PARLEY’S CANYON, Utah (ABC4) — Sections of Interstate 80 at Parleys Canyon will be closed for elk relocation on Sunday, March 19, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.
UHP officials say there are approximately 80 to 120 elk near the county club zone that they will relocate with the help of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. The estimated opening time for the closed roads will depend on the movement of the elk herd.
As of now, the roads will close beginning at 10 a.m. Here is a list of routes that will be shut down:
- I-80 westbound at East Canyon
- East Canyon westbound on-ramp
- I-80 eastbound at approximately 2600 East at the split
- Foothill northbound off-ramp
- I-80 eastbound from I-215 east
- Parley’s Way southbound
- Foothill southbound at a gas station
A herd of elk caused a little bit of traffic trouble back in January when they congregated right next to Interstate 80 and later ran across Foothill Drive.
Unfortunately, that was not the end of elk trouble at Parleys Canyon. A few days later, multiple elk were killed after being hit by vehicles at the I-80/I-215 interchange, prompting Utah Highway Patrol to remind drivers to watch out for them when traveling in that area.
The Division of Wildlife Resources states that the majority of the elk are near the Salt Lake Country Club golf course area, though a group of around 20-30 elk broke off from the herd and moved near the freeways.
Two other elk in the herd were injured in the crash and were forced to be euthanized as a result. The euthanized elk will reportedly be donated to the Game Meat Donation program, so the meat won’t go to waste.