In the aftermath of northern Utah’s December 12 snowstorm a quick and cooperative effort by Utah Highway Patrol troopers and Utah Department of Transportation employees kept roadways safe in Sardine Canyon and on I-15.

The discovery of several deer on US 89-91 north of Mantua forced the need for timely repairs to the 10-foot high deer fence through the canyon.

Highway Patrol Lt. Lee Perry said several individuals did the work.

“Some of our troopers, Sgt. Brian Nelson and four of his troopers, plus a deputy sheriff from Box Elder County who volunteered his time, and two Utah Department of Transportation employees and two Department of Natural Resources Conservation officers mended the fence together.”

They walked the fence from the outskirts of Mantua up to the UDOT sheds at the summit, near the Box Elder/Cache County line.

“After the December 12 snowfall we had numerous phone calls that deer were on or near the roadway,” said Perry, “We got up there and Sgt. Nelson noticed some holes in the fence and that’s when he decided to put this crew together and repair the holes so the deer would not continue to go through the fence and get hit.”

Following the heavy snowfall day Department of Transportation crews and Highway Patrol troopers found themselves in a “partnership” when the UDOT’s deer fences needed repairing at the same time several crashes on I-15 were breaking up the cable median barrier.

“UDOT had a choice that day: either their employees go down and fix the cable median barrier to prevent crossover crashes in I-15, or they fix deer fence,” said Lt. Perry. “It was good weather that next day and we had some extra troopers available so we said we would help them in the canyon and they could repair the cable median on I-15.”

Perry said in the past that partnership has routinely sprung into action.

“Sometime we might have a bad crash to handle and they’ll show up and help us direct traffic; it’s a good partnership.”

Prior to the fence repairs UHP was getting regular calls of herds of 10-30 deer gathered together beside the road.