Winter storm approaching!⚠️
Tomorrow we’re expecting a big storm to come in and impact most of the state. It will start to accumulate on the roads Sunday night through Monday morning.
What if we connected all the trails in Utah? 🚴 That’s exactly what we’re going to do!
@GovCox
just signed a bill that gives funding for the planning, design, construction, maintenance, and reconstruction of paved pedestrian or non-motorized trail projects. 👏
Proud parent moment.
Over the last two weeks our crews have plowed 209,487 miles and clocked 12,478 hours. In case you need a reference point, it takes 238,855 miles to get to the moon.
10 teams of inspectors are still out looking at 520 bridges identified in the earthquake zone. Of those 520, just one at this time was noted to have damage. The on-ramp from Union Park to WB I-215 will remain closed until crews take a closer look.
#utquake
Seasons of Utah
Jan - Snowplow season
Feb - Still winter
Mar - Second winter
Apr - First spring
May - ???
Jun - Actual spring
Jul - Nothing but sweat
Aug - Surface of the sun
Sep - This is nice
Oct - Time for fall drives
Nov - Who knows
Dec - Winter but with decorations
Since we might not have a lot of snow for the holidays, we wanted to give you a different kind of present.
Behold the best clips from the Parley’s Canyon wildlife overpass in 2023. 🥹
🤝 Share with someone who could use a pick-me-up today.
December was a busy month for our snowplow crews. 😮💨 Last month, our people plowed 648,187 miles and clocked a total of 26,732 hours. That’s enough miles to plow I-15 from Tremonton to St. George 1,737 times. 🤯
This is a reminder to stay home and limit travel if possible! These are the current road conditions along I-215 near Parley’s Canyon.
📍I-215, 6:35 a.m.
You’ve heard of the Willy Wonka Experience but have you heard of the Dune Experience? We’re rolling it out at a salt shed near you. Still working on the space costumes. More info to come. 👀
🗣️ New wrong-way driving technology is coming to a road near you.
We’re installing one of the most advanced wrong-way driver warning and detection systems in the country on Utah freeways.
Check it out in action. 👇
The Seasons of Utah
Winter
Fool’s spring < —— We are here
Second winter < —— And about to be here
Real spring?
Your guess is as good as ours
Surface of the sun
Ah this is nice and look at the pretty leaves
Winter but with decorations
Are you stuck up Little Cottonwood Canyon, or down in the valley waiting for it to open up? Here’s a peek at why we’ve had to keep it closed for so long. Our crews are working as hard as they can to safely reopen the canyon!
Vehicles should use both lanes right up until the merge point, then take turns merging into the open lane, just like a zipper.
No, the person who uses the lane up until the end isn’t cheating - they are helping reduce congestion by up to 40 percent. (2/2)
It is time, Utah. 😮💨
With temperature on the rise, construction projects are starting to ramp up. This year, we are working on 209 projects around the state.
Here are a few we thought you’d like to know about. 👇
Out with the old... in with the new. Last night we demolished the 1300 East bridge over I-80. Tonight we slide the new one into place.
@SLCgov
@UDOTRegionTwo
🚨 Please remember to slow down and drive for the conditions! It’s still snowy for a lot of the state’s mountain routes. If the road is slick, you need to slow down and increase your following distance.
👉 And as always, check the road conditions before you travel.
Our weather desk is reporting 22-24 inches of snow overnight in the Cottonwood Canyons. Crews brought out the blower today to clear the roads. Yesterday at the peak, snow was falling more than 2 inches/hour. That's a massive amount of snow.
#Utwx
#Utsnow
@SyntaxWhiplash
Those are tow plows. They have wheels that keep them rolling down the road in line with the plow truck, and they can be extended out to the side as in the video to plow multiple lanes at once. Here's a closer-up photo.
Unfortunately, we cannot have the “greatest snow on earth” and also never deal with the snow. 🥲
This weekend’s storm gave us a lot of snow in the mountains, but winter is just getting started.
Our snow plows are out and operating to clear the roads as efficiently as possible. Here’s the view of our team helping clear Parley’s Canyon this morning. ❄️