First test of Sandy City’s new workaround for LCC traffic is a success

SANDY, Utah — Not long after Sandy City announced a plan to mitigate long lines of traffic hoping to get up Little Cottonwood Canyon, nature provided a test run.

Sandy officials said the test run on Wednesday morning was a success.

Here’s what drivers experienced on Wednesday morning: instead of lining up along Little Cottonwood Road, traffic was diverted onto the bike lane of northbound Wasatch Blvd. Police gave priority to that line of cars when Little Cottonwood reopened.

According to a Sandy City official, the line of traffic waiting on Wasatch Blvd. was “zippered” into the merging traffic from the Cottonwood Heights section of Wasatch Blvd.

A KSL NewsRadio listener called the Dave and Dujanovic show on Wednesday to share his experience with the new route, hear his comments below.

 

Police told drivers parked in front of driveways or in intersections on Little Cottonwood Road to go to the back of the line.

Earlier this week, Sandy City Police told KSL TV that the traffic situation, without the fix, was a public safety issue that cropped up every time the canyon was closed for weather or avalanche control.

The workaround came after Sandy City met with police and fire, Utah Highway Patrol, Unified Police and Cottonwood Heights officials.

Related reading:

• So much snow in northern Utah! When does it end?

• Winter storms elevate avalanche danger in Utah’s backcountry

• Dozens of flights grounded at Salt Lake International amid winter storm

• Winter storm set to impact millions stretching from the West Coast all the way to Maine this week

 

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