UDOT to study opening mountain roads in winter

The Utah Department of Transportation is studying what it would take to keep some high mountain passes open through the winter.

UDOT’s $200,000 study of eight mountain passes will begin in January.

The high mountain passes are often closed every winter because of safety concerns and the expense of opening the roads up to traffic.

UDOT program development director Cory Pope says the review will look at how much each highway would cost to stay open and weigh that against travel time savings and other benefits.

The Standard-Examiner reports ( http://bit.ly/1cS4EU9) the study will look at State Road 39, known as the Monte Cristo Highway, State Road 65, the Big Mountain Highway, and state roads in or near Big Cottonwood Canyon, Wolf Creek Pass, the Alpine Loop, Beaver, Kamas and Parowan.

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