Aerial view shows Utah road crumbling amid flooding
SR-39 through Ogden Canyon has closed in both directions to all traffic indefinitely, except for Ogden Canyon residents.
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OGDEN, Utah – Photos show a part of a road in northern Utah that crumbled and collapsed into the Ogden River on Thursday.
According to the Utah Department of Transportation, high water in the river washed away a portion of the bank underneath State Road 39 in Weber County.
Aerial images shared by the Weber County Sheriff's Office reveal the extent of the damage.
A bulldozer tends to a crumbling SR-39 in Utah. May 11, 2023.
(Weber County Sheriff's Office / FOX Weather)
Deputies noted that the roadway had started to wash out just east of the mouth of Ogden Canyon.
SR-39 through Ogden Canyon is now closed in both directions to all traffic indefinitely, except for Ogden Canyon residents.
A bulldozer tends to a crumbling SR-39 in Utah. May 11, 2023.
(Weber County Sheriff's Office / FOX Weather)
The high water levels of the Ogden River are being caused by the rapid melting of the record snowpack that built up over the winter. The resulting snowmelt has created hazardous conditions in many parts of Utah.
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A bulldozer tends to a crumbling SR-39 in Utah. May 11, 2023.
(Weber County Sheriff's Office / FOX Weather)
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox declared a state of emergency April 18 due to flood risks around the state.
"We’re incredibly grateful for the moisture we’ve received this winter, but the extra rain and hefty snowpack present increasing flood risks as the snow melts," Cox said in a press release.
"By declaring a state of emergency, the state will be better able to tap into reserve funds to support flood response and mitigation efforts," he added. "In short, we’ll be better prepared for what lies ahead this spring."