Capitol Reef warns of UT-24 lane closures near Hickman Bridge trailhead
UT-24 lane closures started near Hickman Bridge today, with flaggers expected to slow traffic east and west through Capitol Reef for the rest of the week.
Capitol Reef visitors driving UT-24 got a fresh trip-planning headache as lane closures and flagger-controlled traffic began near the Hickman Bridge trailhead and just east of the visitor center. The work started June 10 and is expected to slow movement through the park for the remainder of the week, right on the main corridor most drivers use to reach trailheads, the Scenic Drive and Fruita.
The park said Utah Department of Transportation crews are doing survey work tied to an upcoming highway bridge project. That means the road should remain open, but visitors should expect stop-and-go traffic and delays in both directions as they cross the park east or west.
That matters most for anyone timing a Hickman Bridge hike or threading Capitol Reef into a bigger Utah road trip. The Hickman Bridge Trail is a 2-mile round-trip hike and one of the park’s most popular routes, and the trailhead also offers one of the best views of Capitol Dome. Even a short backup near that junction can ripple through a morning plan, especially for sunrise hikers trying to hit the trail early or drivers trying to make a timed stop at the visitor center.
Capitol Reef’s visitor center sits at the intersection of UT-24 and the Scenic Drive, which makes this stretch a choke point for day visitors and through-travelers alike. The park is open year-round, but it does not have a lodge or restaurant, so a traffic snag on the highway can throw off a whole day’s pacing if you are counting on a quick pass through Fruita, a trail stop, and then a long drive onward.
The current setup also fits Capitol Reef’s long-running access pattern, where the highway serves as the park’s spine. The visitor center was completed in 1965, and the modern SR-24 alignment through Fruita came out of Mission 66-era planning, which is part of why even short-term traffic control near the Hickman Bridge area carries outsized impact.
For visitors, the practical move is simple: build in extra travel time, expect delays near the trailhead and visitor center, and do not assume UT-24 will move at highway speed through the park this week. With flaggers on duty and lane closures in place, the stretch that leads to one of Capitol Reef’s signature hikes is exactly where trip schedules are most likely to slip.
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