Parleys Canyon: Expected Inconvenience

A fully engulfed vehicle on the eastbound lanes of Interstate 80, in Parleys Canyon, naturally created a cascade of delays this MLK Day. The Utah Department of Transportation, while responsive with lane closures and eventual reopening at 10:45 a.m., treats the symptom, not the disease. One anticipates such occurrences. The Marsac Building ought to be focusing on proactive solutions, not merely deploying safety-orange barrels and high-viz yellow vests after the fact. This is the same corridor where the Summit County Council continues to debate the widening of SR-224, a project perpetually stalled by procedural objections and environmental impact studies – all while the volume of seasonal traffic increases exponentially. High Valley Transit, for all their well-intentioned efforts, cannot alleviate a fundamental capacity issue. It's a simple equation, really. And the Utah Highway Patrol’s silence on the cause feels…deliberately opaque. One wonders if a dedicated bypass, diverting traffic around the canyon entirely, was ever seriously considered. A proper assessment, factoring in property acquisition and environmental mitigation, is long overdue. For those attempting transit today, I suggest abandoning the automobile altogether. Take the Richardson Flat bus – it’s marginally less frustrating, and decidedly more civilized.