FARMINGTON -- Farmington Canyon Road will not open anytime soon because of extensive repairs that are needed to stabilize the hillside, officials say.
A rock slide in May closed the road, and at that time, officials believed they could remove the slide and repair the road. They hoped to open the road in time for Memorial Day weekend.
But rain and snow brought two more rock slides, closing the road indefinitely.
"It's just one huge slide about 11âÑ2 miles to 2 miles up the road," said Cathy Kahlow, district ranger with the U.S. Forest Service.
The road is closed to all traffic, and those caught in the area will be fined.
Those who want to get into the area can do so by using Ward Canyon Road east of Bountiful.
What was once a seven-mile trip is now a 15-mile trip, which has frustrated those who like to recreate in the area, Kahlow said.
Kahlow said the Forest Service has received phone calls from residents who usually use the area during the summer months wanting to know when it will open.
The canyon road is generally closed during the winter and open in the summer and fall.
Kahlow said the hillside by the road is very unstable.
"The problem is there is no easy fix," she said.
If crews remove the material that is on and near the road, the remaining hillside could come down.
Geotechnical engineers have been at the area, and Forest Service officials are working with contractors to get a bid on how much it will cost to fix the road.
"It's just not safe right now," Kahlow said. "It's a public safety issue."
Kahlow said Forest Service officials cannot guarantee that the road will be open next summer.
It all depends on the cost to fix the road and what Mother Nature dishes out this winter.
"It's a pretty steep hill," Kahlow said.
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