Utah Avalanche Towers
2017 – Salt Lake City, Utah
Client: Utah Department of Transportation
Project Scope
Little Cottonwood Canyon has had numerous avalanche paths that affected the roadway. A solution was needed to enable the avalanche safety technicians to remotely trigger avalanches after they closed the road.
Methods and Solution
Tangiers was contracted to install a Remote Avalanche Control System (first one of its kind in the USA). The area selected was a highly protected park environmental habitat. Extreme environmental stewardship was needed. A small group, using helicopters, airlifted all their equipment to the area. They then drilled and built a cement foundation. The tower was then installed and the construction terrain remediated to its original condition.
Results
A major construction project was conducted in a very fragile ecosystem without issues. The worksite was above 10,000 feet. It proved that helicopter based specialty construction is possible at higher altitude. UDOT used this system the following winter, reducing the road closures dramatically.
Services Provided
Heli portable equipment, helicopter slinging, rope access, pneumatic drilling, grouting, cement work, installation, mountain safety, public education, high altitude construction
