A rock briefly slowed traffic on state Route 12 in Bryce Canyon National Park Thursday | Center photo courtesy of Tracy Syrett, St. George News
BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK — A rock fell onto state Route 12 Thursday afternoon briefly blocking westbound state Route 12 from Bryce Canyon.
Map showing the location of the rockslide, since cleared, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, Nov. 5, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Utah Department of Transportation, St. George News
“It was a single rock that fell onto the road, and partially is blocking one lane,” Kevin Kitchen of the Utah Department of Transportation said. “It probably is the size of a small dumpster.”
Crews cleared the rock and debris quickly, reopening the road just before 1 p.m.
“If they are extremely big rocks and they’re difficult to move, sometimes we may let them sit a day or so, so we can bring a blasting crew to break them down,” Kitchen said. Jackhammers would be another option.
Fortunately, Kitchen said, the rock was small enough that a loader was used to push the rock out of the road.
Kitchen said no road damage was reported from the falling rock.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.
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A native of Pacific Palisades, Calif., Ric was bitten by the news bug as a staff writer and associate editor of the Palisades High School Tideline. After school he entered the media as a radio personality, both playing music and reporting news. Ric moved to St. George in the 1980s and was the morning personality on all three major AM stations in town. An avid amateur radio operator, Ric is looking for a good band to play in, as he plays keyboards, bass and guitar. Ric, who currently is working on developing a lifestyle that doesn't require his presence, lives in the center of St. George with his partner Terri, two snoring dogs and too many neurotic cats.
