UDOT Warns of Major I-80 Delays After Crash, Slide-offs and Chain-Up Violations

UDOT warned drivers to plan for significant delays on Interstate 80 between Park City and Salt Lake City after winter-storm conditions produced multiple slide-offs and a westbound crash at mile marker 140 on Feb. 18 that backed up traffic heading westbound. Park Record included UDOT photos showing conditions near mile marker 125 at about 1 p.m. and at mile marker 140 at 4:28 p.m., underscoring the afternoon congestion.

UDOT’s Wasatch Back social feed issued a string of time-stamped advisories the morning of Feb. 18 as conditions deteriorated. A 10:40 a.m. post read, “Traction Law IN EFFECT for ALL vehicles: I-80: Parleys Canyon EB; US-40: SR-32 ↔ Silver Creek; SR-224: Marsac ↔ Empire Pass. ‼️Please travel with caution and make sure your vehicles are properly equipped.” Earlier posts at 9:45 a.m. and 8:35 a.m. described I-80 segments as “Mouth to Summit: light snow” and “Wet and windy throughout canyon,” and repeatedly warned that “Variable speed limits are in effect, slow down.”

By midday the roadway incidents compounded. Park Record reported “multiple slide offs,” and the westbound crash at mile marker 140 forced traffic to queue. UDOT photos credited in Park Record show accumulation and lane incidents near mile marker 125 at roughly 1 p.m., then activity around mile marker 140 later in the afternoon at 4:28 p.m., consistent with the timeline of backups and clearance efforts.

UDOT also identified driver behavior as a contributing factor in the delays. Transportation officials said multiple semi trucks drove past the designated chain-up area near Mountain Dell through Parley’s Canyon; the trucks without chains spun out and blocked lanes, producing hours-long delays for other motorists. Officials noted that chain-up warning signs are posted along the route and that traction law enforcement was in place on SR-224 during the morning commute.

The storm and vehicle incidents produced heavy traffic beyond I-80: UDOT’s 10:15 a.m. post listed US-40 westbound at Deer Hollow Road as “Heavy Traffic,” and a 9:15 a.m. post reported “Heavy traffic up Marsac/Empire Pass.” UDOT urged drivers to “Use caution around the plows and reduce speed, UDOT said, and plan for your trip to take extra time. Traction devices are required for traveling the road.”

UDOT asked travelers to follow its Wasatch Back updates for camera-based travel times and live status as crews continued clearing slide-offs and responding to the crash and disabled trucks. With traction law active across Parley’s Canyon corridors and variable speed limits enforced, expect continued travel disruption as road crews and enforcement work to restore normal traffic flow.