HUNTSVILLE, Utah — After multiple crashes in Ogden Canyon, including a deadly head-on collision on Wednesday, there is an ongoing issue of safety in the canyon.
UDOT hosted an open house in Huntsville on Thursday to ask neighbors about what changes they hope to see, to make the canyon safer to drive.
"I think it's probably top of mind for most people who live there, not just the safety - but what the possible resolutions will be because that will affect the people that live there,” said Kristen Mitchell, who lives in Ogden Canyon. "Enforcement of the speed limit is one of the most important things."
The open house was for people to chat with UDOT representatives and share feedback about how the roads feel.
"People are passionate about it,” said Mitch Shaw with UDOT. “They travel and use the road every day, they have a unique perspective, they’re on the road every day, they see things that frankly we can’t always see."
This has been an ongoing issue, highlighted by a tragedy over the summer.
"A father and his daughter were killed in a crash. There was a heavy piece of machinery that wasn’t, the load wasn’t secured,” said Shaw.
After Richard and Sally Hendrickson died, more conversations spurred about the need for things to change.
"I think they should limit the length on vehicles,” said Middle Fork resident Christine Brown.
UDOT recently replaced outdated barriers and installed a centerline rumble strip, and is working on more safety measures.
Some residents hoping for a non-motorized trail to reduce congestion.
"It would take more cars off the road if we were riding our bikes up and down the canyon,” said Huntsville resident Jeff Harrison.
"There’s an option out there to basically split the road at the bottom, where the bike path is supposed to be, so that combined with using speed cameras would be our ideal scenario,” added Michael Hughes, who lives in Ogden Canyon.
UDOT currently does not have a timeline on when they might make a decision on changes nor implement them.
