Slides and potholes plague Utah County roads

PROVO — Although rain replaced snowstorms on Sunday and Monday, the wet weather still caused its share of problems in Utah County.

The Utah Department of Transportation closed one lane of I-15 and both American Fork and Provo canyons Monday as a result of weather conditions.

Utah County cities recorded between 0.75 and 1.71 inches of precipitation Sunday and Monday.

American Fork Canyon was closed around 9 a.m. Monday morning after road-maintenance workers discovered rock slides in the canyon, some of which hit UDOT equipment.

UDOT spokesman Geoff Dupaix said the canyon will be closed until the area has stabilized, which could be through Wednesday, depending on the effect of Tuesday's anticipated storm.

The National Weather Service is forecasting 1 to 4 inches of snow in Utah Valley on Tuesday night. Recent snowfall in Provo Canyon caused intermittent closures for about five hours on Monday while crews conducted avalanche control measures.

Sections of one lane of I-15 from Provo to Orem were closed for several hours Monday after motorists reported tire damage from potholes.

Wet conditions and freezing overnight temperatures opened several potholes on the interstate, which crews repaired temporarily throughout the day.

Nile Easton, another UDOT spokesman, said crews can only patch the holes temporarily until the road is drier. "We go in, put in a temporary patch, then when it dries out a little more we come back in and do a little more permanent paving over the top," he said.

Easton said this winter has been a bad one for road damage.

"This year has been worse than last year by far," he said. "We've had a lot more freeze-thaw cycles — that's what starts to cause the potholes. We've had warm days and cold nights, so we're seeing a lot more than we usually do."

Easton said UDOT has already spent nearly $50,000 on repairs in the Utah County area alone, and more repairs will be needed.

"We've already laid down three tons of pothole patch," he said. "We could need more repair after next storm. With the amount of water coming down, if that freezes up, it just cracks it right back."

Easton said the area from 600 North in Provo to the Orem line is a perennial problem spot.

"It's kind of a troubled area there on some bridges," Easton said. "Almost every year something's popping up — the bridges are old, the pavement's old."