Provo Canyon overpass closed temporarily due to rock fall

PROVO, Utah — The 800 North overpass that leads into Provo Canyon is closed and could stay closed for up to a week. 

Utah Department of Transportation Region 3 Spokesperson Jeff Dupaix said the off-ramp of the overpass keeps getting hit with rocks falling off the canyon wall.

“The pieces are really varying in size from small pebbles to larger sections that are, you know, two to three feet in diameter,” Dupaix said. “With that type of a situation, we want to make sure that the road is passable and safer for motorists. So in the meantime, that’s why we’re needing to close the road or at least that portion of the road.”

Dupaix said UDOT is getting a contractor who will go up on the cliff, clear debris and make sure it’s safe before the road re-opens.

But the timing all depends on the weather.

“With this type of rock when you get a lot of water and freezes and thaws, it’s like nature’s chisel. It just creates some bigger and bigger gaps in the rock and so then the rock will eventually give way,” Dupaix said.

So, UDOT has to wait for the right conditions to have a crew come and clean up.

Dupaix said people can still get up Provo Canyon by driving north on University Avenue.

UDOT will post updates about the closure on its social media accounts.

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